"best" 300 yard target cartridge for Contender carbine ???

Magnum Wheel Man · January 20, 2009, 04:12 PM

your guys thoughts on the subject... only cartridges safe in the Contender actions, commonly available barrels... handloads... oh, yes definately...

I'm thinking...

204 Ruger
222
223
6mm TCU
6.5mm TCU
6.8mm Rem
7mm TCU
7-30 Waters

any other suggestions ??? anyone regularly shoot 300 yards with a Contender carbine ???

darkgael · January 20, 2009, 06:52 PM

Interesting question. I haven't shot any of my Contenders at 300 yards. If I were to buy a barrel, though, I believe that I'd pick up the 6.8 Rem. The 130 grain bullets have a BC up at .460. Should shoot nicely at 300 yards.
Pete

sadsack · January 20, 2009, 07:22 PM

Magwheel: I haven't shot the .204, 6.8 or the 7X30 in a contender, but I have all of the others you listed. All of them are capable at 300 yds. I've either witnessed or made kills (varmints) at 300+ with all of them. My personal favorite from the list would be the 7 TCU, with the 6.5 TCU a really close second. You might also consider the 30Her or the 30-30, both are good in the contender. The 30Her can be a pain to form and reload but its worth the effort.

Magnum Wheel Man · January 21, 2009, 07:54 AM

Thanks for the replys guys...

I've been kind of wanting something in 204, but am currently playing with a few 17 calibers for shorter distances, I also didn't realize that 204 Ruger barrels were commonly available for the Contenders... but I have always been a slower heavier bullet kind of guy, not normally the light bullet hyper velocity type... anyone shoot much 204 out to 300 yards enough to know how it bucks the breeze consistantly at that distance ???

I'm currently building a faster twist 223 barrel ( 1 in 8 twist )... it ended up being a heavy bull barrel 17" long... so I'll be able to shoot 68 grainish bullets in the 223... I also already have a 222 barrel in carbine length, but while it's extremely accurate at 100 yards, its a slower twist barrel, & will likely lose a bit of that accuracy to the wind at 300 yards...

I have a 14" 7-30 Waters barrel, & like that cartridge... so I'm thinking of a carbine length barrel...

part of the trouble ( for me anyway ) with the TCU cartridges, is getting enough cartridges to shoot through out the summer... sizing the 223 brass is kind of a pain ( I think I have only about 40 sized 7mm TCU cases )... but feel the 6mm or 6.5mm might be slightly better at the 300 yard distances... a little more mustard ??? ( my TCU barrels are all either 10" or 14", so I'd still have to buy a carbine length barrel for the 300 yard distances )

the 6.8 Rem ( SPC ) seems like an interesting cartridge, which at 1st I had no need for... ( being it was designed for the AR platform ??? ) & I had gotten rid of my AR, long before the cartridges developement... however I only receintly learned they were making barrels for the Contenders in 6.8... I also have alot of 270 bullets, though maybe not the ideal to use in the 6.8 for 300 yards... bt I'd need dies & brass & a barrel to shoot that cartridge... I'm looking at component & loading tool availability right now...

appreciate any other comments...

bobn · January 21, 2009, 10:49 AM

along with the 7 30 the 30 30 and 38 55 are very accurate at thoose distances. proper match quality bullets are a must in any gun. one plus is brass is ready availible too. another cartridge i would look at is 32 40. e arthur brown would be the source for my contender barrel iffen i had money. lol also a minnesota company too. bobn

Magnum Wheel Man · January 21, 2009, 11:59 AM

While I get great accuracy with my 10" 30-30... even in a long barrel rifle, it's not typically considered a 300 yard cartridge ??? granted more aerodynamic bullets could help a lot..

I have E.A. Brown bookmarked but see Midway has most of the barrels in stock, which are all actual TC barrels... one advantage of E.A. Brown, is they often offer faster twist barrels, than TC offers... ( edit... I see they are cheaper, & likely less shipping to boot... I don't know if they keep everything in stock or the turn around time though )

I'dbeen wanting a 300 Whisper for a long time, but wonder about it's actual accuracy at 300 yards ???

hmmm... 38-55 might be interesting, though more of an old school lob them in there like the 375 Winchester, & 45-70...

