{"id":1689,"date":"2023-12-01T23:00:28","date_gmt":"2023-12-01T23:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=1689"},"modified":"2023-12-01T23:00:28","modified_gmt":"2023-12-01T23:00:28","slug":"black-hills-honeybadger-10mm-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=1689","title":{"rendered":"Black Hills HoneyBadger 10mm Review"},"content":{"rendered":"


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By Roy Huntington<\/a><\/p>\n

I<\/span> was a cop in San Diego when the infamous FBI Miami shoot-out occurred. The failure of the 9mm, among others, during that shoot-out caused agencies around the country to suddenly re-think what they carried. This contributed to the helter-skelter search for a \u201cbetter\u201d police round. As it always seems too, as goes the FBI, so goes the rest of the LE world. So, when the FBI opted for the then-new 10mm, agencies gave it serious consideration \u2014 but calmer heads prevailed.<\/p>\n

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The HoneyBadger 10mm loading from Black Hills Ammunition gives you a highly capable round for this powerful cartridge. Image:\u00a0Yamil Sued<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Norma Precision designed the 10mm in the early 1980s, at the request of Dornaus & Dixon, who were struggling to develop and sell the infamous Bren Ten 10mm pistol. The 10mm cartridge was designed as a group effort by Whit Collins, John Adams, Irving Stone (of Barstow barrel fame) and Jeff Cooper.<\/p>\n

Believe it or not, the pistol cartridge began life as a cut-down .30 Remington rifle case, and in 1983 Norma began loading the first ammo. Norma took it upon themselves to make the original load hotter than specified, for some reason, which ended up causing early guns chambered in 10mm to wear fast.<\/p>\n

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The HoneyBadger line features a wide range of offerings, including (from left to right) the .44 Mag., .44 Spl., .38 Spl., .45 ACP, 10mm, 9mm and .380 ACP. Also offered are .45-70 and .357 Mag. The 10mm is shaped differently to meet OAL requirements for the cartridge. Image:\u00a0Author<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Bren Ten pistol died a natural death due to high cost, unavailability of magazines, poor marketing and a host of other challenges. But the 10mm lived on. When the FBI realized the Norma-styled 10mm was simply too much gun for the average agent, they cast about for a \u201cshorty\u201d 10mm, resulting in the development of the .40.<\/p>\n

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Black Hills and Lehigh Bullets are joint patent owners of elements of the capable HoneyBadger loadings. Image:\u00a0Yamil Sued<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The new .40 round spread among LE agencies, federal agencies and the general shooting public like an out-of-control wildfire. Most were convinced the .40 offered improved \u201cstopping power\u201d over the 9mm loads of the time. They may have been right though, due to bullet designs from that era causing many 9mm loads to under-penetrate. The heavier .40 bullets usually penetrated more, hence being more reliable stoppers in the street.<\/p>\n

[Be sure to read: 10mm vs. .40 \u2014 Was the FBI Wrong (or Right) About This?<\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n

But all was not rosy. As technology improved the 9mm bullet designs, and agencies discovered many officers had trouble qualifying with the snappy-recoiling .40, a general move back to the 9mm ensued, with even the famed FBI returning to the nine. But where did that leave the 10mm?<\/p>\n

Hiding In Plain Sight<\/h2>\n

Handgun aficionados who saw the potential of the full-power 10mm cartridge still enjoyed the versatility of the round. While the round wasn\u2019t chambered in huge numbers of new models, it still found a home in many new guns over the years. Also, new technology enhanced the performance of the 10mm with new bullet and powder developments. Just as the 9mm gained effectiveness by partnering with new bullet designs, so did the 10mm.<\/p>\n

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The solid-copper fluted design of the HoneyBadger round and the 10mm\u2019s performance make for a potent combination. Image:\u00a0Yamil Sued<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Keep in mind the average full-power 10mm runs at a substantial 37,000 PSI or so and offers an average of 200 to 300 feet per second (fps) advantage over the .40 (which runs at about 35,000 PSI). The larger case capacity of the 10mm also allows the use of heavier bullets, even hard cast, heavy hunting bullets if you like.<\/p>\n

