Federal Premium P730A 7-30 Waters 120 gr Sierra GameKing Boat-Tail Soft Point (BTSP) Ammunition: Elevating Your Hunting Experience

For discerning hunters and precision shooters who demand unwavering performance and ethical results in the field, the Federal Premium P730A 7-30 Waters 120 gr Sierra GameKing Boat-Tail Soft Point (BTSP) ammunition stands as an exceptional choice. This meticulously crafted cartridge is engineered to deliver superior accuracy, reliable terminal ballistics, and the consistency required for successful hunts, particularly with medium-sized game. If you're seeking to optimize the potential of your 7-30 Waters firearm, especially classic platforms like the Thompson/Center Contender, this ammunition provides a compelling solution for a variety of hunting scenarios.

Who is This Ammunition For?

• 7-30 Waters Firearm Owners: Particularly those utilizing single-shot pistols and carbines like the Thompson/Center Contender, who appreciate the cartridge's unique balance of power and manageable recoil.
• Hunters of Medium Game: Ideal for whitetail deer, mule deer, pronghorn, and similar sized animals where precise shot placement and effective energy transfer are paramount.
• Precision-Focused Shooters: Individuals who prioritize consistent accuracy and predictable ballistic performance for ethical hunting and extended-range shooting within the cartridge's capabilities.
• Reloaders and Enthusiasts: Those who appreciate factory ammunition built with premium components, offering a benchmark for their own handloads or simply a reliable, high-quality ready-to-shoot option.
• Those Seeking Versatility: While excelling at deer hunting, the 7-30 Waters, paired with this bullet, offers a capable option for larger varmints or even smaller black bear in specific conditions where regulations allow and distances are appropriate.

What Problem Does This Ammunition Solve?

The Federal Premium P730A addresses several key challenges faced by hunters and shooters:

• Ethical Harvests: By combining the proven Sierra GameKing bullet with Federal's manufacturing excellence, this ammunition ensures consistent expansion and energy transfer, leading to quick, humane kills.
• Optimized Performance for Niche Cartridges: The 7-30 Waters is not as common as other cartridges, and finding high-quality, purpose-built factory ammunition can be a challenge. Federal provides a premium option that maximizes the cartridge's inherent capabilities.
• Accuracy and Confidence: For single-shot platforms, every shot counts. The inherent precision of Federal Premium ammunition instills confidence, knowing that the projectile will go where it's aimed.
• Reliability in the Field: Federal's stringent quality control measures mean fewer worries about misfires or inconsistent performance when you're far from home and a critical shot presents itself.
• Tailored Ballistics: The 120-grain Sierra GameKing BTSP is an ideal weight and design for the 7-30 Waters, offering a superb balance of velocity, trajectory, and terminal performance for typical hunting ranges.

Understanding the 7-30 Waters Cartridge: A Hunter's Gem

The 7-30 Waters cartridge, introduced in 1984 by Ken Waters, is essentially a .30-30 Winchester case necked down to accept a .284-inch (7mm) bullet. This innovative design was originally conceived to enhance the performance of the popular Thompson/Center Contender single-shot handgun, transforming it into a formidable medium-game hunting tool.

Why has the 7-30 Waters maintained its dedicated following?

• Improved Ballistics over .30-30: By utilizing lighter, more aerodynamic 7mm bullets, the 7-30 Waters achieves flatter trajectories and often superior accuracy compared to the venerable .30-30, especially with the spitzer-style bullets that the .30-30's tubular magazine often restricts.
• Manageable Recoil: Despite its effectiveness, the 7-30 Waters produces recoil that is surprisingly light and manageable, even in handgun platforms. This makes it enjoyable to shoot and allows for quicker follow-up shot recovery in repeater rifles, although it shines in single-shot applications.
• Versatility: While its roots are in handgun hunting, the 7-30 Waters also performs exceptionally well in lightweight carbines. This versatility makes it suitable for various hunting styles, from stand hunting to still-hunting in dense brush or open fields.
• Accuracy Potential: The cartridge's design lends itself to excellent inherent accuracy, a characteristic that Federal Premium ammunition capitalizes on. When paired with quality barrels, the 7-30 Waters can deliver impressive groups at typical hunting distances.
• Legacy with T/C Contender: The 7-30 Waters became synonymous with the T/C Contender, a testament to its design for handgun hunting. It offers a powerful, yet controllable, option for those who prefer to hunt with a pistol.

The Sierra GameKing Bullet: Proven Performance in the Field

At the heart of the Federal Premium P730A load is the 120-grain Sierra GameKing Boat-Tail Soft Point (BTSP) bullet. Sierra is renowned worldwide for producing high-quality projectiles, and the GameKing series is a prime example of their dedication to hunting bullet excellence.

