I know it's not perfect but what 10 mm ammo would you guys choose for Glock 10mm in bear area. I bow and turkey hunt area that has tons of bear sign and actually ran 2 Cubs up a tree 2 years ago, I put some distance between me and them fast. This is my only choice in handgun in 10mm, and thanks for all input. Has to be factory ammo.

pulled a camera this week on the farm

little guy


bigger one




for reference I weight 255# I know too fat!

Are we talking black or brown bears? Bonded man bonded bullets.

Buffalo Bore.

Sorry, black bears.

220 gr HCFN Underwood is what your seek OP.  

/thread

both of the cabelas by me sell buffalo bore heavy lead

Doesn't matter much --- You've got no business shooting even a small black bear with any pipsqueak pistol cartridge, unless it's chewing on you, or trying to drag you out of your sleeping bag in the middle of the night, in which case the fine points of  terminal ballistic performance aren't very fine, at powder-burn range. Should you be so unlucky as to be the victim of an exceedingly unlikely black bear attack, most autoloading pistols/cartridges, including the 10mm, are a piss-poor alternative to a more serious weapon, and an inferior alternative to bear-averse behavior in the first place. Use what you brung, but hope you don't have to...

Statistically, bear spray is better than a gun.

That being said, any magnum level pistol is a good choice against black bear.  And yes, the 10mm is magnum level.  With hot loads it is just a touch below a 41 magnum and outshines the 357.

Shoot well and it might chew on you a little less than an healthy bear.

Black bears eat fresh meat, so acting dead isn't an option.

Underwood or buffalo bore are your only two choices.  You could start reloading, if you own a 10mm, that is pretty much required.

I'm currently tending 4 bait sites for the upcoming bear season (for which my hunting group has 3 kill tags). I do encounter them frequently, and they have always (except once) ski-daddled as soon as they recognized it was a human that was approaching them (I don't think their eyesight at a distance is very good). I wear a belt, with a trap-shooting shot-shell pouch on my weak side, in which I carry 3 things... the SD cards and a spare set of AA batteries for the trail cameras, a 16oz can of bear repellant pepper spray, and an air horn (compressed air in a can type). On my strong side is a holster, Colt 1991A1 govt, 10 rnd CMC Super Mag full of Buffalo Bore 255gr hard cast loads, spare mag in the pouch too. Test firing them showed me that them fuckers do some penetrating, far more than self defense hollow points designed for 2 legged critters! Also have some hefty recoil, so I replaced the stock 16lb spring with a Wolfe 20lb.

When encountering a bear in the woods, 1st thing I grab is the air horn.... never yet had to progress beyond that. 5 years ago when baiting (last time we had any tags... hard to get, 10yr wait), I met a 350lb bruiser at a distance of 20 yds on a trail between my truck & bait site.. don't know which of us was more surprised. Dropped buckets, two handed draw, pistol & air horn. Pointed the air horn at him and pressed the button... GONE in a flash. I blow the air horn now every time I approach a bait site, to avoid those "surprise" meet-ups. I've driven them off the bait sites dozens of times with the air horn, and most of those times I've never seen them leaving... but the trail cameras captured it, with time stamps that showed me when they left & when I arrived. Some were as little as 2 minutes apart.

The one exception was a little fucker (maybe 125lbs) we nicknamed "Pyscho" because of it's odd behavior. He was lying by the bait site one day when I approached with the bait. He was hidden by some ferns. I was maybe 15-20' away when he stood up & yawned. I said "Uh...Hello"... figured he'd run away. Nope, he stood his ground, he'd been waiting for me, napping. I set down the two 5 gallon buckets full of bait to grab my "tools" and he began walking toward me, with his ears flattened back and hair standing up on his back. I've seen that behavior in dogs and know what it means. I kicked over the bait buckets and starting backing away (my air horn ran "dry" the day before, hadn't replaced the can yet). He was satisfied with that, went right to the bait. NEVER saw any other bear act that way, which proves that while mostly docile and fearful of humans, they CAN be unpredictable.

