Well I mostly lurk in this forum, but Ihave learned quite a bit and I wanted to see if you could help me out. I am thinking about getting a 6.5 TCU for a contender to hunt south Alabama whitetail. The shot will be 100 yds or less. Is this an adequate caliber? I would like a 14", but I have a lead on a 10" barrel.

Either version will work fine for the conditions you describe. One thing to keep in mind, though: bullet selection is absolutely critical in this cartridge. There is one do-it-all bullet, however, and that's the 120 grain Ballistic Tip. It will provide sufficient tissue destruction while giving superb penetration, and exits on broadside shots are generally the norm.

By the way, H-335 is perhaps the best overall propellant for the cartridge.

Good luck hunting -- both for deer and for the barrel...

While I never got a chance to take game with a 6.5mm, they have a steller reputation. The 6.5 TCU is a neat round, and it is fairly high on my, gotta try one list.

As bobby mentioned, the 120 gr bullets are the ticket in the 6.5's, paticularly the balistic tip, and the speer.

As far 14" or 10", in the 14" tube, you're looking at 2200-2300 fps, and the 10" 2000-2100 fps. For 100 yd shots, the 10" tube will provide all the speed you need. I personally greatly prefer the 10" barreled contender, as I prefer the balance and packability.

Other possibilities for good 10" whitetail rounds are the 7 TCU, 7-30 Waters, 30 Herret, 300 Whisper, 357 maximum, 41 mag, 44 mag and 45 colt. I'm sure I also forgot several other good choices.