Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots T/C Encore vs Contender

What would be the pros/cons of either an encore over a contender or vice versa? I know the contender will shoot both rim fire and center fire cartridges and I think it is only available in lower pressure rounds. Guess I'm just looking for likes and dislikes for either or both.

The Encore is much heavier and therefore stronger. It is chambered in high pressure cartridges as well as shotgun and muzzleloader configurations. The Contender is much lighter and trimmer, and as you said it is chambered for medium or low pressure cartridges. I have a few Contenders with barrels in 7-30 Waters and .30-30AI as well as pistol barrels in .22 Hornet and .30 Herrett. They make a nice package for a walkabout rifle. I personally find the Encore too clunky to be appealing. If I were considering an Encore, I would look at the CVA Apex. The Apex is much more appealing to me.

Got no use for the Encore, but do use a Contender in carbine configuration quite a bit. Light, handy, fine stalking gun any day of the week. 3 barrels, .22 Short, .30 Sneezer and .30-30 Win. They are all MOA or better shooters.

Good info. Really wanting a single shot 223 and I love the 30-30 barrel. I've never seen one in person let alone held one. I had an encore pro hunter for a while but couldn't love it. I've been looking at the contender hard for the 223 and 30-30 mainly but also like the fact it will shoot rimfire. Good to know it fits the bill for what I was looking for: a short light accurate walkabout rifle. Keep observations coming!!

I personally like the Encore for the rounds it chambers, but it is bigger than the Contender. One advantage of any single shot is shorter overall length. My Encore with 26"bbl is about the same length as a 22" bolt gun.

At the beginning, they made .22rf bbls for the Encore.
IIRC the chamber offset so no changes to hammer.

Dunno if anybody doing aftermarket bbls of similar.

I like Contenders, had a few in handgun and rifle form.
Still have two, both "easy open". One is set up as 22 lr rifle, the other is .35 rem handgun.

Short and still not SBR- Super 16 in .35 rem. Cool gun, shot great....just wish it was 18.5"

Had to add weight to forend to help steady it. Worked fine, but I didn't like that short bbl, seeing the muzzle when I had it slung on my shoulder. Odd? Maybe. Still irked me. A little longer bbl and it would have a better look too.

[img:center][/img]

Get Both you can buy all kinds of calibers...... and configurations right here on the Fire, it only slightly addictive, I do not have a problem !

I like my Encore Pro Hunter. Have 7mm-08 and 45-70 barrels, both 24". Got rid of my bolt guns. The rest are all levers.

Sixpack from www.bellmtcs.com :
Basic Differences
Frame Sizes: Encore is bigger than G2 or Contender,
Barrel diameters where they seat in the frame: Contender/G2 13/16," Encore 1" so they do not interchange, thus,
Scope Bases: Encores have the larger radius on the bottom,
Internal mechanism: Contender has a hammer block, Encore and G2 sears lock the hammer at half cock,
Trigger Mechanisms: Two different types of Contender trigger groups both of which are removeable while Encore and G2 trigger mechanisms are not removeable,
Firing Pins: Encore is center fire only, Contender and G2 have a selector on the hammer to fire either centerfire or rimfire,
Hinge Pin Hole Diameters: Encore is 7/16" (.4375"), and Contender and G2 are 3/8" (.375"),
Internal Frame Mechanism Springs: No Springs in the Contender frame interchange with Encores & G2s,
Forend Screws: Contenders & G2s use No. 10x32, and Encores use No. 8x40 screws,
Hammer Extensions: Two different sizes for Contenders--vintage with the selector lever on top of the hammer is the same size as on Encore and G2,
Dry Firing: Encores and G2s should not be dry fired unless the firing pin bushing is removed and the fall of the hammer cushioned while Contenders can be dry fired continuously with no harm at all to the frame SO LONG AS THE HAMMER IS NOT COCKED (Dry firing simply releases the striker in the trigger group and gives the full effect of the trigger pull, independent of the hammer being cocked. Opening and closing the barrel resets the striker),
Forend Screw Hole Spacing: Hole spacings for handgun barrels is different carbine hole spacings in both Contender/G2 barrels and Encore barrels.
Grips/Buttstocks: Contenders, G2s, and Encores all take different grips, buttstocks, and forends.
The Encore action is almost a pound heavier than a Contender. The G2 Contender has stiffening bars on the side of the frame at the top like a Winchester 94 Big Bore. The original Contender has smooth sides. Much more info at Bellm's website.

I prefer old Contenders. Had G2's and Encore's briefly and let them go. Personally I find any of the awkward as carbines / rifles and let them go even faster.

The upside of the contender is it's a compact package and since it's been around for so long there is a huge market of used barrels out there. The downside is that due to the design of the frame you are limited in what backthrust the action can handle. It's important to understand the issue is backthrust as you can use the .223 and associated rounds that have a .378" casehead and operate them at full pressure. But when you increase the diameter of the cartridge, you have to reduce pressure. You can't use any of the rounds that use a .473" casehead and operate them at 65 kpsi (you can in the encore) but there are wildcats that run similar rounds at pressure that the contender can handle.

The encore can handle most any chambering you want to use, but it's a bulkier package.

Personally I prefer the compactness of the contender and can live with the pressure limitations of the frame. I had an encore but sold it before even firing it as I just didn't care for the bulkiness.

I have the original Contender the out the box trigger of which is much better than the Encore. I also bought it at the time when Fox Ridge Outfitters (Thompson/Center's custom shop) was still in business so got one of their very nice walnut thumbhole stocks for it. I don't like the composite stocks that are available for the Contenders but am happy with the ones for the Encore.

If all you want to shoot are smaller head size cartridges like the 223 Remington, 204 Ruger and rimfire cartridges, the Contender would probably be the best choice. If you wish to shoot more potent cartridges, the Encore would be the best choice. Also, I fail to see why a pound or two extra weight in an Encore should eliminate it from the running but each to his own.

I'm not sure why Thompson/Center put that stupid little divot on the front of the Pro Hunter forends; it makes the use of a bipod problematic. I also think the 28 inch Pro Hunter barrels are a bit of overkill (though I have one very accurate one). The barrels I like the best for the Encore are the 24 inch tapered ones.

Encores and from what I understand, G2 Contenders, benefit a lot from a trigger job. Don't believe all the hoopla about headspace problem; I've had probably 2 or 3 dozen barrels with no headspace problems.

Also, if you ever want to use the gun as a shotgun or muzzle loader, go with the Encore. If you intend to use either the Encore or Contender as a pistol, it's important to buy it and assemble it first as a pistol.

What Grumulkin said!

A recent review of a Contender .30/30 said the trigger pull was really heavy.

EABCO will sell you a new frame with the trigger already tweaked. If I were in the market, that's what I'd go with. A little more up front, but would save time, trouble, and money in the long run.

EABCO did the trigger job on my prohunter. Very nice now.

I use a regular Encore fore end with my 24" barrels. No problem. Gun is light enough to carry all day in the mountains.

wish the custom shop was still open, but S&W killed that when they bought TC. They used to do an "easy open" conversion, but no one else does it any more, that I have found.

I have an old Contender frame and a new-ish .30-30 carbine barrel, and it is very fine. Just damn hard to open Guess I could send it to Bullberry's and ask them to re-fit the barrel so it opens easier. Or else find a newer frame.

I have a Bishop thumbhole carbine stock. Bishop of course is long out of business. Those are the best feeling stocks I have found - perhaps someday I'll get someone to duplicate mine and start up a new supply

If you have a frame with a trigger job and have to send it in for warranty service, it will be returned with new parts and sans trigger job (at least that's the way it was when T/C wasn't Smith & Wesson). I got tired of paying eighty some dollars for a trigger job and bought Mike Bellm's spring kit and now do my own trigger jobs.

