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Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 17,817
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 17,817 |
After several Contenders am down to just one Stainless w a blued 14" ingram .22 mag bbl. Will get a 14" bbl in .35 rem or a 12" .357 and call it done.
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 2,465
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 2,465 |
I still have a Contender pistol frame w/.222 Rem & a few other barrels, but my all time favorite Contender is a .44 mag with 14" barrel in a carbine stock. I had a "custom" suppressor made for it and shoot heavy hard cast bullets - 300 gr+ - at subsonic velocities. It is my dedicated "hog gun", and has killed a bunch of feral hogs - most at "close" range, but one or two out to 75 yards. Have mostly used a 3x9 scope on it, but it now wears an EOtech.
Mike Holmes
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 19,822
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 19,822 |
I only have one frame and two barrels now, a TC factory 22" .22lr match bull barrel and a 21" .30-40 Krag barrel. My .223 Rem and .375JDJ barrels have moved on, but they were a lot of fun.
TC had a problem for a while back in the 90's with oversized chambers in their .30-30's. If I were starting out looking for a .30-30 carbine barrel, I'd either order a custom from MGM or Bulberry.
The most accurate .22lr barrel I have ever owned was a standard stainless 21" TC factory barrel. It out-shoots my match barrel. I gave it and a frame to my nephew as his first gun.
It can be an addiction!
Ed
"Not in an open forum, where truth has less value than opinions, where all opinions are equally welcome regardless of their origins, rationale, inanity, or truth, where opinions are neither of equal value nor decisive." Ken Howell
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 971
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 971 |
. I've had a few different Contender Carbines over the years. My first was a .17 Remington with the 21 inch factory barrel. Pretty accurate for 16-17 shots before fouling took over, then it had to be cleaned thoroughly. It lead me to switching to a 700 BDL for my .17 Remington use. At various times I had a .357 Max 20" and .32 Mag 16-1/4", both from the TC custom shop. Good shooters. If frames were readily available I might try again .. probably .30-30.
I currently have one Contender in handgun form, a G2 with a 1 pound trigger Bullberry did for me. The TC grip does not seem to handle recoil well at least not for my hands. One barrel is a 12" .44 magnum and frankly I can't handle it I keep it .. for now .. with intent to roll some .433 round balls in liquid alox and push 'em with 3F BP just for schitzngigglez. I also have a 14" .30-30 barrel and I have not fired it, after the .44 I'm a bit skeered of it. It may go away unfired. I like the .45/.410 barrel with .410 shells when I'm working my way through high grass under the alders trout fishing. .410s at short range fix rattlers properly. I wouldn't want to shoot it a whole lot in one sitting. The barrels I use most are a .22 LR match barrel punched to .22 magnum which is the most accurate .22 magnum handgun I've ever shot and likes the CCI +V ammo which I have a substantial amount of and an old 10" SS .357 barrel which seems to like anything I put through it from std .38 loads to "rocks 'n' dynamite" .357 silhouette loads. (Example: 17.5 grains of 296 under a 158 grain XTP .. definitely, definitely keep that one away from the J frame.)
When it comes to recoil, to me that TC with the .357 barrel kicks every bit as much as my 4-5/8" barreled Ruger .44 mag single action with max 240-250 grain loads. It's effective but not a lot of fun.
One of the negatives (for me) with the TC carbine is scope position and eye relief. With a standard Leupold mount, the scopes are too far back to get a good sight picture. Someone .. Virgin Valley maybe .. used to make a long spaced 4-hole mount from aluminum. This was very good for Contender Carbine use. I hate putting a heavy steel mount on such a light rig but right now I think probably a long, 6 hole base requiring 2 additional holes to be drilled and tapped would be the way to go.
Tom The Contender wood grips are horrible. The rifle in any stock is piss poor. BUT!! The contender pistol setup with Pachmayer rubber grips is a sweet shooter. It will tame the 44, 30-30 and 410. easy peasy. The same brand grips will also do wonders for the Super Blackhawk which you seems to enjoy, I assume, with wood grips. The Blackhawk you might get by, the Contender need the rubbers. Pachmayer makes a matching forarm as well. Nice look and it works. IMHO, 90% of your shooting success with any powerful handgun is in the grips.
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Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 17,817
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 17,817 |
I pretty much hate Pachmayrs. Only liked em on TWO rigs:
J frame, w the Compact grip and..............Gripper on a Contender.
I got a NOS Pachmayr forend for my Contender off Ebay. It was the older version WITHOUT medallion. Can tolerate the medallion on the grip, but two (one on forend) was too much LOL
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 984
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 984 |
Look around on guns international. Looks like there are several decent priced contenders on there now for today’s standard
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,339
Campfire Regular
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OP
Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,339 |
I now have a complete rifle in 17HMR and an early action. Given the choice who would you order a barrel from? Rick
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 56,088
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 56,088 |
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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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 56,088
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 56,088 |
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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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 984
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 984 |
I now have a complete rifle in 17HMR and an early action. Given the choice who would you order a barrel from? Rick Bullberry or MGM would be my choices
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,339
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,339 |
I have two Contender carbines, both older models. Barrels I have are 22, 223, and 30-30. All will do an honest MOA with caveats. 22, no wind. 223, 25 Varget and Sierra 55 BTSP. 30-30, 165 Leverevolution bullet or a good 150 BTSP. Neither is going anywhere. I'd love to find an affordable 357 or 44 barrel of 21" or longer.
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 971
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 971 |
Reply to Digital Dan. Not to pick a fight. Just my opinion on the merits of a rifle:
My issue with the contender and encore is the ergonomics of the rifle stock. I like the hand cannons. I appreciate the accuracy of pistol and rifles. That is not enough. I suggest folks stay away from the heavy recoil options in the rifle or shotgun configuration. I place a lot of importance in how a gun shoulders. The feel and how it handles recoil is important to me. As far as I am concerned the Encore is good pistol and a bad (ergonomic) rifle. Even more noticably bad as a shotgun.
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Joined: Nov 2021
Posts: 536
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2021
Posts: 536 |
I've had my Contender since the early 80's. Have Super 14 barrels in 30 Herrett and 222 Rem & 21" carbine barrels in 223, 30-30, & 6.8 SPC. All shoot 1" or less @ 100 yd. I even bought a black synthetic buttstock & cut 3" off so that my 8 year old grandson could use the 223 carbine in the Pa. mentored youth hunt. I handloaded 60 gr. Nosler Partitions for him & he got a nice 8 pointer the first morning. His photo with the buck and his two front baby teeth missing is priceless. He's now 20 years old and we still laugh at that picture.
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 9,714
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 9,714 |
…His photo with the buck and his two front baby teeth missing is priceless. He's now 20 years old and we still laugh at that picture. That’s a hunting and life memory that will never get old! Thanks for making me smile.
Safe Shooting! Steve Redgwell www.303british.comGet your facts first, then you can distort them as you please. - Mark Twain Member - Professional Outdoor Media Association of Canada
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Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 75
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 75 |
I took my first deer with a 10" 30 Herrett Contender. Loved that cartridge. I buy all of my T/C barrels on one of several groups on MeWe.
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