7mm TCU

[k80skeet]

If I remember correctly, just run the 223 brass through 7TCU size die.

Yup, That's the way I did it with no problems at all. Of course they had to fire formed.

 

[Tucker 7br]

I took an old 14" 7tcu barrel to my local smith. He threaded the barrel and screwed on a 8" bloop tube. Welded the seam and ground down to match profile, making it ATF legal. Swapped on a shoulder stock, now it's a light rifle, 22" barrel, waiting for granddaughter to break it in with a few thousand 7mm blem bullets.

 

[lotech]

Lot of data in Wolfe Publishing Company's "Wildcat Cartridges Volume II"; it's dated but still useful.

 

[gemihur]

Keep an eye out for a fold-out brochure included in Thompson Center contender packages purchased in mid-1985 titled: Making Your Contender Perform!

This publication was a compilation created by DuPont with consult of Bob Milek.
Great loads found here for:
32/20 Win
41 Magnum
44 Magnum
22 Hornet
221 Fireball
256 Win Mag
30 Herrett
.222
.223
6.5 TCU
7 TCU
30 Herrett
30-30
357 Herrett
35 Rem
357 Hot shot
44 Hot shot
Bob Milek and Steve Herrett were instrumental in much of the load developments of that era for the Contender.

 

[HandgunHTR]

Keep an eye out for a fold-out brochure included in Thompson Center contender packages purchased in mid-1985 titled: Making Your Contender Perform!
View attachment 1620175
This publication was a compilation created by DuPont with consult of Bob Milek.
Great loads found here for:
32/20 Win
41 Magnum
44 Magnum
22 Hornet
221 Fireball
256 Win Mag
30 Herrett
.222
.223
6.5 TCU
7 TCU
30 Herrett
30-30
357 Herrett
35 Rem
357 Hot shot
44 Hot shot
Bob Milek and Steve Herrett were instrumental in much of the load developments of that era for the Contender.

If you can find it, Loadbooks USA published a 2-volume set of "Complete" loads for the TC Contender. It goes from .17 Bumble Bee to 45-70. Published data from both bullet manufacturers and powder manufacturers.

 

[gemihur]

Loadbooks is fine for a specific cartridge
but the T/C book has 'em all!

Best loads site for 7TCU = https://www.shootersreference.com/reloadingdata/7-mm-tcu-thompson-center-ugalde/

 

[Bill K]

Does anyone have any load data? I have a TC contender pistol in 7mm TCU and 200 head stamped cases. I want to get this pistol shooting.

Some load data sites. one of which is Hodgdon's Reloading Data has load data in the pistol section. Check them out.

 

[FuzzT]

I hope it is ok to tag onto this thread. I have a short action 223 that I have been thinking about making into a 7 TCU. Many moons ago I shot, and still have a 10 inch and 14 inch contender, plus a ton of cases with around 300 still loaded. My questions are what barrel specs would you use. I have lots of 138, 154 and 160 bullets to use up and about 20 pounds of H322.
Thank you

 

[Varmint56]

Look at the book called complete contender load book . I have a 10 inch 7tcu. Sk far fun but it came with a 2.5 bushnell phantom scope and the goofy mount. Going to try y bigger glass on it

 

[mike.e]

I hope it is ok to tag onto this thread. I have a short action 223 that I have been thinking about making into a 7 TCU. Many moons ago I shot, and still have a 10 inch and 14 inch contender, plus a ton of cases with around 300 still loaded. My questions are what barrel specs would you use. I have lots of 138, 154 and 160 bullets to use up and about 20 pounds of H322.
Thank you

Just do it, I have an M700 SA in 6.5TCU. You can use Atlasworx bottom metal and Accurate Mags 223Mags which can be modified to allow you to load at longer length.
Its an awesome thing in a rifle. Granted mine is a 6.5TCU but 123SSts at 2630fps is not to be sneezed at.

I would imagine a 7TCU would be a fine rifle chambering

 

[FuzzT]

How long of a barrel, what twist and how heavy would you guys go? I would use this as a range toy most of the time. I have killed a few deer with a 10 inch contender but it might not get that sort of use.

 

[HandgunHTR]

I hope it is ok to tag onto this thread. I have a short action 223 that I have been thinking about making into a 7 TCU. Many moons ago I shot, and still have a 10 inch and 14 inch contender, plus a ton of cases with around 300 still loaded. My questions are what barrel specs would you use. I have lots of 138, 154 and 160 bullets to use up and about 20 pounds of H322.
Thank you

I built a 7TCU on a Remington 700.

