New to BB again

[oldnewbie]

I am trying to get back into BB after 20 years away from it. I used to shoot a 7IHMSA but sold the gun long ago. I was thinking about going to a T/C 7/08 encore pro but wasn't sure if that wasn't overkill. Didn't want to really spend more than that on a gun for BB. I was also thinking about a 7-30 waters for an older frame TC that I have but not too sure about it either on the reloading side/case side.

Thanks for any comments/help.

BJ

[Boomer]

Hi BJ & welcome to the forum!

If you want it just for shooting steel I think you are going WAY overkill. You would be better served with a 7mm TCU (assuming you are going to reload) because of less recoil & less expense in feeding it.
If on the other hand it will also be a deer gun then I think they wouldn’t be too bad (a 7TCU will reliably take deer as well).

Better yet, show up at a match empty handed & talk to the folks. I would bet most would let you shoot theirs & see what suits you best.

[oldnewbie]

Is there a place that a 7TCU barrel alone could be purchased without going to an all out custom barrel that can be used on an older TC frame?

[Boomer]

Actually a member of this forum has one for sale on GunBroker

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =218021920

I think he has a 7-30 as well.

[RNoon]

I'd been away from silhouette about the same amount of time. Got back into big bore about a year or so ago shooting a .223. Heck even solid hit turkeys would just set there, let alone the rams. Switched to 7TCU and if I hit em they go down. Made international class the end of the season last year shooting the 7TCU. Maybe a little luck was involved but I sure like the 7TCU.

Rich

[Boomer]

Go with a 7-08 and me a manly man like most of these new guys aren't! :evil: Wait till Bommer shoots at some clubs that don't have auto reset targets and the rams just laugh at him!

You compensating Craig?? :lol: :lol: :lol:

I am sure I dont need to remind you that Mr Ugalade designed this cartridge specifically to take stubborn rams before auto reset systems existed.

One last thing, my BB gun is a 6-08 or a 30 Herrett, I dont even own a 7TCU.

[marshall623]

If you have a 7-30 barrel already just go with that, with 140 or 150 gr. bullets it will do the job. A guy I work with was going to try a match with a 7-08 encore he was shooting factory 140 's that will get it done . But 40 rounds of that you would have known you had been to a match. I think a 7-08 loaded down would be OK. If you find you a 7 TCU you won't go wrong with that

[oldnewbie]

Well, whatever I go with will be with reloads. No factory ammo for me. IF I would go with the 7/08 it would be loaded on the lighter side anyway. I used to shoot the 7 IHMSA and it was no big deal in that gun. I am going to do some more looking around and will decide later. Since I can only find one place in Ga. to shoot BB, I am not in any big hurry. I'll have to find a range closer to Atlanta that has the distance to get a new gun sighted in and ready to go.

Thanks for all your responses.

[bj7mm]

I am trying to get back into BB after 20 years away from it. I used to shoot a 7IHMSA but sold the gun long ago. I was thinking about going to a T/C 7/08 encore pro but wasn't sure if that wasn't overkill. Didn't want to really spend more than that on a gun for BB. I was also thinking about a 7-30 waters for an older frame TC that I have but not too sure about it either on the reloading side/case side.

In the old days, full size targets set hard, the 7-08 was not overkill. Lots of people shot XP100's in calibers similar to that. The IHMSA cartridges were just a bit less in power. I think the 7-30 would be a good cartridge too, but I don't know how accurate it is from a Contender. The 7-30 is very similar to the old IHMSA 7-INTR cartridge. I actually started IHMSA with a 14" 7TCU. I noticed a guy at a match shooting a Contender with a larger cartridge so I asked him about it. He was a gunsmith and had a reamer to convert the 7TCU to 7Merrell, which is very similar to 7-30 Waters and 7-INTR. I shot it with 175 grain bullets and it never failed on a ram. A lot of people back then were shooting 7TCU and it worked pretty well most of the time. To be honest though I never liked forming 7TCU brass and found it easier to form 7Merrell from 225 Winchester cases. I did know of people that formed 7Merrell from .30-30 and used it in actual Merrell pistols. And now that I think about it, I think the 7JDJ is also formed form .225 Win cases so that's another choice.

[Richard Pickering]

Check your pm, or call me at 770 366 6449. Richard