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Posted: 11/3/2016 8:57:07 AM EST
TC Contenter. 16" suppressed.

Is there a factory, lighter weight option that will perform well on our little deer?

I have taken plenty of doe with "whatever is in the gun", but I've set up the contender as my son's first hunting rifle.

I want of couple boxes of premium something.
Link Posted: 11/3/2016 9:03:30 AM EST
[#1]

55gr Speer Gold Dot is about .50/round on sale at PSA and should work well. Bone Frog Gun Club also has it for good prices fairly regularly.  SG has it in stock, but it's about .65/rd IIRC.


Black Hills 50gr TSX load should also work.  It may be slightly marginal on stability because TSX bullets are long for their weight.

http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/615622/black-hills-ammunition-556x45mm-nato-50-grain-barnes-triple-shock-x-bullet-hollow-point-lead-free-box-of-50


Link Posted: 11/3/2016 9:13:06 AM EST
[#2]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
55gr Speer Gold Dot is about .50/round on sale at PSA and should work well. Bone Frog Gun Club also has it for good prices fairly regularly.  SG has it in stock, but it's about .65/rd IIRC.


Black Hills 50gr TSX load should also work.  It may be slightly marginal on stability because TSX bullets are long for their weight.
http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/615622/black-hills-ammunition-556x45mm-nato-50-grain-barnes-triple-shock-x-bullet-hollow-point-lead-free-box-of-50


View Quote


Thanks! The Gold Dot is oos, but I'll check around. What about amax/vmax stuff?
Link Posted: 11/3/2016 9:22:51 AM EST
[#3]
I would not use it.  While it might get the job done, it may not penetrate enough.  Additionally it will fragment and damage a lot of meat.
Link Posted: 11/3/2016 9:33:25 AM EST
[#5]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I would not use it.  While it might get the job done, it may not penetrate enough.  Additionally it will fragment and damage a lot of meat.
View Quote


Not ideal, but my nephew (9) took 4 deer with the contender last season. Our deer are typically 100ish pounds and we put kids in spots where shots should not exceed 100 yards.

Our little guys shoot real well, but their size poses some limitations on the rifle. Nephew is moving up to .243 this season.
Link Posted: 11/3/2016 12:05:01 PM EST
[#6]
I shoot 40-64 grain bullets in my Sako 222/ 1/12 twist with excellent results. My mom used the same rifle with Remington 55 Core Lock soft points to kill 13 Roehbuck in Germany in the 50's. Very similar size wise to Florida deer. I shot my first 4 point in the Lochloosa Management area about 40 years ago with the same rifle. I would stick with soft point spitzers for good expansion. ymmv
Link Posted: 11/3/2016 4:54:50 PM EST
[#7]
Link Posted: 11/3/2016 5:27:45 PM EST
[#8]
Savage rifle owner here with 1/12. TSX wouldn't group well for me. Older bullet but 50gr VMAX are very accurate for me and inexpensive. Never had good luck with heavier bullets either but I didn't try many either as I've been happy with the VMAX for what I do
Link Posted: 11/3/2016 11:00:09 PM EST
[#9]
A stubby 62-64gr round might work, also, such as the TBBC or Nosler Bonded. I would test first before running through the can, though.
Link Posted: 11/3/2016 11:24:17 PM EST
[#10]
Hornady 55 gr sp might be a good choice. I have a friend who used that for years with great success on whitetails.

Black Hills also offers a loading with that bullet.

Very affordable.
Link Posted: 11/4/2016 5:44:14 AM EST
[#11]
The regular hornady 55gr sp load by hornady, it's called practice load comes in 50 rd box , bullet holds together and the ammo is cheap. never lost a deer yet to this load.
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Hornady 55 gr sp might be a good choice. I have a friend who used that for years with great success on whitetails.

Black Hills also offers a loading with that bullet.

