After much thought ... 7-30 Waters

broknaero

broknaero

New member
After years to think about it, and plenty of research it is time to buy another rifle. This rifle will be very special. This will be my daughters first deer rifle.

She will be hunting for the first time next year. She has shot rimfires since she was 7, and .22 centerfires and .243 the last few years. So she isn't exactly an inexperienced shooter. I know the .243 will work but I would like a Lever action for this. I like many people in the North East started hunting with a lever action so I'd like to carry on that tradition. I have come full circle in this sense and carry a .308 Marlin most of the time. I'd just like a rifle that's a little softer in recoil and is also suitable for big PA black bear ( big meaning 600-700+ lbs is not uncommon).

I have selected a tick area on our property I can build a comfy kid friendly stand next summer. Its a thick area that was cut 5 years ago (lots of briers and saplings). This section is maybe only 20 acres in size but its central on our property, and when the shooting starts on neighboring properties I think this will be the place to be. Surrounded but corn to the south, open fields to the east, and open timber to the north and west. Shots with this stand may be 100 yards after trimming, 50 to 75 yards more common.

Anyways what do you all think of my caliber selection? Anyone with experience in this round? Recoil shouldn't be more than the parent 30/30 right? I do have a .35 Rem she could use, but I'd rather wait until shes a bit bigger. She will be 12 this week.

Thanks
 
The 7-30 Waters is a great caliber for WT deer or bear. I have a T/C Contender with a 14" barrel. The Nosler 120 gr BT bullet kills deer like lighting. You could use this bullet in the lever action rifle but only as a 2 shot rifle, 1 in the chamber and 1 in the magazine.

JD338
 
I've never fired one or know anyone who has. I'm concerned with recoil with how small she is. What would you compare the recoil to?
 
600-700+ lbs black bears are possible but certainly far from common. I would characterize them as extremely rare at best. A max of 300 lbs will cover 99% of PA black bears.

Jack
 
Quote:
600-700+ lbs black bears are possible but certainly far from common. I would characterize them as extremely rare at best. A max of 300 lbs will cover 99% of PA black bears.

Jack



This is true in some areas Jack. Maybe I should have said not "unheard of" instead of "not uncommon". Poor choice of words on my part. That being said I've only taken 3 here. 347, 384,and 466 dressed. (we have to bring them out whole and to a check station). Just wanted to paint the picture of what I want from this round as I cant find much info on it.

I wouldn't want her first black bear to be in that " not unheard of class" and this rifle not capable of the task. Big difference between a 2 YO white tail and a 15 YO black bear. Just want a moderate recoil rifle that's up to the task.
 
I own a couple 730 Ws, one in Model 94, another in TC Carbine 21 inch and 12 inch hunter. My young boy has one, my brother has a couple, my buddies have them and their children shoot them. Great caliber and will be a caliber she will and can use all her life. You can also make your own brass from 3030 cases. Good call. JHG
 
I put one together on a g2 contender carbine (16.5 with a muzzletamer) for my 7 year old niece...she is a little bitty thing and she can shoot it easily...she has killed a deer with it the first day that I gave it to her. I load 140 grain ballistic tips..she dropped a deer at 100 yards with it. I am very impressed with this cartridge..( traded my 375 jdj barrel for a 7-30 barrel for myself) I think I would look at a contender carbine so that you could shoot pointed bullets. hope it works for her...Robbie
 
I have to add a /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif for the 7-30Waters. My cousin turned me on to that cartridge. If I didn't trade my Contender hand gun in on the Encore I would still be hunting with it.
 
7-30 waters in a lever action.

well good luck on finding one.

and with lever actions the stock has usually been of the shape that it tranfers MAXimum recoil to the shoulder. Not the greatest for a small frame individual.

If you must get a 7-30 waters (good cartridge to relaod for!) I would recommend a contender setup for it, using a rifle stock and rifle barrel. Usually T/C single shots are built with a good stock and a good recoil pad.
 
