Best Caliber for competition 21 1/2" Contender

[Irascible]

I bought a 21 1/2" Custom shop barrel for my Contender in 22 RF with a match chamber. It is for off hand and it shoots well. I would like to set up another barrel of the same length (SSRA minimum length) for cast bullet shooting, again it would be for off hand competition. The question is - What Caliber? The 30 Herrett has crossed my mind, I've also thought of a widcat 25 or 30 caliber on the 357 super mag case. Any thoughts out there?

[docone31]

30 tcu

[Pat I.]

.32 Miller Short?

[357maximum]

If you use the 30 caliber on a slighhtly shortened 357max case you effectively get a 30X222 rimmed. I have a dummy I made up on the shelf....someday I will have an encore barrel for that.

Another option is a .308 bored 32/20


Nothing fan cee , but both would work....and be fairly cheap to build and load for.

[Southern Son]

30 Herrett or 357 Herrett, both were popular calibers in T/C contender pistol.

[dhansen]

I had one back when they first came out in 30-30. Dies were cheap and I had plenty of 30cal molds so the common cartridge worked for me. I set it up with a Fajen thumbhole stock and added a muzzle weight to settle down the light factory barrel. I only used it at the weekly indoor cast bullet shoot we did years ago. Shot pretty good in there but never did anything with it outdoors using
heavier loads.

Wish I had it back!

[Doc Highwall]

How about a standard 357 mag loaded with 200gr boolits. I have the Browning 1885 lowwall in that and it is fun to shoot.

[Irascible]

All excellant suggestions. With no actual 32 caliber brl being made for the Contender/G2 I am still leaning towards a TC brl in 32 H&R (which has a .308 bore) re-chambered to a long necked 30 Herrett or a wildcat on a 357 max (or 222 rimmed) case. Mike Bellm can make whatever length neck I need on either case and either case will clean out the 32 H&R chamber to make a proper cast bullet chamber and throat.

[Don McDowell]

Why not go with the chambering that's been famous and won matches for the last 130 years or so? The 32-40

[GabbyM]

There are obvious choices like 30-30. I'm not clear which games you're playing at or distance SSRA shoots at.
How abut the 30 BR? Don't discount the 7,62 X 39 case either. If you'd prefer less powder.
http://www.6mmbr.com/30BR.html

OR: for less recoil.
As long as you don't have to knock down steel plates you may want to look at a moderate case capacity 6mm. Like 6mm PPC, 6 x 47 , 6 x 222 or 6 x 223. I think 6mm BR may be a bit much power in a light gun. But I've seen a fellow shoot 6mmBR from a short barrel TC pistol. Ten inch or something.
He also had rifles in that caliber so commonality of reloading equipment would've been a factor for him.

22 boolits I find tedious to cast and size while the 6mm are as easy as any larger boolit while still using miniscule amounts of lead. If you shoot for score instead of group size then the 30 caliber will be a big advantage and probably easier to get shooting well. I've gotten to where I don't like recoil so look to little bullets.

[Irascible]

It will be a re-chamber of a factory TC brl with a cartridge that is big enough to take out the usual lousy chamber. 32 H&R is the smallest dia and shortest factory cartridge with a 308 dia. brl.
No factory .32 available.
It will be for off hand target work, so low recoil with the ability to accurately hit 200 yd targets is the goal.

[JSH]

Why a rechamber? By the time you buy the barrel and spend XXX$ to have it rechambered, about the equal of the intial investment. You can have a custom barrel made of your choice. More than likley the wait won't be as long either.
As to the true .32, then you could go that route if you so desire.
jeff

[Echo]

The 30 Herret, 7.62x39, 308x1.5, 30-223 all have about the same boiler room, and are capable of sending 125 grain boolits downrange ~ 2500 fps. The 7.62x39 would be my choice for the sake of having commercial rounds available.

[45r]

The .300 whisper is very accurate and low recoil.My most accurate T/C barrel is 7mmTCU,one inch groups at 100 yards.

[Irascible]

Last, non TC, custom brl I ordered took over a year.
Last TC custom brl took 3 months.
To repeat an often used phrase, "At my age, I don't even buy green bannanas"!

[schoolbus]

I have nothing to do with MGM (Match Grade Machine) but I've heard some mighty good things about them and I believe that their turnaround time is comparable to the TC custom shop. It might be worth a phone call.

http://www.matchgrademachine.com/

Gordon

[leadman]

I have a custom barrel in 300 Whisper with a slightly longer neck, 1 in 8 twist. Excellent with 200gr cast or 125 gr. Nosler BTs.
Awhile back there was a well known shooter whos name I can't remember that won a big event with a 357 max reformed to the whisper case. I think this would be excellent to have the rim to work with.

I have read that the 30 TCU is a very good cast bullet cartridge also.

[Dark Helmet]

Would a 30 Reese (38 special case) have enough capacity for you?
http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/e...5343#794105343

[Irascible]

I think the 32 H&R has more capacity than the Reese.
I just looked up some back issues of Blackpowder Silhouette magazine and Steve Garbe had an article on the 30-30 Wesson (OLD cartridge) which is formed from 357 Super Mag. If the factory chamber on the 32 H&R won't work to my satisfaction, I think I'll go there.

[Irascible]

Nope, I was wrong. The 32 H&R holds 15.81 grs of water and the 38 special, in stock form, holds 23.07. I would guess the capacity of the 38 Spcl case when necked down to 30 caliber, would be close to a tie!
A little more research turned up a 30 Johnson Special, which was designed for cast bullets. It looks very close to a 30 Herrett with a .500 neck or a 30-30 with a shortened body. That just might be the one. I have extra 30 Herrett dies and lots of 30-30 brass. Hmmmm!