Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Thompson center was sold

Read this morning announcement on tuesday on who bought them.

I’m hearing Hornady

I heard that to

Interesting - I remember as a kid being enamored with the TC Contender.

Also read that ruger had bought the encore

Hope they start making Encore barrels again that don't cost as much as a whole rifle.

I like to have a T/C Contender in .30 Herret.

The Contenders were/are a lot of fun. Be nice if they reintroduced the Hawkins as well. Most of the production Hawkins rifles today are a very poor copy of the TC version.

I've spent most of my hunting years using a portable climbing tree stand. There's not a better compact/slim rifle for such use than the T/C Encore or Contender.

It has also allows me to use a lot of different cartridges such as the .33 WCF, 25-35 Win, 7-30 Waters, 6mm TCU and the list goes on.

Hope it is restored!

I have had a Contender for decades and loved it. Still have a 30 Herrett and a 7-30 Waters barrel for it. Looking to sell the lot with everything to go with (dies, brass, ammo). It would have to be a meet and hand over deal because of the loaded ammo.

I'd like to see the contender make a comeback

I heard SSK was going to make a Contender action .

I have a Thompson Center Hawken. What a beautiful rifle.

I've killed 5 deer with it and several pigs. The .490 round ball is quite lethal.

SSK has the actions, look at Midway.

i have 10" barrel for my Contender in 22 Hornet, 30 & 357 Herrett. i have Encore 23" MGM heavy factory barrels in 20 Vartarg, 444 Marlin and 500 Linebaugh. the 444 Marlin has killed 15-20 deer in 240XTP, 265gr Hornady FN, 255gr Keith SWC, 275gr Ranch Dog, 280gr WFN GC, 280gr LFN GC and 300gr SAECO FN GC that goes 1600-2300+fps.

After several delays the SSK 50 is being shipped. Retail is about $425. They came in at over $100 above projected price. I love Contenders, but you can buy some complete bolt action rifles for the price if a Contender frame.

Rocky, Gary Reeder in Flagstaff does a lot of custom work on Contenders. You may want to reach out to him and see about posting what you have on his forum. There’s a small, but dedicated group of folks there who would probably be interested.

I think cheap, accurate bolt guns like the RAR and TC’s Venture were one of the final nails in the switch-barrel’s coffin, along with the AR boom. The prices of those when they first came out bordered on the ridiculous, and then there were the crazy close-out prices when discount stores started getting out of the gun biz.

This was our youngest son's Christmas present.

These are the TC muzzle loaders that my oldest son and I use during black power season.

One pistol, two carbines and ten barrels. Got my first around '67 and it was a POS. All since have been fine. 22s have all been super accurate. 357s, and I've had several, just don't seem to lead with warm cast loads.
30-30 ten inch is like a 4" 44 for blast.
222 great.
My only need is for an external choke for the 44 hotshot. (45 will fit).
Love contenders.
Be nice to see them made again.