Yesterday I shot my new to me, contender 30-30,w/a 12" barrel including muzzle brake. This gun is a lot of fun. Very accurate, minimal recoil, and just a bit of muzzle blast. When I bought this, I thought it had a 14" barrel, which is what I wanted. Only saw pics and had it shipped in. I'm not unhappy with it, just wondering if those 4" of barrel are going to matter much in the hunting world. I don't have a chrony. If it makes that much difference, I'd just swap/sell until I picked up the 14". I shot some 125gr spitzers through it and she's shooting right about an inch at a hundred. I'm happy w/that. Thanks for any and all advice.

I have never owned or chronographed a 10" or 12" (other than my 12" 300 Whisper). My uneducated thought would be to move up to a 14" in 30-30 --- especially if you ever wanted to make it AI. The 30-30 AI is pretty special.

Those with more experience will be along to give you better advice.

Four inches of barrel length will equate to about 300 FPS from 10" to 14" based on my exerience with the Waters. Within the spectrum of the 30-30 those 300 FPS can make a big difference in terminal energy and trajectory, but it still is an effective killer beyond 150 yards with the 125 Nosler BT.

goose,

It sounds like you have what T/C called the "hunter" barrel, 12" with a factory brake. They were made in both SS and blue. I've had the 35 Rem, 30-30 WCF, 7-30 Waters, 375 WCF in that configuration and haven't really noticed any great difference between those and the 14" barrels. I've rechambered the 30-30 to 309 JDJ, the 35 Rem to 358 JDJ, and the 7-30 Waters to the 7-30 JDJ.

Doc

Thanks guys. I'm crazy about the 30-30, I know there are "better" cartridges out there, or so they say.... I intend to use this for whitetails, and my feeling is that I'd be better off w/the 14" for overall performance. I would think 300fps is pretty substantial in the performance range were talking here(echoing s4s4u). Anybody with more experience please chime in, I'm soaking it up.

I have owned a 14" T/C barrel since they were introduced in 1978. I also owned a 10" barrel for several years. I've lost any data I had on the 10", but i believe there was about a 200 fps + difference with the loads I was using. I very much prefer the 14", personally.

Guess I am the lone dissenting voice, but why don't you try the barrel before scrapping it for a 14" tube? There are bullets designed for the .30 caliber rounds in handgun barrel lengths. I wouldn't sweat the 200-300 fps difference between the barrel lengths, nor would I waste a second worrying about any drop in kinetic energy as this is just a magic number used for selling larger cartridges to the uninitiated (Pondoro Taylor's thoughts and I concur).

Slowing the ballistic tip bullets down a bit slows expansion and allows for extra penetration. Hornady makes a single shot pistol bullet that has performed well on deer for me.

That is what my books list. I did a bunch of research on the 30-30 when I was working on my 30-30AI. That 10-14 in march is very sensitive to vel vs. burn. IMHO

I've owned both the 10" and 14" in 30-30. I replaced the 10" 30-30 with a 10" 30 Herrett; and never looked back. In my opinion the 14" is a much better choice for the 30-30. In the 10" the blast was pretty significant and recoil was right at my limits. It seemed to be a pussycat with the 14". Neither of mine had a brake.

Bill in OR

I like the way the shorter barrel handles. If you load a 125 NBT or a 130 SSPB you will have no problem with the shorter barrel. Try a powder like H4895 and it might suprise you how well the short tube does.

I like the old 14" too but it is much harder to shoot off hand.

This is from day gone by 14" 30-30 contender

http://www.handgunhunt.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=1043&ppuser=2724

Agreed on the handling ability of the short tube. I have cut a couple of 14" barrels right behind the front sight holes, which leaves them just a hair over 12" finished. I find that length still offers good handling without the drastic velocity loss of the 10.

Back when I shot TC I prefered the 10" barrels. Shoot a good bullet designed for a handgun and put it where it needs to be and the shorter barrel will do fine at any range a 30-30 should be shot.

Goose,
I have that same barrel. It carrys great and is easy to shoot off as well as off a rest. Ballistically it still a .30/30 which means to me you get as close as possible to the critter you are hunting. My tube likes heavy bullets or those that are loaded to just shy of the lands. My favorite load was a 135 Sierra with a warm load of H335. Just about an inch at a hundred with my 2x scope. I have since found a use for the 30/30 as a bunny gun with a downloaded 110 Speer HP. Keep the tube and wring it out for all it's worth then decide if you need a 14 incher.



Mike

Fair enough, when it stops snowing, time to start playing. Thanks guys. And great pic by the way.

Just an update. Been playing out in the woods and fields. I have been taking cardboard silhouettes of deer into the woods and fields and practicing field shooting positions. Under 100 yards is simply no more fun. Yesterday I tried 4 shots at appx 150 yards holding dead on. 3 rounds went into 1 5/8" about 2" lower than where I held. And I dropped one round(about 5") into the front leg. Yes, that one spoiled my mood, even though the other three, I was quite pleased with. I don't think I would shoot this far if I was hunting, I am just airing it out and enjoying myself. I am enjoying this barrel, still just a bit concerned about terminal ballistics.

I would just keep practicing. The 30-30 is a "rifle" caliber in a pistol and think it will have plenty of power, even in a 10" tube, as long as your do your part and are familiar with your rig and capabilities.