My 30 Herrett find

[Badge54]

I found a TC contender in 30 Herrett today.   I was surprised no one found it as irritable as I did.  It was the full setup with a 2.5X7 TC scope on Leupold mounts.  Blued 30 Herrett barrel on a stainless frame with the Cougar face and synthetic grips and short bi-pod.  Now before I tell you the price I have to say I didn't get the rear sight or a box.. nor anything else.

I have no real knowledge of the Herrett round and would prefer a .44mag.  Here in Ohio it is straight wall cartridge only for hunting.  I leave in the morning for Wisconsin for rifle season so its too late for a 44 barrel.  That will give me a week to decide, do I buy dies for a .44 or 30 Herrett.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot.  I paid $349.00

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[kynardsj]

You paid a good price on what you got. The 30 Herrett is a great hunting round but as you say, you need a straight wall cartridge for Ohio hunting. I would say that you still need to find you a straight wall cartridge barrel for your Contender and then buy your dies unless you are going to start collecting barrels and shooting different calibers. There is a sporting goods store close by that I do business with. The owner had picked up a bunch of TC barrels at an estate sale. He had 4 left when I went in and asked about them. All were 10 inch octagon and in perfect shape. I bought a 22 LR and the 357 mag from him. He still has a 222 and a 30 Herrett. It's all I can do to keep from going back and owning the other two as he'll let me have them for $100 each. I have no use for a 222 but it's an easy ream to make it a 223 and then a fun shooter. The 30 Herrett is tempting to get for longer range shooting with some Nosler 125 gr Ballistic Tips. A very lethal combination. Glad we don't have straight wall cartridge limitations here in Alabama. Good luck on your choice and good hunting.

[Badge54]

Thanks,  I had a contender 20 years ago but eventually sold it and it has been one of the biggest regrets in life.  I have been looking hard for another over the years.  As the price of a new frame, scope and barrel would have easily seen me spending two or more times as much as I did I wasn't upset about getting one in a caliber I wasn't looking for.

I reload for 30-30AI already so it wouldn't be a problem to load the Herrett, I just think I want a .44.

Anyways I'm off to the big woods and taking my 12yoa.  He is using the 30-30AI this week for the first time hunting deer with rifle. 

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[kynardsj]

A 44 mag is a handfull in a Contender. Not something you'd like to spend the day shooting at the range unless it's ported or you have some nice reduced loads for some cast bullets. A 250 gr cast loaded down to between 1000 and 1200 fps is pleasant to shoot and still will kick some tail on the other end. When I shot a 44 mag we cast and loaded these bullets over about 10 grains of Unique with the max load being 11. I've seen them do complete pass thru's on whitetail and they're not a bear to hang on to when you touch it off.

[Graybeard]

If it were a 10" barrel with the old first couple of generations wood grips and fore end I'd agree. But with a 14" barrel and Pachmayr grips and fore end and more especially so if scoped a Contender in .44 mag even with full house loads isn't a bad recoiling gun to shoot.

Not much seems nastier tho that those early Contenders with 10" barrels or worse yet an octagon barrel and the tiny wood grips they came with. I can remember doing a lot of bleeding on mine back then.

A 44 mag is a handfull in a Contender. Not something you'd like to spend the day shooting at the range unless it's ported or you have some nice reduced loads for some cast bullets

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[ralfus]

I found a TC contender in 30 Herrett today.   I was surprised no one found it as irritable as I did.........

Badge54

Did you mean irresistible?

Great find at that price.

[Badge54]

Yes "irresistible."  I must have been so excited I couldn't type.

I just got back from my trip to the north woods and only had one fleeting opportunity at a buck.  No deer.


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[Badge54]

What rear sight should be on the barrel.  It has a soldered front sight and is 10" blue?  The frame is an S serial number from fairly recent.  I don't know how old the barrel would be.

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[Badge54]

Disregard on the rear sight.  I got a trade for a .44mag barrel.

Now the fun begins.

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