Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots T/C Contender G2 Carbine 7-30 Waters?

Does anybody have a T/C Contender G2 carbine in 7-30 Waters? How does it shoot? How does it perform as a deer rifle?

Historically, I have never been fond of the looks of the T/C guns, but this caliber may make me change my mind. It seems like it would be a perfect little deer rifle out to 200 yards or so, with little or no recoil. I'm thinking it would make a nice first deer rifle for my recoil-shy daughter, with one of the tougher 120 grain bullets. Comments appreciated from all.

i have a lightweight 7x30 contender carbine with a 22" tapered barrel, it is a TC custom shop barrel.

about the time i bought it, i found a deal on Federal Premium 7x30 ammo on closeout at around $12 a box, and i bought several boxes. gun will do a tad over MOA with that load, so no plans on handloading until those are all gone.

recoil is pretty mild, feels something along the lines of my .250savage bolt guns. shot a couple of deer with it, seems to be a good killer.

I'm using a 7x30 waters improved this year out of a 14" Contender. No deer with it yet but it's easy shooting with 120gr pills out of a handgun. I expect a carbine would be a breeze for a younger shooter.

BR, Here's mine. I ordered it from a dealer in Alabama that I have bought from before. He had a used silver Burris Mini 2 x 7 which he mounted for me and shot it in before he shipped it. He also installed some kind of trigger spring which made the trigger very light and crisp. I haven't shot it much but it's going to be a great shooter when I get it broken in. This would be an excellent caliber for your daughter and it is a very light kicker even with full house loads. Mine came with a pretty soft pad.



Here's a target: (Shot #5 was my fault. Barrel was getting very hot!)



Here's the load:

Caliber: 7-30 Waters

Date: 8-8-09
Powder: RL 15, 35.5 gr. **Max.**
Bullet: 130 gr. Speer BTSP
Primer: WLR
OAL: 2.700"
Source: Speer #12
Remarks:Says 2,609 FPS 24", Cases formed from .30-30.

Use this load at your own risk. Very neat little package. Hope this helps.

Dee

Thanks for replies. I just gotta believe that a 120 or 130 grain bullet at around 2600 from this little carbine has got to be one sweet little deer gun with a 4x32 on top. I'm a 7mm fan anyway but I want something smaller than my beloved 7x57 for the kid to start with. Don't tell momma...

I have an original Contender with a Custom Shop 23" tapered barrel. It shoots under an inch consistently with the Federal factory ammo. Last year was the first year I hunted with it. Killed a 125 lb doe at about 80 yds. She was DRT, never quivered. Recoil is very light.

Mike Bellum sells an oversize hinge pin that may take a lot of that vertical out of that group!

When I lived in Az, we would run into back pack hunters while hunting with our mules. The TC Carbine in 7 Waters was their rifle of choice. I helped them pack out a large buck shot at 270 yards, one shot with a 120g Nosler Ballistic tip.

My choice in this caliber would be the 130g Speer BTSP if I could get it to shoot.

BR, I am in the process of doing exactly what you are doing. I am learning about the Contender as I go. The first lesson was that the 10" 7mm TCU bbl mine came with is a tack driver. About 1.25" at 100 yds using an EOTech dot sight with no magnification. I am not a good handgun shooter either!

I ordered a 23" T/C 7-30 Waters bbl along with the rifle stock and fore end to set it up as a long gun. The second lesson was that I found out that the early Contenders (like mine with a SN about 195k or less) do not accept the newer barrels without modification. So mine is at T/C now for that modification and I can't use the new 7-30 bbl until it gets back.

Bulberry has a special on plastic carbine stocks (http://www.bullberry.com/rynite2.html) and they will cut it off to youth length at no extra charge if you ask. I bought two, one regular and one shortened. That way, my granddaughter and I can both use it.

If the 7-30 Waters long bbl shoots anything like the little 10" bbl, my grandkids will not have any problems with their first deer!

Good choice.

If she doesn't reload, a .30-30 barrel and the "managed recoil" loads will work too, and ammo's easier to get. Whatever the CF caliber you choose, I'd also get a .22LR barrel with the same scope and a couple bricks of ammo, and let her break it in with that. Then move her up to the centerfire, and she can shoot deer for the rest of her life.

A contender carbine in 7-30 waters is on my wish list. I know several people with them and they are very happy.

Bellm's hinge pin isn't the cure-all, but it works good! I'd actually recommend getting your front rest as close to the receiver as you can, it usually eliminates some of the vertical stringing.

I've got an MGM 24" 7x30 barrel with the Bellm 1x pin on my contender. It likes the NBT 120s best, and it'll shoot at least 3 different powders MOA or better with that bullet. Great choice for a young shooter, and for me as well. Very nice not getting beat up by recoil.