To my 10mm carriers, what is your go to Factory 10mm defensive load of choice?

PMC FMJ for the range.

Buffalo Bore in the woods.

Underwood or Hornady in the suburbs.



ETA - I'm no subject matter expert on this.  

Magtech for the range, Underwood for carry.

Underwood TAC-XP is a great option for urban/suburban where over penetration is more of a concern but still wanting full pressure 10mm loads. It’s on sale right now too.

Any of the underwood extreme penetrator, hunter, or defender will work about the same for critters. They all make gnarly wound channels and penetrate… a lot.

It’s probably not what you want to hear but unless you live somewhere that brown bears are a concern or you want to own one pistol that you can also hunt big game with them carrying a 10mm over a 9mm serves no practical purpose. For most self defense the 9mm that holds more ammo and can be shot faster is a far better option.

Anyone using the Sig V crown offerings?

I currently do.

Review?

Winchester Silvertips or Sig 180

It works much better than 10mm hst. Reminds me of full power 9mm +p hst.

Underwood 200gr XTP. Freedom Muntions 200gr XDef for critters around the farm and FM 180gr RNFP for steel and paper.

Factory.....

Hmmn....   I think I still have some Winchester Silvertips.

Those Winchester silver tips did not show their advertised velocities.  A few YouTube’s on those.

My carry ammo for 10mm is Underwood 200gr XTPs @1250fps, and their 200gr hardcast @ 1250 fps.

I haven't gel tested them or used them on anything though.

More than that …

First, Winchester’s 10mm 175grn STHP projectile itself is old bullet tech from the 1980s. At best, it’s a great (and rapid) expander but a poor penetrator on anything but maybe thin skin and t-shirts. Forget if intermediate barriers are present between you and the “target.”

Second, Winny “box-flap” velocity for this ammo   - alleged to be  “1295 fps”  -  was always bullshit after about 1993. Back in the day, the early lots (the so-called “white box” ammo) were actually pretty close to that velocity from a 5” Delta Elite or 5” S&W 1006. But Winny used a 5.5” factory test-barrel fixture to measure and derive velocity/energy figures.

After the .40S&W was introduced in 1990 and gained popularity during that decade, most 10mm factory ammo was watered-down to .40-levels. Winny’s STHPs were no exception.  In the mid-2000s, some lots of the 175grn STs we chronographed were doing a piddling 1125fps from real-world 5” pistol barrels and less from a 4.6” Glock 20. This was the “silver box” ammo.

Compare that to Norma’s original hard-edged 170grn 10mm JHP ammo. That chronographed at over 1300fps out of 5” Bren Ten barrels. Talk about a “Sonny Crocket load.”

Today, for carry ammo, there’s no need for the dedicated 10mm user to default to outdated bullet tech launching at diluted .40 velocities.

Just in loaded factory ammo we have much better bullet choices and you can find them loaded to real 10mm velocities.