What's your favorite caliber for shooting cast in a contender?

[waco]

Daydreaming about which 14 inch contender barrel to get. What are some of your favorites and why?
I have a 10 inch 22 Long rifle and a 10 inch 3030 already.
I was thinking maybe 35 Remington, 730 Waters, or even the 4570.
This will strictly be for Target shooting and plinking only. So let's hear some of your favorites.
Waco.

[tc tom]

7-30 Waters are usually extremely accurate. Mine will shoot J-words just under a inch at 200. I have used mine for groundhogs, coyotes, deer, and was going to try antelope in Wyoming but we ran out of time.
Tom

[waco]

What lenght barrel do you have? How is the recoil? How fast are you shooting the J words?

[Rick459]

I stubbed a barrel for the 6.5 carcano. working up some cast loads now using the Lee cruise missile mold cut down to give me a 147grn. projectile lubed and gas checked.

[tc tom]

Its a Super 14. I don't have a chrony so I don't know the velocity. Recoil is probably equal to a Ruger Blackhawk in 44 mag. I have a Super 14 barrel in 44 Mag that is much harsher. I do plan on putting a brake on the waters mostly because my wife bought me a Burris 3 x 12 pistol scope for Christmas and the eye relief at 12x will not let me extend enough to lock in for the recoil. I'm using 120grain ballistic tips and I believe either IMR3031 or 748.

[tc tom]

I plan on try cast boolits in the waters as soon as it warms up

[farmerjim]

223. load it up or down. Cheep to shoot.

[jeepyj]

For my contender I've been heating up some.357 magnums 358156 GC and target shooting a 5" steel. So far the maximum distance I've shot is 120 yards. It's seems very capable of shooting accurately further but I've only recently been dabbling with it with several different barrels, loads, etc. As mentioned so far that's the one for me.
Jeepyj

[tc tom]

I would like to trade my 44mag barrel to a .223 or a hornet.

[Smoke4320]

45/70, 7-30 waters is a great caliber as well
If you don't mind making cases 7TCU (real simple to make) , 30 and 357 Herrett

[waco]

How is the recoil with a 14" barrel in .223 with full power j words?

[3leggedturtle]

Not in any particular order: 30/30, 357, 45ACP, 222 Rem, 45Colt and 22H

[JWFilips]

Sorry Mis-read thread title:oops:

[waco]

45ACP sounds fun!!!

[mattw]

Not sure, 41 mag or 30 carbine... both in 10".

[Artful]

Why the latest barrel I got obviously - :p

But if I had to put them all away except one barrel I'd keep out the 357 Maximum barrel.
You can load them down from 38 spl to almost 35 remington and it's accurate.

[crazy mark]

7-30 waters, 30-30 with factory muzzle brakes 14" 35 Rem, 41 Mag and 45 acp custom shop. All are 14". I do have more 14" ones but these are my favorites.

[kweidner]

Mmmmm. Good question. 7-30 waters super 14 is the most accurate. Right now my favorite barrel is on the encore 300 blackout 16" suppressed. Now that and hytek coated cast is fun. If my can was Ti, I would have to get one for contender in the 8" area for 300. Truly mouse fart loads as far as sound but done right with alloy, a devestating expanding coctail of 230ish grains that holds 1.5 moa is possible. It has already been responsible for deer, pigs, and coyote certain death in these parts.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Mine favorite caliber is 414 Super Mag.
I have been in caliber 41 since 1982 so over the years accumulated many molds. Bought a DW 41 mag and discovered what a fine caliber 41 mag really is. When the 414 SM DW revolvers came out it was a shoe in for me...
So the next logical step was a Contender in 414 SM. Really lets the full power shine with the closed breach. And a 14 inch barrel picks up all the velocity you can desire from heavy for caliber cast using slow powders like 1680. Do a little throating work and you can shallow seat the bullets and gain some respectable velocity. You would have to get into a 40-65 or 405 JES (.41-444) to beat the 414 SM. Although I do not think I need that much fun in a handgun as light as the Contenders.
Mike in Peru

[MT Gianni]

My two 14" bbls are in 30-30 and 44 Mag. I am amazed at the accuracy of the mag @ 50 yards.

