Good news to 10mm semi auto fans !

[Ruger45LC]

I really couldn't care less about the 10mm, but it is good to see some new ammo choices for it, although I'm sure it will be priced way too high for what it is, like a 20rd box probably costing $30-40. I'd imagine the 1275 is from a 5" barrel, most 10mm loads are, at least from the big three.

That velocity seems to be about right for a 10mm load that's at or below its pressure rating, sure it could be a DT 200gr at 1300 fps, but that's also over pressure no matter how you slice it. Based off most reloading manuals, high 1200's to around 1300 is about max for the 10mm in a 5" barrel with a 180gr bullet.

 

[boykinhntr]

I like it! 1275 for a 180 is basically the same as Underwood. I hunt with that load on occasion. I prefer the 200gr XTP. Thanks for the info. I'll be looking to try it.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

180 at 1275? Nice mild load. As a reloader I find it interesting but would prefer to make my own.

 

[RickB]

2% short of full-power is a mild load?

 

[Peter M. Eick]

It is if you reload for fully supported guns and like enjoying yourself. My goal is almost always "200 at 1200" or the equal power. Kick your 180 up to 1350 and we can start talking.

Lately this has been my G20 (6"KKM), Witness Hunter or 610 load. I do keep those loads out of my 1911 format guns though.

 

[Nick_C_S]

I guess I'm one of the "11" 10mm Auto owners out there

I have two: G20SF, and G29SF. I carry the 29, and the 20 takes nightstand duty. Both have Federal Hydrashock 180's in them.

The 29 chronos the hydrashocks at 1030 fps.
The 20 chronos the hydrashocks at 1065 fps.

They certainly aren't full power rounds. But I have full confidence in their effectiveness. One nice thing about 10mm is they have the headroom to fire "de-tuned" rounds that are still plenty hard hitting.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Federal ammunition is going to introduce their own full power 10mm load using nickel -plated cases , 180 grain Trophy Bonded JSP bullets , and muzzle velocity advertised at 1275 fps ! I'm stoked because Federal ammunition is what I generally use and I want a 10mm semi-auto now more than ever ! Thought I'd share !

Damn, if they do that, and if it's actually available, I might not have to contact Double Tap again.

 

[Ruger45LC]

180 at 1275? Nice mild load. As a reloader I find it interesting but would prefer to make my own.

A 180gr at 1275 from a 5" barrel or less isn't "mild", it's pretty much full power. One at 1350 is certain to be over pressure.

It is if you reload for fully supported guns and like enjoying yourself. My goal is almost always "200 at 1200" or the equal power. Kick your 180 up to 1350 and we can start talking.

A 180gr at 1350 won't kill any deader than one doing 1250, or in this case, 1275 fps. Really 75-100 fps is nearly meaningless and the results would be indistinguishable. Heck a 180gr at 1000 fps is plenty effective for most deer sized game.

 

[Mike_Fontenot]

A 180gr at 1350 won't kill any deader than one doing 1250, or in this case ... Really 75-100 fps is nearly meaningless and the results would be indistinguishable.

I mostly agree with your post, but I don't think the difference between 1350 f/s and 1250 f/s is entirely negligible ... 1350 f/s gives almost 17% more energy than 1350 f/s, and I don't think that's trivial. But I agree that 1250 ft/s with a 180gr bullet is certainly quite respectable. And if Federal's new load actually achieves 1275 f/s at 180 gr, that's probably actually only 25 f/s below what Underwood probably achieves, and gives you a small "comfort zone" between in-spec and over-spec. I wouldn't be surprised if my 180 gr DoubleTaps came in at about 1275 f/s (even though their spec is 1305 f/s), and that would be fine with me (I DO exclusively carry them, along with DT 150gr and DT 200gr, alternating in each mag) ... I've never seen signs of overpressure in DoubleTaps (other than for some filled-in (flattened) primer craters in DT 200 gr), but I HAVE seen a few missing primers in the spent casings of some Underwood's that I have shot. (I've never seen any "smiles" or bulges on either brand, though, but that's in my Kimber, which reputedly has the best chamber support of any of the 10mm's).

 

[Noreaster]

I've taken deer with WWB 44 mag @ advertised 1180fps. A 1250 fps 10mm doesn't sound bad at all.

