Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots TC Contender or Encore Accuracy ??

I have alway been a bolt action guy with the exception of #1's. But I am getting older and just want to have some fun with something alittle different. I want to build a 221 Fireball or a 222. Just a very light weight walk about gun. You know, the kind of gun that you would just a soon shoot pinecones as pine squirles with, dirt clods as rabbits, just a fun to carry, cool cal, light weight, easy handling little gun.

Was thinking about an XP100 made into a rifle or a M7, but then I got to thinking about the Contenders. So just what kind of accruracy could one expect with a perimum barrel? Any other thoughts would be good too.

Try a contender barrel from Match Grade Machine. Great accuracy and really not much more money than factory.

Been shooting Contenders since 69 and have a bunch of barrels and frames. Love the .22. .218 Bee and Hornet. My favorite is a 7TCU and a 30-30 carbine barrels. The TCU is 18" and is a one holer. Have killed several deer with it. Oh yea, I ain't getting older, I'm already there.

For that kind of a gun I would definitely go with a Contender as opposed to an Encore.

I second that. Contenders are hard to beat for those rounds.

Third vote for the Contender.

I have two frames and four Contender barrels right now. Two .22lr match(one old style 21" skinny bbl w/iron sights and one 23" bull bbl), one .223, and one .30-40 Krag.

All are accurate. You will have fun!

Ed

I have a five shot group that measures 3/8 centre to centre that I shot off the bench at 200 yards with my14" factory TC in 22 hornet wearing a Burris 10X. If you need better than that then you need to buy a bench rest rifle.

I have several encore frames and several barrels (.243, .280 ai, .280 remington, 35 whelen, .260 rem.) They all shoot GREAT! For accuracy, barrel is more important than which frame you choose. Most of my barrels are MGM (match grade machine)and they all shoot sub 1/2" groups at 100 yards except the 35 (still working on load for that one).

BTW, good trigger job is a must

Hornet,
I shoot both contender an encore,I love them both,they are great shooters,the encore is a little bigger than the contender but has a little better triger but you can shoot some of the bigger rifle calibers in encore,but accuracy is just as good in one or the other.

The trigger on your encore must be spectacular, as the one on my contender is the finest trigger I have.

Marginally better than your Tikka, huh? Prolly just about as good as my CZ!

Ok so I have made up my mind - Contender win's! Now for the big question - anyone have one for sale or trade?

Doug

I own and have fired a lot of Contenders and Encores for quite a while as well as a bunch of Ruger #1s. and a few #3s. In general, and I am speaking only about factory barrels not the premium grade, the Contenders and Encores have been much more accurate out of the box than the Rugers without any sort of tuning and dickering. The Rugers seem to be a lot more finicky and need a lot more "maintenance" (like a pretty girl.) For what you are wanting, my vote would be a Contender. You can get in to one of these for a reasonable price and there are a ton of barrels and accessories on the used market. The T/C products are the most versatile weapons system you can buy.

any idea's on the weight of a contender with a 20" barrel in 222?

Not exactly sure but my 18" 357 max with laminate stock/forend and Nikon 6x scope weighs a shade over 6#.