Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Contender Madness

Had the Contender out yesterday - was working on some new loads and just had fired about 10 rounds getting things zeroed in and gaining some confidence in my load when I look to the left and see this chuck just sunning on a rock about 70 yards out. (Quite possibly the stupidest chuck ever)...........I grabbed my whole shooting table, rotated it about 60degrees, sat back down, settled in on my rest, put the X behind his shoulder and bang. Kind of thought I'd missed at first - with the recoil I lost sight of him. So I wandered over, about 20 yards out it was obvious I had not missed. Lets just say a 158gr XTP HP at 1400 fps is plenty for a rock chuck. 4th of July fun!

I bought one in 22 LR with the ten inch octagon barrel because a friend offered at a price that made the frame I was really after very reasonably priced.
Luckily I shot it with the right ammo when I got home, the barrel that was to be sold turned out to be the most accurate 22 LR I own with that ammo.
The downside it was some old . . . OLD Olin white box ammo that had been given to me many years ago.
With any other ammo in my stash it can be as accurate, or more so than any rifle I own at 50 yds.
Don't know about 100 since I am not set up for great shooting at 100 here at the house.

The accuracy of this thing amazes me. Groups of 1" or less at 50 yards is normal, even with me shooting. I have a 6" steel spinner that at 100 yards is easy pickin's with a decent rest. I knew many of the T/C calibers were capable of that and more, but I really never gave the 357Mag much respect - not anymore. Lots of fun.

Centershot: Those lava rocks, the Leupold scope and that mentally unaware Rock Chuck bring back many memories of Hunts for Chucks I have enjoyed over the last 60 years!
Good for you and thanks for posting the picture.
Keep after'em.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Ive had several and still have 3 or 4, lost count. My favorite so far is my 12" 45/70. It is a hoot to shoot. I wouldn't mind a 10" 357. Just sold a 30-30 since I have an encore in 30-06. The encores are nice but not near as sleek as the original contenders. I regret selling my 44 mag barrel. That thing was a laser

T.C. contenders are a lot of fun but I got a bunch of contender stuff and I just might sell it all in one big package I don`t use it anymore ?? Pete53

I'm catching the fever but don't know if I could deal with a big package of stuff. Would be interested in what you have though.

I’ve been a Contender fan since the late 70’s and have several - the things still amaze me as far as how accurate the are and I still shake my head when I think about sighting a .256 Winchester Magnum barrel in one day with FACTORY ammo.....wanted to see how is was going to group before I actually sighted it in and the first five shots (on the target) went into 1/4” CTC at 50 yds 😄. I haven’t duplicated that group again with this or any of the other 10 barrels that I have - but have come close a couple of times!

PennDog

Picked up a nice wood/blue G2 Contender with dueling Super 14's, a 223 Rem and a 17HMR several years back. Feels so good in the hand but for some odd reason, crazy as it sounds, I've yet to even shoot it. Looking to clear out some room in the safe as I recently caught the AR bug and have a rifle in 223 Wylde AND a 300 Blackout 9" pistol expected to ship my way any day now. What do you guys think is a fair price to ask for the Contender setup?

ga whitetail I may be interested in your G2. Let me know what your asking for it. I do have a nice S & W Model 19-2 that I'd consider trading if that interests you.

Hey Centershot, sent you a pm

i just traded for a 357 tc con. 12inc made in 1976 w/iron sights .i do not think it was shot much .got 275$ in it

Slayed some gallon water jugs with the old 357Mag Contender last weekend. 6 for 6 at 100 yards - 4 laying on my back rested on my leg, 2 off a bench - not a problem. Then found a 16oz water bottle somebody had left - Just had to try that. One shot and splat. Amazing considering the shooter. lol. Starting to think that 2X scope is the only thing holding back longer range shooting. The width of the cross hair was half the width of the 16oz bottle. I keep stretching it out, then remember "This is a 357, what are you doing shooting at 100+ yards?" That thing is just a hoot to shoot.

I had a 14" 7TCU back in the 80s. Shot a couple of deer with it. But, wasn't really my cuppa tea so I sold it. Well, now I'm looking for another Contender for my son. My inclination is to get another 7TCU, but I'm wondering if there are better cartridges/calibers for them now for deer out to about 200 yards or so. All of the deer hunting will be in sagebrush country so I need something that shoots reasonably flat. What say you guys?

Soda cans @ 200 yards.

Shot my first perfect IMHSA score with that barrel. 175 SMKs over a stiff load of 4227 if memory serves.

Most funnest barrel was a Shilen blank cut to basically a blown out 222 mag necked to 7mm. Crazy accurate. I think every shooter on the south central Pa. IMHSA circuit owned that that barrel and dies at one time or another. Passed around like an ol' ho'. Strange.

Wichita rear with an accurate tube front.

I had TC fever - now the most impressive memory, and I do have the group in my Nosler manual - shot with a 30/30 10" - though I rolled my own, I dropped 3 rounds of 150 Corelokts into UNDER .2" - yes UNDER 2/10ths of 1" - at 50 yds off bags, using a lowly 2x EER. That was in my college days, better eyes.

Owned a 10 in 22LR, 41, 44, 6.5TCU, and a 14" in 7TCU, 41, and lastly a Bullberry 21" in 6TCU, as well as a factory 223 in 21" - shot 1/2" all day for 3.

Oh, there was a 7/30 in 12" and a 357 Max in 12" Hunter - ported.

I loved the 7TCU, shot 1 - 1.5 MOA all day at 100. Took a crow near 200 yds, and a deer at close range.

If doing again, I would have ALL my rifle rounds at 12-12.5" - perhaps even the 41 and 357 Max. Those last 2 would be easy as a peach for woods whitetail. The 30-30 is so simple to load, also shot 1.5" with handloads at 100 yds.

Took a variety of game, turtles out to +/- 100 yds with the 30/30, many other fur/feathered creatures. The 22 took 5 Fox squirrels one afternoon - headshots, but the 5x EER was a PIA for ER. Wish I had these back......

Anytime people knock the thutty thutty, I think about that cloverleaf, ONE HOLE...yes at 50 yds, but Factory ammo at that. Got lucky...or did I?

I love me some contender, but have only run it in carbine form. Got barrels in .22 LR, .22 Hornet, .30-30, and just got a .357 Magnum. Afraid pistol barrels may be next!

Back in the 1980's they were popular here in WI. as a way to cheat the system by being able to use a handgun in the southern shotgun only deer hunting zones. Lots of those "handguns" were chambered in large, long range cartridges. When we went to rifles allowed state wide for deer season now, I don't hear about Contenders very often.

Past their prime for sure, but so am I. Still a lot of fun.