 

[Mike_Fontenot]

I've taken deer with WWB 44 mag @ advertised 1180fps. A 1250 fps 10mm doesn't sound bad at all.

But it's not just velocity. I suspect your .44mag bullets were quite a bit heavier than 180gr ... I used to shoot 240gr in my .44mag. An easy way to calculate energy is with the equation

E = 2.22 * M * v * v

where M is bullet mass in grains, and v is velocity in thousands of feet per second ("kilo-feet" per second, kf/s). E is in ft-lbs.

For example, if your .44mag bullet was 240gr, and with a velocity of 1.180 kf/s, the energy is 742 ft-lbs. Federal's 180 gr at 1.275 kf/s would be 650 ft-lbs.

 

[dussandr]

I guess I'm one of the "11" 10mm Auto owners out there

I have two: G20SF, and G29SF. I carry the 29, and the 20 takes nightstand duty. Both have Federal Hydrashock 180's in them.

The 29 chronos the hydrashocks at 1030 fps.
The 20 chronos the hydrashocks at 1065 fps.

They certainly aren't full power rounds. But I have full confidence in their effectiveness. One nice thing about 10mm is they have the headroom to fire "de-tuned" rounds that are still plenty hard hitting.

Those are .40 S&W numbers (I keep 180s in my 23).

You could carry that load in the smaller-framed 22 and 27.

 

[Tactical Jackalope]

That's gonna make all 11 of them really happy!

I almost slapped my head against the keyboard. That was hilarious.

I wish the ones who use the 10mm for SD/HD the best of luck.

 

[Ruger45LC]

I mostly agree with your post, but I don't think the difference between 1350 f/s and 1250 f/s is entirely negligible ... 1350 f/s gives almost 17% more energy than 1350 f/s, and I don't think that's trivial. But I agree that 1250 ft/s with a 180gr bullet is certainly quite respectable....

I tend to think that up to a point, energy isn't really as important as many think it is. A bit of an extreme example, I've seen a doe hit with a .50 BMG take off running, and one shot with a .45 ACP drop like a rock, both bullets through the boiler room. That's a very large discrepancy in energy, but the weaker of the two seemed more effective. Now I know that likely isn't how all such encounters would play out, but my point is that based on my above example, I don't think that ~100 ft-lbs (180gr 1350 v. 180gr 1250) is worth mentioning.

Additionally I've heard of deer instantly dropping when hit even with a 9mm handgun using factory JHP ammo, not head shots either. I don't believe energy to be super important unless more is need to get a particular bullet design to open up and work as advertised, and with most .400" 180gr bullets, they don't need anywhere near 1250+ fps to open up fully and penetrate plenty.

 

[slicknickns]

Good for the 10mm guys. I know theyre die hard

 

[SansSouci]

Is a 275 FPS gain over a .40 S&W of benefit?

Is it better to have 13 or more .40 S&W rounds or less of faster 10MM loads?

 

[Sharpsdressed Man]

I haven't seen a .40 S&W load yet that matches or exceeds a 10mm full load in comparable barrel lengths. The .40 sometimes comes close, but the 10mm does it with ease. More rounds in the .40? Ever hear of a Glock 20?

 

[RickB]

1350 f/s gives almost 17% more energy than 1250 f/s

If max energy, for the sake of engergy, is your goal, you can't argue with having more with higher velocity. As regards "stopping power", all of the predictors from the classical age (when observation determined what worked, rather than crunching numbers) placed an emphasis on momentum, rather than energy. You can get some really high energy figures from light bullets, but mementum favors the heavy bullet. Since we seem to be fixated on overloads, you get 10% more from 200@1250 than you do with 180@1350.

 

[Dragline45]

My experience with Federal loads is that they have been far below the max spec of the calibers I have shot. That was welcome in my 11oz S&W360sc .357 scandium/titanium snubby (although at the time, I THOUGHT that was full-power .357 ammo) ... no way would I want to shoot what I now know is full-power .357 in that gun.

Try the Federal 357B then. That's about as close to a full power .357 load as you can get.

 

[44flattop]

That's great news!

A 180gr at 1350 won't kill any deader than one doing 1250, or in this case, 1275 fps. Really 75-100 fps is nearly meaningless and the results would be indistinguishable.

I agree and if anything, that extra velocity can produce too much expansion.

Energy is not what kills.