Hello handi243, I used a 10" Contender in 7mmTCU to take one deer a few years ago. It was a doe at about 30 yards and I used the Nosler 120 Ballistic Tip and RL-7 powder.

GOOD SHOOTING!
Slufoot

 

I have taken numerous deer with the 7 TCU using 10, 14, 15 and 20" barrels -- and all loads used H335 powder as it is one of THE BEST for the .223-based wildcats.

Of currently-available bullets, nothing holds a candle to the 120 grain Ballistic Tip. In a number of 7mm cartridges whose muzzle velocities span 2000 fps in a 10" TCU to nearly 3000 fps from a 24" 7-08, the BT always expands well and penetrates more than sufficiently -- and exits are the norm given virtually any broadside presentation.

Even with a 10" 7 TCU, you'll get good game-dropping performance out to around 175 yards assuming you are using the 120 grain BT.

 

Same song as SWEET, I have the 7tc/u in 10,14 and 21" barrels. I've used 120's of various makes and several weights of cast bullets to kill deer at ranges to 200 yards. The 120 Jacketed bullets were propelled with the powder that proved most accurate in each gun, and each was/is different.If you are staying with jacketed, the ballistic tip will work fine. You must work up the load for YOUR gun. 748 worked best in my 21" barrel while h335 worked best in the 14".

 

handi,
7mm TCU will certainly do the job, but I would keep my shots under 200 yards on deer sized game.
Just my opinion

 

I used one last year dropped a doe Nosler120 BT Mine likes H322
Just got back from gun show came back with Contender No. 2 with 10" 223 can't wait to try it.

Preacherman

 

handi,
7mm TCU will certainly do the job, but I would keep my shots under 200 yards on deer sized game.
Just my opinion

I agree!!!

For my personal use I on deer I prefer a round with a little more zest!! Just my opinion!!!

 

Think about it for a minute: a 14-15" 7mm TCU will approach/reach 2400 fps with a 120 grain Ballistic Tip. That basically is what the 6.5 JDJ offers, albeit it with a slightly more efficient projectile.

If you can't kill a deer inside of 200 yards with either of those, you won't kill it using a cartridge offering more zest, either.

Even a 10" 7 TCU will shoot completely through the chest of virtually any whitetail given broadside presentation. Sure, you can kill them with more firepower. But they won't be any deader.

 

YES
The 7 Tcu works.
I also use 120grn bullet. I think GB had a few posts related to using this round on deer ,I maybe wrong on the poster but I know I read alot about it in the past here on GBO
it is proven too me by Me I also use mine, to head hit hogs ,it does the job . It's 10 inch and is my go to TC barrel

 

If you can't kill a deer inside of 200 yards with either of those, you won't kill it using a cartridge offering more zest, either.

I'm sorry I didn't make my post plainer. I didn't say nor imply that the 7MMTCU wouldn't kill deer. I only said I prefer a round with a little more zest. I did at one time hunt with one myself. I also have taken deer with the 7-30Waters.

After looking at 4 different sources the best load listed is at 2281 out of a 14" barrel for the 7MM TCU with a 120gr bullet.
The same sources for the 6.5JDJ list a possible 2414 with a 120gr. bullet.

I'm not putting the 7MM TCU down. Its a fine round and not a thing wrong with using it if that's what you prefer. The 7MM-08 is a fine round out of the Encore rifle. Had one and liked it. But prefer a little more zest so I sold it and got a 280Rem.

 

Yeah I've killed at least two and I think maybe three deer with the 7TCU from a 10" barrel. I seem to recall using the Nosler 120 BT at least once and the Sierra 130 SSP for the rest and I think there were two with it. All were clean one shot kills on does within 100 yards of me. For relatively close range deer hunt say inside of 150 yards I like the 7 TCU in a 10" barrel and from a 14" barrel I'd agree that range could be extended some.

 

Handi, IF you are just getting into using the 7tc/u, I'd suggest keeping your shots well under 200 yards. I would not give you a vintage Harley/davidson to learn on either. Once you have developed confidence in you and the gun,longer shots will be a LOT easier on your nerves. I read a story about some guy using a 14 Walker to kill a brown bear. So strange things can and do happen. Certainly there are more POWERfull rounds available. There are STILL guys that shoot a stick at all manner of animals with every expectation of killing said animal.Do we tell THEM to get a BIGGER BOW? The very bottom line is IF it is legal to use where YOU hunt,YOU MUST put the bullet in the correct place to kill the game.

 

TC Dave 1 wrote: "After looking at 4 different sources the best load listed is at 2281 out of a 14" barrel for the 7MM TCU with a 120gr bullet."

If you have it available, please check the Nosler manual since that is the bullet we are talking about.

I am at my office and can't check, but if I remember correctly, I seem to recall at least a couple of loads at 2400 fps from a 14" barrel. Also, custom barrels will generally do better -- velocity-wise -- than anything factory-chambered. That's why JD Jones will tell you not to expect to reach his listed velocities for the JDJ cartridges if your barrel is a rechamber.

Tighter tolerances with the customs is why this occurs.

My favorite load in a current 14" 7 TCU by Van Horn is 31 grains of H335 under the 120 grain BT. Velocity recorded at 12 feet averages 2393 fps. An earlier Van Horn barrel, this a 15" version, took 30.5 grains to reach basically the same MV.

