7mm TCU

[spiker44]

Hello, this has probably been discussed already but maybe someone can give me some insight. I have an opportunity to buy a TC Contender with 4 barrels. A 45 / 410, 44 mag, super 14 7mm tcu and a 10" 7mm tcu for just under a grand. My question is: can you buy ammo for the 7mm tcu? I don't reload and don't have a reloading shop near me. I was hoping to find it to purchase already loaded. Is it available? Thanks.

 

[Sam1911]

A quick Google search turned up several on-line sources for loaded ammo.

Of course having a Contender and a cool, less common, round like that BEGS you to handload for it.

Personally, if you aren't going to reload it, I'd just sell off those barrels. But I'd hate to have to pay for factory .44 Mag, either, so...

 

[CraigC]

I always thought the 7mmTCU was one of the most interesting chamberings in the original Contender. That, along with the 6.5JDJ, .375JDJ, spitzers in the .30-30, 7-30Waters and various Contender-specific chamberings. Then the Encore came along and made things really boring. I'd suggest picking up a reloading kit and start rolling your own.

 

[Louca]

It seems having a 7mm TC/U and not reloading for it is a bit conflicted. The round was developed for the relatively small community of handgun metallic silhouette shooters. And if you were one of those (like I was), you KNEW you would be reloading that cartridge. I never knew of anyone who manufactured rounds for it.

Mine also has the Super 14 barrel and I loved reloading and shooting it. I did fairly well in IHMSA matches and even took my first whitetail buck with it. I speak of it in past tense simply because I have not shot it in a long time.

Yeah, if you shot it at all, you would wind up either reloading for it, or talking a friend into doing the reloading for you.

Lou

 

[243winxb]

7mm tcu is not a common round. Its formed/handloaded from 223 Rem. brass. I would pass on that purchase. Do look for 30-30 or 7x30 Waters and 44 mag. Plus a 223 Rem.

 

[pendennis]

You can only hand load for the 7mm TCU. There aren't any commercial loads for it. It's a great cartridge, and works both as a metallic silhouette, and hunting round. Wes Ugalde designed the round for those purposes.

The round, as others mentioned, is created from a set of 7MM TCU dies, then fire forming with mild loads to size the brass to the chamber. After that, it's a matter of neck sizing only. There's not a lot of gripping area in the neck, and that's a shortcoming to some shooters. But, since it's used in a single shot pistol, there isn't a lot of worry.

The major reloading manuals all have loads for the round, and it still enjoys some popularity.

I owned one, and it was very accurate out to about 300 yards. But, it takes dedication to the round to get the most from its potential.

 

[hardluk1]

You might want to spend a little time looking at t/c contender g2 and encore handguns prices. Then do your really want two 7tcu barrels and a 45/410 You can buy new far cheaper in a cartridge you can buy ready to go far cheaper or load your own but not have to make the brass.

You can buy a contender g2 in 7-30 waters or 6.8rem or the encore handguns in a number of normal cartridges. Lots of good used barrels out there . Both if bought as a handgun can be used as a rifle too.

 

[rs7]

A very good round, but there are so many good rounds these days. Still looking for the dies. They're here, but where? Easy 300 yds w/ a 9 7/8" barrel. Only 70 rds left. Must find.

 

[witchhunter]

Whatta you want for it?

 

[spiker44]

Thanks for all the responses. I was thinking on the lines of keeping the 45 / 410 and 44 mag and selling or trading the two 7 mm's for other barrels. I would think a contender with 4 barrels for 900 is a good deal but wasn't sure about the tcu barrels. Thanks to your help, I am much more informed.
I know quite a few calibers started out this way and caught on so the bigger ammo co. started to make the ammo. Why didn't the 7mm tcu catch on? I did a Google of it myself and its a very likeable caliber with nice stats. Anyway I think I will go the route of a gen 2 and spend the 900 on a 45/70 as I would like to shoot Metal Silhouette.

 

[hardluk1]

One of the things that great about a low pressure straight wall cartridge is its easy to load plinker rounds a lee loader 45/70 kit like this-
http://leeprecision.com/lee-loader-45-70-govt.html
Or one short step up to a lee hand press kit and not have much invested.
- http://leeprecision.com/breech-lock-hand-press-kit.html

Yet at 400gr bullet 2100fps the 45/70 is not so mild anymore.