M16 is right, the 10mm isn`t over rated it`s way *under rated*! Folks are constantly comparing down loaded 10mm loads to full power .40*&* loads and saying "Look they`re almost the same the 10mm sucks!". Of course even in these loads the 10mm is usually 100fps faster with the same bullet. BTW the vaunted FBI is now using a mid range down loaded .40 *&* load because even standard .40 was too much for their girlier agents.
Recoil wise the milder loads fired in 10mm sized guns are VERY easy to control and still slightly hotter than .40*&*. The full power 10mm loads in a full sized gun are no harder to control than .40*&* in a light compact gun and no body seems to be complaining about them. They`re also much easier to control than full house .357mag. loads in a 4" revolver. Just last weekend I shot my 10mm Witness with full power Hornady 155gr.XTPs side by side with a *&* 686 with 110gr.JHPs and both the owner of the 686 and I agreed that the Witness was FAR more controlable and much more pleasant to shoot. As for M&S stats note that most of the 10mm numbers are based on projections not real shootings. The stats that do reflect real shootings have far too few shootings with each 10mm load to be even close to accurate. Overpenetration? With the original 200gr. JFP at 1200fps. almost certainly. With 135gr. JHPs at 1400+ I doubt it (in fact I`d suspect that if anything they`d underpenetrate). Somewhere in the middle we find a happy compromise,just like any other caliber. Not a good stopper? Anyone really believe that say GA or Proload`s 155gr.GDHP at 1350fps and 650fpe (almost twice a standard 9mm load!). isn`t a VERY effective fight stopper? As for black bear,a good friend of mine needed 3 well placed shots from his .300 Win.mag. rifle to drop the one he took a couple years ago. Face it even a .454 Casull is a pea shooter compared to a .300 Win.mag. That doesn`t mean a 10mm won`t kill a black bear it just means it`s far from ideal and may not make the kills as quick and humane as they should be. Marcus