Your thoughts on 30 30 Contender - Page 3

ammo.crafter · September 6, 2010, 10:02 AM

Had one and converted it to a 300 Bellm Stuart...it's the 30-30 fire formed to square the shoulder increasing powder capacity and still maintaining safe pressure levels for a Contender.
I must say that if you are looking for a great deer cartridge and an accurate cartridge consider a 7-30 Waters.

There is no comparison in recoil between 30-30 and 44 mag. Not even close! The 30-30 will roar and the 44 mag merely purrs

45long · April 2, 2018, 08:37 AM

I know this is an old thread but just had to remark on this . I saw all the Comments about recoil on the 30-30 barrel. I did have a barrel years ago and it indeed was a palm bruiser.
However, I was shooting factory 150gr loads. If you are a reloader, things change ....considerably....

I sold my Contender ,but here 35 years later I bought another and have 6 barrels .One of which is the super 14" bull barrel... I load this barrel with a handload of a 125 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip over enough AA2015 powder to send it 1800-1900+FPS. The Nosler expands nicely at that velocity range. (note:Awesome deer stopper) At the range I have my bipod on and the recoil is similar to my .223 14" barrel. I can actually one-hand this setup "easy"....even without the bipod. And I'm a wussy when it comes to recoil.

I have also read reviews on the 30-30 Contenders not being accurate. Saying they only get 2-3" groups at 100 yards with the 23" rifle barrel.. Again, this is where handloading prevails...

The problem with the 30-30 factory ammo is that it's designed around the Levergun with blunt nosed bullets with a bad B.C and S.D . With the Contender being a singleshot . you no longer have to worry about the point of the bullet setting off the next round in a tubular magazine and can now run the sharpest pointed bullet you prefer.

Again I am quite aware of this being an old Thread but felt the recoil issue defiantly needed addressing.

hagar · April 2, 2018, 10:07 AM

I had a 16 inch 30/30, liked it a lot when in rifle configuration. Could load all kinds of pointy bullets since I did not own any other 30/30's. Was pretty accurate as well. Sold off the barrel like a fool..

Cheapshooter · April 2, 2018, 10:54 AM

Another vote for the 7-30 Waters. If you are already a handloader brass is very easy to make.
But a warning if you are considering a 'Tender.
What ever you get won't be your last barrel!!!

Mine,
22LR 14" match
22 Hornet 12"
223 Remington Super14
7-30 Waters Super 14
30 Harrett 12"
357 Harrett 12"
35 Remington Super 14
45-70 12"

stinkeypete · April 3, 2018, 02:50 PM

Lots of good info here.

I am just selling my 30-30 carbine barrel and as a carbine, it’s absolutely fantastic in the Contender. My absolute favorite loads were the 100 grain half jacket plinkers using Bullseye to push them subsonic. Very accurate, easy and quiet. The Nosler ballistic tip in 130 grains opened up like a Lilly and the deer took but a few steps and fell over. Internal damage was spooky. It’s my favorite contender carbine cartridge and the last one to leave my hands.

In a pistol barrel, I dunno. After pushing smaller calibers as hard as I could, I drifted to .45 Colt. For me, it was a revelation. You can work really hard and beat yourself up with small and as fast as you can go with huge blast and wicked hand punishment- or just start out with a big bore and some 2400. In the end, my Contender became a nice lightweight single shot carbine and I became a Ruger single action convert. And the xtp still expands even more.

In the light carbine, I was not shooting a stout load. They were wimpy. The Nosler ballistic tip did most of the dirty work.

Ledslnger · April 5, 2018, 05:40 PM

I am not a fan of that caliber. Lots of others. I too would go with the Encore frame. Maybe look at a 6.8 SPC, 221 Fireball, 243, etc. barrel over a 30-30.

darkgael · April 13, 2018, 06:19 AM

My previous post in the thread was in 2009. Where did the time go?
About .30-30 accuracy in the Contender. As noted by others...handloads make a difference. I have never fired factory loadings in either my 10” pistol barrel or my 16” carbine. I did watch my son shoot a five shot one inch 100 yard group with the Carbine. 120 grain cast bullets. That is accurate enough for me. I have never grouped my ten inch barrel. I can hit what i shoot at at 50 yards. Good enough.
Recently, i picked up a 14” .30 Herrett. Still working that out.