I'm actually looking at cost to shoot as well, as I plan on doing quite a bit of shooting next summer...

thanks for the suggestions...

azsixshooter · January 21, 2009, 04:14 PM

What about 7-08? You won't have any trouble making cases from .308 brass and it should be pretty good out to 300 yards, even out of the 15" barrel. I think they are becoming pretty common now, though it might be ballistically too close to your 7-30 Waters. I think there's at least a slight edge with the 7-08 though. In any case, brass is more common.

EDIT: Whoops, just noticed you said only safe in Contender actions. I think 7-08 might be only available to the Encore. Not sure, but if so sorry to waste your time.

Magnum Wheel Man · January 21, 2009, 04:16 PM

7-08 only safe in the Encores... but if it worked in the Contenders... I'd be there in a minute...

azsixshooter · January 21, 2009, 04:19 PM

Slightly off-topic, but I have heard that some guys prefer the Contender frame over the Encore frame. Do you just happen to have a Contender or is there something more desireable about them? Lighter weight maybe? Faster hammer?

I don't have a single shot, but if I buy any gun this year it'll probably be an Encore pistol so I'm curious why some guys prefer the Contender.

DoctorXring · January 21, 2009, 04:20 PM

.

Another vote for 6.8 SPC

115 and 135 Sierra Match Kings
H322 or Reloader 10x

Have fun !

.

darkgael · January 21, 2009, 04:30 PM

Quote:

a 300 Whisper for a long time, but wonder about it's actual accuracy at 300 yards ???

I don't have the 300 Whisper. I do have it's little brother the 7.62 Micro Whisper. If the 300 is as accurate at 300 yards as the Micro is at 100, then you might go that way. Remember, too, that the 300 Wh. doesn't have to be loaded subsonically. That gives you more wiggle room for load development.
I also have a larger cal. version that I use on the Encore frame - 50 BMG bullets loaded into 50-70 cases. That is still under development for me but initial results were ok. Recoil is a problem there. I wonder if the barrel profile would fit the Contender - though recoil (the pulse is VERY fast) would be even more of an issue. Easy to load for, though.

AZsix: About the frames - Contender and Encore. They are just different. The Encore is larger and can handle the pressures of high intensity cartridges. The Contender came first and a lot of us acquired them a while ago. IMHO - the Contender has a better trigger.
Pete

ken22250 · January 21, 2009, 04:31 PM

i say go 6.5mm/.264", the ballsitic coeficent is very high, so it will perform well at long range, i would go with the 6.5 bench rest magnum, made for the contender, it is supposed to be good to 300 yards, and will take down deer at that range( or so the add says)
ken

Magnum Wheel Man · January 21, 2009, 04:41 PM

SIX... my father in law started the collection... I have 4 of the older ( pre G2 ) actions... I have not shot a G2 or the Encores...

so, lots I don't know...

... I do know the original Contenders have adjustable triggers, & can be tuned to almost ounce pull rates... but if you click the trigger without the hammer back, or let the hammer down, you must break open the action to get the hammer / action to reset, or the hammer won't stay back... the G2's & Encores were changed so you don't need to break the action open again...

the pre G2's have a nice mountain lion jumping off a rock pile engraved into the sides of the action, & are blued quite nicely... however the engraving is prone to rusting ( as I get reminded if each year I take mine deer hunting )... the G2's & Encores have smooth sides, & likely the blued ones don't rust as easily as the engraved ones... I like my "old antiques" better than the new ones... but it would be nice to have a stainless action, or the heavier cartridge capability... ( BTW... they did make some stainless pre G2 Contenders with the Mountain Lion, but they are much rarer than the blued models... )

Magnum Wheel Man · January 21, 2009, 04:47 PM

KEN... 6.5 BR Mag is an Encore level cartridge, not safe in Contenders...

azsixshooter · January 21, 2009, 07:43 PM

Thanks for the info Mag Wheel Man. That engraving sounds really cool, I can see why you would like those, especially since your father-in-law started the collection. That's just cool in itself to have something handed down to you like that. I gotta find a cute girl with a dad that has a nice gun collection!

jrothWA · January 22, 2009, 12:43 AM

in the action face to withstand the calibers used in the Encore action.
The originals are rated for the lower pressure cartridges with the 45-70 being the maximum.

the 21" barreled 30/30 should be good for 300, as you are not limited to the flat nosed bullet, the "Leverlution ammo from Hornady should be great in the original Contenders.

Contavt Ed Bellm's website to review so info and maybe talk with him directly??

