30-30 Thompson Contender Recoil ******( SEE POST 34 )*******

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Narragansett

Narragansett

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I have one that I have not tried out yet. I was researching AI to see what ir said about recoil. The word they use is " Fierce ". I was trying to get AI to draw a comparison with the 44 magnum. They say it is considerably greater recoil than the 44 magnum.

Anybody have any experience with this combination?

Is this a handloading only application?
 
s&wchad said:
Mine was an early version with the light 10" octagon barrel. Either the heavier barrels help a lot or I was a wimp!
Click to expand...
I had a 10" octagon .44 Mag barrel a "friend" gave me - I fired one round through it and gave it to another "friend" :)

I have fired TC with .44 mag and .35 Remington 14" round barrels and they were not bad.

I have only fired 30-30 out of a super 14 barrel - that wasn't all that bad.

Riposte
 
I had 30-30 and 223 barrels (14") and they were not bad but you do need to hold on to them.
A friend's father in law wanted to shoot it with the 30-30 barrel and I told him to hold tight and away from his face. Then came bang and he turned around with a half moon shaped gash in his forehead where the scope hit him.
 
My F-I-L has a 10" Bull 30-30. He fired factory ammo in it one time. He stiff armed it and pulled a tendon! He tried to give it to me a couple week ago, but I passed for a prototype 657 Hunter instead.

There are several good loading manuals for Contender 30-30.

I'll give you some of Elgin Gates' recommend loads for a 14" barrel:
(These are neither his Min. or Max load, these are his most frequently used load for each powder. No velocity given. These were his "Fair to Good" recoil Recommendations. I'll stick to powders still in production. This is from 1982 and based on knocking down the Ram target.)

150 grain JSP Flat Base Hornady or Sierra
WW 748 34.5 gr, CCI 250
H335 33.5GR, CCI 200
IMR 3031 33.5GR. CCI 200
IMR or AA 4198 26GR. FED 210M
IMR or H4895 34.0GR. REM 9 1/2
IMR or H4198 26.0GR. FED 210M

168 grain HPBT HORNADY OR SIERRA
WW748 32.0, CCI 250
H335 32.0, CCI 200
IMR or H 4895 32.0 REM 9 1/2

I also have a copulation book from powder and bullet manufacturers. i think Sierra and LYMAN for cast are the two best. (These loads were printed in 1993. I will stick to Sierra's accuracy loads. Barrel used; T/C 10" & 14" 1:10 TWIST.

150 grain
10" IMR 4198 27.2, FED 210M 1900 fps
14" IMR 4198 28.1, FED 210M 2100fps (MAX LOAD)

165 grain
10" IMR 4198 25.0, FED 210M 1700 fps
14" SAME LOAD 1800 fps

180 grain
10" RE-7 24.0, FED 210M 1600 fps
14" IMR 4198 23.6, FED 210M 1700fps

I hope this helps you determine some reloading supplies. (Between this and 22 Hornet it looks like you need some 4198 powder! :) )

Ivan
 
A lightweight 10" barrel in 30-30 is not bad at all. You need to take into count the fact I have worked in the drilling field for 50 plus years and my hands were abused daily. The 12 " 375 JDJ was not hurtful but recoil was stout. You didn't need to crack the action open and check the primer to make sure it went off.
 
Ivan the Butcher said:
My F-I-L has a 10" Bull 30-30. He fired factory ammo in it one time. He stiff armed it and pulled a tendon! He tried to give it to me a couple week ago, but I passed for a prototype 657 Hunter instead.

There are several good loading manuals for Contender 30-30.

I'll give you some of Elgin Gates' recommend loads for a 14" barrel:
(These are neither his Min. or Max load, these are his most frequently used load for each powder. No velocity given. These were his "Fair to Good" recoil Recommendations. I'll stick to powders still in production. This is from 1982 and based on knocking down the Ram target.)

150 grain JSP Flat Base Hornady or Sierra
WW 748 34.5 gr, CCI 250
H335 33.5GR, CCI 200
IMR 3031 33.5GR. CCI 200
IMR or AA 4198 26GR. FED 210M
IMR or H4895 34.0GR. REM 9 1/2
IMR or H4198 26.0GR. FED 210M

168 grain HPBT HORNADY OR SIERRA
WW748 32.0, CCI 250
H335 32.0, CCI 200
IMR or H 4895 32.0 REM 9 1/2

I also have a copulation book from powder and bullet manufacturers. i think Sierra and LYMAN for cast are the two best. (These loads were printed in 1993. I will stick to Sierra's accuracy loads. Barrel used; T/C 10" & 14" 1:10 TWIST.

