7-30 Waters: good, bad, ugly?

[cheese1566]

I found a super 14 Contender barrel in decent shape with an older Redfield 2x6 mounted using a decent base and three rings. Barrel looks great but has some bluing off the muzzle. (That could be easily recrowned someday...)

i have no dies or 30-30 brass to form, but I just got a Lee 7mm soupcan and am close to loading up some 7mmTCU for my 10" barrel.

I don't hunt, but I live in whitetail country and antelope a short ways north. Hopefully a prairie dog outing coming this spring. Otherwise it's paper and targets out to 200 yds.

any random thoughts on the 7-30 Waters?

[Shawlerbrook]

The 7x30 Waters is a fantastic 200 yard Whitetail round. I have a Contender Carbine and long for one in a levergun. The single shot has the advantage of having many more bullets options. Another great caliber that did not deserved to be ignored.

[M-Tecs]

I have a 23" carbine barrel in 7-30 Waters. I really like it. I also picked up a Super 14 barrel in 7-30 Waters but I haven't shot it yet but based on the carbine barrel I should really like it.

[Tatume]

I'm anxiously awaiting two new barrels from Bullberry; one is chambered in 7-30 Waters. Both are 14" Contender barrels. I'm looking at a pile of components and dies right now, just itching to get started. Obviously, I think the 7-30 Waters is a great choice.

[cheese1566]

I am debating how I can swing it. It's in another town, but I have to drive there later today. It also comes with a nice forend as well. I would just have the later expense of dies and finding some brass to form.

[Tatume]

Midway has Federal 7-30 Waters ammo.

[725]

Brass is everywhere and dies aren't too expensive. It's a nice round. Wish the still made that float nose 139 Hornady. I haven't seen that bullet in years.

[tdoyka]

Brass is everywhere and dies aren't too expensive. It's a nice round. Wish the still made that float nose 139 Hornady. I haven't seen that bullet in years.

so do i!!!! the last 139gr fp i got was from a local gun shop, they had dust on it. i think hornady discontuned it.

my dad has a 7x30 waters in tc contender with a 14" barrel and a muzzle brake. it shoots a 115gr speer hp with imr4895 and does it kill deer. he takes them behind the shoulder, even tho he has killed a couple with shoulder shots. he is thinking about getting 139gr sst.

[marshall623]

My super 14 7-30 is a shooter . I have done 4 shots in 1 1/2" @ 200 yd. with 120 sierra ' s . It shoots cast great as well . If it was me I would be on the way there.

[Plate plinker]

PM incoming

[lotech]

I bought a new '94 Winchester (24" barrel) in 7-30 Waters not long after the rifles were introduced. I shot only cast bullets in it. As I recall, they were reasonably accurate. I quickly tired of the cartridge and sold the rifle. While I'm looking for no arguments, I'll mention that I've killed a couple or so small Texas deer with 180-190 grain .30 caliber cast bullets. I consider .30 caliber as a humane minimum for deer hunting with cast bullets. I suspect the 7-30 Waters would be a great deer round with jacketed bullets at maximum or near maximum velocity.

[tdoyka]

I bought a new '94 Winchester (24" barrel) in 7-30 Waters not long after the rifles were introduced. I shot only cast bullets in it. As I recall, they were reasonably accurate. I quickly tired of the cartridge and sold the rifle. While I'm looking for no arguments, I'll mention that I've killed a couple or so small Texas deer with 180-190 grain .30 caliber cast bullets. I consider .30 caliber as a humane minimum for deer hunting with cast bullets. I suspect the 7-30 Waters would be a great deer round with jacketed bullets at maximum or near maximum velocity.

i'm just wishing here, but a 140-150gr ranch dog in 7mm would be great for cast. esp in the 7x30 and 7-08.

[Boz330]

I have a Martini action Waters and it shoots subMOA with 120s. I don't have my info available but I believe 4895 is the powder IIRC.

Bob

[dragonrider]

I have a super 14 in 7-30 Waters. It's a terrific shooter.

[fryboy]

sadly it didn't take off as much as i'd hoped , yup i'm a fan. it's the only 'tender barrel in my stable that i have twins of ... that may not sound like it's saying much but it really is , i've only one 7 mm mold that fits , my rcbs sil mould is too fat nosed as such i tend to shoot a fair amount of the nosler 120 grain BT's , they rock ! until i got a 7 mm mold ( that fit ) i used quite a few hornady 139 gr btsp's and various 175 grainers to fire form , like most calibers in the tc's it's just fun lolz

[Rick Hodges]

I have a Bullberry 22" contender carbine in 7x30 Waters. I use 130 speer and 120 nosler Jwords. It is accurate and deadly on Whitetails. I don't know how much you would lose with the 14" bbl. Case forming from 30-30's is a snap although the cases end up a bit shorter than factory. My rifle has never seen a factory round.

[rush1886]

i'm just wishing here, but a 140-150gr ranch dog in 7mm would be great for cast. esp in the 7x30 and 7-08.

NOE's 135grn Thor, by all standards, should be The One. Mine does throw a fat nose, however. Been thinking about ordering their push thru sizing set up, and doing the nose size routine.

Interesting how many variables show up, in our little casting game. The Thor bullet has a fat nose, and to get it chambered, I have to seat it with the bullet base all the way down to the first step of the shoulder. The RCBS 145grn SIL on the other hand, slides into my chamber like butter going on toast. Both boolits, of the same alloy.

[tdoyka]

the noe 135gr thor is just what my dad needs. he only gets shots at deer at 30-40 yards away with his 'tender. its darn near what he has. i'll have to tell him about that one. thank you.

