I am new to reloading and I am going to start loading for my contender. I bought a reloading kit and 30-30 win. dies and a box of 125 gr. bullets. Now all I need is to figure out a good load for it so I can buy some powder and primers. I am having some trouble finding load data for the super 14 contender. All the data I have found seems to be all over the place, different powders, primers, and amounts! It can be confusing! Does anyone have a good load for the 125gr. bullet, or know where to find it? Thanks for your help!

Varget works well for me with the 125gr.

Varget was one of the powders I was considering.

With the 14 inch barrel I use 125 grain nosler ballistic tips. I use cci 200 primers and 34 grains of Varget. My barrel shoots 3/4 inch 5 shot groups at 100 yards off sandbags very commonly. I seat the bullet to the industry standard giving me a C.O.L of 2.550". I know guys say that stretching the length a little and more powder for more velocity can be better but in my barrel for some reason this is the loads it digests beautifully.

I have always used H4895 in the 36gr range(depending on the gun) with the 125-130 gr bullets. Has always worked great for me

An old gun dealer buddy of mine loaded and sold .30-30 Winchester Ammo specifically to be used in Contender Handguns. The load consisted of 125gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with AA #2230. While my old gun dealer buddy was working on this load I did the chronographing and accuracy testing for him.

Average Muzzle Velocity out of a 14" Contender was generally 2350 to 2400 FPS, while the 10" Bull Barrels I shot it in produced 2127 FPS. Accuracy was in the 3/4" to 1 1/4" for 5 shots from the bench at 100 yards.

I also used this ammo in a Super 14 .30-30 AI (.30 Herrett 1 in 14" Twist rechambered by SSK to 30-30 AI) as a fireform load. In this particular barrel velocity was just over 2400 FPS with 5 shot groups running 3/4" from the bench at 100 yards.

Larry

I load ReLoader #7 with a 125gr bullet and also have had good luck with Win 748 with the 125grs. The 125gr speer tnt bullets are real nasty on groundhogs.

In my 12 inch Hunter barrel I was getting an inch at a hundred with a 130 gr. Hornandy loaded out just shy of the lands and a healthy dose of 335. It did give a spectacular fireball and some viscious muzzle blast. It was accurate!

Mike

Thanks guys for the info! I think I will start with Varget and work up a load. I appreciate all your input!

I just checked the Hodgdon Web Site. Their Handgun Data section shows the following with a 130gr. Speer Flat Nose:

Varget - COL 2.540" - 32.5 = 1988 @ 30,200 CUP / 36.0C = 2238 @ 35,700 CUP

H4895 - COL 2.540" - 31.5 = 1984 @ 27,600 CUP / 35.0 = 2194 @ 35,300 CUP

IMR 3031 - COL 2.540" - 36.0C = 2175 @ 37,000 CUP

IMR 4064 - COL 2.540" - 36.5C = 2110 @ 36,500 CUP

BL-C(2) - COL 2.540" - 34.0 = 1937 @ 28,500 CUP / 37.5 = 2101 @ 32,800 CUP

Larry

Thanks Larry!

I used 37 Gr. H335 and a CCI BR primer with the 130 Gr. Horneday in my Contender carbine, 24 in. Barrel. My older Hodgdons manuel goes to a top load of 38 Gr with H335 with a published velocity of 2600+ FPS from a 24 inch Barrel. I took a nice doe with this load last season on a quartering shot front right shoulder and the bullet gave me perfect expansion and was under the hide on the left side of the deer. The deer dropped in its tracks. I am gewtting one inch groups out of this outfit and this is a tapered TC custon shot barrel bought about 10 years ago.