7 mm TCU Loads in rifles

[FilippoMo]

I wonder if anyone has developed loads for the 7 mm TCU
in rifles?
Best wishes
Filippo

[JSH]

I guess I don't really understand the question. You will see some increase in speed with some loads, but data is the same.
jeff

[FilippoMo]

Bolt action rifles allow for higher pressure,as well as the use of slower burning
powders.I am also interested in cast bullets loads ,even if they were developed in handguns as I could find none.
Sincerely
Filippo

[dale2242]

I shot 7TCU when I was shooting IHMSA in a 10" Contender. My favorite powder was 4895 with 145-150 gr bullets. It seems that 4895 in the 7TCU as a rifle load would work great. Like JSH says use the same data as handguns loads. 7TCU seems to work best with the "slower" powders in the handguns which should also make them good in rifles. Shoot your test loads over your chrony and you will find the velocities will be somewhat higher than the published for hand guns. ...dale

[Wayne S]

What is your intended use for the rifle ? Saeco's 070 & 071, plus RCBS's 145 Sil. make great plinking loads from Contenders with Unique, 4227,5744,or 4759.
For J bullet work, 4895 is hard to beat with bullets from 140-160.
Again, your intended use would help answer your question

[Doc Highwall]

I would just use any load that is good for the T/C and call it quits. Some of the attributes of the 7mm TCU are the the case can be made from readily available military brass and has about the optimum case capacity for 10" barrels. In a rifle I would load it like a 300 whisper using heavy boolits. I have 7mmBR in both rifle and handgun and in the handgun their is more muzzle blast then the 7mm TCU. I am in on the group buy for the 7mm Hunter that I am going to try in these along with a 7mm-08 just for plinking for now.

[Nobade]

I have a Tikka that I barelled up in 7 TCU. 23 1/2 inch barrel. So far I have only shot the SAECO 160gr. borerider in it to any extent. A full case of AA2300 will give in the neighborhood of 2200 fps, and is effective in highpower silhouette out to 500M. A slightly faster powder would give more speed, but I haven't tried it yet. Something on the order of Reloader 10 should work well. My standard load is 15 gr. IMR4227 at 1750 fps, for 200M shooting. It will group into 1.25 MOA in good conditions and works very well, extremely consistant with no pressure problems.

[mrbill2]

You need a copy of The Complete Reloading Manual for Readloading TC Contender. Published by Loadbooks. In there you will find 7 pages of data for the 7mm TCU, both cast and jacketed.

[Shuz]

Back in our old IHMSA days, my wife shot a Rem XP-100 that was chambered for the 7mmTCU.
She used basically the Speer 145gFB that we used to be able to buy for $7.99/C. I don't recall the exact charge, but I do remember that the powder we found that worked best in all of the 7mmTCU chamberings we had was Hodgdon's H-322.

[two dogs]

h 322 works in a 7 tcu very well.

[redneckdan]

Check out the current edition of handloader, page 60

[badgeredd]

I can't speak to the 7 TCU, but my 6 TCU likes A2230 and A2460 in my rifle.. That suits me fine, because they are both easy to meter and one gets a high loading density with 70-80 grain boolits. Thus far I haven't tried heavier cast boolits in it. but I see that in the near future.

Edd

[clodhopper]

My first casting experience was Lee 7MM 130 with hornady gas checks, 50/50 lube and H322 in 7 TCU, no experimenting needed, it just worked.
If you want a real improvement over 7 TCU pistol loads you might need to have more room for powder. That would no longer be 7 TCU.

[JSH]

Bolt action rifles allow for higher pressure,as well as the use of slower burning
powders.I am also interested in cast bullets loads ,even if they were developed in handguns as I could find none.
Sincerely
Filippo

As mentioned above, you just run out of case capacity. I have fooled with the 7TCU for a fair time, though with no CB's sorry to say.
Iwas determined to chamber a bolt gun in this myself some time back. After some reading on some that had chambered them, feeding was an issue at times because of the shoulder angle.
A friend of mine had one in a carbine and never saw enough fps gain to really interest me.
If you are wanting to stay with the 223 case. The only option to gain you a very little bit would be to go to the 7x47, just use 204 Ruger brass.
On a bolt gun, which is what I take you are wanting to work with, look at the 7mm Merrill, made from the 225 Winchester case.
That is about the only other one that crosses my mind with out going to the 7BR, which, imho would be the easiest.
jeff

[canyon-ghost]

I've had the 7mmTCU on paper at 200 yards with the Lyman 135 grain #287346 RN,GC bullet with 15.8 grains of SR 4759. I managed to get the RCBS 145 grain to do 100 meters (only fair) with 14.7 grains SR 4759. The first load works best, credit where it's due, I got it from an IMHSA shooter.



Yes, that's a 7mmTCU Avatar, I like it.

[jimb16]

I use the same loads with the 10 inch and the carbine. I have satisfactory results in both barrels. I like the IMR 4227 loads myself.

[buckweet]

im thinking of just threading on a extra piece of pipe on the end of one of my 7tcu barrel's , use it as a carbine.

[redneckdan]

If you do put a tube on the end, you need to pin and weld it to be legal.

[hammerhead357]

Find one of the old extensions that was sold by T/C years ago they are legal and are detatchable. I have seen them for sale on flea bay. I need to do the same for some of my contender barrels....Wes

[leadman]

I checked years ago with the ATFon the legal method to extend a pistol barrel to make it legal to use with a butt-stock. They said it needed to be permanently affixed by soldering or welding. I had a muzzle brake made an even though it was threaded it was also soldered.

Could be why T/C doesn't sell them anymore if they are detachable.

[buckweet]

im thinking of just threading on a extra piece of pipe on the end of one of my 7tcu barrel's , use it as a carbine.

Well it's been several years now..
I did the barrel extension. On a super 14"
I shooting it as a Carbine was wonderful.
Shot it.. then put it up..
Just found it again.. this time,
Set it up in a G2 frame..
And fall in love all over again.

[buckweet]

P.s. she's 16.25 Carbine barrel now.
7mmTCU.
Fantastic cartridge.

[mvintx]

I'll second that the 7mm TC/U is a fantastic cartridge.

I've shot many a deer with my 14" Contender. H-335 was my powder of choice behind a 120 grain soft point. It shot under an inch at 100 yds. Sorry, no advice about cast bullets in that caliber.

[jem102]

Back in our old IHMSA days, my wife shot a Rem XP-100 that was chambered for the 7mmTCU.
She used basically the Speer 145gFB that we used to be able to buy for $7.99/C. I don't recall the exact charge, but I do remember that the powder we found that worked best in all of the 7mmTCU chamberings we had was Hodgdon's H-322.

Absolutely a great powder for the 7TCU. I shot production class with a 10" Contender using 322 and the RCBS 145 out to the turkey line and the Lyman 160 bore rider on rams. Never let me down when I did my part...