150 grain
10" IMR 4198 27.2, FED 210M 1900 fps
14" IMR 4198 28.1, FED 210M 2100fps (MAX LOAD)

165 grain
10" IMR 4198 25.0, FED 210M 1700 fps
14" SAME LOAD 1800 fps

180 grain
10" RE-7 24.0, FED 210M 1600 fps
14" IMR 4198 23.6, FED 210M 1700fps

I hope this helps you determine some reloading supplies. (Between this and 22 Hornet it looks like you need some 4198 powder! :) )

Ivan
Click to expand...
Thanks Ivan!!

I pretty much will just shoot paper, so I am going to look into lighter bullets. 110 and 125 grain.

I also bought a 223 armor alloy barrel super 14. I fired that and the recoil was fine. I will not reload that, because there is no real savings to be had but I did get hornet and 30-30 dies.

Both neck and full length for the hornet. I hav a box of 170 gr 30-30 rounds. I may pull the bullets and reload the primed brass.

I have to get a pulling die or kinetic hammer. Still accumulating reloading tools and I need to mount my press. The bench is completed.

I think I am set on calibers. 22lr, 22 mag, 22 hornet, 223 and 30-30.
I might get a 357 mag bbl. I have 1 extra 2X leupold eer scope
 
s&wchad said:
Mine was an early version with the light 10" octagon barrel. Either the heavier barrels help a lot or I was a wimp!
Click to expand...
I know I'm a wimp, and managing recoil after 60?? is being intelligent enough to recognize the laws of physics do NOT change, so you have to!! I'm not going to beat myself up with my handgun, my rifle, or my bow, and I like bigger, heavier bullets.

I shot a 71lb G. Fred Asbell Big Horn Bow, and an 83lb Golden Eagle Vision, (their first heavy machined riser), and it is still very fast, but my son has it now!

About 4 years ago, I had my Mathews TRX set at about 54lbs, I cranked it all the way down, thinking that should be no sweat, and attempted to pull it back, I tweaked my shoulder big time, I ended up with 50lb limbs backed way off, in the 40lb range after a year, I realized the first 4 to 6 arrows hurt like heck, but after those initial arrows, the pain went away and so I could shoot 10 or 15 arrows, before I got too tired.

I'm a big fan of the 44 Special and light 44 Mag loads now, LOL
 
Recoil in the Contender is a unique feel. All the gun’s weight is forward of the grip since it attaches by a screw into the frame stud. So, there’s a lot of torque to the recoil.
If you use Pachmayr grips, they will help a lot!
Bull barrels dampen the recoil compared to the light octagonal barrels.
The 10” barrels recoil much more than the 14” barrels.

I find the recoil with 44 Magnum, particularly with 300 gr bullets to be pretty heavy. But, the 357 Herrett is much worse! (This is a wildcat made from expanded and slightly shortened 30-30 brass.)
I find 30-30 recoil pretty manageable even in the 10” barrel. But, the muzzle blast might trick you into thinking it’s heavier.
Handloading helps with the 30-30 tremendously if you select powders on the faster burning rate. They have much less blast. I like 4198, RL-7 (is that made anymore?), SR 4759 (discontinued), etc. I also really like cast bullets in the 30-30! The RCBS 165-30 SIL bullet is fantastic!
Also, contrary to general opinion, I recommend neck sizing. Full length dies reduce the brass for easy feeding in lever actions. But, it really hurts accuracy and shortens brass life.
If you simply must use a full length sizing die, try adjusting it so it doesn’t set the shoulder back. You can do this by drawing a pencil line on the case neck and shoulder. Adjust the die to just touch the case mouth. Turn the die in bit by bit, watching the pencil line disappear as it approaches the shoulder. Stop before you touch the shoulder and set the lock ring while the case is still in the die.
 
BillyMagg said:
…I'm a big fan of the 44 Special and light 44 Mag loads now, LOL
Click to expand...
Funny how that works, isn’t it? I don’t remember the last time I didn’t mind shooting .44 Magnums, but it’s been a while. Nothing faster than 1000 fps for me nowadays.

I quit shooting IHMSA matches because I didn’t like being next to the XPs and Contenders. Where I shot, they would not separate us revolver shooters and invariably I would end up surrounded by those cannons in the unlimited class. The next available club was further than I wanted to drive so my silhouette shooting days ended. Even with plugs and muffs, being around those things was too much for me. It didn’t help that where I shot had a firing line with fairly low ceiling. 🤬
 
Narragansett said:
I have one that I have not tried out yet. I was researching AI to see what ir said about recoil. The word they use is " Fierce ". I was trying to get AI to draw a comparison with the 44 magnum. They say it is considerably greater recoil than the 44 magnum.

