Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Contender calibers for deer

I'm going to get back into Contenders. What, in your opinion, would be the best caliber for open country deer out to 200 yards or so? I previously had a 14" in 7mm TCU that I was happy with. Is anything better out there?

I like the 6x45 but no idea if it 2ould do what you want. Maybe 6.8spc? 7x30 for sure

I really enjoyed the balance of power and shoot-ability of a 7x30Waters.

My hunting partner had no problem killing deer with his 7mm TCU though.

Let us know what you settle on!

I have no experience with a 7x30W. I'll do a bit of research.

If I was inclined to use the T/C G2 Contender i would have MGM make a 250 Savage barrel or a 6mm Creedmoor.

A 7TCU w/120 BTs would be hard to beat for performance, accuracy, and effectiveness. Had one....

If on the Encore, I would look at a Grendel or Creedmoor.

6.5mm JDJ 120 NBT 2400fps

6.5 JDJ is kinda well known for that kind of performance though I think 225 Win brass availability can be a bit spotty

Or if you want the availability of factory fodder 7X30.

Folks have been known to use the 30 and 357 Herretts, and heck even that under powered 30-30 with 125 NBTs

Bunch of others with the name of the barrel makes on them too.

7-08 or 308 in the Encore would fit too, but take the fun outa owning a Contender

I have both the 7x30 and 6.8 in Contenders and I prefer the 7x30.

MGM will make barrels for the G2 in 6.5 Grendel. There is a fair amount of factory ammo for that now, and Starline sells new brass for it.

MGM never made Contender barrels in .250-3000 (.250 Savage if you prefer). I'd go with the 7-30 Waters.

7x30 appears to have a noticeably higher velocity than 7TCU and there's factory ammo and brass available.

Nothing wrong with the JDJ above. They have a track record, IIRC w/120 Speers and NBTs.

I ran my TCU at 2400 w/120 Noz SBs...........fire-formed. Used commercial brass. The Waters is a nice round, ejects easy, no fireforming. Less efficient, but will do fine for deer. I had one....

If you can get a G2 in Grendel, that would eliminate any need for handloading for good ammo. The Encore is a heavier action as I recall.

Bobby Tomek - IIRC, uses a 6.5 on the 30-30 case, with good results - in a rifle. Many options but I'd take the easy route with a Grendel which would be hard to beat for a mild pistol round.

OK, I'll see what I can find. Thanks for the info, guys.

If you want to talk to someone who has taken a boat load of hogs and deer with T/C single shots, get in touch with Bobby Tomek, here on the fire. A great guy and one with lots of experience with T/C specific calibers.

my 7x30 waters has taken several deer over the last few years; kills nicely & shoots well with Barnes TTSX's, and that bullet makes good holes in critters.

I also shoot the 30/30Ackely, .25x30/30 Ackley, and 6.5x30/30 Ackley in contenders ; the .25 version pretty much duplicates .250savage power....The 6.5 version shoots 120's at around 2500/2600fps in my barrels.

deer vs TTSX, 7x30waters, 110gr TTSX :

I have fed a few Contenders over the years, and I have always had better luck with rimmed cartridges.

I load and shoot the 7-30 Waters quite a bit. Easy to form brass from 30-30. Low recoil, and fine ballistics for 200-250 yard shots at Whitetails.

I'm also a fan of the 7-30 waters. I think it offers the best bang for the buck in terms of money. Reloading dies are easier to find, brass is easy to find, and you can find a factory chambered barrel. Don't forget to look into the 30 herret

The OP said out to 200 yds. I'd go with my 375 Winchester. Bust the shoulders and drag em' out.

What's the recoil like with that .375W?

Do you usually get full penetration with those 110gr TTSXs?

mcknight...never recovered a TTSX yet, plowed on through all critters, including 4 hogs, largest pig was about 200#....but, in hindsight, i think all kills were broadside, or only slightly quartering.

also shoot the 80gr TTSX in my 25x30/30 Ackley, running pretty close to 3000fps, same results. Our deer are not overly heavy around here though , usually 125-150# field dressed.

It seems to me that I saw a Contender carbine with an MGM barrel chambered in 250AI about a year or so ago.

Some folks chambered or rechambered their rifles to the .250 AI on the theory that the straight walls of the AI would reduce back thrust to within Contender rating. Some also reloaded it down somewhat to stay within the limit. I have Contender carbine barrels in 7-30 W and .30-30 AI. Both are nice shooters. The best choice in a current factory barrel would be the 7-30, but Ed at edstc.com has a great variety of suitable bull and tapered barrels for about $300 each.

