Xten Vs 0220 10mm

I have not handled a 320 10mm, though I plan to soon. But I can tell you from experience that the 220 10 is as fine of a production firearm as I have ever owned. If you don't like Glock, and 10mm is what you want for bears, that 220 is the way to go. Accurate, soft shooting with any load I put though them, and a great trigger reach for those of us that don't have oversized hands. The 220s track record is great to say the very least, not saying the 320 10 won't do great.

If your into revolvers at all, you can grab a 44 Smith 629 or Ruger redhawk for what those 320 10s are going for and half what the 220 10s seem to go for now.

I know you did not ask about revolvers. I just mentioned it as that is what I moved to for heavy duty shooting and they fit the bill for what you are planning. 6 rounds is fine for me with animals, if a carbine is not an option. It's only when I'm around the humans when I feel the need for autoloaders.

I highly recommend the 220 10 from my personal experience. If you are at all worried about the humans you may encounter I say go with the 320 10. If I am out in the mountains with women or children I carry an double stack myself. I have come across groups of folks in the wild that I had to keep my eye on, and having extra rounds is a good feeling when you are the only line of defense for your loved ones and have to worry about multiple problems.

Enjoy your mountain travels. I have rambled all over the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia since a child, but have never made it that far north. Great place for young people to experience.

I'm fortunate to have 5 different 10mm handguns in 3 different firing methods: 2 striker fired (Sig P320 XTen and M&P M2.0 10mm), 2 hammer fired (Sig P220 Legion SAO and Kimber 1911 Rapide), and 1 revolver (S&W 610-3).
Like a fine Swiss mechanical watch, the S&W 610 revolver is the absolute pinnacle when it comes to shooting a 10mm Auto round. Be it with or without moonclips, it will safely and reliably fire 10mm (and even .40S&W using moonclips) of all varieties. The 6.5" barrel on my 610 is concentrated awesomeness that provides a soft "push" when firing rather than a hard "snap" at the wrist.

I can tell you from first hand knowledge and experience that the P220 and 1911 in 10mm are excellent in shooting quality and performance. Not a single issue with any 10mm load I've fired through them, and their size and design mitigate as much recoil impulse as possible. A supremely superb shooting experience that is highly recommended to everyone. Even with a curved trigger, the P220 is phenomenal and matches the firing efficiency and smoothness of my 1911 as both are single action only champions on the range. I more than certain that they would solve any problem experienced from any "predator"...

As my newest entries into the "Centimeter Club", the striker'd M&P and XTen are each holding their own in regards to being a "blast". The M2.0 and P320 models are already outstanding platforms, and their revised/upgraded chassis' are handling the 10mm round with ease. I'm giving a slight edge in shooting preference to the XTen primarily due to it's longer length and 5" barrel, as well as having a bit more "heft" to it. The stock trigger is decent but is improving with use (live & dry fire), but I'm waiting to see what options will become available down the road. The M&P is a great shooter that is very well balanced, has a better grip feel in my hands (probably due to it's changeable backstraps), and has a good flat-faced trigger with a more noticeable reset IMO (thus far). I love having a red dot on them, although their iron sights were on point and very serviceable (day or low light).

If I were to advise the OP (or anyone) which 10mm handgun to obtain first, I'd say pick up the P220 first (SAO or DA/SA), followed by a good 1911, then a XTen and M&P. Good luck finding a S&W 610... NOTICE: I am not saying that the XTen or M&P are not as good of a 10mm shooter as the others, in fact to some they may even be better than the hammered pistols. I prefer hammers over strikers, but I also subscribe to the notion of having both walks of life for a greater appreciation of firearms. In the woods, at the range, or on the streets, the 10mm round is good to go. Sig is wise to have two different types of handheld firearms available to fire the mighty 10, and I hope the word spreads and more models are released.

I found this review 2022-12-15:
SIG Sauer recently announced a new caliber option for its hugely successful P320 platform of pistols – the 15+1 capacity 10mm XTen.

...And it's this blurb from the Guns.com article that explains some/most of the issues with the X-Ten:

"Using a completely redesigned grip module based on feedback from the popular XFive series, the new XTen sports an improved beavertail, an improved undercut at the trigger guard, and – this is key – a grip circumference almost the same as the XFive, something that is notoriously hard to get in a 10mm double-stack."

The magazines (& grip module) are too narrow/tight and constrictive to cleanly fit 15 rounds of a much broader assortment of 10mm ammo. Some of the more "spicier" 10mm loads have been an issue to some with these mags. The follower & spring and feed lips on top of the mags may have some "engineering issues" as well. Some shooters are only loading 14rds in each mag to be on the safe side.

