Which Contender Barrel for deer size critters??

[Del]

I'm shopping for a 14" Contender barrel to hunt "deer size" critters, out to 200 yards.

I do handload, but it would cheaper & less trouble if I bought something in a T/C offered chambering vs a custom barrel & round.
What you would pick if you were limited to this?!!

I look forward to your input, votes!!

Thank you,
Del

[Messer]

Of all that you list, there really is only one in my book that can do the job well, out to 200 yds. - the 7-30 Waters!

I load mine with a 140 Gr. Nosler BT - and it's amazing how well this combo shoots.

Take care,
Bob S.

[cnTndr85]

Of all that you list, there really is only one in my book that can do the job well, out to 200 yds. - the 7-30 Waters!

I agree, you cant go wrong with the 7-30 Waters!

Mark

[Redhawk1]

I would have to go with the crowd 7 -30 waters, but for 200 yards I would have to start to consider a Encore with something with a little longer range and better knock down power at that distance.

[jw4570]

I'd have to say the 7-30 Waters simply based on trajectory.

Lots of practice too.

[Graybeard]

In a 14" barrel the 7-30 would be my hands down favorite. The .30-30 a close second followed again fairly closely by the 7 TCU. You can load the TCU to much higher pressures and come dangerously close to the Waters but you can't equal it. The .35 and .45-70 are NOT 200 yard rounds period.

[Preacherman]

I know it's not mentioned how about the 6.8 spc ?

[MnMike]

I like the 7-30 but I agree with Redhawk1 that 200 yards is pushing it a bit. When it gets beyond 125 yds. I go with my rifle.

I use the 120 Nosler Ballistic tip. I would prefer the 130 Sierra SSP, but I can't get it to do 1" groups in my Contender.

mike

[Cheesehead]

I would choose the 3030 for the common brass and so many pointed boat tail 30 cal bullets that can turn it into a long distance dialer.

Cheese

[klong]

I have the 7-30 and the 35 Rem. Both are factory and very accurate with handloads. The 35 is my 100 yard gun and the 7-30  I would shoot hunting out to around 150 yards. The round is capable of 200 yard accuracy off the bench, but hunting situations are rarley bench comparable.  I have taken deer with both of these, shot through the lungs, and the 35 has dropped them where they stood where the 7-30 they run for about 50 yards. 

If you do not handload, I would go with the 30-30.

[Graybeard]

I've used the 7-30 extensively on white tail deer, hogs and various exotics among other critters. I consider it a perfectly adequate 225 yard gun from a 14" barrel and might push it to 250 but likely no more. Some folks who occassionally post here say they've made shots to 400 yards or so with it. To me that's pushing it way beyond its limits but the stories say it worked for them at the time.

[armory414]

The .35 and .45-70 are NOT 200 yard rounds period.

So I wonder how the old buffalo hunters did it? 

[Graybeard]

They DEFINITELY didn't do it with a TC Contender handgun. Of that I can assure you.

They shot into huge herds of buffalo and didn't really care which one they hit or whether it died quickly or even at all really. When all the shooting was over whatever critters were laying on the ground were skinned. It wasn't hunting by any stretch of the imagination.

[maineturkeyman]

i've been shooting a 30-30 with 130gr nosler bt's and i'm loving it. it is great at 200 yards, and with a little heavier bullet, it's great in the brush.

[Redhawk1]

The .35 and .45-70 are NOT 200 yard rounds period.

So I wonder how the old buffalo hunters did it? 

I have to go with Graybeard on this one, The old time buffalo hunters had a heard to choose from and used 30 to 36 inch and longer barrels. Not a short 14 inch handgun. They by no means were buffalo hunter but buffalo slaughter's.

Can a 45-70 Contender kill a deer at 200 yards, why sure it can, as long as it is hit in the right place and most not all handgun hunter rarely practice at that distance to become that proficient.

[armory414]

I have to go with Graybeard on this one, The old time buffalo hunters had a heard to choose from and used 30 to 36 inch and longer barrels. Not a short 14 inch handgun. They by no means were buffalo hunter but buffalo slaughter's.

Can a 45-70 Contender kill a deer at 200 yards, why sure it can, as long as it is hit in the right place and most not all handgun hunter rarely practice at that distance to become that proficient.

I agree about the methods that buffalo shooters might have used.  But how does handgun proficiency separate the .45-70 and .35  from 7-30 W or .30-30?

[Gavinator]

I'm shopping for a 14" Contender barrel to hunt "deer size" critters, out to 200 yards.

I do handload, but it would cheaper & less trouble if I bought something in a T/C offered chambering vs a custom barrel & round.
What you would pick if you were limited to this?!!

I look forward to your input, votes!!

Thank you,
Del

Hi Del ,I have 4 of the survey calibers, I don't have a 35 Rem. And I didn't vote for any of them.
 Of the 5 the 7-30 Waters will get the closest to published velocities. Trouble is you will be reloading for it, have you tried to find cartridges for it?
 Now that you will be reloading for the best of your choices, here's a better one, the 30-30 Ackley Improved. It is T/C chambered and available at Midway USA now.
 Here's the best information I've seen on it,

http://www.reloadingroom.com/page47.html
 
there's other good Contender information there too.
 Of the Contender calibers I have (9) this is my choice for Mule Deer.

[apollo]

A 35 rem. 14" barrel will push the Hornady 180 gr SSP bullet to well over 2100 fps and one that used to have was ever bit as accurate as the 7-30 waters that I also had. The 35 rem. when handloaded for, becomes a different animal.

