Ok let's think of the 10mm in a different way...so it might now be the best round for a carry gun...but what about in rifle form...say a 10mm pistol caliber carbine for home/campsite defense?
Do the same problems/issues hold true if that 10mm is coming out of a 16 1/2" barrel?
@txradioguy My OPINION is that for a camp gun,you need more powder capacity to take advantage of the bore diameter. Yeah,it would be fine against 2-legged predators,but even some of the smaller fur-bearing predators can be a lot harder to stop than a sub-human.
IMNSHO,if you are going to carry a rifle or carbine,make sure it is chambered for a rifle cartridge.
The Marlin lever action in 444 or 45/70 is a pretty damn slick and effective carbine.
I have been out of the gun business for so long I no longer know what is available,but there might be a semi-auto carbine you like in one of those or a similar caliber. Think "big,heavy,and slow". You want slow so it doesn't over-penetrate.