7MM TCU for/with CAST BULLETS

[GARYC]

While I have reloaded quite a bit during my 65 years on the planet; I have not done so recently. Thinking about taking it up again. Some what hesitant, as the cost has risen dramatically from what I remember!

Being retired and on a limited budget, economy has to be a prime requisite!

Cast bullets would seem to be one of the best ways to lower costs. However, this too will be a big variable; depending on how much I am willing to do myself, cartridge, caliber, powder charge, etc.

While I have reloaded extensively for .22 centerfires, I can't get too excited about reloading .22 caliber cast bullets!

Doing a bit of research I discovered the 7mm TCU. It appears to be an efficient cartridge, (at least with metallic bullets) capable of handling a reasonably heavy bullet. Having always been heavily biased toward the 7mm Mauser probably helped gain my interest in the 7mm TCU!

Keep in mind I am considering the 7mm TCU primarily for informal target shooting with CAST BULLETS! Also I am not interested in TC Contender or Encor.

I thought I would start a search for a used bolt gun or (I should be s lucky) Ruger # 1, OR? I would than have it rebarreled. I will do the stock work myself. After initial cost, seems this would provide a fairly economical, fun gun to shoot regularly!?

Any one have any experience or thoughts they would like to share about such a project?

Regards,

GaryC

[badgeredd]

Gary,

Welcome aboard.

I just started casting and loading for the 7 TCU as did another forum member.

I can't find it now, but Junior1942 did an excellent article on the 7 TCU and the 7mm Soupcan boolit. The 7 Soupcan is available from Midsouth.

I've not yet bought the Soupcan mold but I have loaded some Lyman 287448 boolits in the TCU. I'm having reasonable success with it and want to try other projectiles of the cast type in the future. My current boolit is weighing in about 125 grains with lube and check.

I love to load for several 22 centerfire cartridges but I must admit it takes a little patience to start casting consistently good 22 caliber boolits. I'm not saying they're extremely hard to cast but many find they have to kinda work down to the little buggers. On the plus side, I've had a lot of fun with the 22 Hornet, 221 Fireball, 22 SuperJet and 218 Masburn Bee. Also have gotten some pretty good results from the 223.

Load data for the 7mm TCU is to be had in the Tompson Center Reloading Manual including some for cast bullets.

Edd


While I have reloaded quite a bit during my 65 years on the planet; I have not done so recently. Thinking about taking it up again. Some what hesitant, as the cost has risen dramatically from what I remember!

Being retired and on a limited budget, economy has to be a prime requisite!

Cast bullets would seem to be one of the best ways to lower costs. However, this too will be a big variable; depending on how much I am willing to do myself, cartridge, caliber, powder charge, etc.

While I have reloaded extensively for .22 centerfires, I can't get too excited about reloading .22 caliber cast bullets!

Doing a bit of research I discovered the 7mm TCU. It appears to be an efficient cartridge, (at least with metallic bullets) capable of handling a reasonably heavy bullet. Having always been heavily biased toward the 7mm Mauser probably helped gain my interest in the 7mm TCU!

Keep in mind I am considering the 7mm TCU primarily for informal target shooting with CAST BULLETS! Also I am not interested in TC Contender or Encor.

I thought I would start a search for a used bolt gun or (I should be s lucky) Ruger # 1, OR? I would than have it rebarreled. I will do the stock work myself. After initial cost, seems this would provide a fairly economical, fun gun to shoot regularly!?

Any one have any experience or thoughts they would like to share about such a project?

Regards,

GaryC

[badgeredd]

One thing I forgot when I made the last post...I have also shot cast in a 6mm TCU rifle I built many years ago on a Remington 78 Sportsman action. Fun rifle with heavier 6mm boolits.

Edd

[mpmarty]

Find an old 7mm mauser and have the barrel turned off, cut off, rethreaded and chambered for your 7mm TCU.

[GARYC]

Thanks for your input Particular thanks to "badgeredd"! A little research uncovered the article by "junior1942" you mentioned. Very enlightening.

GARYC

[Norbrat]

I've shot 7TCU extensively in my T/C, both in 10" and 14" barrels.

I cast a 160gn bore riding boolit using a Cast Bullet Engineering mould; the design is very similar to the SAECO 071.

But there is no need for such a heavy boolit; I use it to ensure 200 yd rams fall down when hit!

It is a good, efficient, compact cartridge; some blokes here have made up rifles to shoot 500 yd silhouettes as they can build them from small actions as the bolt head is the same as .223 etc.

