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Joined: May 2004
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Campfire Kahuna
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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/

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

Last edited by DigitalDan; 11/10/16.

I am..........disturbed.

Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: some observers hold that there isn't any. But this wrongs the jackass. -Twain


BP-B2

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Originally Posted by Sixpack
Trying to resist urge......

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


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...

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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.


"...the designer of the .270 Ingwe cartridge!..."

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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.


What fresh Hell is this?
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Campfire Kahuna
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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.


I am..........disturbed.

Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: some observers hold that there isn't any. But this wrongs the jackass. -Twain


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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

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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.

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Campfire 'Bwana
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Encore over the Contender any day


A Doe walks out of the woods today and says, that is the last time I'm going to do that for Two Bucks.
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Originally Posted by DigitalDan
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.


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.

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hookeye, I concur.


...making America shoot straight again.
IC B3

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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.

Last edited by hookeye; 11/17/16.
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I have had a couple of Encores but I have traded them off. I really enjoy Contender Carbines.

[Linked Image]how to take screenshots

7-30 Waters 21" barrel


“Go afield with a good attitude, with respect for the forest and fields in which you walk. Immerse yourself in the outdoor experience. It will cleanse your soul and make you a better person”
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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.


Deer Camp! about as good as it gets!
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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.

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Sixpack Offline OP
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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!

Last edited by Sixpack; 12/03/16.
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Campfire Outfitter
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Nice!

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

Kinda' like legos, with guns.

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Sixpack Offline OP
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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)

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

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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.


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

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