I spoke with a custom barrel maker regarding a 7TCU carbine barrel for my Contender today. The first thing I need to decide is which bullet or bullet range I plan to use. He wants me to submit a dummy round so he can make the throat accordingly. I plan to use this barrel on both groundhogs and deer. What bullets do you recommend? I'm leaning toward a maximum weight of 140gr and using a 1:9 twist. I will be posting this question on several forums for maximum input. Thanks!

I use either the Hornady 120 gr. SSP or the Sierra 130 gr. SSP. They work.

IMO, you can't move the 140 gr. bullets fast enough in this cartridge to be as effective as they are in the 7-30 Waters. In fact, I have both 7mm TCU and 7-3 Waters 21" factory barrels. The 7mm TCU pushes 120s and 130s at about 2500 (2450+) fps while the 7-30 pushes the 140s at that same speed or the 120s at 2700 fps. This low speed is also why I use the SSPs in the TCU. As noted above, they work.

Sounds like a fun project. Who's doing the work? How are you sighting it?

There are 3 bullets that make the 7TCU shine: the 120 grain Nosler BT, the Hornady 120 grain SSP (old lead-tipped or newer #22811/tipped) and the Sierra 130 grain SSP. At the velocity level you will be working at, these bullets will provide the proper blend of penetration and expansion to result in excellent on-game performance.

This past season, I took 3 deer with the Sierra 130 grain SSP at 2505 fps from a 20" 7mm Bullberry and another with a 120 grain Hornady SSP/tipped at just over 2400 fps from a custom 15" 7mm TCU. The ranges varied from 108 yards to app. 130/140 yards with the Sierra 130 and around 70 yards with the 120 grain Hornady. In all instances, performance was perfect.

Bobby,

I didn't know the Hornady SSP was now tipped. Thanks for the "tip".

BTW, I am using H4895 in the TCU, what do you use?

I have a 1 n 9 twist 21 inch contender barrel and I've only used 140 grain nos. BTs and 140 grain nos. partitions. This is my handy night-time hog gun and I found the BTs to be too soft on two hogs I shot high up between the neck and shoulder(frontal-quartering) from an elevated postion. I didn't recover either hog. So, I went to the partitions which seem to open up well out to 100 yards at which I use them. However, the new bonded core nos. BTs should be ideal.

Hobie-
Yes, the #22811 sports a red tip, sleeker profile and slightly higher BC than the lead-tipped version (#2811.)

I've been using the red-tipped SSPs for a good while now and have nothing but positive results with this bullet. Due to its design and the addition of the polymer tip, it has better long-range, low-velocity expansion potential.