6.8 vs 7-30 vs 30-30 vs 35 in contender

VAspeedgoat

VAspeedgoat

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I am wanting to get a barrel on my contender that would be mainly for grounhogs and deer. I am leaning heavily to the 35 remington in a 14" barrel but wanted some opinions or other suggestions. I guess I am liking the 35 because it will have a little more punch on deer. Are any of these rounds better suited for a pistol than the others?

I can reload so if there is something less mainstream let me know. I figured shots would be 200 or less from a descent rest for either game.

Thanks
 
I have a TC with 14" barrel in 7x30 Waters and use it for shooting ground squirrels, a couple coyotes, and deer out to 150 yards. Off the bench it shoots sub MOA if I do my job. With shooting sticks or from my pack I feel comfortable out to 250 yards on deer sized game. My deer load is 33 gr. of AA2520 topped with a 140 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip at 2340 FPS. Great round that I would highly recommend for what you are hoping to hunt.
 
If you could pick up a 25-35 barrel that would fit both purposes. If you find one and don't buy it let me know.
 
'Twer it me, I'd be at the opposite end of the spectrum than you are leaning. "Punch on deer" is easily mitigated by bullet design. I'd opt for something with lighter, sleeker bullets and less recoil. Of the options you listed, I'd be looking at the Waters first. I like the idea of rimmed cartridges in break action single shots. If you are open to wildcats, a 6mm or 6.5mm on the 30-30 or 225 Win case would be fun!
 
Ok, you guys about have me convinced on the 7-30. Am I kidding myself to even try factory ammo? If factory will shoot accurately in a short barrel, would I be better off with the 30-30 for more options?
 
Factor ammo for both the 7x30 and 30-30 are usually flat nosed bullets used in lever action guns like the Model 94. I have always used handloads, so that I can load spire pointed bullets for better ballistics past 100 yards. Handloads will give you several more options and better performance in my opinion.
 
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If it were me I'd go 7-30 without question. I ended up copping out and getting a 300 blackout barrel but still want a 7-30.
 
VAspeedgoat said:
Ok, you guys about have me convinced on the 7-30. Am I kidding myself to even try factory ammo? If factory will shoot accurately in a short barrel, would I be better off with the 30-30 for more options?
Click to expand...

If factory ammo is a big consideration, the 6.8 has pretty good support.
 
When it came time for me to make the same decision I picked the 30-30 and am very pleased that I did.
 
The 6.5JDJ is a very pleasant pistol to shoot and can everything that you mentioned. The .309JDJ and the .375JDJ are based on the .444 Marlin cartridge and will take pretty much anything on 4 legs. They kick a lot more then the 6.5, but will do the job.
 
Here is a pic of my son's first hog taken about a year ago with my Contender with a 16" barrel and 6 position stock in 7-30 Waters. We used Federal Premium 120 gr flat points. Dropped the pig in his tracks.

IMG_20160409_180909112.jpgIMG_20160409_180909112.jpg
 
I would go for the 6.8. I've got a AR 6.8 that I love. Recoil is almost non existent. Lots of choices for factory ammo. Tons of reloading bullets, and reloading really opens up the cartridge as factory ammo is fairly anemic. Thar being said, factory ammo will still be fine on deer out to 300 yards. Plus the 6.8 was designed for <16" barrels, so it's perfect for a contender.
 
VAspeedgoat said:
I am wanting to get a barrel on my contender that would be mainly for grounhogs and deer. I am leaning heavily to the 35 remington in a 14" barrel but wanted some opinions or other suggestions. I guess I am liking the 35 because it will have a little more punch on deer. Are any of these rounds better suited for a pistol than the others?

I can reload so if there is something less mainstream let me know. I figured shots would be 200 or less from a descent rest for either game.

Thanks
Click to expand...

7x30 AI in the Contender and roll your own loads and never look back. Great Cartridge. The 35 Rem is also fantastic and with pistol bullets really shines. I love both and have both.
 
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It would help if you told us what you already have. If you don't plan on hand loading I would go with 300 blackout over the 30-30. If you plan to load your own 125 NBT over h4895 gave me impressive results on deer sized game. The 150nbt loaded with the same powder performed well on paper but I never tried it on game. I was initially intrigued with the 6.8 before I had several sources tell me pressure was too high for the older models but the g2 was said to handle it well. The 7-30 waters may be the best for varmints and deer but difficulties finding factory ammo kept me from getting one. If you plan to reload for it you really can't go wrong with any of them. If I went with the 35 Remington it would bee for deer/bear but it should perform well on groundhogs also. The contender is one of the most fun platforms to load for. It can also be the most frustrating trying to duplicate those tiny groups.
 
I don't have any barrels except a 22 mag and a .410. The mag was what I planned on for groundhogs but it seems like I need a bit more range. I have changed my mind a thousand times. I lean towards the 6.8 because the loads are for short barrels but then think the others have more upside if I reload for them. I guess a question I keep wondering about is, does factory 30-30 ammo do ok in a short barrel? If not the 6.8 is the only one that may have factory stuff that will work. I'd rather not invest in a new batch of reloading stuff for a gun/caliber that I may grow bored of in a few years. Sorry I'm still confused but I really appreciate the feedback.
 
Just my $0.02 again... But, if I was going to rely on factory ammo for this setup I'd get a 223. Way more factory offerings and those that cover the gamut from mice to deer.
 
My Contender has a 14" tube and shoots the factory stuff fairly well. I normally use hand loads in the Contender but have some factory 30-30 ammo around for use in a lever rifle so I have shot both through the Contender. It ran across the chronograph without much velocity difference from the rifle's speed and grouped reasonably well. It is comforting to know that I can pick up ammunition at any store that sells ammo, and do so inexpensively.
 
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