Regarding the "recent review of a Contender .30/30;" I would presume it was a G2 and thus has a trigger similar to the Encore. The original Contenders had a much nicer trigger that you really shouldn't have to do anything to.

Yup, it's a new one. Apparently they were largely unavailable for a bit. The pull on the reviewed example ran about 7lbs, which would make offhand shooting pretty tough with such a light rifle.

I always had a hankering for a one of the rifles, but now have a couple of falling blocks that scratch my SS itch pretty well. A stainless .22 would be handy, with maybe a .357 barrel on the side.

Trying to resist urge......

Are the contender pistols as good as the carbines? They look interesting

Bullberry will do the easy open mod. And make oddball barrels.

That shoot pretty good. At least out to 50 yards.

http://www.bullberry.com/

Everyone should try a contender pistol at least once. I ended selling mine after trying a 1/2 dozen different barrels. And I'm thinking I need to get another one. Shooting 1/2" groups with a handgun tends to put a smile on your face. A 221 fireball wouldn't be a bad starting point, in a 10" tube it has the ballistics of a 22 hornet rifle. A 357 maximum is a near ballistic match of a 35 rem rifle, and so on...

I would avoid older, used Contender barrels, as some of the factory barrels were pretty awful in quality. I had a scoped 10" .44 Mag barrel, and at 50 yards a S&W 629 with its iron sights would easily out-shoot it.

MGM, Bullberry, and T/C custom shop barrels are usually pretty good.

I've had two G2s and one Encore, all handguns. The G2s were purchased used, but like new at very good prices. One was a 12" Hornet and miserable to shoot even with plugs and muffs. The other had a .22 LR Match barrel, but the accuracy I'd hoped for just wasn't there.

My Encore was a 12" .44 mag. It shot well and that extra pound made it very pleasant to shoot. I also found it very awkward to carry, even with a scabbard, much more so than a light rifle.

My own perspective FWIW: The first CF gun I owned other than a shotgun was a 3 screw RSB. Good gun that I used a lot and it shot very well all things considered. It came with a waist holster which I used only a very few times due to bulk and weight. A shoulder rig worked much better and was my go to contrivance for carry in the field. In short, it was in my view, a special use tool amenable for a small spectrum of application if for no other reason that it was BIG. It wore a scope briefly which only served to make it more awkward.

The growth of sales/interest in like style handguns in following years was noteworthy, but at the end of the day, big revolvers have limited applications. Not that there is anything wrong with that so long as that is understood on the front end.

The Contender pistols are, in my view, more of the same. Useful for hunting and still burdened with the same middle of the road obstacles such as size, weight etc, which for me makes them play second fiddle to handy carbines; a natural evolution of the Contender frame. Little bit more barrel gives quite a bit more velocity. Add the butt stock and you wind up with a bit more weight that rides on one's shoulder by a sling quite well. They are consummate woods stalking rifles, remarkably versatile in configuration and in my experience prone to fine accuracy.

Outside of the close cover environment I wouldn't use one, but it is my world down here in the swamps so it gets a lot of use.

Yup. I liked my Contender carbine (Super 16) in .35 rem.
Shot great after slight mods to synth stock.
Bbl just a little too short in look (if 18.5" proly kept it).
Converted that one back to handgun (Super 14, .35 rem, Pachmayr trim).

My other easy open frame is set up with synth stock and a 24" target .22rf bbl (made from 513T). It wants to shoot......when it goes off. I gotta play the locking bolt game and or change hammer spring.

Annoying, dug it out of the safe today........man what a cool rifle.Ought to get off my lazy arse and fix it (or send to somebody that does that work).

I have a cooler .22rf rifle that I rarely shoot (don't shoot any 22rf much). But having two cool .22 rifle collecting dust is better than just one.

Prefer the factoyr/Choat synth stock, for durability and thinner dims. It however sucks for scope usage, so a cheekpiece was needed (Kydex and velcro- cheap and worked great).