And of course brass is cheap or even free.

Good luck with it.

[quilbilly]

I have both a T/C carbine (18" bbl) and a T/c handgun (10" bbl) and both shoot the Lee 130 gr RNGC and the Lee Bator 140 gr FNGC cast boolits beautifully. I especially enjoy the 130 gr boolit for targets since it routinely gets MOA or better groups at 100 yds. I would not hesitate to use the the Bator boolit on deer.

[Nobade]

I built my daughter a 7MM TCU on a Tikka 595, and it has been a wonderful success for her. She primarily uses it for our cast bullet silhouette match, to 200M. But she has also successfully employed it for highpower silhouette to 500M with good results. It is exceptionally accurate with cast boolits, easily holding 1 1/4 MOA off the bench and often doing a lot better than that. Most of the time it is loaded with either the SAECO 160 or the Lee soupcan over IMR 4227. That makes a nice easy shooting load in the 1800 fps range. For highpower we used AA2230 and the SAECO boolit. I think it was doing in the neighborhood of 2250 fps, and was adequate for the rams. Pretty much duplicates a 30-30 for energy and trajectory. Brass is free, doesn't use much powder, works fine with cast at absolute full throttle, what's not to like?

Oh, I shoot the same round in my TC Contender for highpower standing pistol. I load it with the RCBS 130gr. 270 boolit, paper patched. Powder is also AA2230. That also shoots very well and velocity is high enough to not need any sight changes from 50 to 200M. I haven't tried any paper patched boolits in the rifle yet, but need to do that before long.

[stubshaft]

I used a 7TCU for many years to shoot production in silly wett. It is a very efficient cartridge and is easy to find an accurate load for it. My favorite boolit was/is the RCBS 145 ahead of 2230 powder. Shot many 40's with it and a couple of hogs to boot.

[mx5tc]

snip... Also I am not interested in TC Contender or Encor.

I thought I would start a search for a used bolt gun or (I should be s lucky) Ruger # 1, OR? I would than have it rebarreled. I will do the stock work myself. After initial cost, seems this would provide a fairly economical, fun gun to shoot regularly!?

Any one have any experience or thoughts they would like to share about such a project?

Regards,

GaryC

Gary,

Any particular reason why you wouldn't start with a used Contender or Encore??? They are both relatively inexpensive used and capable of very good accuracy (if you understand the limitations of the break open design and take the time to measure and control headspace). If you're trying to do this project on a budget, a used Contender in 7mm/TCU is probably the least expensive alternative.

You can also get a used NEF single shot HandiRifle and have a gunsmith re-barrel it to 7m/TCU via a barrel stub process (David White is an expert at doing this and has reasonable prices). An earlier poster suggested reworking an old 7mm Mauser barrel and using a Mauser. I'd probably opt to get new unchambered 7mm barrel in the profile I wanted and have it chambered in 7mm/TCU rather than spend the money to cut off, re-thread, re-crown and re-chamber a 50 year old barrel.

Another thought would be to see if you can get an unchambered 7mm barrel for a Savage 110. Savage 110s and Stevens 200s both sell for very reasonable prices used and are "user friendly" with their barrel nut method of setting headspace.

Good luck with your project and keep us informed of your progress. I've got a 14" 7mm/TCU barrel for my Contender that I want to try boolits in too!

Mitch

[357maximum]

I am just beginning a 7TCU cast journey of my own....please keep it coming fellas. I will be playing with the MidSouth Soupcan very shortly. Waiting on time to play and my range to be accessible is all. This "winter" has left my range access a total mess.

[jblee10]

I am currently working on a Stevens 200 action (223) and converting it to 7mm tcu. Making a single shot is simple. But I already know that the magazine will need some work to function properly. The shoulder of the TCU is wider so the mag needs to be opened up in that area. Also, I am looking at removing the block in the magazine so I can load longer rounds. The bolt throw will have to be increased, but that is simple also. Actually, nothing about the project is that difficult, I just need some more time.

[kenyerian]

I enjoy shooting my 7TCU contender. I've shot several different Boolits thru it and it seems to do best with the 071 GC SAECO Mold . Haven't tried the soup can or the Bator.

[wellfedirishman]

I have had good luck with the 7mm TCU in a Contender using cast bullets. It seems to be a very accurate and easy to load cartridge. I have used the RCBS 146 grain (approx) bullet with light loads and it shoots great.

