45acp or 10mm

[mr.frosty]

I have a 45 CZ97B like the gun just curious tho to the 10mm.
Which is a better round? As far as hunting or self defense?

[Mikey]

mr.frosty - This could go on forever but I believe that from an autoloader the 10mm is definately the better field round, depending on what you intend to hunt and at what distances.  The 45 is ok but the 10mm is faster and harder hitting out to greater distances, but not all that much further than the 45.  I would choose the 10mm were I to specifically use a semi-auto for a hunting pistol.  For personal defense I prefer the 45 just because it is bigger.  Either should defend you well enough against an agressive street menace and through and through shots with possible collateral damage should be expected.  If it's collateral damage on their side, too bad.  But if innocent people get in the way it is a problem.

If you handload you can put together 45 acp rounds that will suffice for whitetail out to about 40 yds., and you could probably do the same or better with the 10mm. 

You never did say what you wanted to hunt with the pistol.  Mikey.

[John R.]

Mikey is right, the 10mm is the better hunting round and the 45 acp is the better defensive round. The reason I would choose the 45, is way better ammo selection and the 10mm is basically a dead horse.

[Two401Pm]

The 10 mm is a much more powerful round then the 45 acp.

[Mohawk]

   The round you can centre-plex into the sternum is the better round. Don't dare challenge retired beat walikers and their .32 S&W longs. They will kill what walks if anyone threatens the lives of those around them. In short, use what you are most accurate with. Forget foot lbs, energy, velocity, it does not matter. If you shoot a 2" group, fast, at 25 yards then carry that. My advice. Don't compare calibers, compare the tactics to survive. If a bad guy has a .22 in his hand and your .45 is in the holster, then your .45 means nothing......

[Savage]

Like Mikey said, 10mm for a field gun, .45 for business. Both will do well for business if need be, but both are really marginal for hunting unless ranges are really short, and you have the ability to place your bullets well.
Savage

[singleVI]

What kind of gun are you thinking about? Ted Nugent uses a Glock(20, I think?) in 10mm. Works for him when he hunts and even used it in Africa to take game. 10mm packs more punch so its better off for hunting. 45 is slower and should be used for stopping things that go bump in the night or knocking down them ferocious bowling pins. Also ammunition might be hard to get hold of for 10mm if you're not a handloader. If you want a gun to use for self defense AND hunting deer-size game and smaller, what about a .357 Magnum Revolver?

[222]

10mm is my trail/hunting gun and 45 is for home defense (main reason my 10mm have a very light trigger - stress and light triggers don't mix IMHO) I could live with either one but only the 10mm is legal in my state for deer.

[MSP Ret]

If you are really interested, google "45 Super". Now there is a powerful round, the only one I can think of that might get the better of the great .45 ACP as a defensive round. I am going to convert one of my 1911's to it (only stiffer springs needed, no change to the gun) and am planning on ordering some brass to load for it. Do not load .45 Super loads in regular .45 ACP brass. I also plan on using the .45 Super out of my .45 ACP custom barrelled Handi Rifle for deer and hopefully coyotes this fall in Maine...check it out, you might just like what you read....<><....

by the way if you have not guessed it I vote for the .45 ACP, if you need more than that then I vote for the .45 Super....

[Lloyd Smale]

recoil may be a little stout for some and muzzle blast is in a differnt league then a 45 but the 10mm is a stouter round. Its pushing close to 41 mag level ballistics. At least half way between a 357 and 41 mag. In my opinion a much better whitetail round with proper bullets then even a 357 mag. Your getting this reply from a long time big fan of the acp

[harrygunner]

deleted

[mr.frosty]

mr.frosty - This could go on forever but I believe that from an autoloader the 10mm is definately the better field round, depending on what you intend to hunt and at what distances.  The 45 is ok but the 10mm is faster and harder hitting out to greater distances, but not all that much further than the 45.  I would choose the 10mm were I to specifically use a semi-auto for a hunting pistol.  For personal defense I prefer the 45 just because it is bigger.  Either should defend you well enough against an agressive street menace and through and through shots with possible collateral damage should be expected.  If it's collateral damage on their side, too bad.  But if innocent people get in the way it is a problem.

If you handload you can put together 45 acp rounds that will suffice for whitetail out to about 40 yds., and you could probably do the same or better with the 10mm. 

You never did say what you wanted to hunt with the pistol.  Mikey.

Its just a general question as to which would be a better round for defense or hunting.
I would be using the 10mm on deer and probably out to 40 yards max and maybe the occasional pest that wondered in.
The 45 would be good for deer out to maybe 25 yards and the occasional pest.

[SHOOTALL]

the 10 shoots flatter also , i started carrying one and like it 1/2 the weight of my 44 mag.
as far as hitting with a 32 , practice with whatever you choose , bet they practiced with the 32 before they got good with it !

[1911crazy]

When comparing the different rounds are you considering the bullet weights?

Doesn't the old 45 acp get close to the other auto specs with the +P ammo?


Sorry i guess i like my 1911's in 45acp too much after all I just purchased my 9mm's just a few years ago.  I'm a little late or behind with the newer rounds.

[SHOOTALL]

don't think so

[Mikey]

mr.frosty:  Well, here's my opinion:  the 45 is better for personal defense simply because it throws a fatter, heavier chunk of stuff that has the tendency to wallop the absolute schmidt out of whoever it hits.  I have used plain mil-spec ball ammo in all my encounters because it worked so well and I continue to use plain ball.  The only improvement I feel I could realistically make over the plain ball design is to make it a non-expanding semi-wadcutter and shoot it at the same velocity. 

When it comes to the 45 for defense and considering the slower velocities of the 45 I believe you can only trust a non-expanding bullet not to expand, but you cannot trust a hollow-point or soft nose to expand.  I expect the heavier caliber with a hard cast or full metal jacket non-expanding semi-wadcutter to do just that - not expand.  That meets the standard of performance I have come to expect from the 45, both in combat and personal defense.

The 10mm/40 bore however is one of my favorites, and Lloyd is absolutely correct about its power levels.  It is an excellent whitetail/black bear choice in the conventional size/style semi-auto.  The 10mm can be loaded with a variety of bullet styles shared by the 38-40 which includes a Keith style semi-wadcutter design and a round nosed flat point designed for a lever action and I believe there is an older Lyman 195 gn swc as well.  The 10mm is at the lighter end of 41 magnum loads and is heavier than the 357, I feel.  Either cartridge will do the job at 50-100 yds (depending on many things) but your 1911 sights might limit you more than the cartridges capability. 

I would consider loading the 10mm down to 40 S&W levels for personal defense.  The 10mm will clearly shoot through a human torso, or a house, most likely the neighbor's cow, definately a whitetail or black bear, and probably a 57 Chevy, so ya might want to slow it down a bit for personal defense so as not to eliminate the rest of the neighborhood with the first t&t.  Again, I would not trust a bullet to do what is advertised unless it is a non-expanding design.

HTH.  Mikey.