The 10mm is becoming more and more popular, especially for self-defense. When I say self-defense, I’m not just talking about the two-legged Predators, I’m talking about the four-legged ones and we’re not talking about dogs coming after you, I’m talking about bigger critters like mountain lions and bears when we’re out in the wilderness.
I recently did a review of Springfield’s XDM Elite OSP 10mm, not long after going camping in Bear Country. This would be my choice for many reasons for self-protection. It’s actually my wife’s number one choice for taking camping into Bear Country, and not just because of the punch, but the number of rounds you can carry in quick accurate follow-up shots, compared to the really big calibers.
Talking to Matt from No Mercy Hunting:
D – How many of you heard how tough hogs are?
M – This is not unusual for hog hunting.
D – And you see them run, how far was something like this?
M – I’ve tracked them for 300-400 yards.
D – Was it a decent shot or was it a crappy shot?
M – Oh, it was not a bad shot.
D – Not a bad shot.
M – Yeah.
D – That one showed me so. What you got here man?
M – Got a shell that has been spent and the pigs walking along find it, pick it up in their mouth, and chew on it while they’re walking around.
D – Spin that around. This is why I chose to shoot a hog. They’re tough. They’re so tough that they pick up shell casings and chew them for fun.
How many of you have wanted to go hog hunting?
Exactly!
I can’t exactly prove my point by going and shooting a bear with my XDM, nor do I want to, but I can take this hog hunting. Let’s put the 10mm to the test and see how it does on notoriously tough hogs in Oklahoma, and see if the proof is in the pudding.
I’m Drew Case, and welcome to Beyond Seclusion where I only give you my honest opinion, and it is what it is.
Most people are familiar with the 10mm. They know about its punch or stopping power. If not, here’s some data for the round that I’m going to use for hog hunting.
Fusion Handgun 10mm Auto 200 Grain Specs
Caliber | 10mm Auto |
Grain Weight | 200 |
Bullet Style | Fusion Soft Point |
Muzzle Velocity | 1200 |
Test Barrel Length In | 6 |
Package Quantity | 20 |
Usage | Medium Game |
Product Overview
“Demand more from handgun hunting loads. Fusion® Handgun features the same molecularly fused bullet construction as its rifle counterparts for the toughness, accuracy and terminal performance short-barrel hunters need. The loads’ bullet weights and velocities have also been optimized to be lethal on deer without punishing the shooter.
- Copper jacket is electro-chemically applied to the core
- Perfectly uniform jacket
- Skived, pre-programmed nose provides consistent expansion
Maximum weight retention for deep penetration”
I specifically chose Federal’s Bonded Soft Point 200 Grain because of the ballistics and past experience with using the fusion line for hunting.
So, basically, when we’re looking at it, it’s a 357 Magnum and semi-auto with 16 rounds in the mag. I looked at several different options for hog hunting in Oklahoma, and I chose No Mercy Hunting.
I’m going to do a separate review. I’m going to go hog hunting with my Springfield Prodigy 9 mm and also CMMG’s MK-10 Banshee. You might just be interested in watching those two, especially the 9mm. If you decide to go through No Mercy Hunting, I highly suggest getting Matt as your guide. Tell him Drew sent you, and don’t underestimate the importance of a good guide.
So, I’m getting super excited while I’m getting ready for this hog hunt down in Oklahoma. I’m going to use my Springfield XDM 10mm. We’ve got their Dragonfly Red Dot on top, and this is what I’m seeing as I’m getting zeroed in. It’s a good sight picture. I’m going to be honest about The Dot. It’s not my favorite Red Dot in the world. It’s a little bit star-shaped instead of a nice really discreet circle, but it works great. Let me show you what we were able to do here. Let’s see what we’re getting for groups as I got this zeroed in.
So, we’re benching it back there at 25 yards. That was my first two shots. I did three clicks up and three clicks left. I didn’t take it right so I did three more, or four more clicks, and then I got two shots there. Then I adjusted again. Anyway, in all of that, there are four shots there. I might go up again. I’d like to get them right in the center. But man, that’s awesome for a pistol at 25 yards.
So, the last two shots were right there, and that one right there. I think I’m going to do one more click to the right and I’m just going to leave it like that. At 25 yards that’s going to be death to a hog.
If you guys have never tried hunting with a pistol, you can’t beat it. I think it absolutely blows away archery, it blows away rifle hunting, and we’re going to prove that. I think with this hog hunt it’s going to be sniper rules – one shot-one kill. I have absolutely no doubt with this 10mm and the ballistics in it, and the punch and the power. We just have to get a hog in front of us to put this to the test.
I wanted to see what I could expect at 50 yards. What if out, at 50 yards, there is a Hogzilla? I’d like to know what I could expect for groups. If I were to make a shot like that, I think the 10mm has more than enough energy at 50 yards. Let’s take a look here what I’m seeing. OK, that’s kind of what I’m seeing. It’s not bad for a sight picture. It’s not bad, it’s going to spread. Let’s just go and take a quick look here. Well, out of four shots, it’s definitely not the precision that we had at 25 yards. It opened up. But that gives us an idea as far as still being an effective shot.
At the very least, this is kind of what we could expect if we were to make a 50-yard shot. That’s still acceptable for most people. That’s still in the vital range.
There you have it! I think we’re ready to go hog hunting. Let’s do it!
So, how tough are hogs? You couldn’t necessarily tell, but that was a clean shot. Double lung, and when we butchered it, it actually took the top of the heart off, and it didn’t fall over, and it still ran uphill another 20 yards and fell. You couldn’t see it in the video, but I could see it when it was running. It was like a faucet turned on, and the blood was shooting out. There wasn’t any problem finding it, but it didn’t go very far. Anyway, that’s how tough hogs are. You might want to check out the one with the 9mm, it’s pretty interesting. Also, before I forget, I wanted to say a special thanks to my wife for encouraging me to do this. She’s kind of been after me that I needed to get some time away. Guys, it doesn’t get any better than that. Anyway, she’s in Oklahoma doing a ride right now. We intersected and had lunch the other day. Anyway, thank you darling for encouraging me to do this. I had a blast.
There you have it guys! It is what it is! You decide what you think. I hope you enjoyed the video and found it helpful. If so, help support the channel. Be sure to hit that subscribe button guys, that really does help the most. Like and comment.
Until next time, happy shooting! Remember, educate our young people about shooting and gun safety, and every time we’re out hunting, we’re out shooting, or we’re on the range, know that everybody’s watching us. That makes you and me Second Amendment ambassadors. So be a safe and responsible gun owner.
