I currently own a T/C Contender pistol in .357 Magnum.
I think this will be a little light for deer here in Georgia.

I am interested in the 7mm TCU cartridge and was looking for opinions and facts about it.
I previously owned a .223 barrel I used for prairie dogs when my father-in-law and I would go to Colorado. His health has required us to cancel trips.

Since I have a plethora of .223 brass the 7mm TCU would be a good choice.

Opinions please

I could sell you a 7 TCU barrel, dies and some formed brass and then you can find out. I haven't used them in 10 years since I stopped competing in handgun silhouette competition.

I think with a 120 gr bullet it would be a great little whitetailed deer round.

Great gun. I have a 10" tcu scoped with a burris 3x handguun scope circa 1985, after I lost my local silhouette range. Took it out this spring and my son shot a sub 1" 5 shot group at 100 yds, better than he did with my 7 rem mag....

Have the 357 mag re-chambered to 357 maximum. It is one of the most outstanding hunting rounds in the contender platform. From a 10" barrel it'll drive a 200 gr cast 1900 fps.

The tcu's are neat rounds, but due to the sedate muzzle velocities are pretty much 150 yd affairs, which is the same as the 357 max.

Since you are down to the wire for time this year, buy or load the hottest reasonable and accurate loads with 180 or 158 bullets in your Maggie..

If you limit yourself to reasonable range and are proficient with the Mag, I think you can eat everything you shoot at and hit with heart/lung shots

I recently owned a T/C Contender with a 21" 7mm TCU barrel, and could never achieve the velocities I wanted with 120gr bullets. The velocities in the Nosler book were flat out unobtainable in my 21" barrel, and they were using a 14" tube! I tried Winchester, Remington, Federal, and even mil brass with four or five different powders, and all I gotwere over pressure signs with velocities no where close to published specs. Plus, the throat was so long that I couldn't reach the lands even with 162gr match bullets. Its a fun round if you don't mind forming brass, but my in my opinion, the 6.8 SPC is a MUCH better cartridge for deer. Formed brass is availabe, and ballistics are very good for a small case. I picked up an 18" barrel in a 6.8 SPC, and haven't looked back.

Thanks for the replies guys.
I will not be going deer hunting this year as events will not permit it.

Jason280,
I will look into the 6.8 SPC as well as the 6.5 JDJ.

I just have a lot of .223 brass and thought the 7 TCU might be the ticket.

Utah708,
I sent you a pm.

I got 2400 plus using 120grain and commercial brass, 14" TC/7mm and AA2495 powder, and 2015. Fireformed loads can give you about 200 fps more IIRC. Also, 10" will do about 2200. Lower those speeds by 200fps when using 140grains.

If doing again, I'd chop a 14 to 12 or 12.5 for balance/weight or custom build one, in 6.5 or 7mm TCU. What IS easier??? 7x30 waters.....also a 6.5 Grendel is a nice round...like better than a 6.8 ballistically but it may have to go in an Encore, not contender/G2...not sure. Had a 12" 357 max, muzzle tamer....shot well, loud, more recoil IIRC than TCU's.

Also owned 30/30 and 44 in 10", 44 kicked hard....30/30 was by far least fuss of any for reloading, etc. Stuff a 125 gr or 130 flat point Speer and it rocked out to 150 yds. Sure a 30 Herrett is more efficient but MUCH more trouble for brass forming I recall, but a 300 Whisper will get very close speeds in 10" and it is milder I do recall reading....worth strong consideration and that is coming from someone not into '30 cal' but it puts out well for such little powder.

I DID have a couple of head case failures, once a case stuck inside chamber when head separated, sent to TC who retrieved it, I was scared I might scratch chamber getting it out.

As to the 357...in a closed breech, it becomes much more like a rifle, than a revolver that is robbed of 300 or more fps out the gap. I think it is fine for your needs to 100 yds w/158 JSP or 180 pistol bullets. Just be sure to place your shot, doubt ANY deer would live to escape.

I would not hesitate to use your .357 on deer. Shoot some loads over the Chrony and you'll see what 65BR is talking about.

I have a 10" TCU and it shoots 2" groups @200yds. with 120gr Hornadys. It is a fun round. Never got a chance to pop a deer with it though.

Travis

The only caveat with the factory 357 barrels is they have what has been termed a toilet bowl throat, and often times they just don't want to shoot accurately. the toilet bowl is a funnel that goes from the case mouth to the rifling vs. a real throat, and it's a deep toilet bowl. I literally loaded some of my 200 gr cast bullets with only the gas check in the case, and it still wasn't touching the rifling. I also only had one mid range load that shot accurately.

But, if you have a 357 barrel that will shoot, I found I could drive 200 gr 1700 fps from the 10" barrel, and that's not too shy of a 35 rem rifle.

.458 Lott,

Is that on newer barrels? Mine is the old octagon style and it shoots very tight. Actually might be the best barrel I've shot on my Contender.

I'd just like to know cause I always have my eyes open for good deals on T/C barrels.

Thanks, Travis.

I don't know the year that the barrel I had was made. It was a 10" blued bull barrel, that I got ~10 years ago. I don't know if the throat dimensions have changed in the current production barrels. The easy fix for the toilet bowl barrels is to have them reamed out to 357 maximum. You gain 200 fps, and a real throat.