10MM Auto Pistols

Yes, and it’s not even close. When you send a 180-grain 10mm bullet down range, it will leave your barrel at approximately 1200 to 1300 FPS with 600 to 700 ft-lb of energy (ft-lb).

On the other hand, a standard 230-grain .45 ACP shoots at approximately 850 FPS and has approximately 370 ft-lb of energy. That same 230-grain .45 round will move like a thrown brick in the sense that it’s heavy and moves slowly.

In contrast, the 180-grain 10mm round will hit flatter than the .45 and drive deeper into whatever it hits.

It's one of the main reasons people buy a 10mm in the first place. Load heavy 200 or 220-grain flat-nose cast bullets into your magazine, and you'll have enough kinetic energy to penetrate through the thick skin, bones, and muscles of a bear to hit a vital organ.

Another reason why the 10mm is suitable for bear defense is because 10mm pistols carry more rounds, reload faster, and usually generate less recoil than comparable Magnum revolvers. This can be a major advantage in a life-or-death situation against a dangerous animal where you will need to act and shoot fast.

Well, it’s an awful lot of gun, but it can definitely be good. There isn’t anything in a standard service size pistol in any other caliber that will hit as hard as the 10mm does. Modern bonded ammunition from a 10mm defense load in particular performs very well.

However, you are also going to get much more muzzle blast and felt recoil with a 10mm than a smaller caliber such as 9mm, and the ammunition tends to be more expensive as well.

Enough to make you notice! The difference in felt recoil is approximately 10 to 12 ft-lbs using full power loads as opposed to around 7 ft-lb from the standard .45 ACP. The 10mm runs at higher pressure and velocity, so the recoil arrives as a fast, sharp snap rather than the .45's slow shove.

The gun itself also plays a major role here, particularly if it has some weight (like the all-steel Colt Delta Elite 1911 or the bulky Glock 20, for instance). Smaller 10mms, like the Glock 29 or Springfield XD-M, will be a bit snappier.

If you’re recoil sensitive, it’s worth noting that there are reduced power “FBI lite” loads available that will kick a lot less.

This is where the cartridge really lives. Many states have allowed hunters to hunt deer and hogs with the 10mm. It has plenty of power within fifty yards. Just don't waste your money on the ultra-lightweight defensive hollow point bullet. Load up the heavier 180 to 200-grain bonded or hard-cast bullets that are made to be able to penetrate instead of expanding.

A longer barrel (such as on the Glock 40) will provide you with even faster muzzle velocity and a longer sight radius; a red dot will help you make an accurate shot through a thicket when it gets dark.

Please note that all states have different handgun hunting laws, so be sure to research them before you go out.