[Sensai]

For cast, I like the 30-30. I use a 14" barrel. The 44 Mag isn't far behind the 30-30.

[gpidaho]

My T/C is an Encore 15" and 7.62x39R is my favorite barrel GP

[OKSaddletramp]

Without a doubt, my most accurate Contender barrel is my 14" .30-30. Wicked accurate with just about any loading, cast or jacketed. One of my shooting buds loves his 7 - 30 Waters, also 14", but he only shoots jacketed. The most fun I ever had with a Contender, however was a 14" .45-70 some guy brought out to the range one day. Someday, I've got to get me one of them.

[Iowa Fox]

One thing about Contenders & Encores with cast in just about all chamberings, they go together like bread & butter. Anybody got a nice clean 15" 243 Encore barrel they have been thinking of selling?

[3leggedturtle]

45ACP sounds fun!!!

45ACP is, but is a 18" bull, not a pistol barrel like you asked. :oops: 44 mag is also a great 10" whether loaded lite or heavy

[WALLNUTT]

Best I've ever had for cast is a 44mag barrel rechambered to 430JDJ. Basically a 444 Marlin with a throat designed for cast bullets. Out shoots the original chamber by a bunch.

[6.5 mike]

7 m/m tcu, greased or pp'ed works well for me.

[TCLouis]

If I wanted a dual use barrel first choice would be 30-30, tied with 7X30.

For lead only, my 10" 7mm TCU is FUN and according to Junior I'm likely pushing 1750 fps

[fryboy]

How is the recoil with a 14" barrel in .223 with full power j words?

recoil ? are you serious ? it was ummm a major disappointment until i tried it with cast , i think i have .22 lr's with more recoil ( or so it seems ) with cast it's a hoot ! albeit very little of what i could call recoil
i'm working on the 7-30 with cast ( i have 2 ) the throats leaves finding molds somewhat of a challenge ( currently using the lee and a rcbs 145 sil that i have to also nose size to make fit in either barrel erm as well as the encore in 7-08 )
30-30 is fun , 30 herret is also fun ( if you can find one without a god awful long throat ) for lube test i start with a 357 mag and then graduate to a 357 herret ...dont know why but i prefer the latter with j-words ( it rocks !! )
my fav caliber tho is 375 , the 375 win is fun enough that i also snagged a carbine barrel to keep the 14" bbl company but ... the 375 jdj ....well ... i have 5 bbls in that caliber ,both long and short for the contender and encore
not in a pistol but a 16" Khornet bbl also sees quite a bit of cast , that lil dude is just a joy to shoot and the lil varmi..ermm kids cant get enough of it lolz in fact it was the first real gun my hunting buddy's youngest grand daughter shot ( at the tender age of 5 , oh before i forget she loved it too !! )

[Lonegun1894]

How is the recoil with a 14" barrel in .223 with full power j words?

I have a 14" .223Rem, and I haven't tried it, but think I could probably use a rifle scope with the usual short eye relief and not get scope bit when using full power jacketed loads. I mostly use cast out of it though, and it is even gentler with those 55grs moving at a bit over 2K fps.

Having said that, my main use for my Contender lately is hog hunting, and that task is split between the .22LR, the .357 Mag, and the .44 Mag. Both the .357 and the .44 are 10" and shoot equally well, and which one hits the woods is more dependent on my mood and what I have more ammo loaded for at the time than anything else. I have a .30 Herrett also, and it is at least as accurate as the .357 and .44, but I have a bit shy of 100 cases for it (been lazy lately) so it doesn't get as much range time as the other two.

[waco]

So how is the recoil in that 10" with the 44?
Pretty stout I'm guessing!

[Lonegun1894]

A lot more attention getting than the .223! :) I traded a .44 Mag Super-14 for the 10" .44 cause I prefer the balance of the short tube. It is just as accurate as the 14" was, but does seem to recoil a bit more. Knowing what I know now, I would still do the same exact trade again, but the 14 was better off bags at the range, while I prefer the 10 as a hunting gun. Now when I first shot my 14", I thought it may be too much of a good thing cause it recoiled more than my .44 SBH and .45BH, but I use dlighter loads to get used to it and worked my way up to full power, and by the time I got the 10", it is very controllable. Don't get me wrong, I still feel it, but it isn't anything that needs to be feared or anything by any means, just something to get used to.

