Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Contender vs. Encore

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> I am by no means an expert on either of these. My son bought himself a Contender several years back. He knew I've always liked them. 2 years ago I found a mint older one. 4 digit serial number. I wouldn't buy it cause I'm too cheap. Well he bought it for me for Christmas. Old ones have solid locking lugs, new ones have split lugs. Also the pivot point has been changed. Supposidly, new barrels won't work on older frames. He bought me a 22 rf barrel and didn't realize it had split lugs. He thought he wasted his money. All I needed to do was change the lug to solid and it works fine. Now to my point. He has been picked fot the moose lottery here in NH. He wants to shoot it with his bow, but wants to carry the Contender. He has a 44 mag barrel and I'm thinking that if he is hunting at bow ranges, the 44 will do alright. HOWEVER he is thinking of trading the Contender for an Encore with an '06 barrel. His eyes are bigger than his wallet, but I'm not going to tell him what to do, but I am seeking some advise for my own education. As far as I am concerned, yes the Encore ia available for heavier calibers but the Contender is also very versitile. Once the moose hunt is over how often will he really shoot an '06 handgun. I know he can get other barrels for it, but the same is true of the Contender. What say ye ?????? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Stick with the Contender, there was even a 30-06 barrel for the older one, maybe you can find one in time. Lot less expensive than buying the whole rig!

Try to guide your son toward a barrel in .375Win, .444Marlin, or .45-70 they all will abuse his hand as much as an '06 Encore, are more than enough for moose at bow ranges and will cost less that changing platforms. And lastly what is he doing trading YOUR Contender. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> My apologies. I see I wasn't very clear. My son was the first one to have a Contender. He bought the newer model with the improved pivot point. He bought one because he heard me rant and rave so about them. Then a year or so later we both saw this really nice older one. I prefer older guns over new ones any day of the week. At any rate, he bought the older one for me for Christmas. As far as your advise. It's perfect. You think exactly the way I do. No if only I could convince my son. I have a 444 rifle as well as a 45-70. I am all set to reload for those as well. I would much rather see him go the way we are thinking. He could save himself 2/3 hundred $$ if he went with a new barrel rather than a trade to the Encore. BTW the only way he will EVER get my Contender is to pry it from my cold dead hands. Thanks President Heston <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Having never hunted moose and knowing little about Contenders (inspite of owning one with a few barrel's presently...)

My question to answer his question is.... What other calibers are acceptable for Moose at said short ranges?

Try to get a barrel in said acceptable caliber....

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> T Lee and Crawfish hit the nail on the head. You all are saying stick with the Contender. The calibers Crawfish mentioned are perfect. My family has shot 3 moose. All with 30-06 rifles. With that experience, I bought TWO more rifles just for moose. One is a 35 Whelen and the other .338 Win mag. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Good thing they don't make a Contender in one of those or I know an impulsive young son that would be saying he needed one of those. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Thanks all for the info and support. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Having had both the contender and the encore I much prefer the encore. There are a lot more calibers that you can use in the encore than you can with a contender. I have a 30-06 15" barrel for my encore and it shoots very good. It has a 2x simmons on it. MS shot it off the bench and got less than a 2" group closer to an 1 1/2" group and that was with factory rounds. I also have a 209x50 ML barrel for mine as well. tom

I have a contender and an Encore. Like em both but the contender doesn't get out much anymore. I seem to prefer to shoot the encore. I think it is because of a better caliber selection.