[Yance]

Since I "had" to have a mould for my 7MM Mauser Rolling Block I picked up a Lyman 287346 135 GR RN that would work fine in my Super 14" Contender.

I jumped on The 7TCU bandwagon when they first came out. Recently I picked up a Bullberry custom 6X47, (6MMX.222 Mag) that should be a lot of fun with those "other" bullets. The efficiency of the .222 Mag/.223 based quarter bores is impressive. It'd be nice to run across a ratty Rem 700 short action to rebarrel to 6.5 TCU. Maybe someday...:smile:

[DrB]

My 7mm tc/u in 14" contender is great, sub moa with the right loads.

I've done a lot of subsonic work the last few months, and the 7mm hunter molds as sold here by noe was as good as any I've tried, and personally it worked better for me than the soupcan. The 7m hunter is heavier... Much heavier and you cannot reliably stabilize the bullet subsonically in the 1:10 twist barrels (i tested up to about 184 grs with the rcbs 165 sil).

If you are set against the contenders or encores, I would second the suggestion of a lightweight cz or a savage. It seems like I only hear good things.

DrB

[lbaize3]

I have a Rem XP-100 and Ruger bolt rifle, both rebarreled to 7TCU with a long throat for the heavier, longer boolits. I have cast some SAECO 145 grain boolits that I have not had a chance to load and shoot, yet. And I have placed an order with the NOE group buy for a 150 grain Hunter boolit mold. Any load data for a jacketed bullet will work for a cast boolit of the same weight IF you start low and work your way up. I am looking forward to shooting cast out of my pistol and rifle.

[GARYC]

Thanks again for EVERYONE'S input! Really some helpful stuff. I think a 7mm TCU is definitely in my future!

Concerning a TC CONTENDER OR ENCOR. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AGAINST THEM! EVERYTHING I HAVE EVER HEARD HAS BEEN POSITIVE! While I have no experience with TC. I owned a Savage Mod 24 in .357/20 gauge! Break open action but probably not as precision as a TC. I loved that little gun though. Developed many very accurate .357 loads for it. Unfortunately it and 27 other long guns were stolen in 1990. Largely explains my getting away from reloading! My personal preference for shooting off a bench leans toward a bolt or falling/rolling block action. Just me!

GaryC

[marshall623]

7 TCU is a excellent cast bullet choice. My 10" T/C like 130 soup cans and it loves 160 lymans cast with WW with 4% tin added just for those . I dont have one but the 145 RCBS is good choice. Powders I started out with unique it shot very well for light loads . Some shooters on another site turned me onto SR 4759 and I never looked back. Bolt guns are awsome in 7 TCU One of these days I'll have a XP 100 and it very well may be a 223 rebarrelled to 7 TCU

[357maximum]

I will be running some loads with HERCO......I went a bit nutsy cuckoo buying it on a good deal a few years ago. :groner: I need to alleviate some space on the shelf.;) I already did my safety check loads and have the test loads waiting to be shot for accuracy. Herco actually burns really clean in my dead stock TC 10 incher.

[Olevern]

Find an old 7mm mauser and have the barrel turned off, cut off, rethreaded and chambered for your 7mm TCU.

A more moderrn rifle action in .223 would work better, don't know how you would get a 7mm Mauser bolt extractor to work extracting a .223 casing (which the tcu is based on)

for what it's worth

[Junior1942]

A more moderrn rifle action in .223 would work better, don't know how you would get a 7mm Mauser bolt extractor to work extracting a .223 casing (which the tcu is based on)

for what it's worthHummmmm. . . . That sounds like a switch barrel Savage originally in 223 would work. Wonder if the long nosed 168 RCBS in 7mmTCU would feed from the magazine???? The COAL of mine = 2.500".

[lbaize3]

Junior1942, you are right on the money with the Savage. The same action is used for the 223 and 308. All you have to do is cut the ejector back so that the 7tcu with a long boolit will come back far enough to eject the loaded cartridge. Easy as pie.... If memory serves me right, the COL for the 308 is 2.800, there should be plenty of room. Also, the throat of the chamber needs to be cut longer to allow for the longer boolits. This was done in both my Ruger rifle and my XP100 pistol.

