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Where Did 10mm Come From?
Jeff Cooper, along with engineers at Norma designed the 10mm round to be the premier combat round. Unfortunately, like the 41 Magnum, the 10mm was kicked to the curb after a short stay with the FBI. Apparently, some weak wristed agents couldn’t pass muster.
Testing Procedures
Lucky Gunner runs a blog called the Lounge and it’s a haven for information. They also created an awesome test matrix to test the ammunition they sell. This test involves ballistic gel and was established by the FBI years ago to test handgun bullet effectiveness.
The test utilizes professional-grade ballistic gel that will measure the depth a round penetrates. The goal is for the round to penetrate at least 12 inches of ballistic gel, but not penetrate more than 18 inches.
This applies to self-defense ammo and to be honest that it the most important consideration for a weapon.
To ensure the test is realistic and accurate they utilize 4 layers of fabric to represent clothing. These many layers simulate a worst-case scenario in which you are defending yourself in January in North Dakota and the bad guy is wearing appropriate winter wear.
Best 10mm Ammo
Self-Defense Self-defense and duty use are what the 10mm was originally developed to do. The 10mm is a great self-defense load and to a degree, it might be a bit much to a lot of people. However, no one can deny that it is a potent, man-stopping round.1. Federal 180 Grain Hydra-Shok
Oh yeah–having Hydra-Shok rounds in the best self-defense ammo isn’t a big surprise. The Hydra-Shok brand has always been a worthy contender when it comes to both effective penetration and efficient expansion. This 180 grain Hydra-Shok round is relatively mild in terms of velocity. It moves at only roughly 1,000 FPS. This makes it about a 100 FPS faster than a standard 40 S&W load with a 180-grain round. However, it does penetrate 15.9 inches on average and expands to an impressive .61 inches. It’s a heavy little load that is controllable, especially from a full-sized gun. Penetration and expansion are the bullet’s job and your job is to ensure the round hits somewhere effective enough to ensure the penetration and expansion matters.
$24
at Lucky Gunner
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Available Coupons
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25% off all OAKLEY products – OAKLEY25
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2. Hornady 180 Grain XTP
If I was going to choose a 10mm load I would take the Hornady 180 Grain XTP round. It’s very potent and quite powerful. If I’m going to be carrying a big 10mm, why would I not carry a round that takes the 10mm’s performance to the edge? I know some like a little less recoil, but the 10mm is best respected as the powerhouse it is. The Hornady 180 Grain XTP loads throw a 180-grain pill at roughly 1150 feet per second. That’s close to original Norma spec round.
$21
at Lucky Gunner
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Available Coupons
-
25% off all OAKLEY products – OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
3. Barnes VOR-TX
I’m not sure why anyone would want a low recoiling 10mm load, but it exists, and someone out there may enjoy it. The Barnes VOR-TX is an all copper round that weighs 155 grains. This lightweight round flies an anemic 1073 feet per second. However, it does penetrate to a decent 12.6 inches on average. Now what makes this ammo stand apart from other milquetoast loads is the round’s expansion.  Sure, the penetration is average, and the velocity is low, but let’s talk expansion.
$29
at Lucky Gunner
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Available Coupons
-
25% off all OAKLEY products – OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
4. Underwood 200 Grain Nosler JHP
Underwood’s name is one associated with hard-hitting rounds and their 10mm is no slouch. This 200-grain jacketed hollow point round is a brutal beast, and you’ll see and feel it via muzzle rise and recoil. The Underwood 200 grain 10mm round moves at a blistering 1250 feet per second. It’s one of the few that mimics the original Norma loads. Underwood uses a Nosler projectile for excellent expansion and weight retention.
$23
at Lucky Gunner
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Available Coupons
-
25% off all OAKLEY products – OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
5. Underwood 200 Grain Hard Cast
This round is very similar to the one listed above. Both are 200-grain projectiles, and both move at 1,250 feet per second. However, this is not a jacketed hollow point, but a hard cast load. Hard cast loads are not designed to expand, they are designed to be bulldozers. They penetrate deeply, breaking and tearing through bone, muscle, fat, thick hides, and more. These rounds are designed to rip through big animals at close range and they have proven to be able to do that.
$19
at Brownells
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Available Coupons
-
25% off all OAKLEY products – OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
6. Magtech 180 Gr FMJ
The Magtech 180 grain FMJ, brass-cased ammo is affordable, reliable, and fun to shoot. It’s not a complete full-powered load, but it does sport some impressive specs for a cheap training round. The 180-grain projectile flies at 1164 feet per second.
$320
at Lucky Gunner
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Available Coupons
-
25% off all OAKLEY products – OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
7. Federal American Eagle
I personally like recoil and the challenge it creates to handle a gun, but not all may feel that way. Maybe you just want an easy day at the range. American Eagle offers that with their 180 grain 10mm autoload. This ammo is very mild and comfortable.
$26
at Lucky Gunner
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Available Coupons
-
25% off all OAKLEY products – OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
10 Leave a Reply
Sig Sauer has a great 10mm round for a great price. Before COVID, it was running at $119/box 200 at the outdoor sportsman stores. 624 ft lb is pretty close to Norma load, especially for plinking. Underwood Ammo has a fantastic 10mm offering, with several varieties that meet or exceed Norma with very high quality brass. I carry Underwood Xtreme Penetrator in the woods.
I’m glad that he addressed the biggest problem with 10mm. I like Ballistics by the inch website and find it very helpful, but there is a big disservice on that website when it comes to 10mm.
Think of the number of changes that have to be done to the CMMG platform because of all the different round characteristics.
With that in mind I will check out the other loading companies. Thank you
Im surprised, have you seen Liberty Ammunition's Civil Defense? I use that stuff and I promise you it is worth mentioning more than like Magtech lol : ) Not insulting ya but this stuff does 2400 fps and 780lbs energy, and not only that is impressive but it also starbursts.
Liberty ammo is my favorite, very good ammo. Honestly I don't see any ammo that compares to it. I always have some
I am suprised that two different types of ammo were not at least mentioned here. As a 10mm enthusiast, you can't talk about "the most powerful" ammo without mentioning "Double Tap" ammo. Also as far as self defense ammo in almost ANY caliber goes, almost none outperforms the Federal HST, including their own hydra-shok.
"no one can deny it’s not a potent, man-stopping round." — Confused inversion. You really mean "no one can deny that it IS a potent, man stopping round".
*waves magic wand*
dumb ass
Fenix Ammunition has the best full power 10mm training ammo. It's clean, full power, and their quality control is the best in the game.
Winchester #209 Shotshell Primers
• Brand : Winchester
• Bullet Type : Shotshell Primers
• Availability : In Stock
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