TC Contender (original) shooting 223 in a 10" barrel!!

[Joe4UT]

I finally got myself a Contender. Always wanted one. New to the Forum but have reloaded quite a few years. What I need is a good load that will not be blowing to much powder out the end of the barrel. I was leaning toward H4198 and 40gr varmit bullets. My question is, How many gr. of powder should I be safely using to make sure everyone around me will be safe when the TC is fired. I know there are plenty of you out there that have fired the 10" Contender 223. Please let me know the best load that pleased you and was safe. Thanks ahead of time.

 

[spclark]

There are some reloading manuals that have sections for T/C loads separate from more standard applications.

(I have two Gen II actions & five 14" barrels in various chamberings; found those manuals to be helpful.)

If I haven't packed them yet (movers coming Monday) I'll look at what I have after dinner....

 

[MarkS]

Joe,

H322 is a great powder for rifle rounds in a handguns. I shoot it in my 14" 223 with 50gr Sierra Blitzkings. I also use use it in my 15" 6BR Encore.

Mark Schronce

 

[spclark]

I have a fourth edition T/C manual from 1997 by Loadbooks USA with 18 pages of data (from other manuals) for 14" 1:12 or 1:14 barrels. Seems like bullet weight range is 45 - 68 grains, jacketed or cast.

A 2nd edition Lyman manual (1999) lists 10" & 14" barrel velocities on its 3 pages for the 223. 45 - 61 grain weight range across 7 bullet choices, 4 jacketed.

Contact me via PM with your choice for bullets & I'll send you some data from what I have on hand.

 

[civil82]

I've burned a lot of Reloader 7 and 40gr bullets through a 14" 223. Be careful, those Contenders can be addictive.

 

[Outrider27]

We won't bore you with how we know this : , but one thing that is startling in Contenders is that certain loads, while they work just fine in both barrel lengths, will totally change character as percieved by both the shooter and any line mates on the range when fired in a 10" barrel as opposed to a 14". The load is perfectly normal in a 14" barrel, but becomes a thunderclap load with great noise, fire out the end of the barrel and all sorts of amusing sidelights (like the spotter for the shooter next to you at a silhouette match not having to manually knock the ash off his cigarrette during a 2 minute 5 shot string you and your line mates were shooting) - I have marvelous loads with 748 that have done this. In 10" Contender barrels we use 3031, 4198 and once in awhile 4895. If you have 748, H322 or Reloder 7, give them a try; if they behave like this in your 10" barrel, fall back to 3031 or 4198.

Try the pistol data section on the Hodgdon web sight for .223 loads for the Contender.
http://www.hodgdon.com/

And have fun; they are definitely addictive.

 

[rvn1968]

I have an original with a 10" 30-30.this was my favorite silhouette gun for about a season until I was on the line and the gent next to me fired his just as I was about to touch off a round.HOLY CRAP,I almost rolled over.At the end of the round I asked what he was shooting and it was a 30-30 and he was using almost the same load.I swapped over to 7TCU shortly after. Tom

 

[GabbyJs]

I have (2) 12" Contender barrels and a 16" barrel, in .223 Rem. Previous comments about short barrelled Contenders sounding like a "thunderstorm" when they go off is correct. I found that 9 gr. of Unique with a 40 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip thru the 12" barrels will go about 2300 fps, with no "thunder". This load has little recoil and is easy to shoot with the "Taco" hold using rifle scopes. Another point is that I use the Leupold QR mount and rings. Makes it convenient to use various scopes or red dot sights, with different sight settings for different loads.

 

[Witchhunter]

I tried and tried to get mine to shoot, then bought a .221 Fireball barrel. It shoots light out with a Sierra 40 HP in front of 2400. I don't know if this will work in a 10" .223 though. The 14" .223's seem to shoot ok.

 

[Outrider27]

I should have emphasized that the switch to 3031 eliminated the thunderclap problem I discovered when I first added the 10" bull barrel to my contender collection in that caliber (it was 30-30). That change, and similar loads with 4198, never caused the problem that we had with 748 in the 10" barrel. The difference in sound level and muzzle blast between the 748 load and the ballistically close to it 3031 load had to be experienced on the firing line to be believed. We never got any complaints with the 30-30 with the 14" barrel with 748, and we got no complaints with the 10" barrel with 3031, tried on the advice of a fellow 30-30 shooter that I spotted for a lot - we liked to be different, as by then most of the Contender guys were shooting 7mm TCUs whose report was about identical in a 10" barrel to the 30-30 with 3031. Don't know what the TCU folks were using for powder. I have a hunch it wasn't 748..... ;D

 

[gemihur]

Trail Boss will lessen the holocaust

6x223

 

[JSH]

I betcha after 8 years he has it figured out.