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View Full Version : Small 30 cal choices in a Contender



bdoyle
04-17-2007, 10:13 AM
Considering a new Contender barrel in 30 caliber. I have a 30-30 but it seems a bit large a case for the plinken I have in mind. The 32-20(30-20) looks pretty good but I am concerned about brass availability. 30 carbine looks decent also.
Leaning towards 300/221 (300 whisper). Seems you can use 223 brass on this one but the dies are a bit pricey. Also looks like 357max brass can be used for a rimmed version.
I am looking to use 120gr to 180 gr cast for 25 to 50 yard plinking. Any particular advantage to either of these?

Brian

Scrounger
04-17-2007, 10:57 AM
Perplexing post. What do you need 180 grain bullets (.30 cal) for plinking? Sounds like you should stay with the .30-30. Now if a small thirty will do, don't worry about brass, they're still turning out large quantities of .30 carbine and .32-20. If you can live with 100 to 120 grain bullets, it becomes a question of how much velocity do you need: The .32-20 is going to give you about 1200 FPS, the .30 Carbine, because it is loaded to a higher pressure, up to maybe 2000 FPS. Consider the .357, Mag or Max: Bullets 110 gr to over 200; velocities of over 2000 with the lighter weight bullet to over 1500 with the heaviest bullets. And the .357 has kept me from getting tangled up with the .32-20 and .30 Carbine for 40 years: What will they do that the .357 won't do better???? If you're not likely to meet up with any dangerous game, I think the .357, Mag or Max, with a 125 grain bullet at anywhere between 1500 and 2500 FPS will fill the bill perfectly.

versifier
04-17-2007, 12:17 PM
Hmmm. I am a big fan of my .30carbine Contender. However, it prefers boolits in the 110-120gr range and with them is an excellent round for small game hunting. I agree with Scrounger, if you want to be shooting boolits in the 180gr range, go with the .30-30 or .357mag or max. Shooting heavy boolits out of the .30-30Contender is not a pleasant plinking experience, though good grips take the sting out of it considerably. The Whisper is designed to throw heavy boolits at snail velocities at metal targets - can't see any advantage to it for hunting over the .30-223 which will push 125gr boolits up to deer killing speeds. Same with the 7.62x39.
I guess I really don't understand either why you would want to be "plinking" with 180gr boolits out of tiny cases, but it seems that of the options, you might be happiest with the Whisper. It is not the most versatile cartridge out there, but it is designed to do exactly what you have in mind.

rockrat
04-17-2007, 12:56 PM
My 32-20(30-20) is not in a contender, but a MOA. Used to shoot the RCBS 30-165 boolit in IHMSA all the time. Pushed it pretty stout for such a little case. No problems with case life. Think I would lean towards the 32-20. You might want to think of the 7.62 x 39 also. Have a barrel for my MOA in that caliber also. Bit stouter than the 32-20, but not too bad. Did I recommend the 32-20 already!![smilie=1:

bdoyle
04-17-2007, 04:56 PM
Why 180gr bullets? Why not? Thought it might be different to try them out. I am more interested in lighter loads and I am thinking do I really need a case as big as a 30-30? I considered the 7.62X39 but I don't want to take chances on any factory loads finding their way in my contender.
I have the 357 max barrel(as well as a Ruger SRM) and just wanted something different. I usually use the heavier bullets in the '06 and 30-40. I have the soupcan mould, 311465, 311466, RCBS-150 and thought they might be fun to play around with.

Thanks for the comments so far. I guess it will all come down to which barrel I come across first at the right price. Started down this path thinking 32-20 but the 30 carbine is awful attractive.

Brian

Scrounger
04-17-2007, 05:18 PM
Did I just answer a question that wasn't really asked? I'm going to practice keeping my mouth shut for awhile...

wiljen
04-17-2007, 08:44 PM
why not the 30 Herrett? or maybe a 7.62x39?

357maximum
04-17-2007, 10:45 PM
32 H&R mag with a 308 bore??? My dad loves his, simple to handload/ fun as all get out to empty...????sumptin to think on

Lloyd Smale
04-18-2007, 05:57 AM
whats wrong with what you have. I load 3030s with 120 grain 3220 bullets sized down to 310 with 8 grains of unique. Recoil is about like a 22 and there very accurate too.