I've shot it in both a 14" pistol and 23" rifle.

If you can handle a 44 magnum (pistol) or 308 (rifle) it's a non event.

I went 30-30, 21" factory taper for that roll. Looked at a 7-30, but 30-30 with 125 BT/accubond seemed to do the same with cheap and plentiful componets.

I didn't reply before but was thinking 30-30 with 130 gr Barnes X. It shouldn't be necessary to use 150 or greater in the single shot. Spitzer bullets are fine in the single shot. That said, I have a 308 barrel in the Encore in pistol and rifle. I plan to use the same Barnes X for the pistol and try the load in the 26" fast twist rifle barrel for grins. It has a 1/8 twist. I want to chrono the load in both to see the velocity gain in the long barrel.

309JDJ is outstanding. I had my 14" TC barrel in 30-30 rechamberd by SSK many years ago. It's a killing machine with 165gr Ballistic Tips, shoots MOA, and is easily my favorite barrel. I took a mountain goat in Alaska at 200 yards, and he dropped like a stone.

If you're reloading, why not the 30-30? Brass everywhere, lots of bullet choice, easy to find barrels, plus you can shoot factory ammo in a pinch. The .35 Rem would be worth a look too.

I did a 16"30-30 to .309JDJ and it would shoot groups so small most people wouldn't believe me. Only ever took a running coyote with it at 200 yards. The next year the state changed the zones and I could finally hunt with my safe full of rifles.

I shot more deer with the .358JDJ than anything else. It's a hammer and a handful though and not for everyone.

300blk looks like a good hunting round. Plenty of brass available, 30 Cal bullets of all shapes and weights. Worth a look. Personally I'll be packing a 357Mag 10". Not a 200 yard burner but at half that range or a little more (about all I'm 100% confident at with field positions anyway) it will do the job just fine.

30-30 with either a 130 Accubond, 150 Ballistic Tip or a 150 SP of some flavor.

If you want to piddle around forming brass snd such (not that there's anything wrong with that) get one of the wildcats. If you just want to hunt and shoot, get a .30/30 or a 6.5 Grendel (which matches original .250 ballistics, with better bullets). A 7-30 might just be perfect, but you'll have a little more trouble getting brass and ammo; not impossible, but just harder.

If I were going to play with a G2, I'd buy one from EABCO on sale, then have them do a trigger job before sending it to me. Last review I read of a newer one said the trigger was pretty stiff. Other places will do the job too, of course, but EABCO often has the frames on sale. They make barrels too.

I had 7x30 Waters carbine barrel at one time. Probably shouldn't have let it go.
What I would really really like is a Contender barrel in 250 Savage. I have a Savage 99 in .250 and a bunch of brass. It would be great to have a single shot too.
I don't particularly want to go the proprietary route (JDJ) or get into wildcats (.25x30-30 probably wouldn't be too awful), nor take on yet another caliber.
Am I going to be able to talk MGM, Bellmstc, Bullberry, EABCO or ????? into making me a carbine barrel?
thanks,
Lou

I don’t recall the .250 being on EABCO’s list. Probably a stretch, literally, for that frame, not to say it hasn’t been done. Check the others’ sites or call them about what they’ll do.

Lou: Take a look at Mike Bellm's website. His line of wildcat cartridges do not require expensive custom dies. I have a 308 Bellm carbine barrel he chambered. Shoots great, easy reloaded with standard dies. If I recall he has discussed the 250 Savage at one time on his website.

Lou.....i have owned Contender barrels by SSK in both .250savage & 300Savage; due to pressure constraints, cartridges with .473 case heads such as those must be loaded to less than their full potential, or there will
be frame stretch issues. I've also had Contender barrels in 6mmBR, 7mmBR, and a few others.

cartridges of that case head size generally cause no issues in the contender when loaded at about 40K PSI or lower, or thereabouts.

the .various wildcats on the 30/30 case work fine, i've had 3 rifles & 1 pistol length barrel in .25x30/30Ackley, it wasnt hard to get 80/85/87grain bullets to around 3000fps....and, the 80gr TTSX is a killer at those speeds.
Cases are also pretty easy to form, and Ch4D has dies.

biggest issue for the barrel makers is likely the fear than some stooge will order a .250/3000 barrel, then hot-rod the hell out of it, and then scream liability when they tear up a frame.

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Nice looking carbine.
If I personally were looking to hunting whitetails around here with a Contender I would look at a 6.5 something.
I like the Grendel and the 6.5/30-30, would most likely be one of those or even the 6.5 TCU.

