Thompson / Center’s Venerable Contender Pistol in 7-30 Waters Part III

A heavier bullet perspective…

The sole factory load for the 7-30 Waters is 120 grains. My experience with 7mm cartridges; 7mm-08 Rem, 7x57mm Mauser, 7mm Rem Mag and woodland hunting has always led me away from the light end of the 7mm bullet spectrum and onto the middle and heavy weights. What I did find is that many of the bullets I’ve selected for the 7mm Rem Mag work as well when loaded in the significantly lower velocity 7mm-08 Rem and 7x57mm Mauser… which conventional wisdom says is incorrect as these bullets are made to withstand magnum velocity levels.

A 160 grain bullet fired from a 24″ barrel 7mm Rem Mag has a muzzle velocity of approximately 2,900 fps, while the 160 grain bullet from the 14″ barrel 7-30 Waters has a muzzle velocity of 2,220 fps. Fortunately, game is rarely shot at the muzzle and the 7mm Rem Mag is intended to shoot game at a distance, while the Contender and 7-30 Waters are made for more moderate ranges… inside 150 yards within the project’s hypothetical confines. What matters, in terms of a bullet properly expanding, is how fast the bullet is traveling on impact. A bullet that will expand at 400 yards with the 7mm Rem Mag where it is traveling 2,200 fps will expand at 2,000 fps at 100 yards as a bullet from a 7-30 Waters, particularly if a bullet is intended for thin skinned, medium to large size game. The bullets listed on the table above are not made for shooting brown bear with the 7mm Rem Mag; no Nosler Partitions, no Swift A-frames, no Speer Grand Slams.

In Cartridges of the World, the suggestion is made that the 7-30 Waters can not deliver the down range performance of the 30-30 WCF. Winchester 170 grain 30-30 WCF ammunition is listed with a 2,200 fps muzzle velocity from a 24″ SAAMI standard test barrel. The Thompson / Center Contender produces 2,220 fps of muzzle velocity with a 160 grain bullet and the spire tipped Contender bullet better retains performance down range. Optimal trajectory for each was calculated for best zero with a 6″ critical target.

A lighter bullet perspective…

 Some folks like light bullets for the increased muzzle velocity they bring. For me, light bullets don’t seem to offer any advantage over the 160 grain bullet and, in fact, fall short in a number of areas. I am not suggesting there is no place for the lighter side of 7mm bullet weights, but I am suggesting they don’t necessarily fit for deer hunting. other than initially higher velocity, their light weight does not offer sustained higher velocity over 1 160 grain bullet, which means they also do not offer higher kinetic energy or momentum.