Magnum Wheel Man · January 22, 2009, 08:58 AM

BTW... JROTH... thanks for reminding me... I had that sight bookmarked...

SIX... the site JROTH was refering to has a FAQ's section defining the diference between all 3 models, you may find it interesting... I did...

http://www.bellmtcs.com/store/index.php?cid=110

gemihur · April 16, 2021, 08:37 PM

My recommendation would be one of Mike's favorites 222 Rem Mag Imp
https://www.bellmtcs.com/blog/222-rem-mag-improved/
Especially since 204 Ruger brass is readily available.

gemihur · April 16, 2021, 08:39 PM

https://www.bellmtcs.com/blog/don-bo...andgun-course/

HiBC · April 17, 2021, 12:38 AM

Adjustable sights make the 300 yard thing not such a big deal regarding cartridge selection.
While your 8 in twist 223 bbl should work great,
How about adding another dimension to the game?

What about a cast bullet 30-30?

Siggy-06 · April 17, 2021, 12:45 PM

I believe you can get a barrel in .243 as well. That’d be good at 300 yards no problem.

jrothWA · April 17, 2021, 09:46 PM

Super 16 45-70 barrel for my Contender collection.

Have two 21-inch barrel one, 30-30 and the second is .223, so it GOING to be INTERESTING come this fall.

Using the 45-70 for black bear hunting, the 30/30 for deer and the .223 for coyote through the year.

Scorch · April 18, 2021, 02:44 AM

Wow. 12 year old thread. I am amazed. And I dont't think the OP is going to care at this point, he hasn't posted anything in over 4 years.

MarkCO · April 18, 2021, 09:33 AM

Probably right ^

January 20, 2009, 04:12 PM	#1
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	"best" 300 yard target cartridge for Contender carbine ??? your guys thoughts on the subject... only cartridges safe in the Contender actions, commonly available barrels... handloads... oh, yes definately... I'm thinking... 204 Ruger 222 223 6mm TCU 6.5mm TCU 6.8mm Rem 7mm TCU 7-30 Waters any other suggestions ??? anyone regularly shoot 300 yards with a Contender carbine ??? __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

January 20, 2009, 06:52 PM	#2
darkgael Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2006 Location: Homes in Brooklyn, NY and in Pennsylvania. Posts: 5,473	target Interesting question. I haven't shot any of my Contenders at 300 yards. If I were to buy a barrel, though, I believe that I'd pick up the 6.8 Rem. The 130 grain bullets have a BC up at .460. Should shoot nicely at 300 yards. Pete __________________ “Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.” Ernest Hemingway ... NRA Life Member

January 21, 2009, 07:54 AM	#4
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	Thanks for the replys guys... I've been kind of wanting something in 204, but am currently playing with a few 17 calibers for shorter distances, I also didn't realize that 204 Ruger barrels were commonly available for the Contenders... but I have always been a slower heavier bullet kind of guy, not normally the light bullet hyper velocity type... anyone shoot much 204 out to 300 yards enough to know how it bucks the breeze consistantly at that distance ??? I'm currently building a faster twist 223 barrel ( 1 in 8 twist )... it ended up being a heavy bull barrel 17" long... so I'll be able to shoot 68 grainish bullets in the 223... I also already have a 222 barrel in carbine length, but while it's extremely accurate at 100 yards, its a slower twist barrel, & will likely lose a bit of that accuracy to the wind at 300 yards... I have a 14" 7-30 Waters barrel, & like that cartridge... so I'm thinking of a carbine length barrel... part of the trouble ( for me anyway ) with the TCU cartridges, is getting enough cartridges to shoot through out the summer... sizing the 223 brass is kind of a pain ( I think I have only about 40 sized 7mm TCU cases )... but feel the 6mm or 6.5mm might be slightly better at the 300 yard distances... a little more mustard ??? ( my TCU barrels are all either 10" or 14", so I'd still have to buy a carbine length barrel for the 300 yard distances ) the 6.8 Rem ( SPC ) seems like an interesting cartridge, which at 1st I had no need for... ( being it was designed for the AR platform ??? ) & I had gotten rid of my AR, long before the cartridges developement... however I only receintly learned they were making barrels for the Contenders in 6.8... I also have alot of 270 bullets, though maybe not the ideal to use in the 6.8 for 300 yards... bt I'd need dies & brass & a barrel to shoot that cartridge... I'm looking at component & loading tool availability right now... appreciate any other comments... __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

