the 10mm considered a bear gun?

[cajun47]

there are black bears, wild hogs, around my camp and hunting area. i carry my s&w .44 mag but its so heavy and only 6 shots.

im thinking of getting a glock in 10mm. do they hold up well?

[mete]

I remember a thread on a forum written by a guide and hunter discussing appropriate cartridges for black bear. He had shot or seen shot hundreds of bear with various cartridges . He said an effective round he considered that if you got a good hit they wouldn't go more than 50 yds. For a revolver he found 41 mag was the minimum and for an auto 10mm. Proving again that big bore makes a difference.

[COSteve]

A 10mm fired from a 6" barrel will allow you to get the maximum potential out of it but in truth, the 10mm is the equal of a hot 357mag and not necessarily an ideal first choice for bear. That said, I carry my custom 6" Glock 20 in the Rockies as defense against anything 2 or 4 legged with 17+1 rds of my hot 200grn hardcast loads.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v726/Coloradoglocker/100_0773.jpg

[sailskidrive]

Nice Wranglers Steve. :p

I used to carry a .357 Taurus revolver and a total of 14 rounds for personal protection when hunting in Alaska. Some would call it "lite" but I never actually had to shoot anything, one shot scares off most bears.

In your situation I would be more worried about the wild hogs, as they can be much more aggressive than a black bear which are usually easily scared off with a good amount of noise. Hogs can move in quick and in significant numbers into a base camp and destroy everything in minutes; they can also mess you up pretty good.

I would skip the 10mm, take a pump shotgun loaded w/ buck shot for your base camp sentry and a decent stainless revolver for the field.

~Sail

[Hitthespot]

I'm no expert, but I once read a story many, many, years ago about a man who got up and went outside the cabin to relieve himself, looked over a hill and a bear was headed straight for him. He went back in the cabin, and a couple of minutes later the bear came right through the door. He unloaded his 44 magnum and so did his buddy, one of them reloaded and got off 2 more shots before the old boy finally went down. 14 shots in all as the bear spun, sputtered and just plain old refused to give up.

I'm no expert, but there would be no 10mm in my lineup, at least specifically for bear!

Bill

[psyshack]

I would have no problem carrying a 10mm in the lower 48.

Hogs are becoming rampit here. Black bears are making there way into our area also. There are also some mountain lions showing up. I have not seen one myself. But have seen more track than I care to remember. And there have been multiple sightings with warnings from the game rangers to not shoot them. Yeah right! A big cat spooks me, it's a dead cat.

I went from carrying a Super BlackHawk to a .45 ACP M&P when out in the woods. And I very well might transition to a Glock 10mm next month. Many look at me funny when they see or hear about the .45 acp as my current woods round. But let me tell you. With hot 230gr. XTP's chambered up. It's a force to be dealt with from about 30 yards in. And I have taken hog with it.

[Old Grump]

there are black bears, wild hogs, around my camp and hunting area. i carry my s&w .44 mag but its so heavy and only 6 shots.

im thinking of getting a glock in 10mm. do they hold up well?

To answer your question as asked A Glock 20 comes highly recommended by a lot of people. If your 44 is a bit much to carry I see why you don't want to lug around a shotgun, camp life requires two hands to function and keeping one hand on a gun is a bit awkward

Personally I am a Colt 1911 fan and want a 10MM in that package but I do so knowing the gun takes a beating with the full load 10's. Familiarity with the package and a personal dislike of the Glock trigger makes my choice but if you like Glock go for it. Just be careful whatever you get.

[TheGoldenState]

I think it depends on where the hits land and the tenacity of the bear. There is a viedo of hunters (i want to say in Alaska but not sure?) and 2 hunters unload their .500 S&W into the bear and its still alive and moving, the third buddy/hunter has to put several rifle rounds (whatever he was shooting) into before going down -whilst his two 500 gunners are speedily reloading.

for bear, ill carry my 4 inch SW .500 (that i wish i would have got in 8 3'/8).

[jgcoastie]

Yes.

Try DoubleTap 200gr WFNGC Beartooth ammo and you'll be fine against anything in the Lower 48.

[Stevie-Ray]

14 shots in all as the bear spun, sputtered and just plain old refused to give up.
I'm no expert, but there would be no 10mm in my lineup, at least specifically for bear!
Probably not a blackie, though. I use a Glock 29 for my bear (and everything else) protection in northern and northeast Michigan. But blackies are far smaller than the Brownies and Grizzlys, near which I'd be far happier with a 20mm cannon.

I feed the Glock 29 200 gr Double Tap.

[dsa1115]

For black bear maybe. For brown bear definitely not.

[jgcoastie]

For black bear maybe. For brown bear definitely not.
FWIW; I carried a 10mm (G20, then later a G20SF) for bear protection up here for nearly three years. I should also note that a good can of bear spray is the best defense against bears when compared against handguns of any type/caliber/make/model....