The X-Ten itself is a nice shooter and tames the 10mm round very well (for a polymer framed striker), and I'd put it on par with my 4.6" M&P M2.0 10mm with the M&P being a bit more "mobile" for field use. Still, a P220 or 1911 in 10mm is IMO the best way to go if you don't mind a little more weight.

Yup. The xten, in my opinion, is lacking in many important ways.

1) Magazines are too small for any 10mm cartridge that outperforms the 40s&w. Any cartridge with a COAL of 2.257-2.260" (within SAAMI spec), and/or a meplat that is over 6.6mm will hang up within the mag tube, possibly/probably causing a failure to feed. Not confidence inspiring to say the least. Large meplat (7.0mm and over) hardcast projectiles will not only create far more friction against the front radiused corners of the tube, they will catch on the mag-catch holes, causing mis-feeds. I've not had this experience with any other pistol I've spent time shooting when the cartridges were loaded to max SAAMI specs.

2) Compared to other reasonably-accurate slide-equiped pistols, the slide is a tad on the light-weight side, so when using a projectile worthy of 10mm power (ala Jeff Cooper's intentions of 200 - 220gr), the slide has 2.23mm of rearward movement before the projectile leaves the barrel. This over-movement provides too much opportunity for barrel movement and inconsistent POI. If the slide was heavier I believe accuracy (consistancy) would improve markedly. I've done detailed dynamic and static analyses and calculations on the many pistols/calibers/projectiles I've had at my disposal, and the numbers clearly bear this problem out -- light-for-projectile slides are not nearly as accurate as properly designed, heavier-weight slides. Also, the slide on my xten has a lot of lateral play compared to any of my other semi-auto pistols, and this may be another reason why my xten just doesn't get the job done with acceptable accurately at 40m and over. Yes, you could try to use a heavier slide spring, but a slide spring doesn't act like appropriate slide mass when more slide-moving resistance is required in the very first millisecond or two after ignition.
Sure, you may be of the opinion that a pistol is merely a very short-range tool to get you to your rifle. What about the scenario that Elisjsha Dicken found himself in at the Greenwood Georgia mall in which he had to take out an ar-wielding would-be mass-murder at 42 yards? Those who have good concealable-pistol accuracy at 50 - 100 yrds likely will be better-abled to save the day in these strange, wrong-is-right/right-is-wrong days. The xten is far from being that accurate, at least in my hands, when compared to my other out-of-the-box stock 10mm handguns that are consistently accurate to at least 120 yrds (even with fmj range ammo) and that I depend upon every day.

3) Sig has adopted a sighting system that makes the target (POI) obscured by the front sight, unlike all other pistols that typically have a POA/POI that is bisected by the front sight. The xten comes with #6 sights front and rear. To make the POA/POI like the other pistols in your collection (so you don't have to relearn your sighting habits) you need to purchase and install #8 sights front and rear. This is an additional $150 if purchasing the same type of sights from Sig.

4) For some reason, Sig determined that the slide lock on their p320 weapons should be placed such that the dominate hand's thumb is in a position that always keeps the lock down when holding the weapon in a firm manner. Sure, if you believe that the slide lock is actually a slide release (as Sig obviously incorrectly believes), when in the LGS you may actually appreciate the control's placement. However when actually operating the weapon with live rounds, you're going to find that it is in the exact wrong position if you're using your thumb as a means of additional grip as when the slide-lock is even slightly touched will not allow the slide to lock open after the last round is fired. Every other semi-auto pistol provides a space for your thumb that is free from inadvertently pressing the slide-lock. The p320 is completely ridiculously designed by supposedly firearm-savvy engineers. It's like they designed it for neophyte hollywood-types who believe the 'slide release' should allow dual-wielding pistoleros to operate their weapons more expediently in their movies ("Underworld," etc?) But even so, if the pistolero doesn't have a good, single-handed grip using her thumb as part of her tight vice-grip, what good is that 'convenient' slide release position if the dang slide doesn't lock back properly?! Absolutely crazy. Any decent pistol-shooter knows how to extend his thumb to actuate a typically-positioned 'slide release' if his non-dominate hand is somehow incapacitated or otherwise engaged in a separate task. At any rate, my slide never locks back properly when using this pistol. I have normal-length thumbs. They're a blessing with any other pistol and an absolute curse with this silly xten.

I've finally made up my mind to loose myself of this xten, even though I really want to like it. It has a nice feel in the hand, the trigger is acceptable out of the box, and it's balance is good for a 5" barrelled pistol. I've put over 600 rounds of many types and brands of ammunition through it. It's works ok with under-performing, lightweight projectile ammo, but for using true, heavier-weight 10mm full-house ammo, it fall flat on it's face. The xten does ok when compare it to a 40S&W pistol. It just does not justify the money, time, and effort that I've put into this weapon trying to make it fit my needs, nor would I trust my life to it.