Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 7-30 Waters in Contender

Just curious if anyone has any experience with this caliber in a Contender?<P>Thanks, <P>Mike

Youper I have had a 7-30 Waters in the Contender for about 20 years and have shot lots of game with it. Deer, Pronghorns, woodchucks, Prarie Dogs, crows, Fox, Coyotes, well you get my drift. It's a great contender chambering. So what do ya wanna know about it? Lonerider

Sorry for delay Lonerider, I haven't been able to read this post (??). Some questions I have are maximum range capabilities for whitetails and penetration through shoulder bones at various ranges. I hear the 120 BT and Sierra 130's are good shooters, but how about their penetration through bone at say 220 yards?<BR>I'm thinking of getting a Super 14 barrel that may cut off to 12" or even 10" if I don't like the 14" length. I intend to give the 14" a fair shake though, and will use it for at least one season.<P>Mike

Mike, Ihave used my 7-30 for a fair amount of long range work and actually think it is a better long range caliber than it is a short range gun. I think the bullets I use work better at long range after they slow down some. The only deer I ever lost with the 7-30 was shot in the front shoulder and the bullet expanded a little to fast and the deer ran some distance over on posted property and the land owner would not let me go recover the deer. The shoulder was badly broken and the lungs were cut up by bullet and bone fragments so penetration at close range with the 120 grain slug was not what I would liked to have seen, but the deer was recovered by the landowner and was not wasted. On the other hand I shot a antelope with the same load at 200 yards and broke both shoulders and the bullet exited. I also shot an antelope at over 300 and hit the spine and had complete penetration also. I switched to 140 balistic tips for short range work and have never recovered a bullet from a deer as I always get complete penetration even on shoulder shots. The 130's also work well on close range stuff as they are a little harder than ballistic tips and penetrate well. The 12 in barrel may be the best of the barrel lengths. I don't like the 10 in for calibers like the 7-30. I have several in 12 in and find them to be real easy to carry and shoot and the velocity loss is not a real problem for me. I find imr4895 and aa2015 work best for me in my gun. And I know a few guys that like win 748. Lots of reloading books have data for the 7-30 but if you want some tried and true loads that have worked for me for the past 20 years give me a holler at shortgun309aol.com Later Lonerider

Thanks a lot! That's exactly the kind of info I was after. I'll add you to my notes and will get in touch with you when I buy the Contender. Do you think $440 (including tax)is a good deal for a new Contender w/14" barrel? What kind of scope do you use?<P>Mike

Mike I have a Bushnell 2x6 on my 7-30 and a B&L 2x6 on my 309JDJ, and a Bushnell 2x6 on a custom .358 Bullberry. I like them, good eye relief and fied of view. And Resonable price. Weaver is now making some real good pistol glass and Burris is good but a little pricy for my pocket book. I don't care for Redfield pistol glass and I think Leopold is great stuff but also the most money. The new Bushnell 2x6 gives me all I need. Lonerider