JSH
04-18-2007, 07:09 AM
Considering a new Contender barrel in 30 caliber. I have a 30-30 but it seems a bit large a case for the plinken I have in mind. The 32-20(30-20) looks pretty good but I am concerned about brass availability. 30 carbine looks decent also.
Leaning towards 300/221 (300 whisper). Seems you can use 223 brass on this one but the dies are a bit pricey. Also looks like 357max brass can be used for a rimmed version.
I am looking to use 120gr to 180 gr cast for 25 to 50 yard plinking. Any particular advantage to either of these?

Brian



I am looking to use 120gr to 180 gr cast for 25 to 50 yard plinking. Any particular advantage to either of these?

If that is all you intend to do with it, plink the smaller case is a good choice. If you would ever be inclined to hunt with it the 30-30 gets the nod.
I have had the 30x221 in the TC, the 30-20 is so close to the same it is not measureable in the accuracy department. The rimmed case I find a bit more user friendly in the break open type guns.
The 30-20 is one of my favorite CB shooters to play with.
Jeff

bdoyle
04-18-2007, 10:17 AM
I guess what it comes down to is I'm just looking for something different. My 30-30 barrel shoots great but I like to have a fuller case so then it is very obvious if I were to double charge. Hasn't happend yet but I have dumped cases to make sure the charges are correct if I get out of sync. Just thought the smaller case would simplify things.

Is there that much difference between the TC30-20 and what is the accepted 32-20? Would it be noticable with cast bullets which tend to be a bit oversize?

Thanks!

Brian

felix
04-18-2007, 10:36 AM
Brian, the 30 Herrett has the 44 mag capacity and would be my first choice for what you are looking for. Dies can be had for the asking, and cases are not difficult to manufacture from 30-30 using a saw-off trim die. Typical jig saw is good enough, but mo'betta' would be the same blade with one side of the blade, the one that goes against the die top, having its teeth shaven off by your friendly guy down the street with a sanding wheel. ... felix

JSH
04-18-2007, 06:19 PM
My shooting bud use a 10" 30 Herret. It is a good shooter. IMHO there isn't enough difference in the 30-30 and the 30 Herret to make the cases. Other than of course the smaller capacity as he stated above.
As to getting dies for the asking,..................
If you go with the 30 Herret, it is a whole new breed of cat. Can be a little tempermental on getting cases to last at times.
Jeff

rockrat
04-19-2007, 10:55 AM
30-20 is just the 32-20 but with a .308" bore, instead of a .311-313" bore. 32 Mag would also be a good choice. They might make carbide dies for it, so a bit easier loading for it.

357maximum
04-19-2007, 08:13 PM
RCBS does indeed make carbide 32H&R mag dies...beats lubing cases and it is one fun lil popper...I would kill a deer with it just to do it, if it were legal..

lovedogs
04-22-2007, 01:15 PM
I and several of my friends had this same dilema. We fiddled around with .256's and .30 & .35 Herrett's. It finally came to me that none of these were "plinkers", but more like "hunters". I got rid of all those I'd tried to make into plinkers and bought a .22 LR bbl. Now I can plink all I want with that. It's inexpensive to shoot and does double duty for vermin hunting. I save my .30-30 and .44 mag for hunting, their intended uses.

PPpastordon
04-24-2007, 06:52 PM
bdoyle;
Actually, the .30 Carbine case is almost exactly the same in useful capacity as the .30-20. It is so close that all the .30-20/.32-20 loads will work, and a lot heavier loads can be used if so desired. I have been known to use .30 Carbine loads in the rounds for the .32-20 cylinder that is fitted to my .30 Carbine Ruger revolver. If brass availability is the big concern for this capacity case, the .30 Carbine is the answer. Even though it is true, at least for me, that rimmed cases are "better" in single shots that the rimless .30 Carbine.

bdoyle
05-21-2007, 12:22 AM
Well, I kind of went over board and added two barrels, 30 herrett and 32-20. Should get to play with them soon. I was able to get some casting in this weekend (after a 1 year hiatus) and will be replenishing supplies. I have 50 herrett brass ready but have no brass ready for the 32-20.

Brian

JSH
05-21-2007, 07:24 AM
A bit on the 32-20 and 30-20 as far as dies;
I have Lee, Redding, Lyman and RCBS in this caliber. All are marked 32-20. All of them will work fine in my BF and TC as long as you take the "32" expander part out andreplace with a smaller caliber, if needed to hold decap pin.
I still bell the mouth a bit as these cases are pretty much just a giant Hornet case.
I shot a 30 Carbine TC a few years back, the case was not as freindly as the rimmed. My cases just fall out of my TC, regardless of projectile, from 140-200+.
Jeff