S & W Model 10 load

Ive been loading 158 grain round flat nose cast lead bullets(make em with a lee mold) over 4.6 grains of unique. Should be traveling close to 900fps out of a 5" barrel. I wouldn't use this for bears but it should be good enough for most anything else.
 
The old FBI load is about as good as it gets for self defense. If you want Maximum Penetration, a good hard cast bullet will give you that.

I would stay away from heavy loads in any S&W revolver short of the 460 and 500. You can shoot a Model 29 loose in pretty short order with hot loads, Same goes for the K Frames.
 
udtjim said:
The old FBI load is about as good as it gets for self defense. If you want Maximum Penetration, a good hard cast bullet will give you that.

I would stay away from heavy loads in any S&W revolver short of the 460 and 500. You can shoot a Model 29 loose in pretty short order with hot loads, Same goes for the K Frames.
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:thumbup:

heavy cast and a standard load....

Why not back your .38 up with a canister of Bear pepper spray?
 
If you are going to carry the Model 10 outdoors, go with 158gr. preferably hardcast and hot. You can shoot 158 +P loads, but not 125gr +P, it may crack the forcing cone over time. It will not shoot loose unless you fire many (1,000s) hot rounds through it. For all the non-believers; someone on the S&W forum ran a bunch (I can't recall the number) of +P through a J frame without breaking it.
If you encounter an angry bear, you better hope the noise scares it off. A bear can absorb 6 rounds of .38 spl and still kill you. Some bears consider Pepper spray "seasoning."

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While .38spl might be better than nothing, you should strongly consider stepping up to at least .357mag, and possibly more if you're in grizzly country. .38spl is a bit anemic even against humans, let alone angry megafauna.

I have a Smith & Wesson 329PD (.44mag) that is very light and handy, but unfortunately it's light to the point of discomfort shooting full loads. When I need to go lightweight I'll carry it, but if I'm hunting I instead carry a model 57---a heavy steel gun makes even hot (.41mag) loads tame. I use Lasercast 215gr LSWC bullets loaded to 1.58" COL over 21gr H110 with a large pistol magnum primer; it produces little to no leading and groups rather well even out to 100yds. (Remember, when working up a load with H110 never go more than 3% below max lest you have squib problems!)

Besides the magnum revolver rounds, other good options are 10mm auto (full house 10mm is somewhat less powerful than .41mag or .44mag, but more than .357mag) or---bear with me (no pun intended)---12ga. A 12ga shotgun loaded with heavy slugs is delivering a much larger projectile with substantially greater energy, and will most likely afford you better follow-up shots and carry more ammo than a big revolver. In fact, a Mossberg "cruiser" style 5xx and a S&W X-frame (.500s&w mag) weigh basically the same when fully loaded, and the shotgun is carrying more ammo. As an added benefit, the Mossberg is a lot cheaper and can likely be used for other purposes as well.

It's prudent to bring bear spray along as well.
 
g123 said:
Hey Guys,

I have an S & W Model 10. What would be the best dog/bear load I could use through this revolver when I go backpacking?

Thanks,

Geoff
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you don't say where you are, so I have no idea if you mean "black bear" or "Polar Bear".

The trail load I carry in my 4 inch heavy barrel Model 10, uses new .38 Special Winchester brass, CCI small pistol primers, Blue Dot powder and the Sierra 140 grain JHP bullet.
It is more than adequate for protection against dogs, and I have no doubt that it would perform well on Florida Black Bears.
I see bears frequently, and after some 50+ years of running into them when hiking and camping, I don't feel that I need to fear them.
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Hey Mannlicher,

That is the exact revolver I have.

I live in California and the reason I asked this question is that my 357 686 weighs 3 pounds and I hate hauling it around when camping. I know the 357 will do the job, I just was not sure about the 38's capability.

Geoff
 
If you are willing to step up to .357, I would recommend a Ruger GP 100. I have one with a 6" barrel and with handloads I have stopped Florida Boar with penetrations from shoulder to hindquarter (made a mess inside though). These were loads built up for my gun. I would have to ask if any have tried .357 Buffalo Bore on larger game. A full power .357 is often under rated in capabilities and with heavy solids you can get great penetration. I do not have bear experience though and would have to consider some of the above recommendations for heavier calibers if this would be possible as .38 would be light for boar, and I assume way lighter for bear.
 
My 10-8 is very accurate with 5.5grs. of Unique & a GA. Arms 158gr. SWC. it chronos at 1059fps from its 4"HB. & is a book plus p load, not a problem for a model 10-8 or newer & some older model 10s. cast bullets at 1000fps or above are great for a lot of game. cast bullets can be used on mouse to moose, with the right shot placement !
 
Racegunner, do you have a link and thread title to the J-Frame shoot on the S&W site that you mentioned? Thanx in advance.
 
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