.45 vs .357 mag vs 10mm auto

Better stopper

  • .357 mag

    Votes: 73 43.5%

  • .45 acp

    Votes: 40 23.8%

  • 10mm

    Votes: 55 32.7%
  • Total voters
    168
  • Poll closed .
I'd say the 10 MM has the slight edge over the 357 but all should do quite well.

And that is the answer.

Guys, I have all three! Yes 10mm, .357s, and .45s.

My Glock 20 is a serious gun as is my Ruger and S&W .357 magnums, and my .45s, especially the 625 that eats .45 supers like candy, is one real good shoot 'en iron.

Not to mention my 629-1 .44 magnum and 24 3 inch .44 spl.!

But all three are so good I would spend my time finding out which PLATFORM, that is the gun, you shoot the best with full loads. And that is what I'd pack.

Deaf
 
10mm for "Shock-n-Awe"

Notably, only one comes with a government-mandated user warning ... :eek:

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:cool:
 
Miniscule debatable edge goes to 10mm

With the full power 10mm you can get 560#+ KE out of a short barrel pistol like the Glock 29.

10mm= .357 Mag KE, but bigger bullet.
45 has biggest bullet, but lacks the KE of the other two.

10mm seems to offer the best "package"

Out of my Glock 29 SF (average for 5 shots):
Hornady 155 gr. XTP @ 1,278 fps = 562# KE
That ^ load doesn't kick any more (as determined by the power factor calculation and validated with a shot timer) than a Ranger T 230 gr. shot from a Glock 36.

Don't you just love it :rolleyes: when people reply to threads like this and say that it wouldn't matter given equal shot placement. Some people (I'm one of them) want to discuss the potential nanosecond :p difference in stopping power, assuming equal shot placement (that's a given).
 
10 mm is, without a doubt, the greatest semi-auto pistlol cartridge ever designed. I rank it only slightly behind the 44 mag as the finest overall pistol cartridge ever designed, only because the 44 mag is a big more versatile in terms of platforms.

But this whole "best stopper" and "stopping power" thing ... I've never agreed with that approach.

Here's the question you should ask yourself. First you have to assume, based upon readily available ballistic data, that the 10 mm is far superior to the other two ballistically. There is no arguing that basic fact so the gist of the original question is a mute point - the results are a given in advance.

The real question is, "which one are you able to shoot most accurately in any number of stress filled scenarios?" Because, when you're comparing those three - all three of them will "stop" something ... if you administer the pill in the most effective manner.
 
I own a couple of 45acps, a 357mag, and a 10mm and hands down, this 10mm is the baddest of them all ... by a large margin. The 45acp is a decent caliber but it's not a high performance round. The real contest is between the 357mag and 10mm, especially when one pits a 6" barreled 357mag against my custom 6" G20L.

Consider the following; my Glock is much, much easier to control the recoil and make followup shots than any, yes any 357mag revolver because of the superior grip and the flexing frame. My G20L, at 4.75 oz heavier than a stock G20 is still lighter than the 6" S&W loaded even with three times (yes, 6rds vs 17+1rds) the ammo on board.

With my 165grn Speer Gold Dot handloads chrono'd at 1,589fps on board it smokes my hottest 357mag loads, the smaller, lighter .357 caliber Zero 158grn JSP handloads chrono'd at 1,433fps, in my 7.5" revolver, proving it's a true hand cannon but with surprisingly controllable recoil.

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And when out and about in the Rockies, I just remove the magwell and I'm ready for anything with 17+1 rds of either my 180grn Speer Gold Dot handloads chrono'd at 1,479fps or even my 200grn hardcast handloads chrono'd at 1,383fps!

100_0773-1.jpg


And for those that say the G20 is huge, it's not at all.

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Anyone who claims either the 357 or the 10mm is far superior to the other is deluding themselves. For the record, the highest energy factory loads available in either cartridge are actually for the 357 at over 800 ft lbs. There is much more difference between individual loads and firearms than there is between the two cartridges. Either one, when loaded to their potential, has a definite advantage over the 45. That said, none posses true "stopping power". I have seen animals take off running after suffering wounds from a rifle far greater than these handguns can produce. Criminals have lasted several minutes after being hit in the chest with entire magazines. Other times they were stopped by a single 22lr. Pick a reasonable caliber in a firearm you shoot well and don't just put it in a drawer. Practice and become proficient with it.
 
Simple answer is all three are excellent.

Pros and cons to all of them...

Do you want to shoot a .357 indoors? not me..

10mm is going to be hard to find and expensive
to shoot..

.45 most magazines don't hold a lot of rounds..
 
IMO this is a comparison that only matters if you are defending yourself from 4-legged predators. All three calibers will perform equally well against human threats (shoot them in a vital they go down, shoot them in a non-vital they will remain a threat.)

To me, the question is which caliber is better if I have a bear charging? In that scenario give me the .357 for its superior penetration to the 10mm. If you have a .357 and a 10mm round of equal weight and velocity, the .357 will penetrate deeper due to its higher cross-sectional density and that it has a smaller hole to punch.

With all due respect to the .45, it doesn't belong in the same class as the .357 and 10mm. The 10mm's little brother (the .40 S&W) can do everything the .45 can do in terms of kinetic energy, penetration, and expansion. When the .45 is compared to the "big brother" there is no comparison.
 
The only way to scientifically determine which is best would be to test all three in a controlled environment. You'll never get that in the real world so one must assign a generous margin of error to anecdotal evidence.
 
10mm was an FBI inspired cartridge and load that was designed specifically to beat both 357 Mag and 45 ACP ... and it did in every aspect of FBI testing.

The problem with 10mm? Answer: It was too hot for the FBIettes .... the ladies. So, they cut it down to 10mm short or what is commonly referred to as 40 S&W.

Now, it is unfortunate that 357 SIG was not included in this poll because, if it were, that would have made for more interesting discussion.

excelerater, I believe it was you that typed, "357 mag loads can reach 1600FPS, I have heard even faster," and that may be true but it doesn't do it with 200 grain pills and it doesn't do it with ten and twelve high-cap mags.

You have to understand the ballistic advantages of that heavy pill even traveling at the slower speed.

Better yet I load 180 grain JHP pills for mine and clock them in the 1,400 fps range over my chrony which comes to around 735 ft lbs of energy being delivered to the target with 22 inches of penetration in ballistic gel and a wound cavity twice as big as anything else I try with the exception of SIG 357. Show me a 357 Mag that will do what a 10mm will do.
 
Better yet I load 180 grain JHP pills for mine and clock them in the 1,400 fps range over my chrony which comes to around 735 ft lbs of energy being delivered to the target with 22 inches of penetration in ballistic gel and a wound cavity twice as big as anything else I try with the exception of SIG 357. Show me a 357 Mag that will do what a 10mm will do.
Click to expand...

Say hello to BuffaloBore, they have a 180 gr hardcast .357 load that will do just that. 1398 fps out of a 5 inch barrel.

http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=100

Now thats out of a revolver. Put the same load in a semi-auto .357 like a Coonan or a Desert Eagle and you will get at least another 100-150 fps out of that load. By the same token, fire your 10mm load in a revolver like the S&W 610 and you'll see your velocities drop by 100-150 fps.
 
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