30-30 Performance Difference 10" vs 14"

[xtratoy]

I am looking to get a 30-30 barrel and was wondering how factory loads perform in the shorter barrel. Is there considerable muzzle blast with the 10"? Is the felt recoil any different? All my barrels I have are 14" or 16" and I have never shot a 10" barrel on a Contender. I like the condensed size for packing in the woods.

[Bigeasy]

Never ran the two over a chronograph, but I shot a friends 10 inch 30-30, and the muzzle blast was pretty impressive compared to my 14 inch.  You would definitely want a set of ears on when shooting it.  Recoil seemed about the same, but the blast makes it feel like a little more.
 
Larry

[shot1]

The first Contender I ever had was a 10" 30-30 Win. Factory ammo is really slow compared to handloads and they all give a pretty good muzzle blast. Difference between 10" and 14" average between 150 and 200 fps with same load. If you hand load get a 14" 30-30AI it will do anything a 30-30 Win will do out of a rifle and more. You can shoot 30-30 Win ammo in it and it is accurate to fire form your cases. 125 Nosler ballistic tip 2670 fps with IMR 4198 is what I get out of my MGM 14" Shilen SS barrel and 3/4 MOA accuracy all day. It will hammer a deer. 

[Junior1942]

..... I like the condensed size for packing in the woods.

The 10" is much easier to shoot offhand than a 14" IME.  You can hold it out steadier and for a longer time.  Put a 2X scope or peep sights on it, and you'll have a thicket-hunting dream.

[butchen]

the reason that the .30 Herrett was made was so Mr. Harrett could get 30-30 performance out of a 10" barrel and it is a much better round for the 10". That being said in my old lyman 46 edition reloading book it shows a .30 harrett getting pushing a 125gr bullet at 2071fps in a 10" on the other side a 10" 30-30 using different powder max is 1969fps with the same 125gr bullet and 2239fps in a 14". the 30-30 takes a lot more powder to do the same thing that the herrett does because of case size.

I think if your going with a 10" and are willing to reload the herrett is the way to go. but if your just shooting out of the box stay with the 14". Now that is just what I think. Please do what you like because no matter what people say on here you will not be happy with it unless you are sure of it and the only way you will ever be sure is to pick it out yourself.

I think a 10" .30 herrett with a red dot or a 2x scope would be a dear killing machine. I myself leaning to the red dot, it's lighter and you can hold it on the target better. you don't see all your moving around and try to make up for it and move even more. But this is just my 2ct. worth.

[martineta]

Or maybe even a 300 Whisper.  I have four in both encore and contender.  Plus you can shoot subsonics for fun that have almost zero recoil , little noise and fat 240 gr bullets that roll thru a deer's chest like Grant took Richmond.  I also shoot 125 gr nosler ballistic tips loaded with 18.5 gr of H110.  Lots of deer wished I didn't.