32-20 TC Contender barrel

[Leadmelter]

I have the above barrel coming in as an early present. It has a .308 bore. CH4 makes a dies set for this barrel set-up.
I am looking at boolits to make in the spring. Any recommendation on this combination? I am looking for something about 120 gr with or without a gas check so I can use in my 30 Cal barrel also.
Leadmelter
MI which is frozen now.

[Guesser]

311359 was my choice for Contenders in 32-20, 30 Carbine and 30 Herrett. Always worked well once I completed my load development.

[bobthenailer]

I had a 32/20 contender and still have a RPM XL in 32/20 both with .308 bores the XL shoots lead as good as jacketed but the contender did not like lead boolets i used the Saeco #302 120 gr & the RCBS 165 gr sil boolets sized @.309 & .310 dia and about 8 different powders the contender barrel refused to shoot any load combo accurate enough to be used in any type of match however with jacketed it was a tack driver .
A nice accurate light load is with a bulk 110 gr hornady SP 30 carbine bullet and 5.7 grs of 231 powder & std spp, around 1,300 fps and a tack driver at 50 yards.
As far as dies i use Redding 30-20 TC die set with a optional neck sizer with a .308 carbide expander .
DO NOT FULL LENGTH SIZE BRASS ONLY NECK SIZE AS ACCURACY WILL SUFFER!

[HATCH]

I size my boolits .313 for my 32-20
.308 is a undersided bore.

[JSH]

Tc barrels are .308-.307. I never had much luck with anything under a 140 cb. I use the rcbs 165 sil and WC820/AA9. It will shoot sub moa if I do my part. The bf moa and others with the 308 bore tend to have a more conventional throat. Thus lighter bullets are needed.
Jeff

[Aunegl]

The 10" 32/20 barrel is very accurate in the TC. I used to shoot IHSMA field pistol, big bore production and standing classes. In the field pistol, I used rcbs 130 gr. sp, a1680 powder, fed. primers and rem. brass. In big bore classes, I used rcbs 165 gr. silh. for chickens, pigs and turkeys. For the 200 meter rams, I used the rcbs 200 gr. silh., I trimmed the cases down to 1.28" because I noticed the batch of brass I bought had inconsistent lengths. I'd neck size and get a minimum of 10 reloads. It's a fun caliber to play with.

[bobthenailer]

Tc barrels are .308-.307. I never had much luck with anything under a 140 cb. I use the rcbs 165 sil and WC820/AA9. It will shoot sub moa if I do my part. The bf moa and others with the 308 bore tend to have a more conventional throat. Thus lighter bullets are needed.
Jeff

Thats my accuracy load with the RCBS 165 gr sil i use 9.0grs of 820 @1,327 fps and sub moa accuracy at 100 yards in my RPM XL .

[ubetcha]

The 10" 32/20 barrel is very accurate in the TC. I used to shoot IHSMA field pistol, big bore production and standing classes. In the field pistol, I used rcbs 130 gr. sp, a1680 powder, fed. primers and rem. brass. In big bore classes, I used rcbs 165 gr. silh. for chickens, pigs and turkeys. For the 200 meter rams, I used the rcbs 200 gr. silh., I trimmed the cases down to 1.28" because I noticed the batch of brass I bought had inconsistent lengths. I'd neck size and get a minimum of 10 reloads. It's a fun caliber to play with.
Aunegl
Where about did you shoot IHMSA Sil's? I belong to the only club that shoots the big bore course in that area (That I know of anywho)

PM sent.

[curioushooter]

Time to resurrect this thread. So, taking a look around, I find no neck sizing dies for 32-20. Redding's current catalog lists no neck sizing die, CH4D seems to be out of business?

I was wondering if a 30-30 FL sizing die could be cut down with a cut-off wheel to accomplish the necessary task of squishing the neck down to size to grip the .308 bullet in the 30-20? The Lee FL die appears to be minimum spec compared to my Thompson. I have one of the rare 1:14 clockwise twist barrels.

[dannyd]

You can special order a 30-20 TC from Midway. Those dies work the best for that barrel.

[curioushooter]

Thank you. The fact that they called it 30-20 and not 32-20 basically prevented me from ever finding it. It is a 30-20 actually, but I really wonder about that naming convention. Nobody calls it that even though most people know the Contenders had .308 barrels. Oh, and Brownell's has then in stock. Redding part # 81254.

[dannyd]

I had a set for over 25 years they work great. I have three 30-20 barrels two 10’s and a 6.5.