What makes the Sierra GameKing so effective for hunting?

• Aerodynamic Boat-Tail Design: The "Boat-Tail" (BT) in BTSP refers to the tapered base of the bullet. This design significantly reduces drag, allowing the bullet to maintain its velocity and energy more efficiently downrange. The result is a flatter trajectory and less wind drift, leading to greater accuracy at extended distances. For the 7-30 Waters, this enhances its effective range beyond what a traditional flat-base bullet might offer.
• Soft Point (SP) for Controlled Expansion: The "Soft Point" design features an exposed lead tip. Upon impact, this soft lead initiates rapid, yet controlled, expansion. This creates a larger wound channel, transferring kinetic energy efficiently to the target, and ensuring a swift, humane harvest.
• Tapered Jacket: Sierra GameKing bullets feature a precisely tapered jacket that controls the rate and degree of expansion. This ensures that the bullet expands reliably across a wide range of impact velocities, from close-range shots to those at the cartridge's maximum effective hunting distance. The jacket is robust enough to maintain structural integrity, preventing premature fragmentation, while still allowing for significant tissue damage.
• Excellent Ballistic Coefficient (BC): The combination of the pointed Spitzer profile and the boat-tail design gives the 120-grain Sierra GameKing a favorable ballistic coefficient. This means it cuts through the air more efficiently, resulting in less drop and drift, making it easier for hunters to make accurate shots, especially when estimating range.
• Versatility Across Game: While excelling at deer, the controlled expansion of the GameKing makes it suitable for a variety of medium game. Its consistent performance has made it a favorite among ethical hunters globally.

Federal Premium Ammunition: The Benchmark of Quality

Federal Ammunition has been a cornerstone of the shooting sports and hunting communities for nearly a century. Their "Premium" line represents the pinnacle of their manufacturing capabilities, incorporating the finest components and most stringent quality control standards. When you choose Federal Premium, you're investing in:

• Superior Components: Every Federal Premium cartridge begins with top-tier components. This includes select brass cases known for their consistency and durability, reliable primers that ensure consistent ignition, and high-quality propellants that deliver uniform velocities and pressures.
• Meticulous Manufacturing Process: Federal's production facilities employ state-of-the-art machinery and highly skilled technicians. Each cartridge undergoes rigorous inspection and quality checks at multiple stages of the manufacturing process to ensure unwavering uniformity from one round to the next. This attention to detail is critical for achieving the consistency necessary for precision accuracy and reliable field performance.
• Unwavering Consistency: The hallmark of premium ammunition is its consistency. Federal Premium P730A delivers shot after shot uniformity in terms of muzzle velocity, pressure, and point of impact. This consistency is vital for predicting trajectory and making precise shots in hunting scenarios.
• Extensive Ballistic Testing: Federal invests heavily in research and development, including comprehensive ballistic testing. This ensures that their ammunition performs exactly as designed under real-world conditions, providing hunters with confidence in the field.
• Reputation for Excellence: Federal's reputation for producing reliable, accurate, and effective ammunition is well-earned. Their Premium line is a testament to their commitment to providing hunters and shooters with the best possible tools.

Key Features and Benefits of Federal P730A 7-30 Waters 120 gr Sierra GameKing BTSP

This specific load combines the strengths of the 7-30 Waters cartridge, the Sierra GameKing bullet, and Federal's Premium manufacturing, resulting in a powerhouse for hunters.