I keep thinking about a wood stock, .22rf not gonna slam the buttstock, damage the "ears" (seen several cracked).

Laminate from Boyds is super thick. Kills the whole feel of the gun. Might just have to do a permanent comb to the stock and send for wood film dip.

Pops offered me his Encore pro hunter........free. I HATE the feel of it (so declined). Evidently he wasn't too fond of the feel either LOL

Contender handgun........easy for optics mounting.
Nice thing for old eyes.
Only Pachmayr grip I like........"Grippers" on a TC

Yeah, they are kinda oddball, but wheelguns I prefer open sights, hip carry.

Contender w 14" you just lug in the offhand, forend in crook of that arm's elbow. Can sling em too.

Super 14 w barrel band looks cool.

Encore over the Contender any day

Which is pretty much why I got out of the contender game. It was a great novelty a the range, but I never found myself using it in the field. If I wanted a handgun I packed and iron sighted revolver. If I wanted something with more range I packed a scoped rifle.

From field positions I wasn't willing to make the concessions required for a hand rifle, I couldn't shoot them off hand worth a darn and they just don't pack worth a darn in the field.

hookeye, I concur.

Well my Super 16 rifle is now a Super 14 handgun, w Pachmayr Grippers. Dunno if the bbl or maybe related to grip.......but had a few misfires today (no primer hit).

So guess I get to polish a locking bolt.
35 rem in handgun is a hoot.

Am about half silly from recoil/blast. Did walk the reddot onto the bull, shot 1" group with it. Plenty good enough. Needs an Aimpoint instead of Primary Arms.

Tested the concept, liked it.

Had one yrs ago, seem to have gone a bit wimp since then. 35 rem is about all I want nowadays. Yeeesh.

I have had a couple of Encores but I have traded them off. I really enjoy Contender Carbines.

how to take screenshots

7-30 Waters 21" barrel

Nice! it seems that all the barrels id like to have for my Encore are made just for the Contenders! if not for my muzzleloading 12 gage Turkey barrel id sell the encore frame.

I own two older Contenders, a pair of 22lr barrels, .223, 30-30, and .357 Max, all from the Fox Ridge days.

The 30-30 and the .357 Max shoot really well but I have not gotten consistent accuracy from the .223, could be me. These were all purchased for my kids, both the 30-30 and the Max killed several deer and are fun to shoot. In the .357 Max I eventually settled on a mild load of 4227 under a 180 grain XTP, just under 1700 fps, accurate and deadly out to 100 yards. The 30-30 gets fed 28 gr IMR4895 under a 150 grain BT, very mild just for fun load that is stoopid accurate. Hunting load is 31 grains IMR 4895 under the 170 gr Nosler Partition, 2075 fps and has killed deer deaddeaddead out to around 125/130 yards. And as a bonus the Partition load hits the target an inch lower than the BT load so no scope adjustment needed.

Owned an Encore, bought it to start hunting with black powder. Very accurate! But then tried a couple centerfire barrels and was unimpressed...it eventually went down the road.

Well, I traded for an Encore today. It is used but in pretty good shape... a blued walnut model with 24" 223 barrel. I'll let you know how it shoots directly!

Nice!

Be forewarned, they're addicting. It's pretty cool all the different barrels, and stock options/configurations available.

Kinda' like legos, with guns.

Well it has started. I've owned it for less than a week and have traded for a different stock set. Then at the 8 day mark, I ordered a new barrel and forend. This is gonna be fun (I think)

Get a MGM barrel for it and you'll be really hooked. They are very accurate. Edstc.com is a fun place to shop.

I think Ed's and MGM have had a falling out. Not sure what happened but I got word of it at the Tulsa Gun Show. Ed's shop is in OKC. MGM, who normally set up at Tulsa, was not there this fall.

I can see why. He sells their barrels cheaper than they do themselves.