7-30 Waters Contender---Now what?

[rjw1911]

OK, just completed my ebay shopping spree that started with finding a Super 14 7-30 Waters barrel. Looking for optics, and mounts, I found everything T/C, T/C 2 1/2-8 scope, and T/C one piece base and rings. The setup looks really good. Even with the barrel, mounts, and scope being gloss blued, and my frame being stainless. The black rubber grip, and forearm kinda blends everything together for what I think is an attractive two-tone look.
I have a set of dies on the way, and now for the bullets. Lots of choices in jacketed, but I think I'm going to concentrate on building a 120 gr. Load for deer.
Now to the cast side of things. What is the favored cast bullet mold for the 7-30 Waters in a 14" Contender? I'm thinking either the 135 Gr. Lyman 287346, or the Lee C285-130-1R 130 gr.
The Lee of course is a lot more affordable than the Lyman, but does the Lyman bullet perform that much better?

[Nobade]

That Lee Soup Can works quite well, and if Midsouth still has the 6 cavity moulds you can make a lot of them in a hurry.

-Nobade

[Ben]

Is there a problem with the fit of stainless frames and blue barrels ?

[marshall623]

SS and Blue can mix and mingle , its the Armor Alloy series of barrels & frames that is the odd ball . Armor Alloy uses a smaller Dia. hinge pin , a buddy of mine picked up a blued frame with a AA 22 LR barrel on it . The previous owner had lapped out the hinge pin hole in the barrel but still too tight of a fit . He lapped it out some more fits better.
and I shoot the Lee 130's in my super 14 7-30 and they shoot good , they get sqrilly fast if you put too much steam behind them . Also likes the Lyman 160 Sil. they both shoot good over SR4759 or H322 . Mine is sub MOA with 120 or 140 jacketed. I can put 4 shots in a 1 1/2" at 200yds when I do my part.

[rjw1911]

Is there a problem with the fit of stainless frames and blue barrels ?
Nope. My frame is a G2 Stainless, and I have both stainless, and blued barrels. Also, both the old style one piece locking lug, and the newer split lug. The incompatible frames are the old Armoloy that they made for a short time.

[Ben]

Yes, you're right.

Ben

[crazy mark]

Nope. My frame is a G2 Stainless, and I have both stainless, and blued barrels. Also, both the old style one piece locking lug, and the newer split lug. The incompatible frames are the old Armoloy that they made for a short time.

You will want to convert any one piece locking lugs to 2 piece if your frame is the easy open one. Also I suggest the RCBS 145 and 168 gr 7mm cast bullets. They work great for me. Mark

[FLHTC]

SS and Blue can mix and mingle , its the Armor Alloy series of barrels & frames that is the odd ball . Armor Alloy uses a smaller Dia. hinge pin , a buddy of mine picked up a blued frame with a AA 22 LR barrel on it . The previous owner had lapped out the hinge pin hole in the barrel but still too tight of a fit . He lapped it out some more fits better.
and I shoot the Lee 130's in my super 14 7-30 and they shoot good , they get sqrilly fast if you put too much steam behind them . Also likes the Lyman 160 Sil. they both shoot good over SR4759 or H322 . Mine is sub MOA with 120 or 140 jacketed. I can put 4 shots in a 1 1/2" at 200yds when I do my part.

T/C really screwed up with the Armor Alloy guns. The plating is around .006 thick, which makes it necessary for a smaller diameter hinge pin but they never considered the plating wearing off the barrel pivot over time and the gun becoming sloppy. The plating is terrific and quite similar to Colt Guard but T/C should have reamed the barrel pivot hole and the hinge pin hole in the frame and all would have been good. I guess reaming the plating would have been double handling the product and cost prohibitive so they axed the AA guns.

[ohland]

What is the favored cast bullet mold for the 7-30 Waters in a 14" Contender? I'm thinking either the 135 Gr. Lyman 287346, or the Lee C285-130-1R 130 gr.

Unsure of what you want to do with it (target, deer, elk?) but the 118gr 285448 (TP 641) is quite accurate in a 21" 7-30 carbine.

PS. Also called 287448

PPS. I ordered a TP 641 for my 285448 and the lowest price on ebuy was 7.09, woo-hoo! I thought, until I looked at shipping. $13.26 to send a Top Punch. Moral of the story, if it is markedly cheaper, make sure that something is not really different...

[rush1886]

To date, I've only shot Federal factory rounds, with the 120grn Sierra FN in mine. Nothing wrong with that. Recently, I ordered the 130grn 7mm Hammer of Thor bullet mold from NOE. Have a coupla hundred cast, just yesterday received a custom sizer die from Buckshot, and really looking forward to some loading and shooting!

