william iorg
posted this
05 October 2011
We have a 24” Contender bull barrel in 32 H&R Magnum. We bought this barrel for hunting called critters and as a walking around rifle. We hoped the longer barrel would help avoid issues with the occasional shot fired without hearing protection.
When loaded as suggested with a light load of Bullseye it is quiet and reasonably comfortable for the occasional shot.
I have not chronographed many loads from this rifle. I have shot it quite a bit with both very light loads and loads as hot as I could dream up.
One of the best hot loads is a copy from Ross Seyfrieds article, 9.8 grains of Hodgdon 110 behind the Lyman 311008 (Seyfried used the RCBS bullet). This is a good one or two shot 1,500 fps load in my rifle but it does run out of lube.
Our TC barrel has a throat cut for .314” bullets and I shoot all lead bullets as cast to fill the throat.
The good thing about the long barrel for the TC is the “self opening” feature of the long barrel, trip the trigger guard and the barrel drops down. The rimmed cartridge is an advantage on cold days when you wear gloves.
When developing low velocity loads in the TC just keep a good wood dowel handy because you will stick a few bullet. I intend to find out what the minimum is when I start, its better to find out on the range.
Will a Williams Guide receiver sight this is a very light walking rifle. The 100- and the 115-grain lead bullets cast reasonably soft - 14 bhn or softer - will stay in a raccoon or porcupine if you take the shoulder and cross the body of it you hit them in the chest.