Anybody load for 7mm TCU

[BlueTic]

I just picked up a good deal on a 10" 7mm TCU barrel for my Thompson. I do not have a chart in my Speer manual for 7 tcu

[inplanotx]

Hi BT, first, you might want to read this:

7mm Bellm

Second, here is some data I found searching the net:

7mm TCU loads

Hope this helps.

IPT

[BlueTic]

Thanks for the links and info - The Bellm is an improvement that I might think about, but I have not even tried the TCU yet

[rjjrwi]

Blue Tic not sure if this will help you but I ordered my shells from Walts Guns
here is part of an email from them to me

$29.99 per 50 custom handloads made on our brand new factory correct brass. (plus shipping...) we researched some good TC loads, and i think you will be happy with them. please specify MILD / MIDLINE / or HOT loadings. if you return the brass to us when your finished with it its $14.99 per 50 rounds on your fired cases. let me know how much you need...
best regards, mike.
ou can call us a pay via CREDIT CARD
1(856)764-0707
MON-FRI 6:00PM-9:00PM
SAT 9:00AM-4:00PM

best regards, mike.

I ordered 100 rounds loaded ( mid range ) with speer 130 gr. spire point and 25.0 gr of IMR 3031........ I haven't shot very much of it yet but what i did shoot seemed to do ok

[lowcountry_gunsmith]

I have a like new set of hornady new deminsion dies for the tcu for 35.00 shipped if you interested

[LDBennett]

I have no information on recent TC offerings but barrels from the 1980's and earlier are match quality. The few TC barrels I have (10mm, 9mm, 44Mag, 223, 30-30, 357Max--first three are 10 inch, 223 is 14 inch, last two rifle length) shoot great!

Do not under estimate TC barrels, at least those from the earlier days of the company (1960's thru 1980's). Later barrels may be great too. I just don't have any personal experience with them. I can tell you that the triggers on TC's went to pot in the later years as the lawyers stepped up to the plate.

LDBennett

[arborist]

I have had my 10" 7mm TCU since the early 80's and I have tried a lot of different loads over the years and I have found that 139 gr spitzers with 18.5 gr. of Accurate Arms MP5744 powder has been the most accurate (this is not the max load for this powder). I put 5 bullets in a hole you could cover with a dime at 50 yds with iron sights from a sand bag rest. With a scope you can pop a soda pop can off a fence post at a 100 yds. I also use a 115 gr. HP that is also a good round. Sierra used to make 139 grain flat nose bullet especially made for Contender hunting but I have not found any more in quite awhile. Still looking for some at gun shows. When you first resize the .223 to 7mm a little trick I use is to take some dry graphite powder lube and use a Q-tip to lube the inside mouth of the case and so far I have yet to split a case. I use an RCBS tapered die to neck it out in one step then use a real light load and a wad of cotton to fire form the case to the characteristic sharp shoulder. Military brass needs to have the primer pocket reamed to remove the remnants of the crimp. It is easy to spot military brass because of the red sealer around the edge of the primer. Have fun.

[JLA]

They just ran an article in the newest issue of Handloader on the 7TCU. Ill look it up and post you some info...

[JLA]

AHHH!!! found it... it was still sittn next to the crapper

Handloader #264, february 2010, Pg. 60, 7mm TCU in a rifle!

Stoked with all kinds of info, you can form your brass from .223 brass, just anneal the case mouths and shoulders and run them into a 7mm TCU full length die, load and fireform...

Has a full page of load data with bullets ranging in weight from 115 gr to 168 gr. Looks like a cartridge I wouldnt mind adding to my collection let me know if you are looking for something specific and Ill see if its listed...

[Lark07]

My favorite load for my 14" 7mm-tcu is a speer 145 grain bullet with 28 grains of 4895 in a LC case giving me 1995 fps with a stdev of 24 fps. The manual said the max load was 28.5 grains, but 28 grains fills the case to the top. Compressing the powder with the bullet made for a very compressed load but shows no signs of over-pressure with a standard winchester small rifle primer.

The Speer manual says not to use military brass, but I found that LC brass is just fine and lasts much longer than remington brass for some reason. The remington brass would sometimes separate at the bottom of the neck and leave the neck in the chamber after firing; usually the first load after fire forming.

[JLA]

That 28 gr load of 4895 is probably a touch over max in a military case. The reason being, military brass is thicker than commercial. I would consider starting over and working back up from start if you are gonna use mil-surp brass. 10% below max should be your stopping point. 28.5-10%(or 2.85 gr.) = a max of 25.65 or 25.7 gr... The 7TCU essentially is a ballistically superior version of the venerable old .30-30 cartridge. I would suspect your most accurate loads will be found at the lower end of your loading charts.

[Lark07]

You might be right. I am able to only fit the max charge by slowly dribbling in the powder and tapping the case at the same time. While I have read that the military brass is thicker than brass made for civilian consumption, the LC brass I am using weighs nearly the same as federal and remington brass. The non-military brass does not seem to hold more 4895 than the military brass does. So in the end I am using that brass which does not break; once fired LC 223 brass.

One of these days I will attach a scope to the 7mmtcu barrel and do some accuracy testing. I can not tell the difference between loads when using open sights, so I went with the load with the smallest standard deviation. The Speer 145 bullet worked better than the Sierra 130 grain bullet I tried. I can shoot a three inch group at 100 yards prone or from the bench with the sights. Good enough for a small deer.

[JLA]

The deer certainly wont notice a difference. Sock him in the ribs with one of those and hes goin to see jesus either way. Good luck with your project

[arborist]

I used a 139 gr Hornady spitzer with 18.5 gr of MP5744 to shoot a doe at 77 yds and it drilled right through her without expanding much as the exit hole wasn't more than the entry but she turned and ran for maybe 50 yds and dropped without another twitch. I finally found some more 140 gr flat nosed bullets but I haven't found a load that will group under 3 inches. Loaded up a bunch of Speer 115 gr hollow points with 18 gr of MP 5744 and I'm holding a consistent 1" group at 50 yds-not bad.

[skeetshooter]

I have just ordered a 7mm TCU for my Thompson Encore in a 26 inch with a 1/9 twist anyone have any data on this barrle. I have the contender in a 10 inch. having a custom 26 inch will put me into a new area.