A corrected figure would put it just above 2400 fps for a true MV. My 14.5" 7mm BR in an XP does 2412 fps with the 120 grain BT that with 32 grains of H335.

 

Two over 2400 fps in Nosler for 14" barrels 2432 with RL7 and 2412 with H322.

 

Thanks for the info guys i have many years of handgun hunting mostly with revolvers. this is were my passion is some people tell me i'm crazy to use a handgun for deer hunting i believe in pushing yourself to be a better hunter. Really just got into the singleshots i think i'm better with a handgun then a rifle anyway.

 

Graybeard-

Thanks for looking that up! The data varies widely for the TCUs and even for the .223 Rem. and the 6mm-.223 (aka 6x45) when data for Contenders is listed. That's because some companies were under the erroneous impression that all loads in the Contender must be kept to 42000 c.u.p.

And while this is a more complicated issue than pressure alone in the single shots, the cartridges with the same basic head size as the .223 (that includes those on the 5.6x50R brass) may be run full throttle.

 

The "old guy" that taught me to hunt would always say"Get close enough that you can kill it with the first shot"! To which I'd answer "O.K. grampa!". More ZEST is not really an issue if you can do this.
by the way Happy New Year to all!!

 

The "old guy" that taught me to hunt would always say"Get close enough that you can kill it with the first shot"! To which I'd answer "O.K. grampa!". More ZEST is not really an issue if you can do this.
by the way Happy New Year to all!!

Each to his own style of hunting and not a thing wrong with that. But I also enjoy the challenge of the shot. I have taken several deer in the 300 to 400yd. range and without my ZEST that wouldn't happen. Now I have not done this with a pistol but that day is getting closer, and I have no doubt it will come. Zest is one of the reasons we have so many different caliber and cartridges to choose from. My advice to anyone is to shoot what you like or what will get the job done for your style of hunting or shooting and enjoy.

 

I like horsepower in SP's. It trips my trigger and helps accomplish the things I want to do.
Could I get closer? Sometimes.
But I could hunt with a long-bow if I wanted traditional, close stalking or tree stands.
Most of my hunting and shooting is in the west where things are much more open.
I enjoy longer and the challenge of it. My practice distances are normally over 300 yards.
Some like shorter and the challenge of it, and I have no complaints with that.
I quit using the 7mmTCU about 20 years ago because it did not have the performance I wanted out of it.
Under 250 yards is a chip-shot if I and the SP are rested well.

 

Well put. We need to tailor our equipment to the conditions where we hunt. In my case I never get a shot longer than about 50 yards, often much less. I have great success on deer with 30-30/7-30 Waters/45Colt type equipment that would not work out west with long shots. One stand in the woods I hunt offers 200 plus yard shots and the member of our group that uses that stand uses a 7-08 with good success.

 

Very true you need to tailor your technique and equipment to the situation you're hunting in. Here in Bama in the places I've hunted all my life it's highly unlikely I'd ever know the deer even exists in my world if it's 250 yards away. No way to see it and no way to hear it. It just isn't there for all practical purposes.

Shots over 100 yards are rare indeed and so for me the little 7 TCU even from a 10" barrel is an excellent choice for my situation. Out west in wide open spaces the 7-08 would make far more sense.

 

I already have a 30 30 10" for my inside 100 yds IF i were going for a longer shot say 200yrds would i be better with the 7tcu or say a 7 30 waters? this is just for general knowledge

 

I already have a 30 30 10" for my inside 100 yds IF i were going for a longer shot say 200yrds would i be better with the 7tcu or say a 7 30 waters? this is just for general knowledge

handi,
If you are considering the 200 yard more often, I would surely go with the Waters. If I was hunting with a Contender for game and have the possibility of the longer shots, I would up the horsepower. It is my top choice for factory cartridges in the Contender. A wildcat but a goody, 30-30AI would be my second choice.
The LR wildcat for me in the contender would 5.6x50 R improved necked up to 6.5. In a tender it will outrun anything distance wise with great killing ability.

 

xphunter is right on the money. And as to the 6.5x50R IMP, it's a dandy and a solid 100 fps better than the 6.5 JDJ given 14" barrels. In mine, I ran the 120 grain BTs at 2520 fps and the 120 grain Speers just over 2500 fps.

The only drawback to the cartridge is brass. New RWS brass is PRICEY. Huntington's carried fired RWS brass, but it was still a dollar+ a case, and some were in poor, poor condition. Hirtenberger brass, well...let's just say I don't want any more of it. The first lot I bought was decent. The next batch -- a rather large amount -- had necks so thin that you could not get ample tension to hold a bullet in place. Taking them back down to 6mm helped a bit, so a 6x50R IMP is the next caliber on my agenda as I have a ton of this Hirtenberger brass laying around my loading desk.

Another plus of the rounds based on the 5.6x50R is that you do not need custom dies. The TCU series works fine on the body, and if you ever get to a point where you need to size the web area, an opened-up .357 Mag die will do nicely.

The 30-30 AI is a terrific performer in a 14" barrel and is a dynamite deer dropper with the 125 grain BT. The 150 grain BT does quite well also.

 

What powder(s) did you use on your 50R Imp?

 

H380 and Re-15 saw the bulk of the use, and H380 proved to be extremely consistent in my barrel. But any powders in the burn range between H4895 to H380 would be good candidates.