[Ben_51004]

Gary,
I think you have a great idea there. I've shot 7 TCU in both 10" and 14" Contender only, and started with the Lee C285-130-R bullet with promising results. That bullet may be an inexpensive starting place for ya. And yes, they're a lot easier to handle then those .22 lead pills! A single shot is a great idea IMHO, a Ruger would be super! I also agree that any bolt with a small bolt face would be a great platform to work with. Since "plinking" is your goal, magazine feed is not critical I assume. I do understand that there are sometimes feed issues with the 7 TCU working through .223 magazines because of the difference in body taper between the two cartridges. Still, I'd be glad to work with a Rem 700, for instance.
I like your idea about doing your own stock work, but I've been there and done that, so I'd likely pick up one of the Hogue pillar bedded stocks if I was working with a Rem 700. Choices are much more limited for most single shots, however.
Good luck, and keep us informed on how the project progresses. ~Ben~

[357maximum]

Ran some loads over the beta today here are the highlights.

Lee/Miidsouth Soupcan Boolit 139 Grains lubed/checked and ready to fly in my dead stock 10" contender bull barrel wearing a bushnell 2X6 scope.

It was a bit gusty but the wind was at my back for the most part. The rest was rock solid so I do not see these loads doing much better without another nut behind the bolt. ;)

10 shot groups:

9.0 Grains HERCO
Rem 7.5 Primer
(my fireform load)(very pleasant load to shoot)(this is a lower velocity but not a lower pressure load as my contender says it is very near max for this particular gun)
avg fps @ 1505 FPS
E.S of 28fps
Just a tick over 2inch @ 100 yards


26.0 Grains H322
rem 7.5 sparkplug
(possibly my deer hunting load this year?)
avg fps @ 1954
E.S of 51fps
Right at 1.25inches @ 100 yards

[Shuz]

The 7mmTCU, also known as the 7mm Ugalde, is an excellent cartridge for IHMSA competition.
For many years it was THE winningist chambering in the Production Class in the Thompson Center as well as other guns. My wife and I had TC's and XP-100 bolt guns chambered for this cartridge and found the Saeco 070 and H-322 to be a wonderful combo. Our IHMSA days are long gone now, but I still hold on to my 7mmTCU chambered TC that now wears a 4X EER Leupold. That combo has kilt lotsa deer.

[runnin lead]

I used the SAECO 071 out of my Contender 7TCU & XP 7-08
It's been a long time,closest match is over 4 hour drive now.
Last spring on one of many rainey days I cast about 15 # of 071's
I am just now finaly working on some test loads with those for my 7-08 rifle
With a Savage action the bolt face can be changed.
You could have Shilen make you a drop in barrel for a Savage with your choice of
chambering ,contour & twist.
You would need a barrel nut wrench,barrelvise & a set of go-nogo gauges & would not need a gunsmith.
I am starting to dream aout a 358 Win barrel ,I think it woud be a fun one with cast.

[canyon-ghost]

7mmTCU is one of my 'always on the shelf' calibers. I bought a used barrel for Contender, a 10", at a gunshow. The guys have loaded it with j-words way on out past 300 yards! It usually calls for a scope. In cast, it has a very tight group at 100 yards, even if you are only loading it casually as I am. Brass is easy to make, I use a Redding set.

The 135 grain Lyman is the one I've shot to 200 yards. A 200 yard handgun is an awesome thing. http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx228/3rdshooter/2007083.jpg

[DrB]

Guys, I'm seeing a lot of mention of the soupcan but not the 7mm hunter.

Have folks tried both and found the hunter wanting in comparison?

I ask because I did try both and had superior results with the hunter... However, I had a sufficient supply of the hunters and a mold for same, whereas my supply of soup cans for my trial was donated and limited.

I am wondering if I should reevaluate the soupcan?

[canyon-ghost]

I used the 7mm Lyman, 135 grain gas checked. I water quenched them. My 145 grain RCBS didn't work out, too much bore ride for the short barrel.

Lyman 135 grain gas checked
15.8 grains of SR 4759

[Alan in Vermont]

When the TCU was barely a toddler I was campaigning a 10" Contender chambered for it in production class. This is a long time back, we're talking late 70s/early 80s so my memory isn't dredging up many details other than that it was a winning combination. There was a while when IHMSA was very active here in VT with three ranges holding sactioned matches.

I was using the fruit of a Lyman 287405LX (anybody know what the "LX" stands for?) for all but the rams, where I went to a 150 Hornady J-bullet. Common thought back then was that cast wouldn't hold up to full house loads in high pressure cartridges.

I can't remember, or find any notes, but whatever I was loading had both the accuracy top stay on the steel out to 200 M and the horsepower to take the steel down with any reasonable hit.