Sure you use the airhorn to scare them as you go into the bait site...  

It has nothing to do with telling every bear within 5 miles that dinner is served.  I usually just bang the buckets together.  

Added some bear pics from the farm

OP, I carry both BB 220 hardhats and underwood 220 hardhats..both will work fine..And thats from someone who carries in brown bear country...

A few new friends

Got a few more, makes 9 different bears off the one camera set-up.

I work and recreate in bear country, and have had several run ins with both brown and black bears over the years, including a charge from a black bear with cubs.  I ran a few hundred rounds of hard cast through a stock Gen 4 G20 testing best rounds for my backcountry sidearm and loosely documented the results on another site.  For me, Underwood 220gr hard cast ended up being the most reliable and (very) accurate heavy defensive round in my stock Glock.  

Buffalo Bore didn't run well in my Gen 4 G20, with accuracy lacking and FTF on the 50th test round.  Could have been a fluke with the FTF, but the [in]accuracy was consistent with the BB.  I had read very positive reviews on BB, so bought quite a bit of it before I tested any.  I gave up on it after 60 rounds due to the accuracy more so than the FTF.  Holding the last bit to a friend whose getting a G40 so that he can test/use it.

I've put several hundred rounds of Underwood through the G20 at this point and have found it to be a laser beam.  Recoil is no problem, and, subjectively, I found it less smokey than the BB.  CS has been excellent, as well as their ability to keep it in production and stock.  I can't afford to sustain a lifestyle that involves blasting premium hard cast 10mm, but I am satisfied enough to be modestly stocking up on it and carrying it in the backcountry.

I've read widely and folks have a wide range of experiences, so it depend on your firearm, barrel, preferences entirely.  Again, my preference was for a stock Glock, other than sights and Vicker's mag release.  If I'd wanted to experiment and run with an aftermarket or extended barrel and spring, I'm sure I could make just about any quality round run accurately and reliably. But I defer to Glock engineers' expertise.

I'd highly recommend shooting as much of the stuff as one can afford (and maybe a little more than that) before getting married to a round.  Once one has proofed the backcountry round, one can train with it periodically, but mostly shoot more affordable ammo.  FWIW, I also found that my Glock loves Hornady's Custom 180gr load for carry in other places. Couldn't be happier with the Underwood's performance, and for the price, one gets Underwood for roughly half of the price at $0.80/round, compared to BB at $1.58/round (9/5/2015 prices).

ETA: I'm also a big fan of bear spray and an 870 with slugs over a 10mm.  I am always strapped in the backcountry, and will have the spray on my waist or chest when moving or very nearby if we're camped.  If in Alaska, I carry the 870 basically everywhere, but when doing survey in bear country in North Idaho/ Washington/Oregon/Montana, it's usually in the vehicle or camp unless we've spotted bears in our area.

sig sauer offers 10mm ammo.

they have both jhp and fmj in 180 gr. available.

both of these rounds are rated at 1250 fps /  624 ft-lbs at the muzzle.

how would you rate these performance wise - low / medium / hot?

got a glock 20 gen4 coming and will use the sig jhp as carry ammo when out in the desert / woods.

in my part of s/w new mexico a bear sighting is rare, but feral hogs are moving into the state.

I know there are a lot of buffalo bore and underwood fans here but the sig ammo is what I have.

thanks.

I've run some Sig Performance 180gr 10mm and it ran very smoothly.  About as accurate as American Eagle 180gr, with similar if not slightly hotter recoil - very easy shooting.  I consider it to be a true, light/medium 10mm load that is great for range use.  I also got it for a pretty decent price, and wouldn't hesitate to buy more.  The brass also seems excellent for reloading, though I haven't reused any Sig brass yet. I would not carry it for defensive or hunting use.  For field carry, I strongly prefer the Underwood and lighter Hornady loads I mentioned above.  

