I have been thinking a contender for a backpacking/sheep rifle would be great. The thing I cant figure out is what to chamber it in. One of the 30-30 configs from bullberry or ssk? Maybe 7mm something or 338-30ai, any ideas or thoughts?

Check out SSK Industries, and the JDJ line of cartridges, these were based on the .225 Winchester and the .444 Remington cases.

or the 7x30 Waters , 357 Maximum.

Flyer

Interesting. I have been ruminating on this as well- for me, a lwt alpine blacktail rifle that is good to 400 yds. Depends on parameters. Seems like 7-30 (have that barrel)would be a bit on the slow side...I bought a 21" 257 TCU barrel. I have talked to some smiths about rechambering this barrel if the twist is OK, and it probably would be pushing things, but a "rimmed 250 savage AI" was suggested, based on a 307 win case- which might be an odd idea, given the scarcity of that brass. My goal would be pushing a 100 gr 25 cal bullet at 3000 fps, so I'd have the same trajectory as my 270 and 300 wm rifles (I don't like to have to think too much while excitedd and looking at a big critter, so the same trajectory and no twisting turrets thing works for me). Perhaps I should try the tcu with the light 85 gr ttXs...anyway interesting idea. My contender with that barrel, a cheap synth stock set, and a 4x leupold compact is insanely light- and takes down...

Can a contender handle a 307? I was thinking something like a 444 necked down to 7mm or 30 cal. I figure with the larger case getting speed at lower pressure would be easier.

I am not sure. It was suggested by a contender smith...

Why not just neck down the 7-30 Waters? It might not get you to 3000 but it would be a dandy.

I would think the 7-30 Waters or 7-30AI would be about right in a Contender. With the right twist and bullet it should be the right ballistics and not strrrretch your action. Handloads would be necessary, I think, to get the better-than-factory bullets.

There's a reason custom barrel makers like MGM don't chamber their Contender barrels for .250-3000 or .250AI.... Been tried.

I think the 250 savage is a bit high on the pressure. I have heard of 300 savages chambered in contenders but I don't know if they run at a lower pressure or not.

The .309 JDJ is on the .444 case. I have never used it but those who have speak very highly of it. It was one of the "Go To" cartridges in the Contender before the Encore came on the scene. The Contender will handle the .300 Savage as well, which would obviously be easier to feed. I would think either would have plenty of reach if loaded right, especially with one of the lightweight X bullets.

Twas me, It'd be a 243, 6mm, 308, or 270, and done.


DMc

My thoughts are that you are trying to make a Contender do something it wasn't meant to do.

My assumptions are:

1. You wish to use a Contender because it would be lighter and shorter than other rifles. That is all true but you can do pretty close to the same with an Encore and not be limited by the cartridges it can handle.

2. When one speaks of a sheep rifle, one usually wants something with a range of 300 to 400 yards. If you limit your shots to 200 yards or so, then you have multiple potential choices for safe Contender chamberings (which don't incude the 307 Winchester). If you decide to go with a Contender and still want to take long shots resign yourself to having to be very adept at ranging your targets and calculating trajectories.

The only rifle cartridges that reach their full potential in a Contender are those with smaller case diameter like the 204 Ruger, 223 Remington, etc. If legal and if you wish to use one of those for your sheep rifle, then a Contender would work just fine.

Getting the best out of the package is the idea of this. But I would like to add this is hypothetical. That is one of the reasons I was trying to find the largest case a contender would hold, then have it necked down to fit a bullet with a good BC. larger case means same speed as a smaller case with less pressure.

Not in a Contender. Those cartridges are all too powerful for the small framed action. The beauty of a Contender is its light weight and handiness. Those cartridges go in an Encore, but the Encore has few of the Contender's advantages. The Encore is bulky and heavy with long heavy barrels. For a Contender I would pick 7-30 Waters, 6.8 SPC or .30-30. My Contender has a .30-30 AI barrel and it is very sweet.

The Encore is bulky and heavy with long heavy barrels?

First of all, in both the Encore and Contender, the barrel can be 16 inches long if you like. Stocks are also up to you. Granted, the usual Contender stocks are smaller than Encore stocks but they also don't fit fully grown men as well as Encore stocks. The only thing that makes an Encore more bulky is the receiver which has to be a bit more robust to handle higher pressure cartridges.

In summary, at the end there really isn't a lot of difference in bulkiness between the Encore and Contender.

30-40 Krag, I have had two of them and my good friend has had several as well. 130gr x bullet does well.


One was a rechambered 30-30 21" the other was a SSK 16 inch

7mm Bellm or .307 Bellm (both on .307 Win case)

Just got to load 'em to 42-43 kPSI max.

6.5 or 7 TCU would work pretty good too.

