by smurfman on Sun Jan 30, 2022 2:07 pm
If I were serious about hunting with a 10mm pistol, I would find a Ruger Redhawk in 10mm. One could load it as hot as possible without undue wear and tear on the gun. Sight options vary from irons to red dot to reflex to scope. And, though the trigger isn't great, it is certainly not worse than most of the striker fired pistols out there when used in single action mode.
My stepson has a Glock 10mm that is very reliable and OK for accuracy but it isn't what I would pick as I don't like Glock's grip angle. From the little I've shot the 10 mm Springfield XD it seems a good gun and probably my pick in semiautos. I have shot XDs since before they were the XD so am probably a little biased in that direction.
The S&W M&P looks very interesting and I will have to keep my eyes open for one. I, too, would probably do something with the trigger for a hunting gun though I get along well enough with the factory triggers on the M&Ps I have. The Mod.2 trigger seems much better than the original ones, at least in the ones I have. The Mod 2 trigger is at least as good as the earlier CORE model I have though I wouldn't call either of them a match trigger.
For an out of the box semiauto hunting gun without much need for upgrades I would pick one of the better 1911s. I would shy away from RIA as I wonder how a low end gun would stand up to something like a 10 mm as is. A buddy's early Delta Elite had issues though that may have been due to the level Norma loaded the ammo and being at the beginning. Since then, hopefully more of the learning curve in gun and ammo development has occurred to lessen the old problems.
I am leery of a red dot or reflex sight on something of this order, my 40 S&W has eaten a few of them. I have a Trijicon on it now but haven't had a chance to shoot it yet. Sig, Burris, Holosun, and Vortex have all bitten the dust within the lifespan of a recoil spring - some drastically less. As this is with a "100mm Lite", I suspect the reflex sights in a full bore 10mm would do about as well.
Regarding ammo, I would lean toward the 200 gr bullets than lighter. A handgun is on the lower end of the power scale (for lack of a better term) and I feel the heavier weight bullets are more likely to reach the vitals under a greater variety of conditions. I've always been of the opinion that bullet weight should increase as velocity decreases for best results on game. A handgun is pretty slow from the outset so bullet weight should be near the top if not at the top. My opinion based on my research and some experience with a 357 mag, 45 Colt, and 454 Casull.