I've been thinking about getting into handgun hunting since rifle hunting is losing it appeal to me. I've got an old Thompson Center Contender and have the chance to buy a barrel in 7-30 Waters for $100. Never shot this caliber and am curious about what all of you have to say about it.

I'll just be starting on deer and antelope here in eastern Colorado. I would think this would do the trick with a good bullet aroung 140 gr or so. I handload most of my ammo so I can tailor the loads. Would this be a good caliber to start with, or should I look to something else??

Mac

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When hunting and fishing get in the way of your job, it is time to quit the job!

There are alot of devoted fans of the 7-30. I haven't shot or used one personally, but many consider it the premier dear round of the factory contender barrels, and even the similar wildcats really don't offer much over it. I believe the preference is for 130 gr bullets, get a bit more velocity, and there are some designed specifically for the reduced velocity of the handguns.

That sounds like a decent price. You might want to check Ed's contenders for a set of used dies, maybe able to save a few bucks that way. I don't have the URL handy. You might also want to look for greybeardoutdoors, there is an active t/c forumn there, and several of the posters hunt with the 7-30

7-30 Waters is a great choice for deer and antelope when used in the Contender. This was my first Contender barrel and I have never regretted the choice. Recoil is mild and you will have plenty of power at reasonable ranges. Key is to use a barrel long enough to give enough velocity (I think 14" is perfect)and a reliable bullet. My bullet preference is the Hornady 120 SSP at 2400 fps, with which I have never lost an animal and all shots have left two holes for easy following. Although I've never had a deer go more than 30 yards when hit with this combo, or the factory Federal 120 grain loads, I prefer that the bullet exit to give a better blood trail if needed. Assuming the bullet launcher you are looking at has enough barrel length, go for it. Hang a decent 4x scope on it and you will not be disappointed.

I have a 14" contender in 7X30, and enjoy it a lot. I prefer 120 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips (velocity is not high enough for partitions to reliably expand). Recoil is minimum as previously stated.

Scope - most of my hunting is close whitetail deer- inside 75 yards. Very difficult to find deer offhand and hold steady enough for a good shot with handgun scope. Would not be any problem with rest, and probably would be better for shots out to 150 yards, but I went to 42 mm red dot scope, and prefer it.

The 7-30 Waters is an excellent choice. The Contender I use is a 10" Bull Barrel, and I am totally pleased with the performance. Here is the link to an article on the 7-30 Waters

www.reloading-supplies.com/article.php?story=20010713083619988

Everything said about the 10" barrel can be said about this cartridge in a Super 14 barrel, and more.

Excellent cartridge for Handguns, easy to load for, easy to shoot, pleasantly accurate, and just plain efficient.

Larry

MAC

THAT NOT A BAD PRICE. I HAVE A 12" 7-30 AND IT SHOOTS GOOD. I USE WW748 38.3gr OVER A 120gr NOSLER BALLSTIC TIP BULLET AND CCI BR2 PRIMER MV 2350fps ME 1471 CHECK OVER PAST PC2 CHRONOGRAPH. WITH THIS LOAD SIGHTED IN AT .49 AT 25YDS AND AT 250YDS IT IS -2.82 LOW WITH MV 1881fps ME 943. THIS DATA FROM BARNES BALLISTIC SOFT WARE

Since I`ve never hunted with my contender
I can`t tell you about the terminal results
of a 7-30 Waters , but I do have a 15 "
barrel that Bullberry has rechambered from
7 TCU to 7-30 Waters Imp. !
Even my first loads were 2 " 5 shot groups
at 100 meters and sice then it only got better , it`s my alltime favourite ( out of
14 different barrels !!!)
Take it and have fun , good luck , J�rgen

its a great load but have seen lot of casses brake off in gun i got a 14" and so does my dad hes shot his and my barrel lot more than me he just gave mine back so ill get to shoot it again jason