[3leggedturtle]

So how is the recoil in that 10" with the 44?
Pretty stout I'm guessing!

With R-P 180gr JHP's it would recoil almost 90 degrees and stop within 4 inches of my forehead. After I put Pachmayers on it, would only recoil 45 degrees or so. I shot the Lee 208gr WC at about 900fps, was a pussycat with those loads.

[wallenba]

30 Herrett and 7-30 Waters are really accurate. My 7-30 Waters with compensator does give me headaches though that can last all day. Don't know why, I suspect it's the compensator.

[quilbilly]

I don't care for the 14" barrels (yes I do have one and wish it was 2" longer) since they aren't that portable so I prefer over 16" or under 12". Beyond that my favorites for cast are 32-20 or 7mmTCU.

[waco]

So much to choose from!....LOL

[big bore 99]

I had an Encore at 45-70. Was very accurate out to 100 yds. with cast. The recoil was kinda stiff. I sold it regretfully.

[kenyerian]

Another vote for the 7TCU with the 44 mag coming in a close second. I like the 10" barrels if I'm walking a lot. If I'm at a stand I like the longer barrels.

[dragonrider]

I have 30-30 and 7-30 Waters, the 7-30 has the edge I think.

[Lonegun1894]

So much to choose from!....LOL

That's the problem! I can't remember the exact number, but have read and been told that the Contender has been chambered in over 200 different calibers. Call me boring, or maybe just lazy, but I can't even imagine trying to load for that many different ones. I mean, can you imagine having 200 different calibers to work up loads for? Could take a lifetime.

Here's a partial list I stole from the Specialty Pistols Forum:
17 Mach II
17 HRM
17 Hornet (II)
17 K Hornet (II)
17 Bumble Bee (II)
17 Ackley Bee (II)
17 Mach IV (II)
17-222 (II)
17-223 (II)
17 Remington
5mm (II)
204 Ruger
22 LR (I)
22 LR Match
22 WRM (II)
22 Hornet (II)
22 K Hornet (II)
22 Jet (I)
218 Bee
219 Zipper
221 R (II)
221 Rem Fireball (III)
222 Rem (II)
223 Rem (II)
6mm TCU
256 Win Mag (II)
25-20
25-35 (V)
6.5mm TCU
270 Ren
6.8 Rem
7mm Super Mag
7mm TCU
7-30 Waters
30 M1 Carbine (II)
300 Whisper
30 Herrett
30 Herrett (Scoped Only)
30-30 Win
32-20
32 Mag
9mm Luger (II)
9mm Para
38 Special (II)
38 Super (II)
357 Mag (II)
357 Max
357-44 B&D (II)
357 Herrett
357 Herrett (scope)
35 Remington
375 Win
375 JDJ
10mm
41 Mag
44 Mag (II)
44 Mag (w/c)
445 SuperMag
45 ACP
45 Win Mag
45 Colt (II)
45 Colt (w/c)
45 Colt / .410 (II)
45 Colt / .410 (VR)
.410
45-70

And that's not a complete list, but rather just a slight dent....

[fryboy]

So much to choose from!....LOL

it's easy ... get them all lolz [smilie=2:

tho the title states "favorite" your OP ask about 14" ( which i responded to in me last post ) but ...the barrel i have that sees the most use is the 10" 357 , while i use it upon occasion for the start of the lube test most are done in a 14" version but hands down the 10" gets the most use ,it's the barrel i usually start new shooters out with ,it's alot more fun when you hedge their bets for accuracy ;) , loaded with mild 38 spcl wadcutters , the accuracy is simply umm there , when they master that then comes hotter loads and then light mag loads then full tilt boogie , if i was the only one shooting my various configurations it's back to that 375JDJ again
the cheapest to shoot is a toss up between the 357 mag and the .223 , brass that fits either is abundant and fairly cheap ,cast in the .223 however is a lil harder ( between me fat fingers and those lil boolits even without gas checks lolz ) and depending upon how hard one wants to push it a lil more demanding , to be fair 2200 FPS with it is a hoot and about the ragged edge for tumble lubing ( at least with my version of recluse's recipe ) no leading yet but a bit of antimony wash ( sadly it's also what knocked me last chrono out lolz durn gas checks anyways )
i suppose in the end ..the current fav one is which ever one is in me fat mitts ;)

[waco]

Wow! That's impressive!!!

