Winchester's Defender 180-grain bonded JHP is loaded to 1,240 fps and 614 ft-lbs, which puts it ahead of every 10mm hollow point in this group except the Hornady Custom 180-grain XTP. Power factor is 223, 58 over the 165 major floor. Bonding joins the jacket to the lead core so the two stay together as the bullet expands. Recoil energy in the reference compact pistol is 11.2 ft-lbs, third of the five loads here behind the Hornady and the Federal Personal Defense HST 200-grain.

The Hornady Custom is the only load here with more energy, and only by 36 ft-lbs. The HST 200-grain gives up 110 fps and 47 ft-lbs at the muzzle and still produces more recoil, because of the heavier bullet. Winchester's own Super-X 175-grain Silvertip is 40 fps slower and softer. The PPU Defense 180-grain is 158 fps and 146 ft-lbs behind, with about 21 percent less recoil energy in the same pistol. Among the loads in this block with published drop figures, 50-yard drop from a 25-yard zero runs between 1.0 inch for the Hornady and 1.5 for the HST and the PPU, so holds do not change at pistol distances.

Carry the Defender if you want a bonded 180-grain hollow point near the top of the 10mm velocity spread; among the loads here only the Hornady is faster. Shooters who want less recoil in the same caliber have two steps down, the Super-X Silvertip 175-grain and then the PPU Defense 180, and each gives up energy in proportion. For range practice, the Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics 180-grain FMJTC at 1,250 fps is 10 fps faster than the Defender and within 2 percent on recoil, so it is a close stand-in for this load.