Lindcott Armory Rifle · SAAMI
7-30 Waters
The 7-30 Waters is a wildcat cartridge developed by Ken Waters in 1984 by necking the .30-30 Winchester case down to 7mm (.284").
- Caliber
- 0.284″ · 7.214 mm
- Introduced
- 1984
- Case
- Rimmed
- Parent
- .30-30 Winchester
- Primary use
- hunting_medium_game, hunting_small_game
- Status
- Discontinued
- Introduced
- 1984
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Ken Waters
- Manufacturer
- Federal, Winchester
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Discontinued
- Availability
- Rare
- Case capacity
- 45 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:10
- Primer
- Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Max pressure
- 45,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 250 yd
- Recoil
- 12–16 ft·lb
Ballistics
- By real loads
- 2,700–2,750 fps · 18 loads
- Parent case
- .30-30 Winchester
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Performance
Buy links open 7-30 Waters ammunition at Rivertown Munitions.
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
CIP TDCC · verified| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 7.21 | 0.284 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 7.78 | 0.306 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 10.14 | 0.399 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 17.2° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 10.71 | 0.422 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 12.85 | 0.506 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.47 | 0.058 | ~ |
| Neck length | 7.80 | 0.307 | ≈ |
| Case length | 51.82 | 2.040 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 64.77 | 2.550 | ~ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. 7-30 Waters is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 18 active loads across 15 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 19 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes | TTSX | 110 | TSX | 2,750 | 1,847 | — |
| Nosler | Custom | 120 | Ballistic Tip | 2,720 | 1,971 | — |
| Hornady | Custom Interlock SP | 120 | Interlock SP | 2,700 | 1,942 | — |
| Winchester | Super-X SP | 120 | SP | 2,700 | 1,942 | — |
| Winchester | USA | 120 | FMJ | 2,700 | 1,942 | — |
| Federal | Power-Shok | 120 | SP | 2,700 | 1,942 | — |
| Sellier & Bellot | SP | 120 | Soft Point | 2,700 | 1,942 | — |
| Armscor | Standard | 120 | Soft Point | 2,700 | 1,942 | — |
| Wolf | FMJ | 120 | Soft Point | 2,700 | 1,942 | — |
| Kynoch | Classic | 120 | Soft Point | 2,700 | 1,942 | — |
| Norma | Classic | 120 | Soft Point | 2,700 | 1,942 | — |
| HSM | Sierra GameKing BTSP | 120 | GameKing BTSP | 2,700 | 1,942 | — |
| Hornady | InterLock | 120 | SP | 2,700 | 1,942 | — |
| Winchester | Super-X | 120 | Power-Point | 2,700 | 1,942 | — |
| Remington | Core-Lokt | 120 | SP | 2,700 | 1,942 | — |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in 7-30 Waters
6 models in the database chamber 7-30 Waters. Browse all →
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Ken Waters was a gun writer and handloader who developed the cartridge for the Thompson/Center Contender platform, which allows pointed bullets since there is no tubular magazine. The Contender pistol in 7-30 Waters became a popular deer hunting handgun in the 1980s and 1990s. SAAMI standardization enabled factory ammunition from Federal and Winchester. Production ceased as the Contenders market declined and the 7mm-08 Remington offered similar performance in more rifles.
FAQs
- What twist rate does 7-30 Waters use?
- 7-30 Waters typically uses a 1:10 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is 7-30 Waters?
- 7-30 Waters uses a 0.284″ (7.214 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is 7-30 Waters still in production?
- 7-30 Waters is discontinued; typical availability is rare.
- What is 7-30 Waters used for?
- 7-30 Waters is primarily used for hunting_medium_game, hunting_small_game.
- What is 7-30 Waters based on?
- 7-30 Waters is derived from the .30-30 Winchester case.
Sources & provenance
- StandardSAAMI — ANSI/SAAMI Z299 — Cartridge & Chamber Drawingsarchived
- StandardC.I.P. — C.I.P. TDCC — Tables of Dimensions of Cartridges and Chambers
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 18 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →