Contender Deer hunting revolations... sight suggestions...

[Sevens]

Guys, if I understand correctly, a 7-30 Waters is a .30/30 case necked down to 7mm. If this is so, it seems to me that you use a smaller diameter bullet with a similar case capacity and the result is a somewhat lighter bullet that shoots a little flatter, giving you a little more effective distance.

Do the .30/30 Contender guys use pointed .30 cal bullets rather than the ugly, rounded classic .30/30 bullets? And if so, doesn't that make the .30/30 a little more effective? Or is the trade off with a short 14" barrel making up the gains from a pointed bullet?

I'd probably be more likely to go with a .30/30 barrel over a 7-30 Waters just for the ease of brass and the idea that I'm already using .30 Caliber bullets. Because I don't have a specific use in mind (like the hunting you guys do), I don't really have to let my needs determine the caliber.

Truth is, I really don't need either. I just like to play around at the load bench and on the range! And I've enjoyed my share of recoil out of the harsh 10-inch .44, so I've already decided the .35 Rem isn't for me.

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

harshest recoiling of my barrels is stout loads in my un ported 14" 375 Winchester barrel...

I personally haven't loaded yet for most of my Contenders... my 10" - 10mm Magnum barrel is the one I've loaded for most so far...

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

got my rear Fire Sights today... the base is a match for the stock Contender mount holes... the ghost ring with the fiber optic dots seems nearly perfect... if it works well out to 50-75 yards, I may decide to do the 30-30 barrel with fiber optics as well, instead of a low power scope... or maybe I'll leave that one alone, & set up the 14" - 35 Remington hunter barrel with the fiber optics ???

my buddy had to rebuild a few parts on one of his old milling machines, so he hasn't done any gun work for a few weeks... he's ready again now, so I'd guess the front sight will get removed this week ( sounds like he'll jig it up, & band saw off most of it, & then mill down the balance )...

I still need to order the front sight set up... ( that will get ordered this week, so I'll likely get it next week )

by then, the barrel should be rechambered in 45 Colt, & recrowned ( my crown is boogered up on that barrel ), & ready for the front sight base & fiber optic bead...

BTW #1... you mentioned the 7-30 in reverse twist... I'm not sure on my 7-30, but can tell you the 45 Win Mag barrel I'm using for this project has reverse twist... so it'll be a wrong way 45 Colt when it's done ???

BTW #2... we discussed doing the faster twist 223 Contender carbine barrel today, I'm thinking of doing a shorter barrel ( 10" or what ever is left over from the barrel blank ) in 5.7 X 28... I broke down & bought an FN 5.7 & if I could get a chamber reamer, it would be cool to have a 10" Contender barrel in that caliber.... IMO, it's like a hot rimless 22 Hornet... I'm getting the loading dies, so it might be a fun efficient little 22 caliber to expiriement with??? your thoughts ???

 

[Sam06]

Contender Hunting and loading

Wheelman just got back from GA last night no deer for me I saw a few bucks but it was cold and very windy and did not have any luck. I did shoot a nice Bobcat with the Marling GG, what a mess. The old Super 14 went with me but no luck even the Ground Hogs stayed in their holes.

I load the 30-30 with spitzer bullets. You have to be careful what you load because most spitzer bullets will not expand well at 30-30 vel(Below 1900fps). Serria makes a SSP(Single Shot Pistol) bullet for the contender. It is a 135gr and it works great! I try to use the fastest powder I can and push it to 2100fps. This is a real killer out to 150M.

Here are some loads that will do that in my gun:
VV N135 35.7gr
RE7 31gr
VV N133 33.4gr
BL-C(2) 37.1gr

These are all under the Serria 135gr SSP.

If you use a regluar Spitzer bullet for say a 308 or 30-06 you may not get the effect you want and bullet placement is the key.

If you are going to reload for the T/C you should get this:
"The Complete Reloading Manual for the T/C Contender Vol 1 and 2" from Load Books. It has all the data from all the Bullet and Powder makers in it and is a great book. I get them for each Caliber I load for. I am looking for a 22 Hornet 14" bbl for my gun but the 5.7 sound cool. I wanted to make it a K Hornet as i have a CZ in that cal also.

My T/C went a long time in the safe and I was going to sell it a few years ago but took it out and shot it. I fell in love again and have not looked back. Good luck with the machining,

Sam06

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

sorry about the hunting luck... I think we still had too much corn in around here... I think numbers are down on the deer harvest... but of course gotta get kicked when I'm down... I had several people that I know, that had to show me the pics of the monsters they shot

I have an old factory 10" octogon barrel in 17 K Hornet, unfired, that I had bought years ago just for collection purposes... that I just got dies for this fall ( my interest was resparked, as my local building buddy wanted a 17 Akley Hornet, so he built a barrel, & his fire form loads chambered in my barrel, giving me fire formed cases to shop for a set of dies ) I also have a matching barrel in 22 Hornet... I like shooting the 22 Hornet, so I might leave one of my actions ( I currently have 4 older Contnder actions ) set up for the light 10" barrels ( that 5.7 barrel would fit right in )... & am looking forward to seeing what the 17 K does next summer

I have not loaded for several years, so I have lots to do this year, but I'm getting reasnable accuracy with factory loads with the 30-30, & I have alot of factory loads ( many years ago, I bought out the inventory from a local hardware store that was not going to sell ammo anymore... for pennys on the dollar... well... 30-30 was the most popular ammo they had... I still have several 100 rounds left )... so I probably won't load any 30-30 this winter ( I load amost exclusively over the winter )... but th SSP bullets look really promising...

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

I've added a couple pics of the gun... I'm finalizing a good +P load for it using 200 grain XTP's, & thinking about a metal finish... probably some sort of camo pattern...

the flash of the camera hides the green dots that flank the ghost ring on each side, & if you look close, you can see the red dot of the front sight at the top of the ring... BTW... the Williams tech was wrong on the front ramp height, & I pulled the shorty ramp, which was not available in the correct height, for the longer ( 2 screw ) ramps, which I prefer as they are held in place with 2 screws instead of one... all the better for a "rough & tumble" hunting rig