Trailboss and the 6.5mm TCU

[Nobade]

Yesterday I tried some of the 129gr. Kurtz bullets from BRP's mould in my 6.5 TCU rifle, seated to the base of the neck and loaded over a 90% charge of Trailboss. Shooting from the bench at 200M, I could watch the bullets fly through the riflescope. Just like shooting 22lr! The neat thing is they all piled into a group the size of a quarter. That powder isn't speedy but it sure is consistant. I'm gonna try that load in our local 1/2 scale silhouette match, since recoil is nonexistant it ought to be nice to shoot. BTW, bullets are tumble lubed, no gas check.

I also have a 7mm TCU rifle I built on a Tikka action. Have to try that one with Trailboss next.

[Fishman]

What charge weight were you using if you don't mind me asking? Contender carbine I presume? I've been thinking about one for a while, either the 6.5 or perhaps the 7 mm version. Ever use either for hunting?

[Nobade]

7.2gr. It is a 90% fill, IIRC. The rifle is a Remington 700, originally a .223 that I rebuilt into a TCU. (Single shot only, rounds are way too long to feed.) A friend made me a deal too good to pass up on the shot out Kreiger barrel from his F class rifle. I cut a foot off the back, contoured it, and used that.

The 7 TCU is a Tikka 595, barrel originally was a Rem 7mm-08 varmint barrel that got cut off and contoured for that one. I am really liking the TCU cartridges in bolt guns. Cheap brass, little powder, hardly any recoil, and amazingly accurate.

I haven't hunted anything with them, but there is no reason either wouldn't work. The 6.5 with 95gr. V Max bullets would make a wicked varmint gun. Either would easily kill a deer with the right bullet. One neat thing about the 6.5 is using a 123gr. Scenar it exactly matches the trajectory of a 308 out to 1000 yards, just kicks a lot less.

[leadman]

I used a 120gr Ballistic Tip in my Contender pistol to take an antelope at 255 yards this fall in Wyoming. My barrel is a 14" including the muzzlebrake. muzzle velocity was only 2050 fps.
Bullet went thru both front shoulders, antelope was laying about 20 yards from where he was shot. Exit hols was about 1 1/2".
Much better performance than I anticipated.

[Fishman]

Thanks for the info Nobade. Your reasons to like the cartridge makes sense. I was thinking that in the contender length wouldn't be an issue so I'm enamored with that idea. Now to find a 14" bull barrel:)

Leadman, I assume that was the 6.5 based on bullet weight and velocity. That certainly is good performance out of a little package! Thanks for the data point.