I need more 10mm hunting advice.

F

frank4570

New member
I need to know the maximum effective range for a 180gr full power load on small deer. Or a minimum impact velocity and I will do the math.
I need a benchmark for practice. If maximum range is 100yds for example, I start training from 100yds and less. It very well could be that my skill is not yet good enough for whatever the maximum range is, that is what the practice is for.
Thanks.
 
According to the ballistics tables that used to be posted on Cor-Bon's web site, their 180gr @ 1,320 ft/sec BCSP has more energy at 100 yards than most .45 ACP +P has at the muzzle (around 500 ft-lbs IIRC). That might be a good rule of thumb, I think the limiting factor would be how accurate your gun is and how good a shot you are. Pistol hunting with anything this side of .500 Magnum requires very good shot placement.
 
Looking at PMC's ballistics table (only trajectory table I could find) for their 170-grain JHP, it shows a bullet drop of drop of 7.21 inches at 100 yards and 2.55 inches at 75 yards (with a 50 yard zero). I'd say you're probably looking at maximum realistic range of about 75 yards--and even then, it will take pretty good shooting to put down even a small whitetail humanely. While the 10mm and .357 Magnum are perfectly capable of taking down small whitetails, they are still at the low end for hunting rounds and placement it absolutely critical--they really don't leave any room for mistakes. I would suggest that you might carefully limit your range to less than fifty yards at first until you get a good feel for what you're doing and some experience under your belt. It's better to wait for a good shot than to get impatient and take a marginal shot.
 
I been a handgun hunter for over twenty years!

I can tell you from personal experience that even small deer, both whitetail and blacktail, are pretty tough customers. Unless a bullet is placed perfectly they will tend to get up and run away quickly. True, they will eventually die but not necessarily where you can find them. Because of that I have tended to use larger calibers - mostly hot 44 magnums and have restricted my shooting range to an absolute maximum of 75 yards. Anything over that and I pass up that shot and begin to hunt for one I can take.

I have not hunted with a 10mm though I have shot it on occasion and am quite familiar with its ballistics. Although I am positive that a well placed shot with a 10mm will bring down a deer, quite frankly it is not a round I would choose to hunt with. IMHO there is simply too much chance for a deer to be injured and not killed outright. FWIW. Good shooting;)
 
I think more than looking at numbers you should take a paper plate and see what's the farthest range that you can consistently keep all your shots on target. Not just bench shooting, but with various shooting stances you may find yourself using in the field. Shot placement will be more of a concern than ballistics.
 
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