10mm or .500 S&W... Makes no difference really. Handguns are absolutely terrible at stopping an attacking bear in its tracks. Best bet is a good can of bear spray as #1 and a good handgun (.357 Mag/10mm and up) as #2.

Or just carry a rifle.

[Deaf Smith]

I'd be ok with packing the 10mm in Alaska, or a .45 1911 set up for .45 SUPER.

BUT, I'd also have a 12 gauge shotgun, say a Mossie 500 18 inch riot gun with tac-star side saddle and rifle sights. That or a Marlin 45/70 or something bigger.

The pistol is only when used when you were foolish to leave that long gun in camp.

And the odds of it working to stop fast moving bears is not good.

Deaf

[danite]

This will probably put me into talking out wrong orifice slot, but, I once owned a 10mm Glock. I bought it not so much for game as for firepower while hunting no. California. I actually went to high school with the 1st 2 people killed by growers in California. As we had found several plots already, I did not wish to be caught with just 4 rds then a slow reload--I felt the 10mm would optimize my protection and supplement my hunting hogs.

Back to actual events my hunting partner[of many years and good friend] and I were crossing the hunting claim in a 4x4 when we spotted a fairly large pig moving up hill about 200yds away we stopped, dismounted the vehicle and took aim from rests on truck, him through driver-side window while standing, me across the hood [he shoots .270 win. Me a 6mm/.244 rem.

We both hit it, as we're berating each others shooting skills over who shot it we notice this pig has gotten up and is moving up hill once more. Cursing like fools I put my gun in the truck, and 10mm in hand took off on foot after it while he drove around to reach the top from backside, we didn't want leave a wounded animal[very unethical to do that].

I caught up to it crossing a fence[should say ripping through a fence] the pig was 10-15yds past it. When I made a racket the pig turned and started back at me. At that point I shot it between the eyes it dropped just like something shot b.t.e. I jumped the fence and turned around--the damn pig was up and mad (from all the grunting and squealing I made that assessment) ,so I shot it again, achieved the same results, but stood back for awhile having seen what these pigs have done to many good dogs.

Damn if the pig didn't get up again--no sound this time but it charged again from about 5ft. Again shot it b.t.e. It's down now and struggling to get up, when my friend dirty harryed it in the ear with a coup de gras.

He then says to me "You got to get rid of that <expletive deleted> gun, I can't hunt if the pigs are laughing at us". I bought a 629 s&w 7 5/8 full lug .44 and I carry mucho speed loaders now.

Footnote:3 10mm rds were directly behind the skull under skin having furrowed both sides of skull. Rifle rds took 1 lung, and turned 6in.of spine to grit we found upon dressing pig out at about 2oo+-lbs. But that 10mm would shoot clear through a full sized Buick with both windows down penetrating all but not kill the Freddy Kruger pig. That's my 10mm tale. Never shot a bear looks too human when skinned to me.

[Bird3897]

Well, if I were really confronted with a bear I would hope to have a rifle in my hands, but a 10mm would give me some peace of mind. Oh yeah, I hope I am wearing a diaper if this happens to me:D

[9x19]

Bear-hunting?

No.

Bear-country?

Yes.

I wouldn't consider the 10mm a good choice as a primary bear-hunting cartridge, but think it would be about as good as you can get in a semi-auto for a "just-in-case" bear-country pistol.

[Daryl]

I'm no expert, but I once read a story many, many, years ago about a man who got up and went outside the cabin to relieve himself, looked over a hill and a bear was headed straight for him. He went back in the cabin, and a couple of minutes later the bear came right through the door. He unloaded his 44 magnum and so did his buddy, one of them reloaded and got off 2 more shots before the old boy finally went down. 14 shots in all as the bear spun, sputtered and just plain old refused to give up.

I'm no expert, but there would be no 10mm in my lineup, at least specifically for bear!


I've heard many a bull story in my day.

If true, it was some extremely poor shooting (probably missed most of 'em).

BTW-I've heard the same type stories about folks shooting javalinas with a .44 mag. Supposedly shot all full of holes, but just keep coming at them.

They're actually not all that agressive unless cornered, and I usually hunt them these days with a .32 H&R mag with good results. I've killed more with a bow than anything else.

I'd carry a 10mm (with full powered ammo) anywhere in the lower 48 will complete confidence. It's plenty if you know how to use it.

Daryl

[Hitthespot]

It could very well be bull, but when I first started buying hand guns I did read that story in a magazine. Probably 30 years or so ago. Wish I could remember which magazine it was. I received NRA magazines back then, but I also bought magazines off the shelf. I personally would not carry anything smaller than a 41-44 magnum for dangerous game. But that's just me.

Bill

[danite]

Hey daryl, I used to think pigs wouldn't act like that either, but Northern CA has a very mean group of swine which are left over russians crossed with loose domestics. The javelinas of the south west are really not the same beast it's like comparing piranha to bull-sharks, these pigs will eat their lunch.