[You may also want to read: 10mm vs 9mm \u2014 Revisiting the Handgun Cartridge Debate<\/a>.]<\/em><\/p>\n

However, just like small-frame revolvers, the 10mm cartridge requires experienced shooters to properly take advantage of its capabilities. Recoil can be substantial in smaller, lighter guns, and is still snappy even in bigger steel guns. However, if a shooter is experienced at managing recoil, none of the guns or loads are difficult to shoot accurately and rapidly if needed. I find the recoil of most 10mm loads to be a bit more than hardball in a lightweight .45 ACP and much less than any of the big bore revolver cartridges. Don\u2019t let the \u201clegendary awesome power\u201d of the 10mm scare you away.<\/p>\n

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Some say it\u2019s \u201cthe same as a .41 Magnum\u201d, but that isn\u2019t the case at all. While a very few factory 10mm loads can nip at the heels of a low-level .41 Magnum revolver load, in actuality, a true .41 Magnum load is substantially more powerful than a 10mm. A stout .41 Magnum load (40,000 PSI) can send a 210-gr. bullet out at close to 1,400 fps. A higher-end 10mm firing a 180-gr. bullet can chase 1,200 fps in some loads. So, while the 10mm is substantial, effective and flat-shooting, don\u2019t ask it to do the same work a .41 or .44 Magnum can do.<\/p>\n

\"10mm\n<\/picture>
The 10mm HoneyBadger offers shooters a very powerful round for their favorite autopistol. Image:\u00a0Yamil Sued<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Having said that, more and more hunters, hikers and back-country workers are relying on the 10mm for bear protection. Having eight to 15 rounds at hand in your semi-auto is pretty reliable protection, offering deep penetration, multiple shots and a fast reload (if you have time during those hectic few seconds!).<\/p>\n

This brings us neatly to the Black Hills Honey Badger 10mm load \u2014 and the concept behind it.<\/p>\n

Fluted?<\/h2>\n

Now and again, I get to use the word \u201cinnovative\u201d when it really applies. Jeff and Kristi Hoffman, founders of Black Hills Ammunition<\/a>, have helped lead the way toward reliability, performance and sheer high quality when it comes to ammo for discriminating shooters. The military must agree, too, as Black Hills has supplied a wide range of ammo for military units of all sorts, including the ones you can\u2019t talk about.<\/p>\n

\"velocity\n<\/picture>
Velocities hovered in the 1,560-plus range for both the Ronin (shown) and the XD-M<\/span> Elite pistols used for testing. Image:\u00a0Author<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019ve often said, when you simply can\u2019t have a failure in your ammo, carry Black Hills. I\u2019ve toured their facility and their tight-knit crew takes great pride in what they do. While some commercial factory loaders load hundreds of thousands of rounds of a particular cartridge daily, Black Hills has small, \u201cboutique\u201d style loaders, carefully tended by craftsmen, loading small lots of simply impeccable final products.<\/p>\n

Jeff and Kristi are driven by a quest for quality and performance, so it\u2019s only natural they came up with their innovative HoneyBadger design. The concept is a solid copper-fluted bullet that doesn\u2019t have to rely on expansion to create a permanent wound channel. The unique flutes cause extreme tissue disruption, and the fact the bullet is solid copper means it holds together for deep penetration.<\/p>\n

While light for caliber, they still cut a full-caliber hole and usually penetrate more deeply than even heavier, more conventional bullet designs. The entire HoneyBadger line is also moving at higher velocities than their heavier competition designs.<\/p>\n

\"springfield\n<\/picture>
The 5\u2033 Ronin delivered consistent, tight groups at 25 yards like this one, measuring about 1 3\/8\u2033. Image:\u00a0Author<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to Jeff Hoffman, \u201cAbout eight or nine years ago we were given some bullets by Dave Fricke, head of Lehigh Bullets at the time, and asked what we thought. Well, we thought there was huge potential. Over the next few years, we worked with Dave honing the designs for various caliber fluted bullets. Today, Lehigh and Black Hills are joint patent owners of elements of the design.\u201d<\/p>\n

