I just got (for a very good price) several barrels for my first generation Contender. As the topic says two of them were the 223 and the 7mm TCU.
I like the utility of being able to use mil-surp ammo so the 223 is a keeper. I have not even fired the 7mm TCU yet and I am wondering if there is any real utility to the caliber.
Both barrels are 14" and in near new condition.

about 25 yrs ago I shot IHMSA metallic silhouette... and started with a super 14 tc in 30/30... I traded into a 7tcu, and with lower recoil my scores improved... I think the best I ever shot was 38/40... the t/c's were hard to load ( for me anyway)... as they were particular on headspace.. and the 7tcu is a fireforming case... after you get your initial quantity of cases made, neck size only... and you shouldn't have any problems...don't let my inexperience in handloading scare you off, it was easy after I figured out what I was doing wrong... the 7 tcu is a good small game/ varmit cartridge... good luck with your new barrels...

You should have fun with your new barrels and gun. I have barrels in .223 Remington and 7TCU and have previously owned barrels in 17 Remington, 7-30 Waters, 44 Magnum, 22 Mag, etc.

I never found the TC to be hard to load for, never had any headspace problems that I recall, except that the 7-30 Waters stretched cases pretty bad.

Even fireforming loads in the 7TCU and 7-30 Waters are quite accurate. I too shoot IHMSA competition and have shot matches with fireforming loads, no problem.

The 7TCU generally gives great case life, I have cases that have been fired more than 20 times. And my original 7TCU 10 inch barrel has more than 8000 rounds down it, but it is still shooting well. And I shoot what most people consider a pretty hot load in that barrel.

As for utility, I guess I never thought too much about using the 7TCU for anything but shooting steel. Although it was used on a javelina hunt in Arizona once, little pigs did not cooperate.

The 7 TCU is really a sweet shooting round in the Contender. I got my 14" in 1979 and really enjoyed it, shoots well with many combinations of loads including cast bullets. Added a 10" about 10 years ago. Cases are easy to form from 223 brass which can be had for just picking up at the range. Lots of lube on the inside of the neck is the key to forming. I'm going to add one more barrel, the 21" 7TCU. If anyone has one shoot me a PM

Blast from the past. I shot a couple of 7TCU barrels on my Contenders back in the early '80's in IHMSA competition. I shot several 40x40's with the 10" Contender barrel in 7TCU in production single shot. In Pheonix in 1983, I shot a 79x80 in Production single shot with the 7TCU and an 80x80 in unlimited with a 7mmIHMSA. That was in the International Championship by IHMSA. I still have one of those barrels and a bunch of the ammo I loaded back then.

I moved up to a remmy xp 100 in 7-308... it started life as a 7br, but brass and dies were way more expensive than the 7-308... I had tc's in 357 rem max, 357 herret, 44 mag, 256 win mag, opened up to 225/256... which was a real barn burner...

I have a number of barrels for my Contender from 22RF to 357 maximum. I have only one rifle barrel for it in 30-30 and the rest of them are pistol barrels. The 22RF barrel I use for training the grandkids. Going up in caliber I have a 223, 7mm TCU, and 357 Maximum for a total of five barrels. I also have a few 22RF rifles, a couple of 3006 rifles, a 358 based on a Remington 700 action, a couple of SKS's and a few pistols in 4 different calibers. I am planning on using the lesser of the 3006's to make a custom 257 Roberts.

This is why I question the utility (for me) of the 7mm TCU. I have or will have guns to fit all the needs that I have for hunting everything from mice to Moose. The guns are all "more accurate than I am" and we produce sub MOA groups with the rifles to 200 yards and good groups with the pistols at 25 and 50 yards.

Closest I came was a 6.5 TCU. It didn't do much for me but then I don't shoot steel. As a big game round it seemed an in-betweener, not doing anything especially well. I can't see why the 7 TCU would be any better. I got a lot more use out of my 6x45. Eventually sold all of it because I lost interest in Contenders. Today I wish I'd kept most of them.