FWIW, the Sig brass is easier to pick up as it ejected into a nice, consistent pile about 15' away.  I have to hike to the next county to police up BB and Underwood brass!

just an update on the sig 10mm ammo.

my chronograph results:

85 degrees / 6300' elevation / 10' distance to chronograph from muzzle

sig jhp: 1141 fps

sig fmj: 1125 fps

kinda low from what's printed on the box, but I know there are variables...

the jhp was devastating on a gallon jug of frozen water.

I just got a G40 and this thread is relevant to my interests. We go to the Smokey Mountains at least every other year and I'll be damned if any of the kids end up as snacks while there is a breath in my lungs. Has anybody tried those Underwood extreme penetration ammo? Looks like a gimmick, but the gelatin test and bullet proof glass tests looked impressive.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

I've shot some through my G20, and it is hot and accurate.  I think that all-copper bullet would blow the brains out of a bear, and penetrate deeply.  That's what I'll be carrying in the Smokies.  That round will do 1500 fps out of the 6" barrel in the G40.  It went through what looks like at least 1", maybe 2" thick bullet proof glass on a Youtube video by 22Plinkster.  That's quite a bit tougher than a bear skull.  It is a badass bullet.  Whether it creates a wound channel as good as a hollow point doesn't matter when it comes to bears.  Penetration is what you'd want.  If it does do the wound channel, then that's a bonus.

I've got the feeling after watching the plinkster video and another where it punched a vest and two water jugs that it won't be on the market for very long after it gains popularity and notoriety.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Don't forget double tap ammo.

I carried my G20 with the Underwood/Lehigh Xtreme Penetrators on a recent trip to the mountains in TN.  I'm pretty confident in it.  22 Plinkster also shot it through 2" bullet proof glass.  No bear skull is that tough.

I've killed a black bear with Underwood 180g FMJ from a Glock 20. He wouldn't leave the bird feeders in the front yard. Three through the shoulder got both lungs and 2 exited through the opposite shoulder. He spun around and carried on for about 15 seconds, then calmed down and died. About 350#. I could have used a rifle, but I carry a Glock 20 and wanted to see the real life affect. I was safe and could have got on him with the dogs if he ran off, so why not? Now I know they don't run with broken shoulders... The velocity advantage of the 180g over the 220g FMJ Underwood gives you more energy=more penetration. We have black bears, mountain lions, a rare wolf, and the most dangerous animal, Meth Monkeys. The Glock 20 is the preferred handgun when a rifle or shotgun isn't practical to carry around here. Always use a long gun if possible for protection.

44 mag minimum (probably underpowered)

Nuclear 10mm loads actually enter a low orbit.

I don't even look for my brass now unless it is a nice clear open area.

We built a brass catcher out of pvc and fabric that we stand up beside semi auto shooters that works very well.

its not a matter of if you will have a kaboom in a glock with 10mm but when..... Turn in your man card if you can't carry a 4" 44mag revolver on your 255lb self.... I have owned 2 glock 10mm pistols and have had 2 kabooms with different types of factory ammo. 10mm needs a supported chamber plain and simple. Last thing you want with a charging bear is to find your self injured and pistol broken. I will never own 10mm in an unsupported chamber EVER again.

It's a bear not a peterbuilt.

Were these early model 20's?   I have a gen 3 my son has a gen 4 , both have eaten all sorts of hot Underwood ammo and hot handloads without issue...

When I lived on Kodiak I carried my G-20 with Double Tap 230gr hardcast as my brown bear protection and felt very comfortable. For black bears any good hot round should be totally fine.

Is an aftermarket barrel any better?

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

That seems... Unlikely.

Which generation were these guns? Did you call glock? Do you have any pictures? Who loaded this factory ammunition?

I hand load for my 10mm now but I have used the Double Tap 200gr Cast bullet that is advertised at 1300fps.  Nice wide flat meplat and penetration is great.  I load a bullet that is very similar in design now but can only push them to 1250fps from my Kimber.  

I never ran the Double Tap over the Chrony so i'm not sure if they are hitting advertised velocity or not.  My hand load on the other hand I have ran across my chrony.  The Double Tap shot really nice out of my pistol.