[jsheyn]

My favorite for cast is 41 mag...its so hard to mess it up even a fool like me can make boolits for that'n. I've been shooting it in 10" for a handull of years, one of these days I'll snatch up a super 14

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/16/4dfb4e9435e43d914b0fb7b6be8accdd.jpg

[marshall623]

I shoot cast in 7-30 , 30 Herrett , 7 TCU and 357Mag. The 7-30 , 30 Herrett , 357 shoot cast great. The 7 TCU I have to put a scope back on it and do some more load development , I never really took the time to find the sweet spot

[ballistim]

I shoot cast in 7-30 , 30 Herrett , 7 TCU and 357Mag. The 7-30 , 30 Herrett , 357 shoot cast great. The 7 TCU I have to put a scope back on it and do some more load development , I never really took the time to find the sweet spot

I have a 10" .30 Herrett, curious as to what molds and powders you use for it.

[Kosh75287]

I'd prolly go for .45 Colt, or .454 Casull. Lotsa recoil, but plenty of serious thump on the other end.

[Lonegun1894]

I have a 10" .30 Herrett, curious as to what molds and powders you use for it.


In my case, it is the Lee 113gr Soupcan, the Lee 150gr FPGC, and I recently got a Mihec 150gr HPGC that I haven't had a chance to try in the Herrett yet, but plan to. I'm also curious what everyone else uses.

[marshall623]

I have a 10" .30 Herrett, curious as to what molds and powders you use for it.
The only 30 cal. Mold I shoot is the Lee 150 FN. Alloy water dropped COWW/ 2% tin with SR4759. I played around with IMR 4198 but stop with the 4759 load. It shot right at 1 1/2" at 100 yrds. When it warms up I'll try RL7. In it. I also hear good things about the NOE. 150 spire point.

[ballistim]

The only 30 cal. Mold I shoot is the Lee 150 FN. Alloy water dropped COWW/ 2% tin with SR4759. I played around with IMR 4198 but stop with the 4759 load. It shot right at 1 1/2" at 100 yrds. When it warms up I'll try RL7. In it. I also hear good things about the NOE. 150 spire point.

Thanks for the information, I have that mold & a bunch of SR4759 both surplus and commercial so I'll give that a try. I also have 2 MiHec molds in that weight range, plan in trying them as well.

[leadman]

My favorite hunting barrel for the Contender is my 6.5TCU. I took an antelope at 255 yards in 2010. Just bought a mold for it and have not shot any cast yet.
My favorite barrel for cast and jacketed is the 300 Whisper. Can duplicate the 32 S&W or shoot a 125gr Nosler at 2,100 fps. The 314299 at just under 1,100 fps is very accurate.
Uses cheap 223 Rem brass you can reform or buy 221 Rem and run it thru the die and ready to load.
The rifle cartridges tend to hold accuracy at farther range than the pistol cartridges.

[marshall623]

Had the 357 Mag. Contender. NOE 360-180 GC. 50/50 soft & COWW with 2% tin water-cooled and the noses tempered with a torch . First group of the year trying out my new .360" sizer die . These are over 9.2 gr. of Blue Dot The the circle group is 5 the other 2 is the first shot and 1 I pulled
http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/vv151/marshall623/Mobile%20Uploads/20150123_150058_zps88b98326.jpg (http://s679.photobucket.com/user/marshall623/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20150123_150058_zps88b98326.jpg.html)

[clum553946]

The 223 barrel makes more noise than recoil, it's fun to shoot! I have a 45-70 that I haven't fired yet, & the 30-30 is great with cast! I'm guessing the 45-70 could be a monster with stout loads. When I get around to shooting it, I'll start with trapdoor level loads & take it from there! If I had to choose a favorite, probably be the 357 Max for it's balance of power, different load combos, & you can shoot 357 mag & 38 specials through it too!

[pls1911]

Easy, cheap, reliable and versatile.... go wIth the 30-30. The best part is, you're already set up with components.
I used mine in IHMSA comp for years and did very well.... same for deer and pigs
35 Rem is another great choice, but with a bit more recoil
7TCU is good, lower recoil
45-70 is one hole accurate, and fun for no more than three rounds.
Can't talk to the others.

