Which 7mm TCU barrel for cast?

[Sensai]

Because of the lack of local silhouette ranges, I've decided to repurpose my 7 mm TCU Contender silly-wet barrels. I have a 10" and a 14" barrel, both with iron sights. My plan is to put scopes on both and dedicate one for cast boolits and one for jacketed. My quandary is which length for which projectile. I'm leaning toward the 10" for boolits and the 14" for jacketed because of the powders that are likely to be used for each. The quicker powders used for cast being more well matched to the shorter barrel makes sense to me. Does this sound logical, or am I missing something pertinent? The new purpose of the barrels will be target shooting, and possibly some deer hunting down the road.

[shaune1022]

Easy. Cast in both! I used to have 3 but am down to 2 right now, cast for all.

[NVScouter]

You should trade me the one you dont use!

I like 10" barrels for Contenders. Some 12 and only 14" I really like but I maily hunt with mine. If I was mosly range work I'd go for the 14". Its a tough call honestly but I'd think a 7TCU and a 140-160g cast would be sweet!

[jhalcott]

I've used both J- and cast in all three 7TC/u Barrels I have had. I traded off my 14" thinking I'd find another (HAH!). I found the differences in THE CHAMBERS was more of a problem than any thing else with MY barrels. They would all shoot good with any load BUT PREFERRED their own recipe. Cast and jacketed bullets as heavy as 170 grains or as lite as 120 shot great in all my barrels. The 135 grain 7MM "SOUP CAN" did very well as a cast bullet. Almost any 120 J bullet will work in your gun, but cast makes you FEEL better! Lee's molds work well for ME. Lyman has a 150 grain 287405 mold listed that I've had great luck with also.

[MT Gianni]

The one that groups the best, you should not assume them to be equally accurate.

[ShooterAZ]

I have a 14" 7x30 Waters barrel that shoots jacketed like a house afire. For some unknown to me yet reason, I can't get it to shoot worth a hoot with cast.

[TCLouis]

With limited testing my 10" seems to like the 135 grain GB with a dose of WC820 pushing it.

Least ways that is what it was saying on paper at 50.

[quilbilly]

I have T/C 7mmTCU barrels is 10" and an 18" carbine. I don't load jacketed in either. Just wish that 10" didn't have that muzzle tamer so I could take it in the field (I hot it just once in the field without ear protection. Got the deer but my hearing was never the same).

[donald duck]

The old Lyman 120 gr GC shoots great in Tmm TCU, and 7-30 Waters. I shoot 7mm TCU in a Savage Axis re barreled with a Shilen barrel.
Powders used are Unique, WAP, RL # 7, and green Dot. What a hoot to shoot!! dd

[6.5 mike]

I shoot the lee130 & soupcan in my 14" 7m/m tcu bbl. Pp'ed & a starting load of imr4198 to fire form. Have the NOE mold but have not tried it yet. So far the pp'ed have shot just as good as condoms.

[Nobade]

Now that you mention it, I get the best results with paper patched RCBS 130gr. 270 boolits loaded over all the AA#2230 I can get in the case. Powerful, flat shooting, and extremely accurate. No need for any of those J-word bullets for me!

-Nobade

[FLHTC]

I have T/C 7mmTCU barrels is 10" and an 18" carbine. I don't load jacketed in either. Just wish that 10" didn't have that muzzle tamer so I could take it in the field (I hot it just once in the field without ear protection. Got the deer but my hearing was never the same).

those hearing aids with noise canceling protection really work.

[FLHTC]

I'd scrub both of them to see which one shoots cast better. I had a 10" with too much freebore and it wouldn't shoot cast worth a darn. The bullets couldn't be seated out far enough so it went on an auction site. I now deal with MGM for my cast bullet barrels and am very pleased.

[badgeredd]

Because of the lack of local silhouette ranges, I've decided to repurpose my 7 mm TCU Contender silly-wet barrels. I have a 10" and a 14" barrel, both with iron sights. My plan is to put scopes on both and dedicate one for cast boolits and one for jacketed. My quandary is which length for which projectile. I'm leaning toward the 10" for boolits and the 14" for jacketed because of the powders that are likely to be used for each. The quicker powders used for cast being more well matched to the shorter barrel makes sense to me. Does this sound logical, or am I missing something pertinent? The new purpose of the barrels will be target shooting, and possibly some deer hunting down the road.

To answer your question as asked, IMHO you are thinking correctly. Because we tend to use a faster powder with cast bullets, I'd go with the 10" barrel for cast.

Now to depart a bit from your question, I also agree the 10" is an extreme noise maker so to alleviate that problem I plain based a bullet specifically for that barrel. Shooting it with 1500 FPS loads is much more enjoyable and it is perfectly capable of taking varmints at that velocity. Also it is cheaper to shoot as I no longer am using gas checks for it.

Edd

[Sensai]

If you don't mind saying, Edd, which bullet did you plain base? That sounds like a good idea. I'm thinking a heavy bullet and a quick powder may be the ticket, and that would be well into plain base territory.

[badgeredd]

I've used the 287346 without gas checks at velocities in the 1200 fps range, the Lee 7mm Soupcan with and without gas checks. and I plain based a 7mm Thor cavity for the PB bullet. IMO, if a guy could get hold of a Lyman 287308 (cheap) and plain base it and perhaps hollow point it, he'd have a pretty good mid-speed bullet for varmints for ranges up to perhaps 125 yards or so. Either of the first 2 should work well also if one PBed them and maybe would allow 1500 fps with a HP added for varmints. Junior1942 has a great write up on the 7mm Soupcan in the Contender shoot 7mm TCU.

Edd

[pls1911]

RCBS silhouette bullet for both barrels.
I just have a hard time understanding why folks who are set up for cast bullets would EVER shoot jacketed .
If properly used, Lead will do everything that's needed.