Testing 10mm Reloads

TXCOONDOG

TXCOONDOG

Well-known member
I want to start testing (10, 25, and 50 yds) my hog hunting 10mm reloads for penatraition, expansion, etc and need advice.

Should I use wet phone books, water jugs, etc?

I have seen devices used to hold pistols for accuracy testing and wondered where I could find such a device?

Recommendations, advice, etc is greatly appreciated.
 
If you haven't already looked there are some decent four denim ballistic gel comparison test on YouTube.

EDIT: I get the feeling now that you are ahead of me on the 10mm project so probably was aware of this already.
smile.gif
 
As stated, a Ransom Rest is somewhat pricy for an individual with one gun to test...Check out some of your local shooting ranges, many have done a group buy at some time in the past and will loan/rent one for testing purposes..

An alternative is a relatively inexpensive commercial handgun rest, but they take a little practice to use consistently for best results. They take a lot more concentration on the shooter's part..

I've used VV N330 in the past with good results and lately have switched over to Ramshot's Silhouette powder for my 10mm loads..However, for hunting, as well as self defense, I personally prefer to rely on factory type loads (CorBon, Buffalo Bore, etc.) and attempt to mimic the commercial loads as to velocity and accuracy with my handloads for practice, I'm not much of one for 'reinventing the wheel' when others have put in the research time as to bullet performance... After all, how many shots will you actually be making on a hunt??.
 
Originally Posted By: TXCOONDOGI want to start testing (10, 25, and 50 yds) my hog hunting 10mm reloads for penatraition, expansion, etc and need advice.

Should I use wet phone books, water jugs, etc?

I have seen devices used to hold pistols for accuracy testing and wondered where I could find such a device?

Recommendations, advice, etc is greatly appreciated.

I have a Ransom Rest to test match ammo, but you don't need a Ransom Rest to test hunting ammo...

You won't have a rest when you are shooting hogs. Just use a one handed hold on a bench and make sure the pistol cycles with a tight hold and a loose (limp wristed) hold. Wet pone books are fine.
 
Originally Posted By: CatShooterOriginally Posted By: TXCOONDOGI want to start testing (10, 25, and 50 yds) my hog hunting 10mm reloads for penatraition, expansion, etc and need advice.

Should I use wet phone books, water jugs, etc?

I have seen devices used to hold pistols for accuracy testing and wondered where I could find such a device?

Recommendations, advice, etc is greatly appreciated.

I have a Ransom Rest to test match ammo, but you don't need a Ransom Rest to test hunting ammo...

You won't have a rest when you are shooting hogs. Just use a one handed hold on a bench and make sure the pistol cycles with a tight hold and a loose (limp wristed) hold. Wet pone books are fine.



One hand hold?
 
Originally Posted By: GCOriginally Posted By: CatShooterOriginally Posted By: TXCOONDOGI want to start testing (10, 25, and 50 yds) my hog hunting 10mm reloads for penatraition, expansion, etc and need advice.

Should I use wet phone books, water jugs, etc?

I have seen devices used to hold pistols for accuracy testing and wondered where I could find such a device?

Recommendations, advice, etc is greatly appreciated.

I have a Ransom Rest to test match ammo, but you don't need a Ransom Rest to test hunting ammo...

You won't have a rest when you are shooting hogs. Just use a one handed hold on a bench and make sure the pistol cycles with a tight hold and a loose (limp wristed) hold. Wet pone books are fine.



One hand hold?

Yes one hand hold - you need to know how it will shoot, the way you will shoot it.

What's the point of developing a load with a tight two hand hold, and then finding that the gun hits differently, or won't cycle when held in one hand.
 
Cat, we may be discussing apples and oranges and not be on the same page here. With that said, I'll disagree regarding the one hand hold for accuracy testing and here is why. Shooting for accuracy is one thing, testing for reliability is another. I doubt when actually hog hunting Txcoondog will be relying on a one hand hold. That is an assumption but most experienced handgunners realize their best potential comes with two hands on the gun. Txcoondog isn't a neophyte and from prior communication with him I believe he is a pretty sharp guy and thorough in his approach to things. Since he mentions accuracy and a Ransom Rest in his original post accuracy is probably an important consideration as he test his loads. With that in mind he will want to do his best shooting and one handing a large handgun isn't conducive to that end result. Also as I suspect you know handguns can be sensitive to the hold given them. Shooting one handed vs. two handed would likely cause differing points of impact as you mention. Since Txcoondog won't be hunting one armed (an assumption) then testing in that mode wouldn't make much sense. Once the accuracy testing is completed then getting off the bench and doing some field shooting is very important as we know. Without a mechanical rest such as the Ransom (which I do not have), I use a solid two hand hold over bags to test accuracy of a load and fine tune the sight in. Then lots of shooting from field positions verifies my sight in from the bags. Yes, testing for reliability is extremely important and absolutely some limp wristing, weak hand and strong side one hand shooting is in order to ensure reliability in case some artful emergency dodging, ducking and azz backward running is called for at some point in the pursuit or follow up of a ornery hog critter.
 