I've hunted both types and found them unpredictable at best.

A line bred domestic will go feral in 2 generations which makes for a lot pigs in 2 seasons at 8-10 pigs per drop. They're not indigenous to Northern CA and tear up the eco-system like roto-tillers causing erosion. They destroy produce in every form and Northern CA likes its grapes. My freezer is always full of sausage so those pigs know i know how to do it.

[Daryl]

Danite,

Don't confuse javalina with feral hogs. They aren't even in the same class.

Javalinas average about 35-40 lbs field dressed, and are not a true "pig". More like an oversized hamster, IMO. I've shot more javalinas over the years than I care to count, and while they can surely inflict damage (I've seen dogs torn all to heck by 'em), they just aren't that tough.

In the case of the javalina, legend most certainly goes well beyond their ferocity and toughness.

The world of the javalina is about 18" in front of their nose. When they "charge", it's been my experience that they're simply trying to get away from something they figure isn't quite right. They smell you, panic, and can't see worth a darn. Sometimes they run straight towards you.

I usually step out of the way, but I did kick one in the side of the head on one occasion.

They are very easy to stalk and kill with archery equipment or a handgun. I occasionally stalk them with a camera, just to see what kind of pictures I can get.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/Daryl45/Javalina7-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/Daryl45/Javalina5.jpg

[Old Grump]

danite, if you were indeed hitting the boar between the eyes and not missing then you just discovered why you do not shoot boars between the eyes. Head on shots are always dumb if the target is the head because the brain is small, the forehead is thick and slanted backwards. I'd squeal and get mad if somebody kept hitting me between the eyes too. Wasn't the guns fault, it was your shooting and targeting. Preacher buddy of mine shoots his with a 38 spcl, never had a problem. Doesn't shoot them between the eyes either.

http://hunting.about.com/od/deerbiggame/a/wheretoshoothog.htm

[Lost Sheep]

Bear-hunting?

No.

Bear-country?

Yes.

I wouldn't consider the 10mm a good choice as a primary bear-hunting cartridge, but think it would be about as good as you can get in a semi-auto for a "just-in-case" bear-country pistol.
__________________
Make mine lean, mean, and 9x19!

My opinion:

Hunting, yes.

For defense against an attacking critter, something bigger

When hunting, you can choose your shot and pass on less-than-optimal angles, timing, etc.

If forced to defend against an unexpected charge, probably at less than 10 yards, something in excess of 300 grains traveling around 1100 to 1400 fps is minimal.

There are some 9mm rounds good for black bear, wild swine and such. The wonderfully named 9mm Johnson is one. Bullets are lighter than my specification above, at 200 to 280 grains, but velocities are right around 3,000 fps for just under 5,000 ft lbs of energy out of a short-action rifle.

Lost Sheep

[BGutzman]

I never met a hog my 45 didnt drop with one shot, maybe wild boars different but 800 lbs of hog is still 800 lbs of hog.. No I dont shoot them between the eye's either, too much thick skull.

[shafter]

If you can't stop him with 6 your dead.

[Hitthespot]

There are some 9mm rounds good for black bear

Hey, Hey look over here, is that a 9mm pistol in those bear droppings.:eek::D

[bamaranger]

Yeah, the pistols are tough as nails. The big slide is intended for the 10mm ctg and Glocks in general have a great rep for durability and reliability.

The flat Glock 20 carries easier than a mag revolver for most folks.
I abandoned my 629 Mtn revolver for that very reason. No bear trouble here, but I sometimes like the idea of a powerful handgun for backwoods.

Black bears and hogs have been killed efficiently w/ all sorts of calibers, and some well placed 10mm slugs would do a blackie or a pig no good at all. I know of one instance when two black bears were killed w/ multiple .40 rds.

From what I hear, the griz, brown, kodiak clan are a different story. If its all I had, I load it w/ hot 200 FMJ and hope I didn't need it.

[Dc9Loser]

I shot a little 106 pound female wild hog last year. Hit it on a dead run at 75 yards with a .308 shooting federal match 168 grain JHP.

I hit it directly through the chest. The exit wound was 6-7 inches in size and a huge chunk of lung was hanging outside the hole.

And you know what? That girl pig ran another 75 yards before finally dying from loss of blood. I must have hit the outflow from the heart because the blood trail was like someone shot the forest floor with a fire hose shooting blood.

That a 106 pound pig hit in vital areas with a high powered rifle could still travel full speed for 75 yards is a bit scary.

Glock 10 mm? Heck you got 16 rounds (or more with a plus 2 extension) so I think it as good as any other weapon out there you can easily carry. Just keep shooting!

You just are not going to be 100% with it though nor apparently with a .308 rifle.

Bears? I don't know anything about that.. other than Lewis and Clark said they'd rather fight three Indians than one Grizzly bear.