Should be a real winner on the mulies and slightly oversized whitetails we see around here. As long as I can get it to group well, will probably use it on a cow elk as well. Disclaimer: I don't fire a shot at an animal standing further than 100 yds away. Just me.

[ohland]

To date, I've only shot Federal factory rounds, with the 120grn Sierra FN in mine.

Day-um! Can I be in your will? Must have LOTS of money to buy factory ammo. BUT... if you sent me your empties, I'd be just as pleased....

I use a Sierra 120 grain Pro Hunter for Wisconsin deer season. In a 24" G2 Contender, anything within 250 yards is hash. 250-300 yards is do-able, but had better be a standing broadside shot.

[rush1886]

Day-um! Can I be in your will? Must have LOTS of money to but factory ammo. BUT... if you sent me your empties, I'd be just as pleased....

I use a Sierra 120 grain Pro Hunter for Wisconsin deer season. In a 24" G2 Contender, anything within 250 yards is hash. 250-300 yards is do-able, but had better be a standing broadside shot.

Pure illusion. Fact is, I was gifted the barrel along with 40 of the Federal rds, in factory boxes, and 40 empties. I have since been able to come up with another 20 empties.

Point being, the NOE mold/ boolit. It is one fantastic looking slug. I got about 25 lubed and sized last night, using Buckshot's high quality sizer. With my alloy, lubed and sized, they weigh in at 136.3 grns. I sized them to .287", if anyone is curious. To match my barrel. Going to load those up today, and go empty them tomorrow, if the weather measures up to NOAA's forecast. We're supposed to hit 50` tomorrow. For early February, that's unheard of in these parts. Will report back, if anyone cares.

BTW, I've read, smiling all the while, of your trials and errors with Belle. (did I spell that right?) I have a softspot for the Brits meself. My little liver/white Booger, just put's the biggest smiles on my old face.

[ohland]

Point being, the NOE mold/ boolit.

BTW, I've read, smiling all the while, of your trials and errors with Belle. (did I spell that right?) I have a softspot for the Brits meself. My little liver/white Booger, just put's the biggest smiles on my old face.

Waiting for better weather to begin casting again. The 7mm molds that I have cast well. Still working up the courage to finish up making a short punch for the H&I die so I can stick a top punch on it....

Belle is Belle. It might be that she is getting used to things. She certainly knows how to sit in the passenger seat in the van.... I believe she likes being up higher so she can see... It's those golden eyes...

My favorite part of the morning is when she lays on top of the old retrobate to look out in the back yard for squirrels... Not a bit concerned over trampling him to get a better look...

[crazy mark]

I'm partial to the heavier boolits in my 14" T/C hunter barrel. They shoot very good on deer out to around 125 yds. The RCBS 28-168 gr FN is a great boolit as is the Lyman 287405 150 gr RN. One shot on several deer with each with a lung heart shot and they dropped. Don't have much use for the lighter boolits myself. To each their own.

[rush1886]

I generally look at the bullet design/shape first, with the weight next. The NOE Thor bullet just really caught my attention with it's meplat design. That rcbs 28-168 is a very accurate slug. I shot a bunch of them at silhouettes years ago, in a 7TCU. It's just my mindset, that a larger diameter meplat would make that a great hunting bullet.

In my various 357's, I find little use for anything lighter than 180 grains. On the flip side, for my purposes, I have little use for anything heavier than 350 grains in 45/70. Just throwing excess lead downrange.

As I have yet to shoot any of the Thor slugs, I don't know if I can get the requisite accuracy out of them, but that's all part of the fun. If I can't get them to shoot, then I'll go heavier.

Like you say Mark, To each their own. That's where the real interest in this game is.

[cummins05]

Following for now. I too have a 7x30 waters barrel mine is a 16" though. I have only shot some jwords through it to fire form some dirty thirty brass. Right now the 30herrett is taking up most of my time. Ill be playing with the 7x30 next.

[HABCAN]

I have the RCBS 168 and the little pointy LEE 130 and the Lyman 160 with the weird lube grooves on the front.........but the one I cast and shoot most in my three sevens is the Soup Can designed here from a Midsouth 6-cav. It has ALL the niceties, and does well whether it be from 7TC/U, 7-30, or 7x57.

[nhmikel]

great info..keep it coming

[475BH]

Try some 140 gr. Nosler BallisticTips, they open up from 25 yds. to at least 200+/-.
Mine shoots them well and with IMR4895.

[zippidydoodah]

Cummins, what wt bullets shoot best out of 30 Herrett? Any particular loads= best accuracy?
Thanks

[marshall623]

Cummins, what wt bullets shoot best out of 30 Herrett? Any particular loads= best accuracy?
Thanks
My Herrett like 150 sierra over 24.5 gr. IMR.4198 or 150 lee over 16 gr. 4759. These are book loads