Don P · April 13, 2018, 07:57 AM

9 years resurrected from the dead

September 6, 2010, 10:02 AM	#51
ammo.crafter Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2006 Location: The Keystone State Posts: 1,970	30-30 Had one and converted it to a 300 Bellm Stuart...it's the 30-30 fire formed to square the shoulder increasing powder capacity and still maintaining safe pressure levels for a Contender. I must say that if you are looking for a great deer cartridge and an accurate cartridge consider a 7-30 Waters. There is no comparison in recoil between 30-30 and 44 mag. Not even close! The 30-30 will roar and the 44 mag merely purrs __________________ "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading". --Thomas Jefferson Last edited by ammo.crafter; September 6, 2010 at 10:05 AM. Reason: more info

April 2, 2018, 08:37 AM	#52
45long Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2011 Location: SW Missouri Posts: 106	30-30 Contender gets bad rap for Recoil, Accuracy I know this is an old thread but just had to remark on this . I saw all the Comments about recoil on the 30-30 barrel. I did have a barrel years ago and it indeed was a palm bruiser. However, I was shooting factory 150gr loads. If you are a reloader, things change ....considerably.... I sold my Contender ,but here 35 years later I bought another and have 6 barrels .One of which is the super 14" bull barrel... I load this barrel with a handload of a 125 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip over enough AA2015 powder to send it 1800-1900+FPS. The Nosler expands nicely at that velocity range. (note:Awesome deer stopper) At the range I have my bipod on and the recoil is similar to my .223 14" barrel. I can actually one-hand this setup "easy"....even without the bipod. And I'm a wussy when it comes to recoil. I have also read reviews on the 30-30 Contenders not being accurate. Saying they only get 2-3" groups at 100 yards with the 23" rifle barrel.. Again, this is where handloading prevails... The problem with the 30-30 factory ammo is that it's designed around the Levergun with blunt nosed bullets with a bad B.C and S.D . With the Contender being a singleshot . you no longer have to worry about the point of the bullet setting off the next round in a tubular magazine and can now run the sharpest pointed bullet you prefer. Again I am quite aware of this being an old Thread but felt the recoil issue defiantly needed addressing. __________________ N0MJP

April 2, 2018, 10:07 AM	#53
hagar Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2000 Location: Colombia, SC Posts: 745	I had a 16 inch 30/30, liked it a lot when in rifle configuration. Could load all kinds of pointy bullets since I did not own any other 30/30's. Was pretty accurate as well. Sold off the barrel like a fool.. __________________ I don't have time for busy people

April 2, 2018, 10:54 AM	#54
Cheapshooter Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 8,306	Another vote for the 7-30 Waters. If you are already a handloader brass is very easy to make. But a warning if you are considering a 'Tender. What ever you get *won't be your last barrel!!!* Mine, 22LR 14" match 22 Hornet 12" 223 Remington Super14 7-30 Waters Super 14 30 Harrett 12" 357 Harrett 12" 35 Remington Super 14 45-70 12" __________________ Cheapshooter's rules of gun ownership #1: NEVER SELL OR TRADE ANYTHING!

April 13, 2018, 06:19 AM	#57
darkgael Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2006 Location: Homes in Brooklyn, NY and in Pennsylvania. Posts: 5,473	My previous post in the thread was in 2009. Where did the time go? About .30-30 accuracy in the Contender. As noted by others...handloads make a difference. I have never fired factory loadings in either my 10” pistol barrel or my 16” carbine. I did watch my son shoot a five shot one inch 100 yard group with the Carbine. 120 grain cast bullets. That is accurate enough for me. I have never grouped my ten inch barrel. I can hit what i shoot at at 50 yards. Good enough. Recently, i picked up a 14” .30 Herrett. Still working that out. __________________ “Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.” Ernest Hemingway ... NRA Life Member

April 3, 2018, 02:50 PM	#55
stinkeypete Senior Member Join Date: July 22, 2010 Location: Madison, Wisconsin Posts: 1,293	Lots of good info here. I am just selling my 30-30 carbine barrel and as a carbine, it’s absolutely fantastic in the Contender. My absolute favorite loads were the 100 grain half jacket plinkers using Bullseye to push them subsonic. Very accurate, easy and quiet. The Nosler ballistic tip in 130 grains opened up like a Lilly and the deer took but a few steps and fell over. Internal damage was spooky. It’s my favorite contender carbine cartridge and the last one to leave my hands. In a pistol barrel, I dunno. After pushing smaller calibers as hard as I could, I drifted to .45 Colt. For me, it was a revelation. You can work really hard and beat yourself up with small and as fast as you can go with huge blast and wicked hand punishment- or just start out with a big bore and some 2400. In the end, my Contender became a nice lightweight single shot carbine and I became a Ruger single action convert. And the xtp still expands even more. In the light carbine, I was not shooting a stout load. They were wimpy. The Nosler ballistic tip did most of the dirty work.

April 5, 2018, 05:40 PM	#56
Ledslnger Member Join Date: March 20, 2018 Posts: 60	I am not a fan of that caliber. Lots of others. I too would go with the Encore frame. Maybe look at a 6.8 SPC, 221 Fireball, 243, etc. barrel over a 30-30.

April 13, 2018, 07:57 AM	#58
Don P Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2005 Location: Swamp dweller Posts: 6,187	9 years resurrected from the dead __________________ *NRA Life Member, NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, NRA Certified Pistol Instructor,, USPSA & Steel Challange NROI Range Officer, ICORE Range Officer, ,MAG 40 Graduate* *As you are, I once was, As I am, You will be.*