Quote:
7-30 waters in a lever action.

well good luck on finding one.

and with lever actions the stock has usually been of the shape that it tranfers MAXimum recoil to the shoulder. Not the greatest for a small frame individual.

If you must get a 7-30 waters (good cartridge to relaod for!) I would recommend a contender setup for it, using a rifle stock and rifle barrel. Usually T/C single shots are built with a good stock and a good recoil pad.



Looking at 2 on gun brokers now. Trying to get an idea of recoil. If its the same or less than a 30/30 then I'll get one. Maybe I'll get one anyways for me. Didn't know the stock design of a lever action was that big of a concern. Never thought of that as I've shot them since I was a little one. Thanks for the heads up.
 
Had one in a Contender, switched to Encore and the gun I found came with the 243, so I didn't bother outfitting it with the Waters.... but I loved the Waters. Great shooter, worked up a load with a 120gr V-Max for Cougars. Never shot one with it, but I did shoot 3 Bobcats. It's was too much for them, but I sure loved the round. I might do an Encore Barrel just for nostalgia sake. I'd say recoil was slightly under 30-30, but not alot.
 
I am quite fond of the Waters and 221 Fireball. Recoil on the Waters IMO is at least equal to the 30/30.In fact recoil may be a little less since the Waters typically likes lighter bullets than the 30/30
 
Quote:
Had one in a Contender, switched to Encore and the gun I found came with the 243, so I didn't bother outfitting it with the Waters.... but I loved the Waters. Great shooter, worked up a load with a 120gr V-Max for Cougars. Never shot one with it, but I did shoot 3 Bobcats. It's was too much for them, but I sure loved the round. I might do an Encore Barrel just for nostalgia sake. I'd say recoil was slightly under 30-30, but not alot.



And thank you very much for the 7-30 Waters barrel rainshadow. I've carried it 4 times so far but ended up having the 45/70 with me Friday when I killed an 8 pt. Sighting it in I didn't notice that much recoil and I would compare it to a 30/30 with the 120s.
 
We have several children who hunt in my hunt club. Even 9 and 10 year olds seem to be able to handle the 243 with little problems. One 9 year old shot 2 nice 8 point bucks with a single shot 243. That being said I think a 30-30 with 150 or 170 grain bullets would be preferable to the 7mm waters for black bear. I shot a black bear last week that dressed 210 with my model 94 30-30 with 170 grain bullets. I hit the bear right behind the right leg and the bullet ended up punching a 2 inch diameter hole through the ribs on the other side. Even with that much damage the bear rolled down a step embankment and ran 100 yards. My brother ended up finishing it off with his 30-06. Black bears may attack if you approach a wounded one. Thus I would pass on the 7-30 waters. Plus 30-30 bullets are easy to find and inexpensive.

Check out this recoil chart -->
http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm
 
broknaero, the Thompson Contender with this cartridge with a muzzle tamer kicks like a 223.

The main factor is that the Contender is a very comfortable rifle for a child to handle while the lever action is really an un-wieldy thing, stock too long, heavy in the muzzle for a child...you get the picture.

I got my little nephew the 7/08 in a Contender when he was 9, and he has killed 12 deer with it now at 12 years old. He killed two does at 200 yards when he was 9! He has never mentioned the recoil of the rifle, and no telling how many turtles, crows, two bob cats, and 4 hogs he has killed. Lack of recoil and easy pointability are the key to his success, along with the fact that he can shoot it 50+ times off the bench and never even think about developing a flinch. I take him to the range with me and catch him hitting rocks the size of your fist at 300 yards!

I cut the stock to fit him...no big deal on a contender, butt stocks are cheap and easily attainable. The stock on a lever gun will have to be cut to accomodate your youngster, and when they grow out of the cut stock, it's big bucks for a replacement stock if you can find one for that model.

It is easy to ruin a 12 year old child on shooting forever by giving them the wrong gun...the muzzle tamer is the key along with the electronic ear muffs that kids love because of the amplified hearing and no LOUD gun blast that scared heck out of a lot of kids and grown men also.

Good luck!
 
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