Handgun selection comes down to personal preference. From hand size to use to caliber, it all depends on you and what you need the gun to do. 9mm used to be the dominant caliber of all self-defense arguments. Lately, however, other calibers, like the venerable 10mm, have gained a foothold in the defense world. 10mm is a caliber that’s been favored by handgun hunters for a long time, but it’s really only just now joining the self-defense lineup. One model that might have slid under the radar is the Sig Sauer P220. And now, with the emergence of 10mm for self-defense, it deserves a closer look.
What’s the SigSauer P220 Hunter?
The Sig Sauer P220 Hunter is the camo variant of the 10mm P220. Sig released the gun in 2015, so it’s had almost a decade of use among fans. There’s also a Legion version that has all the benefits of that fine-tuned lineup, including an awesome trigger, refined grip, and a different, durable finish. It’s the Hunter we’re focusing on, though, because while it might not be as fancy as the P220 Legion, it’s a great gun. This handgun was designed for handgun hunters but is also a nice choice for carry or home defense.
What are the features of the P220 Hunter?
It’s the aesthetics of the P220 Hunter that catch your eye first. It has a Kryptek camo finish, and while I admit it isn’t my favorite pattern, it works well on this handgun. The camo covers the frame and slide, with the grip breaking the flow. If you handgun hunt as I do, the finish is useful because it cuts down on the risk of the gun being spotted by sharp-eyed prey. And because it’s Kryptek and matte, it isn’t going to catch the sun and glare, giving your position away. If you’re not a handgun hunter, it’s still a sharp-looking pistol with a purpose.
The gun has a 5.0-inch, match-grade barrel, so the 10mm chambering produces great ballistics. It has an 8-round capacity, which isn’t ideal but satisfactory. Further, the P220 Hunter is a full-size gun that’s 8.8 inches long, 5.5 inches tall, and 1.5 inches wide. With the right holster and belt combo, it’s possible to conceal it.
How does the Sig Sauer P220 Hunter shoot?
Thanks to the rubberized G10 grips on the P220 Hunter, this is a gun that feels good in my hands. It’s textured aggressively enough to help me keep a firm hold during live fire but not so sharply that it gets uncomfortable. The curved trigger creates a reach that is a tiny bit shorter than I’d like but still works well. A huge bonus of this gun is that I can manipulate all the controls without adjusting my grip.
Ammo Versatility
Over time, I’ve lost track of just how many rounds have gone through this gun. It’s certainly well into the thousands now, and loads have spanned all manner of target rounds, defensive loads, and even frangible rounds. I do favor certain 10mm loads like Hornady Critical Duty 175-grain FlexLock JHP, Barnes VOR-TX 155-grain XPB, and Federal Personal Defense Punch 200-grain JHP. On the frangible side, Inceptor Preferred Defense 90 grain ARX is a favorite that’s done impressively well both for target shooting and hunting feral hogs and whitetail deer.
Recoil
I’ve shot quite a few lighter-weight 10mm handguns, and you find out fast that the heavier guns are far easier to handle. 10mm doesn’t create the crazy recoil a lot of people expect, but it can be stout. The P220 Hunter’s felt recoil is a firm pushback into your hand, but it isn’t jarring or sharp. Thanks to the extended beavertail of the frame and the material of the grip, keeping a secure, high hold on the gun isn’t difficult at all.
Trigger
This is one of the guns that has a nice trigger right out of the box. It has a crisp, clean break and a short re-set, and rapid fire is possible without trigger-related issues. As someone who prefers lighter triggers and can be a bit of a trigger snob, I have to say this is a well-executed factory trigger. Between the trigger and the tritium factory sight, you can be confident running this gun without worrying about needing to make aftermarket changes. It’s accurate, on target, and cycles reliably.
Final Thoughts
If you want to use the P220 Hunter for hunting, you’ll be happy with how it cycles while dirty. That’s especially true here in Texas, where red dirt seems to invade every tiny crevice. As long as you do your part there, it’s going to keep functioning. I’m not a hardcore gun cleaner by any stretch, and the P220 Hunter is the perfect enabler since you can lube it and go.
This isn’t just an ideal gun for handgun hunters. Thanks to the regular appearance of new self-defense loads for 10mm handguns and the fact that the general gun public is getting more accepting of the big bore, you can find good defensive ammo. It’s a big enough gun that makes sense as a home defense firearm. The most important things for a self-defense handgun are for it to be reliable, accurate, and effective. The Sig P220 Hunter does all that and looks good doing it. If you want a little extra oomph to the design, check out the P220 Legion. Sig Sauer really does make something for everyone.