Very affordable.
View Quote

Link Posted: 11/4/2016 6:16:47 PM EST
[#12]
Try the 55gr Gold Dot as it's a tough bonded bullet and will hold together for penetration...good medium size game hunting bullet.  It's usually pretty accurate in 1-12" barrel too.
The Winchester 62gr Power Point also works well and will usually stabilize in 1-12" barrel as it's not boat-tail design so it's stubby enough to stabilize.  The bullet is bonded and performs very well in medium size game.    
Link Posted: 11/4/2016 6:22:07 PM EST
[#13]
Try the 62gr Fusion, it will probably shoot fine.
Link Posted: 11/4/2016 6:28:28 PM EST
[#14]

Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


Try the 62gr Fusion, it will probably shoot fine.
View Quote




 
Might work from a 1:12, but my 1:14 couldn't get them to even hit the target.  They went somewhere down range but it wasn't on the 11x17 target.
Link Posted: 11/4/2016 7:20:34 PM EST
[#15]
hornady makes a 60 grain soft point.

"American Whitetail"
Link Posted: 11/4/2016 7:47:35 PM EST
[#16]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Try the 55gr Gold Dot as it's a tough bonded bullet and will hold together for penetration...good medium size game hunting bullet.  It's usually pretty accurate in 1-12" barrel too.
The Winchester 62gr Power Point also works well and will usually stabilize in 1-12" barrel as it's not boat-tail design so it's stubby enough to stabilize.  The bullet is bonded and performs very well in medium size game.    
View Quote

The power point is not bonded as far as I know. The gold dot is soft for a bonded bullet, as well.
Link Posted: 11/5/2016 11:45:38 AM EST
[#17]
Thanks for all the responses guys.

A lot of offerings to try.
Link Posted: 11/5/2016 9:01:05 PM EST
[#18]
Federal tactical 55 grain trophy bonded if you can find it.  2925 fps average from a 16 inch  nato chamber.
Link Posted: 11/5/2016 9:58:54 PM EST
[#19]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Federal tactical 55 grain trophy bonded if you can find it.  2925 fps average from a 16 inch  nato chamber.
View Quote

I figured it would be hotter. My gold dots are turning 3000+
Link Posted: 11/11/2016 1:41:51 AM EST
[#20]
Winchester 64 gr SP or Nosler 64 gr BSB.  Or Nosler Partition if you can find any.  Sierra 65 gr GameKing also works well.  It is loaded in the Federal Premium line.
Link Posted: 11/11/2016 2:29:14 AM EST
[#21]
As said above, Federal Premium 60 grain Nosler Partition.

Groups an inch and a half out of my A1 clone with 1/12 twist barrel all day long.

4 deer shot with it by me and all 4 were found within a 10 yd radius of the shot.
Link Posted: 11/11/2016 11:19:16 AM EST
[#22]
All these will work but I love the 55gr Hornady SP. Great bullet
Link Posted: 11/12/2016 9:49:09 PM EST
[#23]
Hornady Full Boar Ammunition 223 Remington 50 Grain GMX
Link Posted: 12/18/2016 3:49:44 PM EST
[#24]
Back with a little update.

I tried several offerings, but got the best accuracy out of American Eagle 50 gr varmint. Sub 2 m.o.a. for me and probably 1 with a better shooter.

I have 3 boxes of the same lot, but hope to find consistency with other lots.



I used a couple of our doe tags and punched 2 in the neck between 100-150 yards. DRT. I think I just need to be careful in brush.

Now I want to figure out how to get my IR laser on the contender. Thanks again for the recommendations.

Good hunting.
Link Posted: 12/20/2016 1:35:36 PM EST
[#25]
Those tipped VARMINT bullets are very accurate, but lack penetration.  I wouldn't shoot deer with them, unless in the head.  You are getting by with neck shots, but won't like the result from a less than perfect placement.

We shoot 64gr Gold Dots and Fusions from my son's 1:12 CZ, they stabilize and shoot accurately enough for deer to the range limits of the cartridge.

We've also used the 55gr, and they perform better than cup and core bullets, but not as well as 64/62 gr.
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