I tried one handed with my G20, but can't hit anything outside of 15yds consistently (200gr @ 1200 fps). I have also learned that limp wrist with the G20 causes FTF.

I hunt on public hunting land and have to go in the thick stuff to where the hogs are bedded so my shots are under 25yds majority of the time.

I do practice 10-50yds (one/two handed, standing, sitting, rest, etc) and beyond that I use my 6.8. However, With a solid rest, 75-100 is doable with the G20.

I just want to test penatration, etc for additional knowledge and just plain ole fun!






 
Originally Posted By: gary paugh9.5grs of longshot with Hornady 180gr XTP bullet and call it good.

My G20 really likes the 200 XTP and 13.3gr of Accurate #9 the best.

However, 180gr using 9.0gr of Longshot gets me 1.5" groups at 25(even had a group of 4 out of 5 shots @3/4").

Longshot should've been called Loudshot (have to double up on ear protection at the range)
 
Originally Posted By: GCCat, we may be discussing apples and oranges and not be on the same page in our discussion. With that said, I'll disagree regarding the one hand hold for accuracy testing and here is why. Shooting for accuracy is one thing, testing for reliability is another. I doubt when actually hog hunting Txcoondog will be relying on a one hand hold. That is an assumption but most experienced handgunners realize their best potential comes with two hands on the gun. Txcoondog isn't a neophyte and from prior communication with him I believe he is a pretty sharp guy and thorough in his approach to things. Since he mentions accuracy and a Ransom Rest in his original post accuracy is probably an important consideration as he test his loads. With that in mind he will want to do his best shooting and one handing a large handgun isn't conducive to that end result. Also as I suspect you know handguns can be sensitive to the hold given them. Shooting one handed vs. two handed would likely cause differing points of impact as you mention. Since Txcoondog won't be hunting one armed (an assumption) then testing in that mode wouldn't make much sense. Once the accuracy testing is completed then getting off the bench and doing some field shooting is very important as we know. Without a mechanical rest such as the Ransom (which I do not have), I use a solid two hand hold over bags to test accuracy of a load and fine tune the sight in. Then lots of shooting from field positions verifies my sight in from the bags. Yes, testing for reliability is extremely important and absolutely some limp wristing, weak hand and strong side one hand shooting is in order to ensure reliability in case some artful emergency dodging, ducking and azz backward running is called for at some point in the pursuit or follow up of a ornery hog critter.

I understand what you are saying, but here's the thing.

I have a 10mm (A Colt stainless Delta)... it is a very good pistol, and with bad loads, it will hold 2.5" at 25yds and with really good loads it will hold `1" to 1.5"ish...

Pigs are BIG, adn they move FAST!!! so worrying about that last 1 to 1.5" at 25 yards is kinda anal for pigs.

But since piggies can chomp your azz, then reliability and power are premium on the scale of things.

When working up regular hunting loads, it is often easy to get caught up in group size and lose sight of the real goal... smashing killing power that you can manage reliably.

 
I had a Delta Elite years ago. It was a good pistol, mine was accurate enough and very reliable. I ended up swapping on a Gold Cup and ironically had nothing but trouble with that. I just bought a Glock 20 and part of that reason is wild hogs. Where I am we have a good population of hogs. I have killed a couple and bump them occasionally while hunting other game. Some of these dudes we see are dang bigguns weighing over 300 pounds. A school bus hit one that was over 400 pounds. We also have a good population of black bear and there have been over 45 confirmed mountain lion sightings in the last fifteen years. In fact, a guy trapping wild hogs trapped a 130 pound male lion and the conservation department released that lion about one mile from my favorite hunting grounds. Bummer was a few months later a lion killed one of our elk from the new herd reintroduction just a short distance away. There is a wild horse herd there and one of those was also killed by a lion. We have some critters around here and if you spend enough time in deep woods you will have some encounters.

Point being walking out of the woods at night while bowhunting with a treestand on your back and bumping one of those hogs on a shoulder width trail winding through a clear cut can be exciting. The G20 in the Diamond D chest holster stoked with some 200 - 220 gr. bullets should be comforting. Here is a video of the lion...

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OSYPp20SHQg



 
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