January 21, 2009, 11:59 AM	#6
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	While I get great accuracy with my 10" 30-30... even in a long barrel rifle, it's not typically considered a 300 yard cartridge ??? granted more aerodynamic bullets could help a lot.. I have E.A. Brown bookmarked but see Midway has most of the barrels in stock, which are all actual TC barrels... one advantage of E.A. Brown, is they often offer faster twist barrels, than TC offers... ( edit... I see they are cheaper, & likely less shipping to boot... I don't know if they keep everything in stock or the turn around time though ) I'dbeen wanting a 300 Whisper for a long time, but wonder about it's actual accuracy at 300 yards ??? hmmm... 38-55 might be interesting, though more of an old school lob them in there like the 375 Winchester, & 45-70... I'm actually looking at cost to shoot as well, as I plan on doing quite a bit of shooting next summer... thanks for the suggestions... __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust... Last edited by Magnum Wheel Man; January 21, 2009 at 05:48 PM.

January 21, 2009, 04:14 PM	#7
azsixshooter Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 2007 Location: Pinckney, MI Posts: 657	What about 7-08? You won't have any trouble making cases from .308 brass and it should be pretty good out to 300 yards, even out of the 15" barrel. I think they are becoming pretty common now, though it might be ballistically too close to your 7-30 Waters. I think there's at least a slight edge with the 7-08 though. In any case, brass is more common. EDIT: Whoops, just noticed you said only safe in Contender actions. I think 7-08 might be only available to the Encore. Not sure, but if so sorry to waste your time. __________________ "Which side are we on? We're on the side of the demons, Chief. We're evil men in the gardens of paradise, sent by the forces of death to spread devastation and destruction wherever we go. I'm surprised you didn't know that." --Saul Tigh http://sargesrollcall.blogspot.com/2...s-no-more.html

January 20, 2009, 07:22 PM	#3
sadsack Senior Member Join Date: February 4, 2006 Posts: 206	Magwheel: I haven't shot the .204, 6.8 or the 7X30 in a contender, but I have all of the others you listed. All of them are capable at 300 yds. I've either witnessed or made kills (varmints) at 300+ with all of them. My personal favorite from the list would be the 7 TCU, with the 6.5 TCU a really close second. You might also consider the 30Her or the 30-30, both are good in the contender. The 30Her can be a pain to form and reload but its worth the effort.

January 21, 2009, 10:49 AM	#5
bobn Senior Member Join Date: December 30, 2006 Location: midwest Posts: 1,105	along with the 7 30 the 30 30 and 38 55 are very accurate at thoose distances. proper match quality bullets are a must in any gun. one plus is brass is ready availible too. another cartridge i would look at is 32 40. e arthur brown would be the source for my contender barrel iffen i had money. lol also a minnesota company too. bobn

January 21, 2009, 04:16 PM	#8
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	7-08 only safe in the Encores... but if it worked in the Contenders... I'd be there in a minute... __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

January 21, 2009, 04:19 PM	#9
azsixshooter Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 2007 Location: Pinckney, MI Posts: 657	Slightly off-topic, but I have heard that some guys prefer the Contender frame over the Encore frame. Do you just happen to have a Contender or is there something more desireable about them? Lighter weight maybe? Faster hammer? I don't have a single shot, but if I buy any gun this year it'll probably be an Encore pistol so I'm curious why some guys prefer the Contender. __________________ "Which side are we on? We're on the side of the demons, Chief. We're evil men in the gardens of paradise, sent by the forces of death to spread devastation and destruction wherever we go. I'm surprised you didn't know that." --Saul Tigh http://sargesrollcall.blogspot.com/2...s-no-more.html

January 21, 2009, 04:20 PM	#10
DoctorXring Senior Member Join Date: April 30, 2002 Location: The Republic of Texas Posts: 392	. Another vote for 6.8 SPC 115 and 135 Sierra Match Kings H322 or Reloader 10x Have fun ! .

