And here I thought this was going to be a CAST BULLET discussion
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And here I thought this was going to be a CAST BULLET discussion
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I don't think you said anything about the likely range you will be hunting? If it is relatively close range any of them would be fine. If it is longer range the flatter shooting cartridge you should practice with.
Wayne the Shrink
There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!
7-30 and 375
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I think I have decided to go with the 309 JDJ with 125 Gr. Nosler ballistic Tips. Just need another trip or two to the range to dial it in.
Had a good time at the range. Brought a friend with who has never shot a big bore. Started out with the 44 and then moved onto the hand cannons.
I have only owned 1 Contender that was in 44 mag + a 22 LR barrel and it never suited me so it was sold or traded years ago. Out of the calibers you have I also would probably choose the 7 x 30 Waters as I like the cartridge a lot but where I have to hunt I was always restricted to straight walled for deer.
Just one thing I will caution about since you seem to have made up your mind on the caliber , the 125 BT’s are quite fragile so be sure to aim for no big bones , I have seen these bullets do great tissue damage but not penetrate well and leave you a long tracking job. I look at them as varmint bullets. Just my 2 cents.
Jedman
The 125 Ballistic Tips work great on deer when launched at 2300 ft/sec from a 30 Herrett.
Not so sure if I would use them with the much faster 309 JDJ.
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maybe I will bump it up to the 165s or even the 180's then.
I run 150 Sierra's in my 30 Herrett , and they perform pretty good on whitetails . I would think the 150's would put the smack down on them out of a JDJ .
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Jesus said ( Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest ) Matt. 11:28
I have all four of these calibers. The only two i have taken deer with was the 7-30 which is a carbie barrel with 120 gr and the 309 14'' with 150 ballistic tips. They both worked well. The other two will be used soon as possible. I would use the one i was most comfortable with. I believe the 309 wold work better with the 150 or 165 bt.I use the 125 bt in my 30-30 and 30-30 ackley and they do good in them. They are a little slower than the 309.
The 375 JDJ loaded with the NOE 235 gr Ranch Dog.
Really this is the Cast BOOLITS forum
beltfed/arnie
If you have not hunted deer with the Contender, watch those radar ears and that Contender internal hammer safety when you cock the hammer, it sounds like a limb breaking in the quiet woods to a close deer.
“There is a remedy for all things, save death.“
Cervantes
“Never give up, never quit.”
Robert Rogers
Roger’s Rangers
There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.
Will Rogers
no .375 jdj cast or jacketed bullets recovered, all pass thru,s. i shoot standing double lung shots, they some times go 15-20 yards with a blood trail on both sides ray charles could follow.
I have a 7mmTCU 14" bbl for My T/C Contender.
You might try to find some of the Single Shot bullets that Hornady used to make.
Although I had good luck once with the Sierra 120gr HP. Went right thru a coyote with a 2" exit hole.
I used the #287405 over a light charge of Unique for 1st firing of new formed cases.
Sorry I can't give you an O.A.L. don't have any loaded ammo at this time.
I HATE auto-correct
Happiness is a Warm GUN & more ammo to shoot in it.
My Experience and My Opinion, are just that, Mine.
SASS #375 Life
I actually just picked up a 14" 7mm TCU in a package deal. Wasn't the barrel I was really wanting since I already had a 10" But I am excited to see how much different the 14" handles. I don't have any of the 120's you were talking about but I think I have quite a few Speers
Late to the thread, but glad you seem to have come to the (correct, I think) conclusion that bullet choice is probably more critical than which of these cartridges you use.
Of course, placement is always job #1.
I killed two deer with .357 Herrett Contender back in the 80s. Two data points is pretty slim...but the difference in wound channel and time to death between 158gr Hornady at 2,000 fps impact velocity and 180gr Speer at 1,700 fps impact velocity was dramatic.
I did not hunt again with the Herrett, but would have used the 158 again for typical broadside lung shots.
Scrounging for pb...
USMC 0351
I have a 7x30 TC carbine (16") that has taken quite a few whitetails. i typically load the 120 hornady vmax. It perfoms like a quality big game bullet at the lower velocity of the waters. i have also loaded and shot the 100 grain hornady hollowpoint, but not at deer. I would not depend on the bullets marketed for hunting to perform well at those lower velocities. They are just too tough and are made to withstand 7mm mag velocities for the most part. I have never had a lot of ruined or bloodshot meat from the vmax, so I am satisfied. i think have recovered only one bullet and it was expanded to about halfway down the shank, just what you would want. They dont blow up, but punch right on through.
I have killed one buck with my 10" 7-TCU, using the 120 grain V-max. The bullet passed through with good expansion at 85 yards. They say that this bullet has the same jacket as Hornady used to use on their 7mm handgun bullet.
quick update to this thread. I took the contenders to the range the last two weekends prior to the hunt and had bad range days so I decided this year I would take the Marlin 30-30 and get some more practice in with the contenders before I take them. I am just not getting the groups that I should be. I know it is me and not the gun. Either way it was a good trip. I shot a good size doe (only allowed this year). I will get a lot more practice in this year and try again next.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |