32-20 TC Contender barrel

[curioushooter]

The barrel I have is perhaps unusual in that it is a clockwise 1:14 twist, but it slugs .300 bore diameter and .308 groove. Fairly consistent resistance as slug is pushed from breech to muzzle. Seems like there is accuracy potential, but I have not examined the neck area of chamber or throat.

[JSH]

The 30-20 was TC's stab at getting part of the market from the IHMSA crowd. Usage for them was directed at heavier bullets than normal for parent cartridge, thus the longish throat. My keeper 30-20 barrel will shoot a Sierra 180-190 jacketed bullet into scarey groups at 100m. They are still good at 200m, good enough for the game any way.
As times got tough and money got tight, I switched to cast exclusively. I tried bullets of 170-220 with poor results. An RCBS165 Sil mold popped up for the right price. It was purchased and cast with. That mold in that rig has made me very happy to say the least. The 165 shoots as well as the jacketed did.
The 30-20 was never put together to make the 32-20 shooters have some thing to play with. Even though the throats are more inline with what we expect, in the BF, MOA and a few others, they were still meant for heavy bullets. 150 and up.
There are those out there that have found good results with .313ish bullets jacketed and cast.
To say it is a miserable job is like saying your metric wrench does not fit your standard nut properly.

I was on the sideline many moons ago when Sierra was approached about working up loads for the 30-20. A couple of my mentors were involved. The initial base for sierras load work was a factory TC barrel with a longish throat. Loads were all worked up in the TC barrel. A BF or MOA was procured for further development of loads. It was soon found that the two loads would never be able to be interchagable, even though both were marked 30-20. All because TC gave such a generous throat/lead and the second gun was chambered more as a match type chambering. This threw it basically into a wildcat type of territory because of the variance. I have the original lab work sheets that I have shared with some in the past, only for a reference of loads.

I have seen where some SOB has sold these as "his"load work up sheets. It is funny as the header on the spread sheets is cut off of the copies the individual sends out.

With some caution and careful work the 30x221 data can be reduced and worked up in the 30-20's with good results. NOT in ANY 32-20 vintage type guns.
The ONLY wheel gun I can endorse for heavy over HV type loads is the Ruger Buckeye with the 32-20 cylinder. It can will outdo the 327 by a far piece.
Jeff

[rockrat]

I used to shoot an MOA in 30-20 in unlimited class in IHMSA. I also used the 30-165 Sil boolit.

[30Carbiner]

The earlier 32-20 TC barrels had a left/clockwise 1 in 14” twist. The later barrels had a right hand twist in either 12” or 10” twist. I had a 12” that would tumble 190 grain Sierras so I sold it and bought a 1 in 10” barrel that stabilized the 190’s.

So please check your twist rate if you are going to shoot heavier bullets.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[curioushooter]

Well, I am quite happy with the 1:14 twist, so far. I just did some work this weekend...starting with 100 grain Hornady Semi-Jackets, then some 110 Grain plated bullets, and some 110 grain Hornady V-Max, and some 110 grain Speer JHPs. I decided to throw in some 130 Grain Speer Hot-Cors that I use in my 30-30 Mossberg just to see what happened, not expecting much. I usually figure out a barrel first with copper jacket bullets then move to cast...mea-culpa.

The results were interesting, using Win296 near published max loads:
100 Grain Hornady Semi-jackets were screaming at 2000 FPS and had SO-SO accuracy. Like 3 inch group at 27 yards, which is nothing impressive, other than the velocity.
110 Ranier plated bullets (for 30 carbine) were 1800 FPS and better accuracy.
110 Hornady V-Max were KEYHOLING. One went literally sideways through the paper.
110 Grain Speer JHPs were as good as accuracy as the Raniers, this I suppose could be a "serious business" load.

Now, for the strange 130 grainers, which look so goofy in that tiny case, and make it so top heavy:
DEAD ON accuracy. These things were going an impressive 1750 FPS, which is about 100 FPS more than expected, and they were a one inch 3 shot group, and I am quite sure that I was the problem. I have no pistol rest, so my best efforts are shooting these off a picnic table. And it was a windy day yesterday.

I am going to try some 130 grain and 150 grain cast bullets, Lyman #311410 and #311440, and see what they do now. I have an order coming from Western Bullet Company.

The way I look at it the 30-20 is for Field Pistol class shooting, so not being able to stabilize the super heavies doesn't really worry me. According to most calculators a short 150 grainer like the 311440 should stabilize in a 1:14 twist at those velocities out to 100 yards.

By the way, do you guys that have experience with this 30-20/Contender platform just use starting loads for 30 Carbine for the heavy bullets? Or do you have some secret load data that you are willing to share for bullets around 150 grains?

[dannyd]

I used ether a Saeco 115 cast or Sierra 110 HP small rifle primer and Unique powder. Used it for Hunters pistol and field pistol.

[30Carbiner]

Well, I am quite happy with the 1:14 twist, so far. I just did some work this weekend...starting with 100 grain Hornady Semi-Jackets, then some 110 Grain plated bullets, and some 110 grain Hornady V-Max, and some 110 grain Speer JHPs. I decided to throw in some 130 Grain Speer Hot-Cors that I use in my 30-30 Mossberg just to see what happened, not expecting much. I usually figure out a barrel first with copper jacket bullets then move to cast...mea-culpa.

The results were interesting, using Win296 near published max loads:
100 Grain Hornady Semi-jackets were screaming at 2000 FPS and had SO-SO accuracy. Like 3 inch group at 27 yards, which is nothing impressive, other than the velocity.
110 Ranier plated bullets (for 30 carbine) were 1800 FPS and better accuracy.
110 Hornady V-Max were KEYHOLING. One went literally sideways through the paper.
110 Grain Speer JHPs were as good as accuracy as the Raniers, this I suppose could be a "serious business" load.

Now, for the strange 130 grainers, which look so goofy in that tiny case, and make it so top heavy:
DEAD ON accuracy. These things were going an impressive 1750 FPS, which is about 100 FPS more than expected, and they were a one inch 3 shot group, and I am quite sure that I was the problem. I have no pistol rest, so my best efforts are shooting these off a picnic table. And it was a windy day yesterday.

I am going to try some 130 grain and 150 grain cast bullets, Lyman #311410 and #311440, and see what they do now. I have an order coming from Western Bullet Company.

The way I look at it the 30-20 is for Field Pistol class shooting, so not being able to stabilize the super heavies doesn't really worry me. According to most calculators a short 150 grainer like the 311440 should stabilize in a 1:14 twist at those velocities out to 100 yards.

By the way, do you guys that have experience with this 30-20/Contender platform just use starting loads for 30 Carbine for the heavy bullets? Or do you have some secret load data that you are willing to share for bullets around 150 grains?

I got load data from the IHMSA newsletter and their forum and tabulated it all on a spreadsheet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JSH]

As I mentioned, some cross reference can be done with the 30x221 data. I had tried all of the slow powders296/H110, 1680 and 4227. AA 9 gave me my best results along with WC820 lot that is an exact duplicate. FYI I have other wc820 that is closer to 2400.
My Ruger only load runs a 140 plain base along at 1450 and change.