[Redhawk1]

I have to go with Graybeard on this one, The old time buffalo hunters had a heard to choose from and used 30 to 36 inch and longer barrels. Not a short 14 inch handgun. They by no means were buffalo hunter but buffalo slaughter's.

Can a 45-70 Contender kill a deer at 200 yards, why sure it can, as long as it is hit in the right place and most not all handgun hunter rarely practice at that distance to become that proficient.

I agree about the methods that buffalo shooters might have used.  But how does handgun proficiency separate the .45-70 and .35  from 7-30 W or .30-30?

It can apply to what ever you choose to shoot. You want to make sure he bullet carries enough speed to penetrate at the distance you intend to shoot. Being proficient with what ever gun, round you choose is paramount.

[2Knives]

There is no 200yd gun if you don't practice with it. 45-70 @200yds, no problem...just practice. If you can't shoot good, then don't take a 200yd shot.
Be like us bowhunters...get closer! But please dont' say it can't be done if you can't do it...others can. The 7-30 is an excellent round also! I easily shoot clay birds (I know, big target) with mine at 200yds.

[Johnly]

Just looking at factory loads, I'd take the 30-30 considering the new polytiped Hornady lever action ammo, with the 35 remington in second place if you can find the Hornady ammo. The factory 7-30W 120 FP ammo will shed too much velocity and enegry when sompared to the new streamlined offerings by Hornady.

With handloads, the choice becomes the age old question of slender faster bullets vs. fatter heavier bullets. Both will do the job which is why there isn't an absolute answer to the question.

I have a 7-30, a 30-30, and a 35 remington and with handloads and prudent bullet selection I doubt that a deer would know the difference.

John in Oregon

[Heavy C]

7-30 Waters easy.  I don't currently handload and have been able to find factory ammo at the local big box store - Federal makes it.  I collected my brass and sent it to Ron Reed at Reed's Ammunition Research.  He reloaded them with 120 gr. Nosler BT's.  It improved overall performance of the round.  7-30 is tried and true, plus it won't beat you up like a 45-70 - unless you're into that.

[Blammer]

7-30 waters brass? no problem!

just use 30-30 brass necked down, not hard to do or to find.

[Troggy]

OK so in a 14 tube what would the effective killing range of a 30-30 Winchester be on wild hogs using the Barnes tsx 150gr or even the 130 tipped tsx?

[SD Handgunner]

Provided you are willing to put in the TRIGGER TIME to become proficient with it and use a proper bullet & load the 7-30 Waters will do what you ask of it. I have used the 7-30 Waters in both 10" and Super 14" Contender Handguns. I have made 6 one shot kills with he cartridge out to the max range you are talking about using 120gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips.

By TRIGGER TIME I do not mean just shooting groups at 100 yards from the bench, but rather shooting at distances up to the max distance you think you want to shoot at and then shooting at it from various rested positions. Your individual gun and more important your skill level with it will dictate you maximum effective range more so than the cartridge will.

When I first started hunting with Speciality Pistols I sold ever rifle I owned and forced myself to do all of my shooting and hunting with Speciality Pistols. Yes that included my yearly trips to western South Dakota shooting Prairie Dogs. In those first years I shot in excess of 500 rounds per year shooting targets & varminnts so I was totally confident in my ability before deer season ever rolled around. Unfortunately I do not have the time to do that much shooting these days but all those rounds fired in the years when I did have time have paid dividends.

In fact I just retified the fact that I didn't have a 7-30 Waters in that I just bought one off of the classifieds here at GBO.

Larry

[Junior1942]

How well does your shooting wrist tolerate recoil?  Some of the chamberings recommended here would put my shooting wrist in agony after only one or two shots.  How can you shoot enough rounds to become proficient if each shot hurts?  Answer: you can't.  Remember: one-only wrist absorbs pistol recoil, not your shoulder.

My 14" 7mm TCU Contender weighs 4 lbs 10 oz with a 4x scope.  Recoil energy is around 12 ft/lbs.  I can and have shot dozens of rounds in a single session. 

Re: 200 yards.  My 7mm TCU would kill a deer at 200 yards--if I could find it in the scope and if I could accurately estimate the range.  A 4x pistol scope has a very poor Field Of View.  And after 150 yards, bullet drop becomes severe.

The above is why I now limit my 4x scoped 14" 7mm TCU barrel to targets, and it is why for deer hunting I recently bought a 10" 7mm TCU barrel and topped it with a 2x pistol scope.  It's amazing how much faster I can throw up the pistol and find a target with the 2x scope vs the 4x scope.  And the 10" barrel is far less barrel-heavy vs the 14" barrel, i.e., it's much easier to off-hand shoot.

Keep those thoughts in mind as you muse chambering and scope choices.  Do some recoil energy computations on the various chamberings, too.

[eastbank]

i had 4 tc frames and 10 barrels, i sold 2 frames and 8 barrels, now i,m down to 2 frames and 2 barrels, a 10 bull in 44 mag with a 2x burris and a 10 bull 357 not mounted at this time. i bought 2 xp-100R,s with the money and have never looked back.a 223 with a 5x burris for varmits and a 260 rem rem with a 2.5x8 leupold. with the xp-100R in 260 with shoot to 300 yds with ease,in fact i,ve shot 2.5 inch groups at 200yds with factory ammo. eastbank.