[wonderwolf]

I have messed mostly with my .22 Match barrel that I got off a member here, been using it for free style type target work. Shoots very well.

The .223 barrels I have are all fun, someday I may shorten one up to 10" or 8" and thread it. I have a .22 hornet barrel with a ken light sight system that will ring a gong at 200 yards all day long if I do my part. The .44 mag I'm still learning to shoot well, I quickly learned the way I grip the gun will have to change with that caliber.

Hard to beat the contenders, someday I'll have a MGM or bullberry barrel made to my specs and that will probably just be my pet barrel, for now I'm still figuring out the novelty factors of the frame...as well as some of its issues.

[Aunegl]

TC 32/20-10" was a favorite when I was shooting IHSMA field pistol, big bore and standing classes. The cast bullets ranged from a 140 to 210 grains. TC 44-14" was a close second.

[Beerd]

I have a 10" .30 Herrett, curious as to what molds and powders you use for it.

NEI bullet.
IMR 4227 powder
..

[wonderwolf]

NEI bullet.
IMR 4227 powder
..

Thats a odd looking bird...I like it :)

[ubetcha]

14' 30-30, but now have a 12" mike bellm chambered 357max. so now its a toss up between the two

[725]

ballistim

In my .30 herrett, I have found the K-31 boolit to be extraordinarily accurate.

[waco]

30 or 35 Herrett both look very interesting. I'll have to keep my eyes open for one of those.

[ballistim]

30 or 35 Herrett both look very interesting. I'll have to keep my eyes open for one of those.

I'd like a 35 Herrett to go with my 30 Herrett but would want one 14".

[jeff223]

i cast and shoot 190 grain Ranch Dogs out of my 15 inch SSK barreled G2 Contender
sorry its a 357max

[Beerd]

i cast and shoot 190 grain Ranch Dogs out of my 15 inch SSK barreled G2 Contender

35 Herrett?
..

[3leggedturtle]

35 Herrett?
..

357 Herrrett is referred to that on occasion.

[Three44s]

I am speechless! What a thread this has become!

I have only worked with cast in my 7mm TCU carbine. It's a long throat and I found an older RCBS 168 gr. that's a Loverin style.

If anything ...... that mold too long ............ I have to seat the "check" below the neck junction on that one.

.......... it's always something! Using Junior 1942's guidance from his articles, I found both my 14" and 21" TCU's like the Hornady 154 gr. spitzer. The carbine is gray digger accurate @ 100 yds with that "J".

I would have to pre-rate my .30 Herret and the 7mm TCU as my "future" favorites in cast. I have since picked up a new 7mm Soupcan 130gr. mold have some and access to some other real interesting .30 cal molds to try that Herret on .... and then a 14" .30-30 that's J-word spectacular in.

Someone mentioned a Bullberry or other brand in a custom barrel.

I just found a .22 Hornet 20" bull barrel in a Bullberry.

It's really sweet ...... everyone with Contender deserves AT LEAST one fine custom barrel in their lifetime!

I will say ....... that Bullberry must have a chamber that's as tight as "bark on a tree" ....... 'cause at least in 55 gr. J-words ......... you can't get anywhere near published charges with Lil' gun powder!

Man .... I wished I'd gotten in Contenders when I was a kid!

Three 44s

[Doggonekid]

I have 4 calibers all 14" bbls. .223, 30-30,.45 LC/410,45-70. The only one I cast for is the 45/70. I use a RCBS 350 gr swc with gc. It is a riot to shoot. Sometimes it is hard to get someone else to shoot it soon as they see the cartridge. Just think that cartridge was use to hunt buffalo 100 years ago. The recoil is a little less than my .500 mag. I have mounted Leupolds on 3 of 4 bbls so I don't have to sight it in each time I change bbls. My .223 nails prairie dogs out to almost 300 yards. I like that bbl a lot too.

[Moonie]

When I had a Contender I had 2 barrels, a 10" 357 Max and a 7-30 Waters, loved both. The max was for fun, the 7-30 was for hunting. Nothing but jacketed back in my early 20's when I had it.