January 21, 2009, 04:31 PM	#12
ken22250 Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2008 Location: Pennsylvaina Posts: 218	i say go 6.5mm/.264", the ballsitic coeficent is very high, so it will perform well at long range, i would go with the 6.5 bench rest magnum, made for the contender, it is supposed to be good to 300 yards, and will take down deer at that range( or so the add says) ken

January 21, 2009, 04:41 PM	#13
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	SIX... my father in law started the collection... I have 4 of the older ( pre G2 ) actions... I have not shot a G2 or the Encores... so, lots I don't know... ... I do know the original Contenders have adjustable triggers, & can be tuned to almost ounce pull rates... but if you click the trigger without the hammer back, or let the hammer down, you must break open the action to get the hammer / action to reset, or the hammer won't stay back... the G2's & Encores were changed so you don't need to break the action open again... the pre G2's have a nice mountain lion jumping off a rock pile engraved into the sides of the action, & are blued quite nicely... however the engraving is prone to rusting ( as I get reminded if each year I take mine deer hunting )... the G2's & Encores have smooth sides, & likely the blued ones don't rust as easily as the engraved ones... I like my "old antiques" better than the new ones... but it would be nice to have a stainless action, or the heavier cartridge capability... ( BTW... they did make some stainless pre G2 Contenders with the Mountain Lion, but they are much rarer than the blued models... ) __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

January 21, 2009, 04:47 PM	#14
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	KEN... 6.5 BR Mag is an Encore level cartridge, not safe in Contenders... __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

January 21, 2009, 07:43 PM	#15
azsixshooter Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 2007 Location: Pinckney, MI Posts: 657	Thanks for the info Mag Wheel Man. That engraving sounds really cool, I can see why you would like those, especially since your father-in-law started the collection. That's just cool in itself to have something handed down to you like that. I gotta find a cute girl with a dad that has a nice gun collection! __________________ "Which side are we on? We're on the side of the demons, Chief. We're evil men in the gardens of paradise, sent by the forces of death to spread devastation and destruction wherever we go. I'm surprised you didn't know that." --Saul Tigh http://sargesrollcall.blogspot.com/2...s-no-more.html

January 22, 2009, 12:43 AM	#16
jrothWA Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2006 Posts: 2,519	Original Contenders do not have the metal .. in the action face to withstand the calibers used in the Encore action. The originals are rated for the lower pressure cartridges with the 45-70 being the maximum. the 21" barreled 30/30 should be good for 300, as you are not limited to the flat nosed bullet, the "Leverlution ammo from Hornady should be great in the original Contenders. Contavt Ed Bellm's website to review so info and maybe talk with him directly??

January 22, 2009, 08:58 AM	#17
Magnum Wheel Man Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2006 Location: Southern Minnesota Posts: 9,333	BTW... JROTH... thanks for reminding me... I had that sight bookmarked... SIX... the site JROTH was refering to has a FAQ's section defining the diference between all 3 models, you may find it interesting... I did... http://www.bellmtcs.com/store/index.php?cid=110 __________________ In life you either make dust or eat dust...

April 16, 2021, 08:37 PM	#18
gemihur Member Join Date: July 5, 2011 Location: VA ridgelines Posts: 52	My recommendation would be one of Mike's favorites 222 Rem Mag Imp https://www.bellmtcs.com/blog/222-rem-mag-improved/ Especially since 204 Ruger brass is readily available.

April 16, 2021, 08:39 PM	#19
gemihur Member Join Date: July 5, 2011 Location: VA ridgelines Posts: 52	https://www.bellmtcs.com/blog/don-bo...andgun-course/

April 17, 2021, 12:38 AM	#20
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,283	Adjustable sights make the 300 yard thing not such a big deal regarding cartridge selection. While your 8 in twist 223 bbl should work great, How about adding another dimension to the game? What about a cast bullet 30-30?

April 17, 2021, 12:45 PM	#21
Siggy-06 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 1,148	I believe you can get a barrel in .243 as well. That’d be good at 300 yards no problem. __________________ Flicks just like a lighter, just a different kind of fire.

April 17, 2021, 09:46 PM	#22
jrothWA Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2006 Posts: 2,519	Well, I just paid off the.. Super 16 45-70 barrel for my Contender collection. Have two 21-inch barrel one, 30-30 and the second is .223, so it GOING to be INTERESTING come this fall. Using the 45-70 for black bear hunting, the 30/30 for deer and the .223 for coyote through the year.

April 18, 2021, 02:44 AM	#23
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	Wow. 12 year old thread. I am amazed. And I dont't think the OP is going to care at this point, he hasn't posted anything in over 4 years. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

April 18, 2021, 09:33 AM	#24
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,307	Probably right ^ __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search