Mine has a 16" barrel and a 1:8" twist (Wilson barrel that I got from Ragged Hole). I shoot 120s in mine so I really don't need the fast twist, but I wanted to have the option to shoot heavier if I wanted to. If you plan to shoot 160s, you will need the 8-twist.
As for barrel length, you can honestly go as long as you want, but with that case, I don't think you will get a lot of extra speed once you go over 20". I shoot suppressed so shorter is better for me. I am getting right around 2375 fps with a 120 grain Nosler BT and VV N130. I have a bit of room to go higher as well, but that load is giving me very good accuracy.

You didn't say what action you have, but if it is a Rem and you want to continue to use the ADL or BDL set up rather than detachable mags like mike.e suggested, you can remove the spacer at the back of the factory mag box and replace it with a piece of aluminum bar stock, or polymer bar stock. I used a piece of 1/4" aluminum bar stock, cut to fit and epoxied in place with the factory spring an follower. It allows me to load to just over 2.6" OAL, which is more than enough.

 

[FuzzT]

Thank you Handgun that confirms my thinking. I really have no clear use for something like this but it is itch that feels like it needs scratching.

 

[gemihur]

I recently fell onto a little different animal, a 15" stainless 7mm Raptor barrel by Gary Reeder complete with Hornady dies. Reeder uses the 204 Ruger brass to form cases necked to .284 for an increase in propellant capacity over the 7TCU (having the 222 Rem Mag as it's parent case). I can make no claims to it's performance yet, but I have great expecations having sufficient field experience with it's brethren, the 30 Raptor. It's kinda an exaggerated 30 Apache that shoots like a 30-30 but feels like a 30 carbine

 

[gemihur]

 

[HandgunHTR]

I recently fell onto a little different animal, a 15" stainless 7mm Raptor barrel by Gary Reeder complete with Hornady dies. Reeder uses the 204 Ruger brass to form cases necked to .284 for an increase in propellant capacity over the 7TCU (having the 222 Rem Mag as it's parent case). I can make no claims to it's performance yet, but I have great expecations having sufficient field experience with it's brethren, the 30 Raptor. It's kinda an exaggerated 30 Apache that shoots like a 30-30 but feels like a 30 carbine

Very nice!

I had an XP-100 chambered in 7X47, which is essentially the same thing as the 7 Raptor (i.e. 222 Rem Mag necked up to 7mm and blown out). I shot quite a few IHMSA matches with it. I ended up selling it to a guy in MI when I got out of IHMSA and downsized to just the hunting handguns.

 

[HandgunHTR]

Had a little range time with the 7TCU over the weekend. Working up a new load with 120 grain V-Max bullets as the 120 grain NBTs are getting harder to find and I want to feed the ones I have to my shorty 7-08 and my 7-30W Contender.

The shot to the lower left was definitely me, but that doesn't mean it doesn't count. Still a sub 3/4" group at 100 yards. More than good enough for deer and varmints out to 300, which is the purpose of this rifle.

With a 12 oz suppressor, it is like shooting a 22 mag in terms of recoil. I don't have kids or grandkids, but if I did, this would probably be about as perfect a "Kid's Rifle" as they come.

 

[hsir135]

Sierra 5th Edition reloading manual (find on eBay) has a great load table section for Single Shot Pistols with many TC Contender chamberings including 6mm, 6.5 & 7mm TCU 10" & 14". Hornady has PDF legacy listings including 7mm TCU: https://static.hornady.media/site/hornady/files/obsolete-data/7mm-tcu.pdf I met Wes Ugalde through a friend Dave Tobin (IHMSA National Champion) at the range I frequented in Cupertino, CA back in the day. Dave got me started with a Contender in 7mm TCU. Before the 6.5 TCU came out, Wes would get barrel blanks from TC and chamber them. I have a 6.5 TCU 10" & 14" barrel with no factory markings. With good handloading techniques, the Contenders are capable of incredible accuracy <1.5 moa open sights and <.75 4x Leopold. Great to see TC Arms making a comeback as a standalone. Attached photo taken 1983 at Wes's in Fallon showing my brother & Wes holding custom XP-100 pistols in 6mm TCU. Wes would fit the stock to your hand for precise trigger control. He truly was a master gunsmith. My powder picks, H4895, AA2460 & Win 748.

 

[gemihur]

Updated recent Reeder acquisition