10mm ammo choice for bear country...

[Edg]

Going camping this weekend for 3 days with my little dogs. They area we are going is private land and for the past few weeks we have been using it pretty heavy and there have been up to 7 bears there at a time, including a mother with cubs.
Ill be taking a G20, I have 135 gr Underwood defense ammo, at 1600fps....or I have factory Hornady 180gr that do about 1150 fps.....
Im assuming the heavier bullets would be better even though they are going that much slower.
Opinions? Aside from camping somewhere else.

[jerryg]

I am not a hunter but I think I would mix up the 2 different kinds of ammo that you have in the same mag. Keep shoes laced up tight.

[knight0334]

You want heavy bullets and bullets that don't expand.

With any type of bear it is about penetration. Bears have hard and heavy bones.

When it comes to optimum penetration it isn't about velocity and kinetic energy, it is about momentum, which requires mass, and a bullet profile designed not to expand.

The 135gr @ 1600fps will give a very shallow wound and just piss off an already pissed off bear. I shot a whitetail in Florida with a 125gr JHP with a MV of 1900+ fps and it pretty much blew up on the rib cage.

[JDC]

Bear Spray will be more effective than your G20 and most other handguns. Guns require well placed shots under stress to be effective. Your handgun will most likely still be in your hand when they find your arm.

[busa dave]

Bear Spray will be more effective than your G20 and most other handguns. Guns require well placed shots under stress to be effective. Your handgun will most likely still be in your hand when they find your arm.

just make sure there is a pile of empty brass laying along side you. otherwise we will call you a wussie. but on a serious note. if all you have to take with you is the 10mm i would use the heaviest, round nose FMJ, hottest load you can find for it. over penetration is not a concern with handguns and bears. hollow points would not be very useful

[coat4gun]

Going camping this weekend for 3 days with my little dogs. They area we are going is private land and for the past few weeks we have been using it pretty heavy and there have been up to 7 bears there at a time, including a mother with cubs.
Ill be taking a G20, I have 135 gr Underwood defense ammo, at 1600fps....or I have factory Hornady 180gr that do about 1150 fps.....
Im assuming the heavier bullets would be better even though they are going that much slower.
Opinions? Aside from camping somewhere else.

I would use this - 10mm Auto 200 Grain XTP Jacketed Hollow Point http://www.underwoodammo.com/10mmaut...ntboxof50.aspx
Or this - 10mm Auto 220 Grain Hard Cast Flat Nose
http://www.underwoodammo.com/10mmAut...seBoxof50.aspx

Since they don't currently have any in stock, and you would not have time to wait on shipping if they did... From what I remember, the 135 Underwood only gives about 12" of penetration in gelatin. I would probably use the 180 Hornady even though they are not loaded to 10mm potential. Underwood gets 1300 fps from their 180 grain ammo. Good stuff.

[eyecanshoot]

Like knight said you need to penetrate. I used to spend alot of time around bears and I always carried FMJ's. I haven't done any scientific comparision but I imagine a faster moving 165 gr bullet would penetrate more than a 180 gr bullet at closer range.

Most likely they will avoid you completely.

[ROCK-IT3]

Buffalo Bore 220 gr. flat-nosed hard cast lead.
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...t_detail&p=219

[Delkal]

If your going to carry a handgun for a bear its a good idea to cut the front site off and polish the muzzle up nice and shiny........


That way it doesn't hurt so much when the bear shoves it up your............

[Edg]

Lol, most of this was just to see the responses. I dont have time to buy anything else or I would order some 180 GR jacketed flat nose. I only have the two choices and I am taking the Hornadys. I imagine the 135 would grenade right under the skin and really piss off any bear I had to shoot. That would only be to save a dog, and even that would probably screw me legally.