[rush1886]

Nothing scientific at all, but I did get in one good range session last fall. The effect on the berm, from the Thor, was absolutely stunning, in comparison to the RCBS Sil bullet, and the Lee 130 grn Soupcan. I'm saying it should be one Heckuva deer slug!

[contender1]

I bought my first 7x30 Super 14 YEARS ago after a gunsmith buddy let me shoot his. I've taken over 100 whitetails, elk & many other critters with mine. I found a second barrel, a 12" with the muzzle brake, at a very fair price & didn't slow down buying it. I didn't "need" it,,, but I didn't let it get away. BOTH shoot very well. I use a 150 grn Ballistic tip in mine,,,, and it's deadly accurate.

[Kraschenbirn]

The 7-30 in a TC is a pretty flexible 'all-around' cartridge. Once upon a time (early 1980s), I shot a Super 14 in the old IHMSA '7R Intn'l'....30-30 necked down to 7mm with an Ackley shoulder...for metallic silhouettes. A few years later, acquired a 7-30 Waters barrel and found that it shot quite well with the same loads I'd developed for the 7R.

Bill

[buckweet]

I've been shooting my 23" 7-30 carbine.
Love it.
Extremely accurate.
Everyone should have a 7-30 waters.

[marshall623]

My super 14 7-30 is a shooter . I have done 4 shots in 1 1/2" @ 200 yd. with 120 sierra ' s . It shoots cast great as well . If it was me I would be on the way there.A good load in my 14" is the NOE 150 Hunter over 25.5 gr of H4895 .

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Texas by God]

I’ve never been much of a Contender fan but a hermit friend on the river let me shoot his once from the top of my pickup using a Wrangler jacket for a rest. Three shots at 100 yards landed in the center of the Ace of Clubs playing card that he taped to a cardboard box. This was with Federal factory ammo. So I’m a nostalgic fan of the 7-30 Waters.

[cwlongshot]

I have had a 14" since early '90's bought a carbine barrel late 90's. Sold all 2000 bought a carbine back couple years ago. Watching for another 14".

130g SSP and 4895 has produced somemone hole groups last week!!

I just picked up a soup can and got a 132g NOE couple weeks back. I havent shot a cast bullet yet. Waiting on a sizer.

CW

[Jedman]

I’m in the process of making a handi barrel in 7-30 as I speak. I have 3 - 7mm takeoff barrels and when I get them all turned I will rent a reamer and get them chambered but it isn’t going to be for this deer season as I have a few projects that will get finished first. They will all be liners to fit 20 ga. barrels.

Jedman

[P Flados]

I have a 10" 7 TCU and shoot it a lot. I load my powder coated and gas checked Lee 128s real close to 100% fill with WC 844 (milsurp H335) and get sub 2 MOA groups. For offhand practice shooting, I go through a lot of ammo with a mouse fart load I worked up with a 70 gr boolit.

I have a number of 14" barrels (7 TCU, 30 Herrett, 30-30, 357 Max) that I rarely shoot. These might get more action if more of my shooting was at longer distances off a of bench. However, most of my shooting is at a nearby indoor range with 40 yards max.

For actual hunting, the 7-30 will provide a good bit of additional effective range when shooting J words if you can find an accurate load.

However, a 14" 7-30 probably has more case capacity than optimum for cast bullets. You will probably not be able to maintain accuracy all the way to full power unless you either get lucky, or you have a lot of skill in the "high power cast" game.


EDIT: After posting, I saw that this is a 7 year old zombie thread ....

[Rapier]

The TCs achieve best accuracy when headspacing on the shoulder not the rim. So the close on a die formed case should be tight and should fire form with one shot, using a stout load. It is not a bolt gun. If you treat the TC like a bolt gun you will get misfires and not so good accuracy.
I prefer the 145 RCBS cast silhouette bullet and in J bullets 130 grain Speer flat base spire point or the 140 grain Hornady Interloc flat base.
For cast, 4227 or RL-7 and in Js bullets 4895, 4198 or 3031 or 2015.

[MT Gianni]

I love my 23" bbl. My friend has one his kids have used as their elk rifle. He shoots only factory ammo and they have 3-4 cow elk and a couple of raghorns from it.

[BK7saum]

I have a 16" T/C barrel in carbine configuration. It is a shooter. I don't use it much anymore, but it has been a first hunters rifle for several friends and family for years.

[cwlongshot]

Shut mine again yesterday, 4095's working really good with jacket but I haven't been able to find a good cast load yet. I've got an NOE 288–132 and 7mm Lee soup can.

CW

[MT Gianni]

Try the soup can and about 7 gr-10 gr Unique. I use 9 for my fire form load and it is accurate.

[wallacem]

I shot 7-30 waters for years, then realized my 30-30 will do everything the 7-30 will, and with a wider choice of bullets and weights. Dumped the 7-30 and love the 30-30, especially in my MGM bull bbl on my Encore.

[oscarflytyer]

14" Contender in 7-30. Puts three Federal Sierra 120s into an inch at 100 yds. The 94 in 7-30 Waters is going to the woods this weekend. It is really too pretty to drag up and down a stand, but screw it. Getting too old to just let it sit. And I LOVE Levers. Same ammo/same results

[Cheap Trick]

I knocked a buck down last weekend with a 21" 7-30 Waters, Contender Carbine. Three point western count, eight point eastern count. I used Speer's 130 grain boat tailed with AA2520, this combo will generate over a thousand foot pounds of energy out to 450 yards! Killed him like a bolt of lightning. I had bought this barrel for my wife and kids to use for deer hunting, The kids grew up and my wife is uninterested in hunting, so I thought that I should kill a buck with it before selling the barrel. The truth is that it is such a sweet, accurate, light, powerful rifle that I should keep it.