Questions for Greybeard and the experts!

[Miller]

I 've decided to take the plunge and buy a new Contender barrel.  I currently have a 10" barrel in .22 Magnum which I love.  I'd like to get something for hunting deer and elk, keeping in mind that my shooting limit is 100 yards.  I'm considering the .357 Maximum, or the 30-30. So here are the questions, can I get away with 10" barrels, which I love, or must I go to the 12"or 14" barrels for either?  What type of forearm does a 12" barrel use?  And finally, do I need to go to something larger for my intended purposes?  Thanks for all your help.

[kirkwhitaker]

357 max would be ok in a 10"...but the 30-30 needs a 14" to be at the top of it's game. 10" are mighty handy..i have a 10" 357 mag and it will do 1350fps with a 180gr jacketed with no problem...which is plenty for up to 100yds and an average whitetail...i also have a 14" 30-30 win...it does 2100fps with a 150gr...so...there again...plenty for 100yds...now..both of these are about at their limit with whitetails...
in a 10" for elk...you will need to go to the 44mag/445 supermag/a 45 colt (not a 410/45 colt barrel) or larger..41 mag might do...
if you really want to hunt elk...i would get a 14" and go with a catridge like the 35 rem or larger...35 rem, 375 win, 444 marlin, 375 jdj, 45-70 govt...all shooting heavy enough bullets...
i have never shot an elk...but know people who have...don't use too little gun or you will end up with a wounded animal...
just my .02...

[rickyp]

If you want to stay with the 10 inch barrels and if you reload then I would go for a 30 or 357 herrette. they both are made for a 10 inch barrel. they both will work good for deer out to 100-150 yards if you want ot hunt elk while they are not overly tough animals you will need something bigger. the 445 s.m. would be a good choice out of a 10 inch but you will be better of with something like the 375 jdj in a 14 inch tube

[Thomas Krupinski]

If you are including elk in your requirements you might want to consider an Encore chambering rather than one of the Contender choices.  Check around with other experienced hunters who hunt the areas you are considering and see what they consider practical.

Here elk range through diverse country and elevations depending upon the weather and forage available.  Different times of the year they are in thick high timber and other times they are in range land with deep canyons and hills.  Sometimes all you will get is a long shot and others you can bounce a rock off their noses while they are staring at you on the trail.

You can kill them with broadheads, roundball and cast bullets from 30/30 and such.  However what you need to consider seriously is how far the animal you hit will travel and how far you are willing to track and chase after that.  They have this annoying habbit of dying at the bottom of a canyon or some other awkward place that makes packing out the meat and head a bit of a chore.

It's better to be overgunned rather than undergunned.  Although I have most of those standard barrels mentioned, I am planning on using my 30/06 15" Encore or maybe a same in 35 Whelen if I can find one and get lucky in the draw this spring.

[Graybeard]

For folks dead set on 10" barrels my personal recommendations are to use either the .44 Magnum, .357 Herrett or 6.5 or 7 TCU. With those you should easily be able to kill game to 100, 150 or perhaps a bit further with the TCUs. If that level of performance isn't enough for you then you really should go to a longer barrel.

[crawfish]

Miller
There are so many excellent calibers in the Contender that you have many options. You don’t mention reloading. That in it’s self will color your choices. You suggest the 30-30, well in a Contender for a reloader the 30-30 is a whole different kind of cartridge than it is for the guy who buys over the counter (OTC). In a Contender the reloader has the choice of ALL the .30 caliber bullets out there not just the flat nose kind normally associated with the 30-30. You mention elk. If I was in your shoes right now and I was looking at OTC calibers I’d look very hard at the .375Win. Winchester has only one loading for this round but it is a good one. Unfortunately that was the only commercial loading I could find.  The 7X30 Waters is also an option. In my Contender that caliber is day in day out my most consistent. It likes just about everything I load for it but again I can only find one commercial loading from Federal. If you have a recoil issue you really need to stay away from the real big boomer Contenders like the .444Marlin or the .45-70. They are very good elk killers and will sure do in deer but you pay in heavy recoil for that killing power. I’m sure someone will tell you that you can “load down” both these to lesser levels but again you don’t mention the intent to reload. My personal favorite for ALL game is the .41RemMag. Today commercial available ammunition for this great game killer has really increased from what it was just last year. All of the big name ammunition makers market premium hunting loads for it. I’m sure that Cor-Bon and Buffalo Bore loads some heavy hard cast 250g thumpers for the .41RemMag. I reload and shoot that power level in my revolvers and Contenders. This probably doesn’t help you one bit but it may give you some things else to consider.

[C A Plater]

I'm considering the .357 Maximum, or the 30-30. So here are the questions, can I get away with 10" barrels, which I love, or must I go to the 12"or 14" barrels for either?  What type of forearm does a 12" barrel use?  And finally, do I need to go to something larger for my intended purposes?  

I think a 10 inch .357 Maximum is superb for most of what you want.  I've had the .30-30 in a 10 inch and it was fun but my current one is 16 inches.   Longer just seems to work better in that caliber.  12 and 14 inch take the same 2 screw forend while 16 is the same as 21/23 inch barrels.  You may want to go bigger with elk.  Them's big critters and a bullet needs to go deep to do a good job.  That new factory JDJ looks like the right medicine or if you can take the punishment, .45-70 and the like.

[xphunter]

In 14 inch barrels, what is the average max of the 7-30 Water (140 grain bullet) and the 30-30 AI pushing a 150?

[Shortgun]

Ernie

My 7-30 Waters does about 2200 with a 140 and my 30-30AI will do 2350 with a 150. Both are 14 inch tubes.

shortgun

[Greybeard]

My 7-30 Waters does about 2200 with a 140 and my 30-30AI will do 2350 with a 150. Both are 14 inch tubes.

Both are also probably a bit over safe pressure limits. More so the AI than the Waters but I never got to 2200 fps with anything I felt safe pressure wise. Lotsa folks seem to say they do but then perhaps I'm a bit more cautious than some. I've had a Contender explode in my hands. Not fun and makes you a bit cautious.

[kirkwhitaker]

hadn't thought about the 357 herrett...that is a good round...and would be up there with the others...i have a 375 win super 14" and have found it to be not that bad as far as recoil...fav load is the hornady 220 or 225 gr bullets....at 1935fps....shot a whitetail with it two years ago and before i could blink it was down...something about big bullets...they just make big holes....things die quickly...
kw

[B_Koes]

To me it doesn't seem like much of a debate.  When constraining the range to 100 yards (even stretching it to 125-150) the good ol' 44 mag will do everthing that you need out of a 10" barrel.  There's nothing that will kill an animal like ramming a big flat slug (wide meplat) entirely through.  For deer you could even use an expanding 240gr bullet.  Get yourself a good hard cast bullet in the 260-270gr range and make sure it is sufficiently accurate and you will not have a problem anchoring an elk (providing you do your part).

[xphunter]

With the Waters with a MV of 2150 140 grain and the 30-30AI 150 grain @ 2300 MV you should be able to put down an elk out to 100 yards as long as you watch your presentation.

[freddogs]

This last year I found a 12" 375 Winchester barrel used (cheap)in a gun shop. I've been shooting it all fall and I think it would make a good choice for what you have in mind. It's very accurate and the recoil is not bad. I've only shot one deer with it but I would take it elk hunting before I would take my 44 mag which would be my second choice. If you have to have a 10 " barrel I would lean toward the 44 or 357max.