I have a Contender with a 7GNR barrel that does great on deer and hogs. The 7GNR is an AI version of the 7-30 Waters case. I load the Nosler 120 GR BT and should be getting 2700-2800 but have never tested it so I don�t know for sure. Nosler is now making a 120 GR Accubond bullet that should work even better. Barnes makes a 110 GR Tipped Triple-Shock X bullet and you might get to 2900-3000.

Besides the 7GNR I have three other Contender rifles and one pistol. My lightest Contender rifle is a .223 Rem and weighs 5 lbs 4 oz with a 16� barrel. The Contender is a great system. You just need to understand it�s limits. If I were making your hunt, I would take my Ultra Light Arms 308. It weighs just over 6 lbs with the scope. Good luck with whatever you pick.

Richard

Another .30-40 Krag Contender Carbine owner here. If I were looking for another sheep caliber in a Contender Carbine, it would have to be a 6.5JDJ.

Ed

308 Bellm. I had mine done with Mike's cool integral brake.

Properly cleans up a 30/30 neck, 444 brass, nearly 308 velocity.

Mike's barrels are accurate and his work affordable.

Here is his take on some of the .308 caliber options.
http://www.bellmtcs.com/store/index.php?cid=82

Use the Chote stock and a fixed power scope.
http://www.riflestock.com/store/do/product/RFS/09-01-04

My .358 ALPO is right at 2.75 pounds in carbine configuration.

The best reason to carry a T/C is the light weight.

Maybe something like a 310GNR. I dont think you could load it to max psi but it would get the job done.

Some of the builders (like SSK) chamber Contenders in .250 and .300 Savage. The cartridges are lower pressure and lower recoil than the .375 Winchester, which was a T/C factory round.

I think I would go with a .270 encore with a Butler Creek folding stock if it were me. Add an 8-ounce scope like the VXIII 1.5-5x and go hunting.

Yep, I have been shooting a Contender barrel (SSK) in 250 Savage for 15+ years and nary a problem after hundreds and hundreds of rounds. To be fair, I don't try to wring every last FPS out of my loads, more interested in accuracy than speed. I am shooting a 90 grain Sierra Gameking HPBT at about 2600 FPS and it is quite accurate and pleasant to shoot. No pressure signs at all and the guns still locks up tight as a drum after all these rounds.

max

I'm afraid you can build/buy a bolt gun that will weigh the same as a contender, but the T/C can take down easy enough. It's hard to break 6 lbs. I've done a couple of threads on the topic in the backpacking section. If price were no object I'd run a 6.5 or. 309 JDJ. I'm running a 30-30 AI now and think it'll work find within the confines of a 4x scope and less then spectacular T/C trigger. End of the day a Kimber Montana will be real close to the same weight, just depends on what turns you on.

I have a Contender carbine with an 18" barrel in 357 maximum. All up with a Leupold 1.25x5 scope it weighs 4lbs 15oz. With an overall length of 31.75" vs 41.25" with the Kimber. Not saying it's any better or worse than a Kimber. Kimber makes a great rifle of course. Just saying that the Contender carbines I have are pretty darn light and compact.

Of course being primarily a handgun hunter I'd really shave some weight and throw a pistol in the pack and forget lugging around a long gun all together

Well, I was also thinking that with a contender, a really long barrel could be used. Say 26" in order to get the most speed out of the cartridge while keeping the rifle light as one of the ultra light bolt actions. This way slower powders can be used that operate at a lower pressure and get the most out of them.

6.5 Bullberry/6.5x30-30. Better than the 7-30 Waters. I have both.

What stock you running to get to 4 lbs. 15 oz.??

Had an Contender and wish I still had one in 30-30 or maybe 6.8 spc II. Here's an little article about the T/C carbine set up for light weight practical use.

http://furfishgame.com/featured_articles/Archived/2012-03/gun_rack_03-2012.php

Thanks for the article. If what he states is true, and a 16" barrel will produce 2600 fps with a 150 gr bullet, I bet a 26" barrel would be scratching 3000 fps. While it is not a 300 win mag, it would be fairly close. I would bet it is on par with a 30-06 Ackley.

I think the general idea is interesting, which is why i replied to the OP.

I mentioned a 307 necked down to make a sort of "250 AI rimmed"

It was actually Mike bellm that suggested this. I have a .257 barrel that i was thinking of rechambering, hence the 1/4 bore idea.

I like the OP's plan to use a T/C Carbine as a pack rifle, and the poster above that has a 250 Savage barrel would certainly suffice as a sheep round, as would the 7-30 Waters pictured below:




DMc

The stock for light work is the hollow Chote stock:

http://www.riflestock.com/store/do/product/09-01-04

7-30 Waters ought to do well for the application.