Anyone play with a 3030 contender?

[kraky1]

Looking for input.
Research says 30.0 re7 under a 125 bt might be a great place to start.
I4198 looks like a winner too.....might need the fast burn for the 10" barrel.

Once I get a hunting load dialed in might want some slow, gentle plinker loads.
Wondering if gentle loads might work with neck sizing?

 

[RogueRiver]

I have a 3030 contender carbine, 23" barrel, I also shoot 125 bt, but with Blc2 or 3031 for powder

 

[Nannyhammer]

RE7 will get you the highest velocities in most cases. What I found is that it can go from acceptable to too high of pressure pretty quickly as charges increase. I currently use W748 and RE15 but that is in a 30-30 AI since the chamber was re-cut. I also use the 125gr Ballistic Tip and have had good results on the few deer I've shot with them.

 

[Alderman]

I've got one but have't really had a chance to ring it out. I recently started to spend some more time with the Contenders and really am enjoying this new challenge.
This one is 100 yards, not bench rest results I know, but quite satisfying to an old coot with very poor eyesight.

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[kraky1]

I also have a 730 waters w/2-7 x
A 4570 w/2.5x
A 357 w/reddot.....they are all fun and extremely accurate.
This 3030 I figure on leaving w/open sights...at least for now....!
Once you get one it's hard to stop!

 

[JD338]

RL 7 is a great choice.
Works well in my 6.5JDJ, 7x30 Waters
and 375 Winchester.

JD338

 

[TC260]

Looking for input.
Research says 30.0 re7 under a 125 bt might be a great place to start.
I4198 looks like a winner too.....might need the fast burn for the 10" barrel

I'm not an expert but have reloaded for a few Contender/Encore pistol barrels. Several dozen at least. It gets repeated so often on the internet now it's starting to become gospel but as I was taught early on by some long time IHMSA shooters and has since been my experience too, don't fiddle around trying use faster powders just because of barrel length. The best performing powders in rifle length barrels will be the best performing powders in pistol length barrels as well.

 

[kraky1]

I think you might be spot-on with that idea as I was recently thumbing through a lyman manual. It said that 748 was THE powder for the contender3030 pistol in almost all bullet weights..... it got me to thinking that it shot really well in my 730 Waters too..... even though quick load seems to think a fair amount won't get burned. With my sixty-year-old eyes and the start of cataracts and open sights the powder I pick will probably be the least of the problem....lol! Thanks for the input.

 

[Alderman]

I'm in the same boat with the age and the cataracts.
A scope helps some.


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[1Shot]

My first Contender was a 10" 30-30 Win. Best loads I found came out of the 4th edition Sierra manual.
Best deer load I found was 125 gr Sierra Spitzer with 29.1 grs IMR 4198 it averaged 2100 fps. This was the suggested hunting load and it was accurate and did a fine job. I would say that the 125 Ballistic Tip would be great. I use it in my 30-30AI 14" barrel with 33 grs IMR 4198 and it does 2670 fps and SMOKES deer.

 

[kraky1]

1shot....here's a good one.... I have a very old imr pamphlet which pretty much gives that load data of near 29 Grains with a 125 class bullet...ql seems to think its upper limit but OK. If you go to hodgdon.com right now they are saying 23.5 is Max w/a 130......wow....talk about old/new data!

 

[1Shot]

I just looked at my 5th edition Sierra manual and it list the same 29.1 grs IMR 4198 with 125s for 10" and with 14" barrel it list 30 gr IMR 4198 with 125s. The 29.1 grs was not too hot in my 10 Contender. I also found that with 150 gr bullets the Suggested accuracy load from Sierra #4 27.2 grs IMR 4198 for 10" barrel was really accurate also. It did 1900 fps. I just shot this load for targets since the 125 gr bullets did such a good job on deer out to 125 yards which was as far as I attempted a shot.

 

[kraky1]

Well...29.0 I 4198 under a 125 bt did 2015FPS today in my 10-inch contender...ql forecasts that around 40k.
For some reason the 125 Sierra was just a hair faster.
30.6 re7 under the 125 bt was 1980fps.
The 4198 under the 125 bt was really decently accurate at 25 yds w/ open sights.
I also shot some of the former owners 150 loads.
I have to say this thing rocks and rolls a little more than I thought it would people told me it would be like a 44 Mag.
I don't remember my Ruger Super Redhawk rocking like this did.
After about 20 shots my trigger finger was bleeding in 2 different spots and I had some skin peeled off a finger on my left hand.
I guess I'm just a girly boy with Sissy hands! I didn't have any Band-Aids along but I had some electrical tape and paper towels so I could tape things up and look like a tough guy..........with Sissy hands! Lol

 

[Alderman]

I think I finally figured out the bite is part of the fun.


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[1Shot]

Grips make all the difference in felt recoil. The first grips that came on the Contenders were terrible. I shot a 44 mag with those grips and it about broke my hand and paralyzed my arm. Shot same gun with Pachmayr grips and it was a pussy cat. My 10" Contender in 30-30 with a scope on it had much less felt recoil than my Black Hawk and Red Hawk 44m mag.

 

[kraky1]

I'm finding the chamber on the 3030 contender is quite fussy about sizing. I was hoping I could figure a way to make it fun to plink with....and fast to reload. I think I'm coming to the conclusion that the best way is to drop the 3030 and go back to my 357 Barrel! No wonder my buddy gave me a good deal on it.