Anybody have any experience with this combination?

Is this a handloading only application?
Click to expand...
Many moons ago, yes it's a handloaders pistol. For the most part but if you use rounds with heavy bullets and charges it will Roar!
 
If it is still made, I highly recommend that you get some Pachmayr rubber furniture. I shot a 10" bull barrel Contender in .30 Herrett for years in IHMSA. The recoil actually bent the screw that secures the forearm.

Adios,

Pizza Bob
 
Narragansett said:
I have one that I have not tried out yet. I was researching AI to see what ir said about recoil. The word they use is " Fierce ". I was trying to get AI to draw a comparison with the 44 magnum. They say it is considerably greater recoil than the 44 magnum.

Anybody have any experience with this combination?

Is this a handloading only application?
Click to expand...
I have one and it hurts - much more than a 44Mag. A friend has one with a brake - it still hurts - more than a 44Mag. Very loud also.
 
Fired a 7TCU years back in IHMSA, wasn't too bad. Similar bullet weights and powder charges to what you would use in the 30-30. Less recoil than my Ruger 44 SBH maybe a little more muzzle blast. Can't recall it's been awhile.

For some the 30-30 is more than a handful, start with lighter loads if you want to get good with it and work up. Just like you might if firing a magnum revolver.

Anyways, the load you use plus barrel profile will mean more in recoil. The 10" octagon will kick more than the 14" bull. Lighter weight bullets the same. If looking for lower recoil then loading should be considered as there's not many loads besides 150 thru 170 grain hunting loads.

I've a 30-30 barrel I picked up last year, it's high time it got some rounds put thru it. I got some 110 grain reloads from the former owner as part of the package and I'll try a few but I'm more inclined to go with heavier bullets for my purposes.

And if you want something with fierce recoil look at the 375 winchester or 45-70 in a contender. That will give you something to remember in the recoil department.
 
Before my collection downsizing, I had a 14" ported 375 WCF barrel with the standard Contender pistol grip topped by a 2X7 Burris handgun scope. Recoil seemed to be no more than the 44 Mag. The only consideration was when sighting in at the range, the porting seemed to double the blast sound over the 44. I had a shoulder hang holster and it made an excellent dark timber combination for Elk.
 
I never shot a 30-30, but did many rounds through a 7X30 Waters. That is a 30-30 case with the shoulder blown forward a fair amount and the case wall straightened out. I used 140 gr JSP's and it was about 2000 fps, if I remember correctly. With the 14" barrel it wasn't bad at all. There was no difficulty finishing a 40 shot match.
 
I have done 45/70 out of a 14" Contender but decided 6 rounds was all I wanted of that in a day. I regularly pushed a .357Max T/C 10" contender with the cushioned grips to the limit using 158JSPs shooting IHMSA. I believe the energy output was near that of many 30/30s. I'm not a big guy ~200# and never had a particular problem. However, not everyone can absorb the shock the same. When I got out of the game and sold the gun I shot up all my ammo. Here's a pic of me shooting it one handed. (~age 75 at the time) and it wasn't a problem, felt I could easily do 2 divisions in a 40x40 competition. The pic (a frame from a video) was selected to highlight the flame from H110 powder against a fully bright backdrop.

TC Fireball.webp

TC One Hand.mp4
 
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I am not really big on 10" contender barrels. I am down to a 22 lr and a 45 Colt. I really like the 30-30 in a 14" bull barrel. You can come close to 20" barrel velocities. For a lot of fun at the 25 or 50 yard range, load 32 wadcutters and 2.5-5 gr Bullseye. The paper won't know the difference.
 
This 44 contender is much softer recoil than the 30-30. So it is all relative I suppose, assuming average factory loaded rounds.IMG_2167[1].webp
 
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BillyMagg said:
I know I'm a wimp, and managing recoil after 60?? is being intelligent enough to recognize the laws of physics do NOT change, so you have to!! I'm not going to beat myself up with my handgun, my rifle, or my bow, and I like bigger, heavier bullets.
Click to expand...
This, 100%. I’ve always had slim hands without much meat on them, and that situation has not improved with age. I am careful how much I shoot pistols with a sharp recoil impulse in deference to my wrist bones. Even some polymer 9 mm pistols with narrow back straps start to bother me after a box of self defense loads. I think the time has come to wear a glove for my range trips with the sharp guns.
 
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