We have the 30 and 357 Herrett. Like them both but prefer the 30 Herrett. I shot silhouette back in the 70s-80s and started with a 10" 30-30 Win. It knocked the targets down fine but getting an accurate load from the 10" barrel was a challenge. When I tried the 7 TCU and 30 Herrett, they were much easier to get accuracy with. Still have the Herretts all these years later.

 

I destroyed a Contender frame back in the 1970/1980s shooting the 30 Herrett. Problem was, and is, that much of the data for loading it were never pressure tested. Sierra for instance as well as Speer were WAY too hot!

In the late 80s or early 90s Dupont pressure tested these loads and found them to be way overloaded. My main load was 23.0 gr of H4227, Fed 210 primers and the 110 gr Speer Hollow Point bullet in Rem cases which worked much better than the Win cases of that time. That was a full 2.0 gr lower than Sierra max load. I believe Dupont's max was about 18 grs of 4227!!

As for my frame T/C replaced it no charge but sent a note saying the frame had been stretched and was likely caused by too hot loads.

Please be careful with the Herretts. I shot thousands of them and was very hard on the jackrabbits of the Mojave Desert.

 

I'm loading to just 300bk charges. For fun I installed a Ken Light mid-rise. I don't want to get scope eye; so keeping loads light. I now realize I suck at standing silhouette. Not yet able to draw a group yet a 50yrds. My first shot after relaxing is spot on, then every subsequent shot I'm all jitters.

 

My old load was IMR-4198 with a 150 grain. That was an accurate round that I used in silhouette.

 

In the article mentioned above Dupont claimed that 4198 was the fastest powder of theirs they would recommend for the 30 Herrett.

 

At the time even Steve Herrett was recommending 25.0 gr H4227 with 110 gr bullet! I was using the 110 gr Speer HP because I was hunting jack rabbits and the occasional coyote not steel!

My early Contender which I bought new digested several thousands of these loads. Then one day I had a jack perfectly in the sights and as trigger released all I got was a deafening CLICK! Broke the pistol open and tried again aimed at a rock...CLICK. Tried several more rounds to see if it was ammo. Nothing but CLICKS!

Sad day.

 

That vid brings back good memories from the 70s for me. The Herrett is a heck of a round, TC was a heck of a company, and we were younger guys back then.

 

A good friend of mine has a few contenders, one in a JDJ caliber I think 358 or 357 don't remember now. So he wanted to fire form cases from 30-30 brass, ok but I was suspect, he loaded the gun anyway I held it with my right hand and put my left hand on top of the scope. Fired the gun,14 inch barrel, and it stopped with the barrel about 4 inches from my forehead. That was some serious recoil. 🤣