Out to 150 I'd go w .35 rem.
But OP said 200 so that proly kills that.
I'd have kept my .35 rem carbine if it was 18.5" instead of 16.25".
Neat little rig. Only shot two deer with it. Shoulder hit.......both down in reasonable distance.
Expected better, but thought it good enough.
200gr Hornady.

Done a lot of killing with the .357 max both in carbine and handgun (super 14)
Very impressed with it too.
Farthest shot was 130 yds and it still smashed him.

Tom...this spring i had MGM build a pair of carbine barrels in 25-45sharps, and 6.5TCU, both medium contour stainless tubes.

The TCU is a 1-8" twist, and i sent them a dummy round to have it throated for 120's seated out a bit. Turns out it also does just as well with 100's,
and it shot the Nolser 100 BT & the 100 Partition great......back when shooters pro shop had Nosler 100 gr
partitions on sale i stashed some back for deer hunting with the grendel & the TCU.

Well several years ago MGM made a 30/40 K. that shoots 1" at 100 yards with me. Thats as well as I am up to. As to 200 yards, I don't hunt where I am able to see 200 yards.

McKnight77, have you ordered or picked up something yet? Shooting it? Just wondered what you settled on. My 308 barrels are fine Encore stuff. But I think back to an old idea of 30-30 or some improved version before the Encore came about. I might have decided on the 308JD. Good luck with your decision but please let us know how it went. Rusty Z.

65BR
What did you use to get 2400 fps out of the 7mm TCU with 120s?

Well, I picked up another Contender.
Just for the frame.
Wondering is I should get a new 12" .357 mag bbl.......run it in Pachy grip and front.

or go with an old TCA 12" octagon 6mm TCU (w sights- yank the rear and slap on a Leupold 4x).
Walnut, w fingergroove grip. I do like the old school look.

Bumped into pops..........he has custom 14" bbls in .256 win and .22 mag.
Be fun chuck/fox killer if I had a 14" .22 mag bbl.

I like Mike Bellms work. I use a 358 Bellm and a 308 Bellm. In factory rounds I shoot a 35 Remington, and a 45-70. I really like the Super 16 45-70 but I spend as much time hunting elk as I do deer.

7-30 Waters with 120 SPH and 120 NBTs. 14" MGM

Found a TCA 12" octagon bbl for sale (couple of them).
Wonder how a full setup w scope would look.
10" octagon looks a little short to my eyes.

Anybody got such a setup/pics?

Likely H322 or H335

Aye.

Mckknight77 have you done something with this idea yet?

Actually, I just acquired a frame and a barrel yesterday. It's an early frame and I got a 10" .44mag barrel with it. I also got an old Bushnell 1.3X and T/C mount with the scope. I mounted the scope this morning.

It's not exactly what I wanted, but the price was right. It will work for the 'short-range weapons' elk season here in Idaho. I'll shoot 325 gr. hard cast in it for elk.

I will still be looking for a 7-30 Waters barrel and a .223 barrel for it. That should cover the range I need.

I do have a question about that scope. It's sharp and clear, but it actually reduces the image rather than magnify the image. I had two to choose from, the 1.3X and a 2.5X. Both scopes did the same thing. Wierd.

I'll let you know this year!! I'm using my Contender Carbine in 7x30 Waters.

I've got 140 grain Ballistic Tips loaded over AA2230 that should be getting me about 2350'fps out of the factory 21" barrel. I need to run them over the chrony. It was a hastily thrown together load, but it's pretty consistently putting three shots into about 1.25-1.5" at 100 yards, with a fixed 4x Leupold. Not too shabby. I'm sure I could do better with more magnification and more time, but not this close to the season.

The nice thing about the Waters is the brass. I had a bunch of once fired Federal 30-30 brass that I tumbled, sized, and fire formed with Red Dot, CoW, and TP. Easy Peezy. Neck sizing only after that. I should get a few firings from each case before they split. I was thinking of trying my hand at annealing.

I haven't shot Contenders for quite a few years, but did shoot the 7x30 Waters quite a bit back in the day in the one I had. As I recall, the 6.5 JDJ was pretty popular for deer size game as well - always wanted to try that one but never did.

I think the .7-30 Waters would get my vote with the powders and mono metal bullets we have to work with today. A .30-30 would not be bad either if you had access to an AI reamer.

I'd go 7-30 waters or the boring old 30-30. Both will get the job done.

6mm TCU pushing 85g Sierra BTHP. I'm shooting it in a TC Custom Shop carbine barrel and it's a joy to shoot and great deer medicine.

You just cannot go wrong with the 7-30 waters. Easy to load, easy to shoot and drops them. Plus 120 BTips are know deer slaying bullets.