Cast in the Contender

[TCLouis]

So far, except for the 7mm TCU (and current 357 Mag project) I have yet to get great or even good accuracy with cast in the Contender.

This 357 Mag barrel is like the 45-70, NO throat, the chamber apparently ends at the rifling and there is 90 degree angle on the ends of the rifling.

At thast it may still be a better thing than the AWFUL "throats" in most TC barrels.

Any way looking for loads/info for 30 Herrett, 357 Herrett, 30-30 for starters.

Plinkers to Hunting loads appreciated if ya got one!

[357maximum]

http://www.bellmtcs.com/

Look under,,,rechambers...might like it in your 357 barrel...He makes the TC chamber mistakes go away...

[leftiye]

357.... Would it take more that a throating reamer (with leade) to solve these problems? I've got a few contender barrels , but I've never actually cast any of the chambers. Seemed that the 218 bee muct have had a throat, and leade or I'd have had to retract the bullet back into the case rather than seat it out.

[357maximum]

Basically his method jumps you to the next longer round...say for example...

taking a 357 mag to a 357 maximum ...you get rid of some of tc's less than Ideal throating arrangements that way....

[bobthenailer]

i have 2 contender barrels 1 in 32/20 and another in 7mm tcu both refused to shoot cast bullets to my liking . in the 32/20 i used a 165 grgc rcbs & saeco 120 grgc rn with at least 6 powders and bullets sized to .309 & .310 , conversley these 2 bullets shoot excellent in my rpm XL in 32 /20 with many different powders. for the 7 tcu i tried 4 different cast bullets all in the 145 to 160 gr range with no luck after useing 8 different powders, but both the 32/20 & the 7 tcu shoot jacketed bullets as well as can be expected. bob

[leftiye]

Great! In other words don't buy a contender barrel unless you want it for a rechamber job. Luckily, my latest purchase was a .22 Hornet to rechamber to .221 fireball. I also have a 30-30 bbl that 1 shoot 180 Lewellen rngc boolits in- seated out almost to be hanging in the wind! Must have some throat. Were the older barrels better? One could see a 45-70 bbl for a contender not having a throat, it's going to maim you from recoil with 300 grainers (which would crimp on the shoulder , if they were crimped)!

[okiecruffler]

One thing you might try for kicks. My 357mag Contender barrel wil chamber 360 DW brass as is. Gets you a little closer to the lands. I haven't had much time to play with it, but it might work out pretty good and save me a 357 max rechamber. But it shoots great as a mag even with the long jump.

[Topper]

30 Herrett fairs well with the Lee 150gr FPGC and 17.8gr H110.

[TCLouis]

Thanks, I have a 150 RCBS that I will try in the Herretts (10 and 14 Inch).
The issue with the 357 (at least mine) is the same as the 45-70s (I have 14 and 16 inchers) the chamber ends abruptly with sharp ends or the rifling, NO throat. I played very little with boolits in the 5-70s, but the first load with Hornady 300 gr. HP coated projectile was so accurate and moseying along at 1586 fps I don't have a need to try anything else.

All other Contender barrels have a throat longer than any boolit I care to shoot in them. Absolutely NO threat of driving the pressure up by having the boolit engaging the rifling . . . it would be lying in the barrel in front of the case some distance.

[Dan in Wa]

Topper,
Have you tried IMR 4198 in your .30 HERRETT?
That and AA2015 have been the best for me.
Case life is much better also.

[fourarmed]

The .32-20 Contender barrels and throats vary a lot. Mine is one of the LH twists with a very long throat, and I had good accuracy with the 165 Leadhead gc bullet (looks like the RCBS 308-165-SIL) at just over 1000 fps with 4227. I just bought the RCBS mold to try in it. It cast oversize until I seated the alignment pins a little deeper. The oversize ones fit my Merrill .30-30 barrel nicely, but are too big for the Contender bore. I haven't tried them in the throat yet.