Would a 7TCU be adequate for use at a Bower long range clinic? I don't have any thunder bomers and if a clinic is held in Ok I would love to attend.

I seriously doubt a 7TCU would be enough for 500 yards. That being said, Don brings enough guns and ammo for everybody participating, so you wouldn't need to bring something of your own. I shot Don's guns the whole week except for a few of my own the last day. Turned out I didn't have enough reach on my scope without changing the inserts in the Burris rings. I was seriously low at 550 yards.

Rick

Of the factory chambers, 7-30 Waters is the closest to being sufficient, but it is still woefully lacking for the long range stuff. Thus, Don Bower developed his line of cartridges based primarilly on Ackley Improved cartridges and strong .307 Win brass to permit maximum performance from Contenders.

However, judging from what I saw at the Alliance shoot, the move is away from Contender handgun barrels almost entirely and moving to much, much longer barrels and the higher pressures the Encores will handle.

Get your 7mmTCU rechambered as a bare bones minimum. And as Gray Fox pointed out, you need to raise the rear of the scope at least .020" to get enough elevation for the 500 yard distance. For this, the Burris Signature rings with the plastic offset inserts are superb. This, btw, is what I used on my .222 Rem. Mag. Imp. barrel at Alliance. It only took me 11 shots to go from zeroed at 500 yards to getting within 3/4" of the edge of the angle iron target at 660 yards...... then the used scope I was using took a jump to the right and would not adjust back left again, ending my quest for "splitting a bullet" on the angle iron edge.

Mike web page

Ok, antoher item to put on the must have list. Burris Signature rings for the Weaver bases. these will go on the 222 REM MAG IMP when it comes home from Mike's house.