Looking to add a 200 yds deer cal. barrel to my Contender. I have a 35 Rem barrel now. I am thing of a 7-30 waters. Is it good for 200 yds. I would like something flatter shooting than the 35.

Mark Schronce

7-30 Waters, 30-30 AI, 6.5 Bullbery, 309 JDJ...

What are you loading in your 35? If you sight it in 3.5 @ 100 you should be on somewhere around 170-175ish and be 3-4 low at 200.

I'd go Waters or 30-30AI....they are ballistic twins w/ both shooting 125-130gr bullets at 2400-2500fps. Easy extraction, easy to get dies and easier to find brass.

I would not be afraid to excede 200 yards with the Waters. It will shoot PBZ out to 225 or so and you can use a little Tennessee elevation to 250.

.309 JDJ is a 350 yard deer gun.150 BTs do fantastic.

The 309 is awesome. I'm really enjoying mine this year. Would like to try one of my 6.5s but keep using the 309 instead

along with Kentucky windage?


I also like the Waters

I like the 30/30 improved. It gets real close to the 309jdj without having to make brass.

do you handload or shoot factory ammo?

the 35rem can do 200 rather easily if you know where it is printing on paper....and IF you handload your cartridge with H322 and the .358" 180gr hornady spitzer at 2150+fps.

....but by all means get more barrels....lol

Kyode,

I do reload. In the 35 I am shooting 180 gr Horandy SSP with H322. I am running them 1900 f/s. The 35 has a Bushnell red dot on it, we my eyes, I can only run 100 yds or so. I am going back to a scope. I will try the 35 out to 200yds. with the scope. I can do fine at 200yds with the scoped 223 barrel, may be all I need.

Mark

If you can handle the recoil, I'd rechamber to 358 JDJ. That move would only cost around $100. Just my opinion.

Subsciber

I pickup a 7-30 waters and got a Bushnell 2 x 6.

Thanks for the help.

Mark

You are in good shape.

The .309 is a deer hammer, even on the big bruisers like 300 pound mule deer. How big are the deer you are hunting?; they can weigh as little as 100 or less up to these big guys and maybe more.

My son hammered a big mule deer just under 200 yards with the 150 gr. Nosler BT out of his .308 Encore (similar velocity to the .309) and he dropped like a rock; it literally knocked him off his feet; as shown in my video.

Thats it, Ive had it... As soon as I get a job I am getting that video!!!!!!!! lol

Congrats on the 7-30! It is an awesome little chambering!

Gregg,
I live in the VA. I big deer would 200lb at most. I have HV powder line on my property with at 200yd shot, the rest would be less than 100yds. I will run the 7-30 out to 300 to 500 yds on steel target.

Mark

PM Sent.

Mark,

It sounds like you will have no problem; keep us posted and Good Luck!

The 7/30 Waters is a great deer cartridge & 200 yd shots are easy with a decent rest. Shot a lot of steel targets out to 500 yds using the 120 Nosler BT. My longest Muley buck was well over 300 yds with the same bullet. He was sneaking back up the mountain from an old apple orchard. The shot crunched him like a crisp potato chip.
The only thing I didn't like was the case stretching so I sold that barrel & had Bullberry make me a 7/30 Improved, worked even better.
Never owned a 309 but like mentioned earlier its very similar to the 308 & I took a lot of game with that one, up to elk & never had a problem. I used the 150 Nosler BT at times but the 135 gr Sierra single shot bullet was superb. Took 2 elk with the Sierra. Longest shot was about 160 yds.

Dick

"CRUNCHED him like a crisp potato chip",I like that. May I use it sometime?

Joe W

I have both the 35 and 7-30 .The 730 is a flatter shooting round BUT the heavier 35 rem bullet hits a bit harder at 200 yards.

The 35 Remingon is a great caliber in the Contender using either the 180's or 200 gr slugs. I had one of the very first ones's ever made. TC gave it to Elgin Gates & Elgin sold it to me (unfired) for $50. Took one deer with the 180 gr pistol bullet, killed a lot of sheep (metal one's) at 200 meters.

Dick

Mark,
ther 35 does a good job to 200 yards with the right load. I have a contender that shoots minute of angle up to 200 yds. Furthest shot i have ever made with it is a true 180yds on a good sized kentucky whitetail. I own about every caliber in handguns especially TC contenders and encores. What length is your 35 barrel and what bullet and powder are you shooting? The 7mm-08 is a great round too.

Welcome Aboard Anthony!!

thanks for the welcome. Hope to contribute a little and learn a lot. Bowhunting is my number 1 love and handgun hunting is my favorite firearm. Big TC fan but also shoot Taurus's 454 casulls which i bought when they came out. Have shot the big encores and contenders from 444 to 450 marlin but always go back to my 35 and really like my 45-70 for whitetail deer.