The design is called a \u201cSolid copper, non-deforming, non-fragmenting projectile, with wide, sharp flutes\u201d according to Black Hills info.<\/p>\n

Jeff explains, \u201cAmong the many advantages over hollow-point designs is the fact the HoneyBadger simply doesn\u2019t recognize the challenges a normal hollow-point design does. There\u2019s no hollow point to fill, causing the bullet to act like an FMJ. It\u2019s extremely reliable in all barriers tested, and penetration and wound cavity is consistent and reliable.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen the test data, visited the factory to watch the gel being shot and can attest to the fact HoneyBadger works.<\/p>\n

\"10mm\n<\/picture>
This photo shows a HoneyBadger penetrating nearly 23\u2033 in ballistic gel. Note the dyed wound channel. The copper bullets retain 100 percent of their weight. Image:\u00a0Black Hills Ammunition<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Penetration in calibrated ballistic gel is where things get interesting. The 10mm load averages 20\u2033 of penetration, exhibiting 100 percent weight retention. To verify velocity, I chronographed just over 100 rounds through two Springfield Armory semi-autos for this article.<\/p>\n

A two-tone 5\u2033 Ronin 10mm averaged 1,565 fps over 50 shots, while an XD-M<\/span> Elite 4.5\u2033 OSP 10mm averaged 1,547 fps over 50 rounds. Accuracy testing revealed the Ronin to deliver groups in the 1.3\u2033 to 1.75\u2033 range at 25 yards, while the XDM-E chased it at about 1.75\u2033 to 2.25\u2033 range. I fired about 300 rounds in total, with no issues with either the guns or the ammo.<\/p>\n

[Don\u2019t miss Paul Carlson\u2019s review of the Ronin 10mm<\/a>.]<\/em><\/p>\n

My Conclusions?<\/h2>\n

I think Jeff says it best: \u201cI\u2019ve seen products come and go, and you can often spot the gimmicky ones and know they won\u2019t last. I was concerned initially that the unique design of the HoneyBadger bullet might not work as well as it looked. But we have a full-time ballistics lab here at Black Hills, with three techs. We\u2019ve tested the HoneyBadger designs hundreds of times, through hundreds of gel blocks and in the hunting field and verified it truly does work, even beyond our original expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is a hard-hitting, accurate load, and the lighter bullet weight means it\u2019s easy to control. I didn\u2019t find recoil difficult to manage in either the Ronin or the XD-M<\/span> Elite, and it was no problem shooting those 300 rounds in one afternoon.<\/p>\n

The deep-penetrating nature of the round means it\u2019s perfect for defense against big critters like bears and hogs, and even bigger varmints of the two-legged and four-legged variety. It\u2019s also safe to shoot in tube-fed rifles. Accuracy is there for longer shots if needed, and having 15 or more rounds in-hand means you can throw down a storm of deep-penetrating solid copper projectiles between you and whatever the threat is.<\/p>\n

And that, friends, should help you sleep soundly at night.<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the \u201cGo To Forum Thread\u201d link below to jump in and discuss this article and much more!<\/em><\/p>\n

Join the Discussion<\/span><\/h5>\n

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Featured in this article<\/span><\/h5>\n

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Black Hills 10mm HoneyBadger<\/span><\/h3>\n


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1911 Ronin\u00ae 5″<\/span><\/h3>\n


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XD-M\u00ae Elite 4.5″ OSP\u2122<\/span><\/h3>\n


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By Roy Huntington I was a cop in San Diego when the infamous FBI Miami shoot-out occurred. The failure of the 9mm, among others, during that shoot-out caused agencies around the country to suddenly re-think what they carried. This contributed to the helter-skelter search for a \u201cbetter\u201d police round. As it always seems too, as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1690,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1689","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1689"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1689\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}