First buck of 2020 (pic added)

[CraigC]

I said it and it happened. First buck of 2020 was also my first with a single shot. Been watching a few nice bucks on my trail camera and yesterday I had an opportunity at one. Not the biggest I've seen this year but a nice nine point. He was about 60yds and quartering toward me. At the shot, he ran off like he hadn't even been hit. The blood trail showed bits of lung so I knew he was going down. I trailed him across my property, where I saw him run across the neighboring tract and into the next. This morning I went looking for him again and finally found him in the creek bed. My shot was a bit low and missed the heart, so that's why he ran about 300yds from where I hit him. Glad I found him but putting the bullet a few inches higher would've ended with a cleaner result. It does look like the bullet performed well, showing signs of expansion where it exited.




The pistol I used is a T/C Contender in 7mmTCU. I've been threatening to go down this rabbit hole since I was a kid but never pulled the trigger until this year. I found a nice one with a Leupold 2x mounted on an octagon .22LR barrel. Added a 7mmTCU barrel and mounted a Burris 4x. So far I haven't been able to find a real accurate load but decided it was accurate enough with H322 and a Nosler 120gr ballistic tip. Here it is in its original form.

[leftysixgun]

Good job Craig! Im still waiting for my 2020 buck/deer

[sheriff]

Congratulations, Craig! The 6.5 TCU with W748 and 120gr'rs are one of my favorite deer slayers.

[zeus]

Nice! Yeah, it’s definitely a rabbit hole!! But they shoot incredibly well. It’s takes an exceptional rifle to outshoot a contender most days.

[markhampton]

Congrats Craig!

[sixshot]

Congratulations on a nice buck. Glenn is correct, it takes a good/very good rifle to out shoot most Contenders, true story.

Dick

[junebug]

Well done Craig! It can be a deeeeep hole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[harold89]

Congrats on your buck!

[lwfpdchief]

Nice buck. Lefty, like you I am still waiting for mine as well. Fri is the only day I have off before season ends. If it’s brown it’s down. I need the meat.

[KRal]

Congrats! Nothing like breaking in a new handgun.

[bigbrowndog]

I’ve dipped a toe in that hole as well Craig, I got an XP in 7-08, and am looking at sending it off to be rebarreled to a 6.5-284. So yeah it’s a deep hole, and the first step is a sharp drop off. BTW, if you decide to sell that Burris 4x let me know, I’m looking for a PA Burris 4x for my 357max.

Trapr

[zeus]

The custom XP hole is a DEEEEEP ONE!

[contender]

Congrats on the deer. Good follow-up too!

And, I agree with zeus & sixshot,, (just look at my handle here,,,)

[bradshaw]

Dec 1, 2020 22:09:19 GMT -5 bigbrowndog said:

I’ve dipped a toe in that hole as well Craig, I got an XP in 7-08, and am looking at sending it off to be rebarreled to a 6.5-284.

Trapr

*****

CraigC.... congratulations on your buck. A few note on the 7mm TCU (7mm Thompson/Center Ugalde or 7mm/223 with 40-degree shoulder). Pre-production 7mm TCU barrels sent me had 1:10 twist, which I advised Warren Center and Ken French to change to 1:9 for production. I think some 1:10 twist 7mm TCU’s got out. All barrels of my acquaintance aimed at IHMSA silhouette shooters came with screw-on front sight base with pinned blade. A bull 10” barrel for IHMSA Production category, and bull 14” for Unlimited.

Your barrel appears thinner than the silhouette, with an early front sight of investment cast type, silver soldered to barrel. I was not aware of such configuration for 7mm TCU. It may be good to measure the twist and at all hazards avoid boattails in 1:10-inch. Also, not all TC barrels are equal. As a last resort to improve accuracy from a questionable barrel, I would try a 120 Flat Point.

If you are shooting boattails, switch to a 120 flat base spitzer and target @ 100 yards with IMR/H4895 or IMR 4198. H322 is an excellent powder and I don’t think it’s your accuracy problem. Contenders have FREEBORE, and that with possibly 1:10 and the mild velocity 7mm TCU points to flat base bullets.

Trapr.... I did load data for Sierra Bullets in 7mm-08 handgun. The 15-inch, 1:9.25 twist XP-100 from Remington’s Custom Shop reached 2,700 fps with Sierra 140 SP over Winchester 748, faster than any other powder in my shooting. Top loads were excluded from publication, perhaps due to layout of load/velocity data in the Sierra manual. I would not trade a 7mm-08 for a 6.5mm/284 Win with a 15-inch barrel, nor for a carbine.

As a footnote: loads using neck-sized brass from my XP-100 7mm-08 chambered in my M-700 Varmint Special (1980) 7mm-08 rifle. Fired brass from one could be next-sized and fired in the other.
David Bradshaw

[bigbrowndog]

Amazingly David, I’m getting 2600fps with a Hornady 150gr. From the 7-08, and the 14.5” barrel. This is really all I want, and is still comfortable shooting without a muzzle brake. It may stay a 7-08 and just get a new barrel.