REVIEW: Winchester Elite Defender 10mm 180gr Bonded Jacketed Hollow Point - Great self defense ammo for when you're off the trail

 

Winchester recently sent me some test samples of their new Defender Elite 10mm 180gr Bonded Jacketed Hollow Point to try out in my Glock 29 Gen 4 10mm Semi-Auto Sub-Compact 10-Round Pistol. 

The Glock 29 is what I carry for dangerous game defense when I'm out in the wilderness. In that role, I keep the gun loaded with full power bear protection loads such as the Underwood Xtreme Penetrator and/or Underwood 200gr Hardcast rounds. 

But when I'm not in the wilderness, I also carry my Glock 29 as a CCW pistol. 

In a CCW role, bear defense rounds grossly over-penetrate for self-defense use. So I usually switch to jacketed hollow point ammunition to avoid overpenetration once I'm off the trail. 

After spending time at the range with the Winchester Defender 10mm JHP rounds, as well as checking out ballistic gelatin tests on Youtube, they have impressed me to the point where I have started carrying them as my main CCW carry round. 

The Winchester Defender rounds are not quite as powerful as the typical Underwood and Buffalo Bore JHP's that many are familar with. However, they still feel like real 10mm ammunition when shooting them. 

The plus side of this slightly lower power is that recoil and muzzle blast are less intense. In a small gun like the Glock 29, it definitely makes a difference in shootability compared to shooting the larger Glock 20. 

The Glock 20 handles full power loads quite well. But the smaller and lighter Glock 29 can get a bit squirrelly in your hands while shooting full power loads, reducing accuracy during rapid fire.

But you are still probably saying to yourself that if these are less powerful than the Underwood and Buffalo Bore rounds, then they are probably less effective in stopping a threat. 

However, the Youtube ballistic gel tests below should quickly dispel any notion that these are not effective self defense rounds. The Defender round is quite literally devastating:

How's the accuracy?

Excellent. I tested the Winchester Defenders at common self-defense distances. The targets with the groups trending towards the left were because of high wind conditions that were literally pushing my arms to the left as I fired.The last target was done under calm conditions. 

Rapid fire while freestanding:

Slower aimed fire at 15 yards:

As mentioned, the winds were intense and were pushing my arms (and the shots) to the left while doing the tests above. But I was still able to shoot good groups.

Once the winds died down after dark, I did another test using an LED flashlight for illumination:

Without the wind blowing me around, the Defenders shot straight and accurate. 

Reliability Testing

I fired a total of 100 rounds of the Defenders through my Glock 29 and it functioned 100%. There were no feeding or ejection issues of any kind. 

I also tested the Defender ammo to see if it would cause a jam in my Glock 29 by "limp-wristing" the grip. 

A limp-wristing test simulates a scenario where your hand, wrist or arm is injured and you are not able to hold your semi-automatic pistol tightly like you would under normal circumstances. This is always a possibility in any self defense scenario, so I always test my pistols first to make sure they won't do this with my preferred carry ammo.

I've found that with my Glock 29, any 10mm ammo that's putting out less than 500 foot pounds of energy will induce a jam when limp-wristed. 

The Winchester Defenders passed this test with flying colors. I ran an entire box of Defenders through my Glock 29 and was unable to induce a jam no matter how lightly I held it. This gives me confidence that the Defenders will function even in the worst case scenario. 

Conclusion?

As a CCW round for carrying in a compact Glock 29 10mm Pistol, the Winchester 10mm Defender Jacketed Hollow Point strikes an excellent balance of controllability and reduced muzzle blast while also having very effective stopping power. The round is accurate and the nickel plated cases help with long-term feeding reliability. I like the Defenders so much that they have become my main CCW ammo for when I'm not out trekking on tree covered trails in the Rockies. 

5 out of 5 Stars (Highly Recommended)

About the author

Jason Schwartz is the Founder and Senior Editor of Rocky Mountain Bushcraft and a US Army Veteran. After serving in the Army, Jason joined the 175th Security Police Squadron of the Maryland Air Force National Guard and served during the Gulf War. He was selected as an Honor Graduate at the US Air Force Security Police Academy and completed two active duty operational support tours, which included guarding A-10s and C-130s which were flying federal overseas missions. Email him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (without spaces)