25 TCU Contender

[sixshot]

I mentioned a while back that many years ago I had a 25 TCU Contender & how I had regretted getting rid of it. I took several deer & I think 3-4 antelope with that barrel using the dandy 85 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets.
I've looked for another one for a long time but found out that they were almost impossible to locate. I've inquired on several forums over the years & then 2 weeks ago I got 2 responses!! Two different people told me that had one they would sell & both had been shot very little & I ended up buying both of them. I just got one shooting yesterday with 6 different test loads & starting at 25 yds it was shooting fantastic with all loads tried so far.
I did have to make a scope change, the 4X Leupold just didn't do this barrel justice so I went with a 2X7 Burris & went back to the range today with the most promising load. I had found some 70 gr. Sierra Blitz bullets on sale at Sportsman's Warehouse so I bought 5 boxes, yikes, did these babies shoot!
The first target you see is day one with 3 different test loads at 25 yds, just to get on paper but not centered. Today with fire formed cases (Winchester & a cast bullet) I shot a test group at 25 yds that measured .225" & the wind was pretty goosey. Then I put up a target at 50 yds & ran 3 down range & they measured .347" & the wind was dancing pretty good. I made no attempt to hold for wind, I just waited & shot when it felt calm.
The 25 shot group is all fire form cast bullets, it's a 65 gr gas check at 25 yds that will be a nightmare for ground squirrels, we seldom shoot over 25 yds on them. Then you see a 10 shot group with cast bullets at 50 yds that's probably about 2" for 9 out of the 10 shots. I didn't have an "M" die to expand the necks for the cast bullet & was quite surprised they shot this well.
The little "adapter" you see attached to the fore end is made by a friend of mine & it makes a TC very stable on the sand bags & you just turn it in line with the barrel when you want to case it.










Dick

[Encore64]

I have a Custom Shop Carbine in the 25 TCU with RCBS dies.

Bought it new and never really used it. Probably end up on the "For Sale" list.

Easily gets 2700 fps with a 100 grn and 2900 fps with an 85 grn.

Neat, but unused...

[COR]

Better get a case of those primers at that price.

Good stuff Dick

[magnumwheelman]

I've got / had Primers from Holiday Gas, & Pamida... but never seen them from Osco Drug...

Nice shooting...

[squigz]

Why.. This is my grail. You always make me green with envy with your posts about your 25 TCU's and the experiences you've had with them. My priorities lay in the hands of my first born as of last Friday, so I guess that lonely Leupold 4x scope I have at home will have to wait a little while longer before it has a new companion.

Keep up writing about this caliber, I would love to keep hearing about your experiences and what you're doing with it so that someday I can steal your ideas!

[sheriff]

Nice one, Dick! I've been playing with it's Big Brother lately, Reeder's .257 Raptor, a .25 based on the .222 Rem Mag/ .204 Ruger case opened to .257. I've found Hornady's 75gr V-Max a dandy.

[bradshaw]

Dick.... quite a rig. Is your .25 TCU a Super 14, or a custom shop offering? With Wes Ugalde’s 40-degree shoulder? And 1:10” twist? You have demonstrated what other silhouetters who took their single shots afield found out, some of ‘em the hard way; that the Contender prefers for deer bullets which are too light for deer when fired from a rifle.

Does the forend“foot” rotate without loosening the forend screw?
David Bradshaw

[cherokeetracker]

Good Stuff Dick, way to go with that shooting. Fun round.

[potatojudge]

Congrats on a nice rig! Glad to hear you found another 25 TCU. I'm sure you'll use it to it's full potential. MGM makes a nice barrel. Looking forward to some 50-100+ yard groups

[sixshot]

Thanks guys! The one group is a 50 yd group & I shot another one just like it today as I was running some test loads through the clock to see how fast they were going. This barrel is a 15" MGM & that 70 gr Sierra clocked 2845 fps! Yikes, those Rock Chucks are going to hate me next week. This barrel has a 9 twist & the other one has a 10 twist & is 12" long & has a real nice muzzle brake on it & also came with a thread protector cap if you want to remove the brake.
It shot just as good as the longer barrel although I didn't get to shoot it at 100 yds. I did shoot the longer barrel at 100 but the wind got me pretty good by 2pm & the group opened up to 1 1/4". It will do much better but our range is tricky.
Russell, I was going to go with the 75 gr Hornady's until I saw the 70 gr Sierra Blitz bullets on sale, sure glad I bought them. I'll pound Rock Chucks all summer & then switch over to some 85 gr Ballistic Tips if I need to stretch it's legs for either an Antelope or some big Jackrabbits. Russ, you remember that shot I made one day out by that pond with my old model 357? Made one a lot farther today with this 25 TCU!!
David, you are spot on about the twist on most of these TCU barrels, most, except for the 7 TCU's didn't have the right twist for Handgun Silhouette. The reason I'm holding off on the Rock Chucks is that the pups aren't out yet, probably next week & then they will pay a heavy price, trust me. Here is a photo of the second barrel I bought with the muzzle brake, also an MGM creation. David, the little laminated attachment moves quite easy because of the rubber Pachymr fore end. Sure makes for a stable rest off of the bags. I have a little piece of counter top that I put on the back rack of my 4 wheeler, then my sand bags go on top of that & I sit on a small stool & hide behind the 4 wheeler. A Rock Chuck has eyes almost like an Antelope.



Dick

[sheriff]

That 12"er is more my preferred length, nice looking 'chuck' rig. Yes, I remember the shot.......

[bradshaw]

Dick.... screaming velocities from your .25 TCU. Crater-makers for sure, were you to try ‘em on mild steel. Probably dimple T-1 @ 50 yards. There are folks with T/C Contender experience on Singleactions. For folk wondering about a single shot, the Contender as strengthened for silhouette----and, consequently, for stiffer hunting cartridges----is a rather wonderful pistol. The adjustable trigger, for which veteran steel shooters will vouch, is fundamental to the gun’s competitive success. And no other pistol surpasses the barrel interchangeability of the Contender.

A revolver shooter, or auto pistol shooter, may wonder what the fuss is about. The single shot brings the handgunner accuracy and flat trajectory unimaginable from the repeater. A low bore axis and fast LOCK TIME. Reckon I better break out a T/C, happen to have the .357 Maximum barrel handy....
David Bradshaw

[jfs]

Have a feeling that rock chucks will not be the only critters in Idaho who will sound the air raid warning when they spot you on a hunt with the 25.....especially with the accuracy you`ve shown in your pics... And your just getting started... Watch out.... Here he comes

[sixshot]

David, was very surprised at the velocity with this 15" barrel. The 12" barrel was running just a shade under 2600 fps with the same ammo. Quite a difference for just 3" in barrel length. There is such a thing as "fast" barrels & "slow" barrels but this was a real surprise. The cases fall out of the gun.
Snowing hard today, crazy Idaho weather!

Dick

[sixshot]

Here's some old reloading data from Wes Ugalde & Thompson Center. One was using loads while forming cases. Different brass can make a big difference in capacity/pressure so start low & work your way up.




Dick