Contender worked swell.

[Steve in PA]

T/C Contender, 7-30 Waters and 139gr Hornady SST put venison in my freezer this year!

 

[brainwake]

Yes, Ed is still in business.

He is in Bethany, OK. Which is a suburb of Oklahoma City. He has this little small office and man it is packed full of barrels! You talk about a kid in a candy store.

 

[Louca]

Capt, congrats on your deer! I also have a Contender 14" (Super 14) in 7mm TC/U. Although I used it mainly for IHMSA shooting, I used it to take my first deer back in 1983. My story is almost identical to yours, word-for-word, except for bullet performance, and mine used open sights.

I shot a Hornady 154 gn SP hand loaded with 28.5 gn of IMR 4895. Same distance as yours, used 2 rounds. When processing the deer, I found that the first round went through the heart, taking about half of it apart. The 2nd round was unnecessary! But being my first deer, I didn't know I needed to give it time to die.

If I was loading it up for hunting today, I think I would work up a Sierra 130 gn SPT (#7250) bullet. If I went hunting with it nowadays, I would probably have to put a scope on it since my eyes are not as good as they used to be. The Contender is certainly a nice pistol!

Lou

NOTE: Do NOT use the data above for loading without properly working up and testing.

 

[urbaneruralite]

It sure passed the test. Congrats.

 

[Captcurt]

Happy Holidays!

Our X-mas season opens the 26th and I just got permission to thin does at a nearby farm. It has not been touched this year. The Contender is going to get a workout.

 

[X-Rap]

Back a few years ago we had land to hunt deer on that wasn't so competative as it is today and I laid some big mulies down with it as well as my first antelope.
The 30-30 with the now discontinued 135 gr Sierra Pistol Bullet was the ticket. I've also got a 223, 45-70, and 45/410 barrel with 2 frames.
As far as the Ballistic Tips and big game, I've used them in multiple calibers with what I consider great success. The 200 gr .338 has done an excellent job on elk from under 50 yds to 400 out of a 338-378 so I guess that covers about all the conventional distances at pretty much the maximum velocity available.
120's in 25-06 & 7mag have worked well as have 150's in 30-06.

 

[Bush Pilot]

When I was looking into info for reloading the 7-30 Waters, I found a lot of people posting very positive results from the Nosler 120gr BT.

I've used the Sierra 130 gr SSP bullet (no long made :-() out of my 7-30 on mule deer in Montana for years. I've taken deer out to 200 yds and never had to make a 2nd shot.

 

[WestKentucky]

My super 16 44 mag is a proven performer, but my 10" 7-30 sat calmly this year and never barked at a deer. The 44 is too much with the 2x4 grip and full on grizzly stopper loads, and kinda weak with 44 special loads, so it is a full range shooter. The 7-30 is quite pleasant even into the extremes of loads. My experience with it is limited to 120 gr smk which shoot very well. It's my new coyote companion.

 

[Captcurt]

Number two down.

The TCU did it again with another yearling. 25 yard shot to the just above the elbow and the bullet exited mid ribcage. Entrance and exit holes were quarter sized in the ribs. Nosler BT worked better on broadside shot. Not near the mess. I'll try it again tomorrow.