I am a handgun hunter, and you can guess my favorite revolver cartridge from my name.  That being said I just picked up a Glock 40.  It is my intention to test fire the following ammo for best groups:
Underwood's loading of 180 xtp
Underwood's loading of 200 xtp
Underwood's loading of the 140 xtreme penetrator
Federal Vital shok 180 bonded jsp.

From my amateur research, I am assuming all of these loadings will be sufficient to hunt deer and eastern black bear.  ( I wouldn't hunt deer with the xtreme penetrator, I just want to see how it shoots)

I'm not at all experienced with it, but I've read that hard cast lead does not bother the stock Glock barrel.  Soft lead does, but hard cast does not.  A call to Underwood or another hard cast ammo maker would confirm this, I'd bet.  I've read of lots of people shooting hard cast through stock barrels with no issue.

What do the experts think of this article? Defense against bears with pistols 97% success rate

We have actually had better luck with the Underwood 200 grain hard cast..We have had an infrequent issue with 220 hard cast not closing the slide completely on rare occasions..has never happened with the underwood 200 grain HC...

OP..this is what all of our 10mm's carry...

https://www.underwoodammo.com/collections/handgun-ammo/products/10mm-auto-200-grain-hard-cast-flat-nose?variant=18785723908153

Got a KKM 4.5" barrel for my 29 to push the ballistics back where they're supposed to be, while making it easier to carry concealed. Looks cool too.
Attached File

Lot of bears and mountain lions in these mountains. My mountain gun is a g29 carried with Underwood 220 grain hard cast. By the way I'm older than dirt and have only had 1 small bear run at me, then it ran off, and one "really close" lion encounter. I unknowingly walked below a ledge it was on.

That's a common issue with the underwood 220 grain loads. 200 grain underwood normally feeds fine in any stock Glock.

This thread got me questioning the reliability of my Glock 29 with the 220 gr underwood ammunition that I have been carrying. I fire a round or two of it every now and then and it has functioned fine. I haven't shot long strings of it because lets face it, the shit's expensive and you can't just walk into mom and pops local gun shop and pick some more up. Any way I went out back this morning and shot a magazine full plus the one in the chamber. It functioned flawlessly and really rings the steel silhouette. It throws the brass a lot further than most off the shelf 10mm but most of that stuff is just hyped and over priced 40s&w anyway. Could be I'm just lucky that I have a pistol that seems to like the stuff.

What convinced me to buy the 220 gr was a you tube video, TFB testing it in the g20 vs the g29. Velocity was something like 32fps lower out of the 29 but it penetrated all 65 inches of ballistic gel out of both pistols and just kept going.

I realize I'm very late to the game here but recent studies have shown in a defensive situation, just about any handgun round over 9mm is effective against a black bear, you may not kill it but 98% of attacks where a handgun is employed for defense, the bear stops. I live in an area with an abundance of bears, black and grizzlies as well as wolves. I've found that 10mm is by far, the most common round followed by 44M as a distant 2nd.  I handload 180 jackets solids to 2015 fps and am confident in their ability to stop a bear after the application of spray. This is NOT for hunting bears, I have rifles for hunting bears

Nope...but close...OP, order up some 200 grain Underwood 10mm hard cast ammo...We have had issues with every so often the 220 hard cast from both underwood and BB not completely locking the bolt when fired...It only happens once in a blue moon but when it does the only answer is to rack the slide.. This has only been an issue in our Glock 20's whether a gen 3 or 4....The Glock 20/underwood 200 grain are our standard bear load for several in my group, black/brown/grizzly/moose doesn't matter.....

LOL you do realize even the lowly 9mm has been used to stop bear attacks quite successfully, up to and  including on Kodiak brown bears...

We had a nice brown bear who used to sleep on a log we covered with molasses, he used to do the same thing to the chained up 55 barrel we filled with treats...

Looks dead, but he is just sleeping...
Attached File