1. Exceptional Accuracy and Precision:
   • How does it achieve this? The combination of carefully selected, uniform components (brass, primer, powder), the precisely manufactured Sierra GameKing bullet with its high ballistic coefficient, and Federal's stringent quality control measures ensure that each cartridge is nearly identical. This uniformity minimizes variations in muzzle velocity and trajectory, leading to tighter groups downrange.
   • User Outcome: Hunters can place shots precisely, even at extended hunting distances, increasing the likelihood of an ethical, one-shot kill. This confidence in accuracy is invaluable when stalking game or waiting for the perfect shot opportunity.
2. Reliable Terminal Performance on Medium Game:
   • How does it perform on game? The 120-grain Sierra GameKing BTSP is engineered for optimal expansion and energy transfer on medium-sized animals like deer and pronghorn. The exposed lead tip initiates rapid expansion upon impact, creating a significant wound channel, while the robust boat-tail jacket ensures controlled expansion and sufficient penetration to reach vital organs.
   • User Outcome: Quick, humane kills are the primary objective for ethical hunters. This ammunition delivers the necessary kinetic energy and tissue damage to achieve that goal consistently.
3. Flatter Trajectory and Reduced Wind Drift:
   • What are the ballistic advantages? The boat-tail design of the Sierra GameKing bullet significantly reduces aerodynamic drag. This means the bullet retains more velocity downrange, resulting in a flatter trajectory compared to flat-base bullets of similar weight. The improved ballistic coefficient also makes the bullet less susceptible to crosswinds, reducing wind drift and simplifying holdover calculations for the shooter.
   • User Outcome: Easier shot placement at longer ranges, especially in open country or variable wind conditions, reducing the margin for error.
4. Optimized for the 7-30 Waters Cartridge:
   • Is 7-30 Waters a good hunting cartridge? Absolutely, especially with the right ammunition. This Federal Premium load is specifically engineered to maximize the performance of the 7-30 Waters, balancing its unique characteristics of moderate recoil with excellent power. The 120-grain bullet weight is often considered ideal for this cartridge, providing a great blend of velocity and bullet mass for deer-sized game.
   • User Outcome: Maximum effectiveness from your 7-30 Waters firearm, whether it's a T/C Contender pistol or a carbine, without the need for handloading experimentation.
5. Unwavering Reliability:
   • Can I trust this ammunition in the field? Yes. Federal's reputation for manufacturing reliable ammunition is unparalleled. From consistent primer ignition to uniform powder charges and perfectly seated bullets, every component works in harmony to ensure flawless feeding, firing, and extraction.
   • User Outcome: Reduced risk of malfunctions, misfires, or inconsistent performance, allowing the hunter to focus on the shot and the hunt itself.

Real-World Applications and Scenarios: When and Where to Use Federal P730A

• Deer Hunting in Varied Terrain: Whether you're hunting whitetails in dense eastern woodlands or mule deer in the more open landscapes of the West, the 7-30 Waters with the 120 gr GameKing is highly effective. Its flat trajectory assists in longer shots across clearings, while the controlled expansion ensures penetration even through light brush (though always aim for clear shots).
• Thompson/Center Contender Hunting: This ammunition is a perfect match for the iconic T/C Contender. It unlocks the full hunting potential of this versatile single-shot pistol, providing enough power for humane deer harvests at typical handgun hunting ranges, while maintaining manageable recoil.
• Hunting from Tree Stands or Blinds: The compact nature of a 7-30 Waters carbine or handgun, coupled with the precision of this Federal Premium load, makes it an excellent choice for hunting from confined spaces, allowing for steady aiming and accurate shot delivery.
• Predator Control: While primarily a medium game load, the accuracy and terminal performance of the 120 gr GameKing can also make it a viable option for larger predators like coyotes or bobcats where legal and appropriate.
• As a Benchmark for Reloaders: Many 7-30 Waters enthusiasts are handloaders. Using Federal Premium P730A provides an excellent factory standard to compare handloaded rounds against, helping to refine custom loads for optimal performance.

Why Choose Federal Premium P730A 7-30 Waters?

Choosing this specific Federal Premium load means opting for confidence and proven performance. You're not just buying a box of ammunition; you're investing in:

• Decades of Expertise: Federal Ammunition has a long-standing history of innovation and quality in the ammunition industry.
• Ethical Hunting: The Sierra GameKing's design is focused on delivering rapid, humane kills, which is a paramount concern for responsible hunters.
• Optimized Ballistics: Every element of this load, from the bullet weight to the propellant, is selected and tuned for the 7-30 Waters cartridge.
• Peace of Mind: Knowing you're using ammunition that has undergone stringent quality control and extensive testing allows you to focus purely on the hunt.

When the stakes are high, and a clean, ethical harvest is the goal, Federal Premium P730A 7-30 Waters 120 gr Sierra GameKing BTSP ammunition provides the reliable, accurate, and potent performance you need. It is available for purchase and ready to enhance your next hunting excursion at DEGuns.

Product Specifications and Ballistic Data

Feature	Detail
Cartridge	7-30 Waters
Bullet Weight	120 Grains
Bullet Type	Sierra GameKing Boat-Tail Soft Point (BTSP)
Casing Material	Brass
Primer Type	Boxer, Centerfire
Muzzle Velocity	Approximately 2650 fps (from 24" rifle barrel)
Muzzle Energy	Approximately 1869 ft-lbs (from 24" rifle barrel)
Rounds Per Box	20
Boxes Per Case	10
Manufacturer	Federal Premium Ammunition
Application	Hunting, Medium Game (Deer, Pronghorns, etc.)

UPC Information

Product Detail	Code
Federal Premium P730A 7-30 Waters	029465063073