[JSH]

I partial size mine in the FL die. Some of my TC loads I am only sizing about 3/16-1/4" of the neck. Mine preferred the 165, so I never messed with anything else. I seat them out far enough that they are pretty much jammed when the action is closed.

Shoot in Kansas Region 4.

You might go to the IHMSA board and ask, could get you a full set of dies for a good price.
Jeff

[rockrat]

My barrel was marked 30-20

[35remington]

Who is making this barrel?

Edit; never mind, five year old thread resurrection. I hope for the OP’s sake in terms of lead bullet use it was not made by TC’s Custom Shop.

[JSH]

??
What does custom shop have to do with it?
If your thinking .312-.313 with .310 bullets.
I have had roughly 8 32-20 barrels and two 32 mag barrels. All the 32-20 marked slugged .309-.310, run of the mill, Fox Ridge,TCA and custom shop. The 32 mags, one was .308 the other was a .312, go figure.
One gent years ago swore he had one in .313 as that is the size of bullet he shot in it......longish throats and short bullets will allow it to chamber.

I have seen some oddities with the TC barrels marked 30-20 and or 32-20, as far as bore size. BF, MOA and excell were marked properly.

[Green Frog]

OK, now that this topic has been broached, I have heard (this was way back in pre-InterWeb days) that TC actually made some of their 32-20 barrels with a “proper” bore of .313-.314”. Does anybody here actually have such a barrel or have confirmation of such a thing?

Froggie

[35remington]

My TC custom shop barrel was cut with an overlong chamber neck and zero throat. A worse shooting lead bullet gun has never been found by me than that one.

That is why I said it.

[LIMPINGJ]

Has anyone with one of the TC barrels with no throat and did not shoot cast well tried having a throating reamer used in your chamber and did it improve the performance with cast boolits?

[35remington]

Yes, it did, but it did not cure the problem of the overlong chamber neck. Ultimately the potential of the barrel tops out lower than a properly chambered and throated barrel.

[curioushooter]

The barrel I have is perhaps unusual in that it is a clockwise 1:14 twist, but it slugs .300 bore diameter and .308 groove. Fairly consistent resistance as slug is pushed from breech to muzzle. Seems like there is accuracy potential, but I have not examined the neck area of chamber or throat.

[JSH]

The 30-20 was TC's stab at getting part of the market from the IHMSA crowd. Usage for them was directed at heavier bullets than normal for parent cartridge, thus the longish throat. My keeper 30-20 barrel will shoot a Sierra 180-190 jacketed bullet into scarey groups at 100m. They are still good at 200m, good enough for the game any way.
As times got tough and money got tight, I switched to cast exclusively. I tried bullets of 170-220 with poor results. An RCBS165 Sil mold popped up for the right price. It was purchased and cast with. That mold in that rig has made me very happy to say the least. The 165 shoots as well as the jacketed did.
The 30-20 was never put together to make the 32-20 shooters have some thing to play with. Even though the throats are more inline with what we expect, in the BF, MOA and a few others, they were still meant for heavy bullets. 150 and up.
There are those out there that have found good results with .313ish bullets jacketed and cast.
To say it is a miserable job is like saying your metric wrench does not fit your standard nut properly.

I was on the sideline many moons ago when Sierra was approached about working up loads for the 30-20. A couple of my mentors were involved. The initial base for sierras load work was a factory TC barrel with a longish throat. Loads were all worked up in the TC barrel. A BF or MOA was procured for further development of loads. It was soon found that the two loads would never be able to be interchagable, even though both were marked 30-20. All because TC gave such a generous throat/lead and the second gun was chambered more as a match type chambering. This threw it basically into a wildcat type of territory because of the variance. I have the original lab work sheets that I have shared with some in the past, only for a reference of loads.

I have seen where some SOB has sold these as "his"load work up sheets. It is funny as the header on the spread sheets is cut off of the copies the individual sends out.

With some caution and careful work the 30x221 data can be reduced and worked up in the 30-20's with good results. NOT in ANY 32-20 vintage type guns.
The ONLY wheel gun I can endorse for heavy over HV type loads is the Ruger Buckeye with the 32-20 cylinder. It can will outdo the 327 by a far piece.
Jeff

[rockrat]

I used to shoot an MOA in 30-20 in unlimited class in IHMSA. I also used the 30-165 Sil boolit.

[30Carbiner]

The earlier 32-20 TC barrels had a left/clockwise 1 in 14” twist. The later barrels had a right hand twist in either 12” or 10” twist. I had a 12” that would tumble 190 grain Sierras so I sold it and bought a 1 in 10” barrel that stabilized the 190’s.

So please check your twist rate if you are going to shoot heavier bullets.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[curioushooter]

Well, I am quite happy with the 1:14 twist, so far. I just did some work this weekend...starting with 100 grain Hornady Semi-Jackets, then some 110 Grain plated bullets, and some 110 grain Hornady V-Max, and some 110 grain Speer JHPs. I decided to throw in some 130 Grain Speer Hot-Cors that I use in my 30-30 Mossberg just to see what happened, not expecting much. I usually figure out a barrel first with copper jacket bullets then move to cast...mea-culpa.

The results were interesting, using Win296 near published max loads:
100 Grain Hornady Semi-jackets were screaming at 2000 FPS and had SO-SO accuracy. Like 3 inch group at 27 yards, which is nothing impressive, other than the velocity.
110 Ranier plated bullets (for 30 carbine) were 1800 FPS and better accuracy.
110 Hornady V-Max were KEYHOLING. One went literally sideways through the paper.
110 Grain Speer JHPs were as good as accuracy as the Raniers, this I suppose could be a "serious business" load.

Now, for the strange 130 grainers, which look so goofy in that tiny case, and make it so top heavy:
DEAD ON accuracy. These things were going an impressive 1750 FPS, which is about 100 FPS more than expected, and they were a one inch 3 shot group, and I am quite sure that I was the problem. I have no pistol rest, so my best efforts are shooting these off a picnic table. And it was a windy day yesterday.

I am going to try some 130 grain and 150 grain cast bullets, Lyman #311410 and #311440, and see what they do now. I have an order coming from Western Bullet Company.

The way I look at it the 30-20 is for Field Pistol class shooting, so not being able to stabilize the super heavies doesn't really worry me. According to most calculators a short 150 grainer like the 311440 should stabilize in a 1:14 twist at those velocities out to 100 yards.

By the way, do you guys that have experience with this 30-20/Contender platform just use starting loads for 30 Carbine for the heavy bullets? Or do you have some secret load data that you are willing to share for bullets around 150 grains?

[dannyd]

I used ether a Saeco 115 cast or Sierra 110 HP small rifle primer and Unique powder. Used it for Hunters pistol and field pistol.

[30Carbiner]

Well, I am quite happy with the 1:14 twist, so far. I just did some work this weekend...starting with 100 grain Hornady Semi-Jackets, then some 110 Grain plated bullets, and some 110 grain Hornady V-Max, and some 110 grain Speer JHPs. I decided to throw in some 130 Grain Speer Hot-Cors that I use in my 30-30 Mossberg just to see what happened, not expecting much. I usually figure out a barrel first with copper jacket bullets then move to cast...mea-culpa.

The results were interesting, using Win296 near published max loads:
100 Grain Hornady Semi-jackets were screaming at 2000 FPS and had SO-SO accuracy. Like 3 inch group at 27 yards, which is nothing impressive, other than the velocity.
110 Ranier plated bullets (for 30 carbine) were 1800 FPS and better accuracy.
110 Hornady V-Max were KEYHOLING. One went literally sideways through the paper.
110 Grain Speer JHPs were as good as accuracy as the Raniers, this I suppose could be a "serious business" load.

Now, for the strange 130 grainers, which look so goofy in that tiny case, and make it so top heavy:
DEAD ON accuracy. These things were going an impressive 1750 FPS, which is about 100 FPS more than expected, and they were a one inch 3 shot group, and I am quite sure that I was the problem. I have no pistol rest, so my best efforts are shooting these off a picnic table. And it was a windy day yesterday.

I am going to try some 130 grain and 150 grain cast bullets, Lyman #311410 and #311440, and see what they do now. I have an order coming from Western Bullet Company.

The way I look at it the 30-20 is for Field Pistol class shooting, so not being able to stabilize the super heavies doesn't really worry me. According to most calculators a short 150 grainer like the 311440 should stabilize in a 1:14 twist at those velocities out to 100 yards.

By the way, do you guys that have experience with this 30-20/Contender platform just use starting loads for 30 Carbine for the heavy bullets? Or do you have some secret load data that you are willing to share for bullets around 150 grains?

I got load data from the IHMSA newsletter and their forum and tabulated it all on a spreadsheet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JSH]

As I mentioned, some cross reference can be done with the 30x221 data. I had tried all of the slow powders296/H110, 1680 and 4227. AA 9 gave me my best results along with WC820 lot that is an exact duplicate. FYI I have other wc820 that is closer to 2400.
My Ruger only load runs a 140 plain base along at 1450 and change.