Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting T/C Contender handguns for deer?

In Iowa we have a late and early muzzleloading deer seasons sandwiched around two shotgun slug seasons. In all of of them one can use a mzlr or proper handgun.

I hunt the late season which is mzlr or handgun only (fewer deer, frigid temps usually, but few hunters also). I've gone the mzlr route long enough including with an after market smokeless powder barrel which has made it a little less painful but I am not a fan. I hate juggling all those different components and the process of it all.

T/C makes a G2 Contender with a 14" barrel in 45-70. It seems to me that with a proper scope and load (Hornady), and over a pack, prone, this could load could be affective to 250 yards.

Does anybody have experience with this handgun and chambering and if so, what say you?

I'm sure it will be effective if you can make a 250 yard shot with a Contender in 45-70

I've got an older Contender, bought new around '88. I bought a 13 inch 45/70 barrel from Bulberry around 10 or 12 years ago. I bought a 3 ring Redfield mount from Bulberry at the same time; they installed it. I put a 2 power Leupold EER scope on it. Don't remember the exact numbers, but with Fed. 300 gr. factory loads chrono'd 1640-1650 fps or thereabouts. Used Handloads with Rem., Hornady, and Sierra 300 grainers at probably somewhat less than factory pressures. No brake on the barrel I have and it definately lets you know you pulled the trigger. Actually wasn't too bad for about 10 rounds, but not something you'd want to shoot all day. I could keep 5 rounds in about a fist sized area at 100 yds; never tried anything further. At 250 yds. I'd think trajectory would be quite an issue. Hope this helps.

Trajectory can be accounted for. I'm asking about the general function and accuracy of these guns.

I've read that the 460 S&W is a "poor match" for this platform for it's own unique reasons; thus, the 45-70 is in question.

Where I hunt making a 200-250 yard shot may be the deal breaker/maker. Trajectory aside, a Horn 325-gr FTX at ~ 1900 fps mv (14-15" barrel) will carry the energy to a whitetail easily at 250 yards. If the platform is capable of good accuracy.

George, if any interested in the bbl I posted send me a PM. I've tried PMing you and get not found after typing in your name. Tom

Personal opinion here ... I would probably not go with the .45-70. The bullet has to arrive with a fair bit of retained velocity if you are to get expansion. The only way to do that is to start it out moving pretty fast which is going to mean a fair bit of recoil. That might get in the way of doing sufficient practice.

Are you allowed to use a bottlenecked cartridge in your Contender?

If so, I'd look at a .30-30, .30-40, or .309 JDJ with a 125 or 150 grain ballistic tip, 135 grain Sierra, or similar, or a 7-30 Waters or one of the .25 or 6.5 mm BullBerry cartridges.

If not, I think the best option is a .357 Rem Max. Remington used to make ... maybe still does ... a 150 grain spire point for the .35 Remington which can be pushed fast from the maxi case. A 140 grain flex-tip hornady would be a good choice I think. Among conventional bullets, a good 140 or 158 grain JHP at maximum speed should still retain enough snot to kill a deer out there.

.375 Win would be the other straight wall case I'd look at.

Hmmmm ... with a little further thought, I might take back part of what I said .. the .45-70 with a 250 grain X bullet might be interesting.

Tom

they are interesting, and they shoot pretty well oughta my 14"...

Recoil IS an issue with any 45/70 in a handgun frame. Don't know what your experience is with handguns, but IF you can accurately shoot a heavy loaded .429 or .452 bullet from a 44 mag or 45 Colt, then you could probably handle a .458 gr. 45/70 bullet from a longer, heavier TC. Same general velocity; lower pressure. The Contender, either original or G2 is NOT the Encore. IF you feel the need for highest velocity possible, maybe try a different platform. Any 45/70 will "get er done" at 250 yds. IF the shooter is up to shooting the damn thing.

I have a Contender with a 12" "muzzle tamer" .45-70 barrel and a 1X Burris. I could do 4-5" at 100 yds which I felt good considering the 1X scope. I do find it to be "grip sensitive". Sighting it in at the range pushing it into a sand bag rest, and then shooting it in field positions, off sticks, handy trees, etc., results in a POI change of several inches of elevation. As such, I wouldn't feel confidant shooting past 100 yards without having it rested exactly like it was sighted in and haven't hunted with it in many years. I didn't mind shooting it but I used to wear an elbow pad on my right elbow when shooting off the bench or my elbow would be bruised and sore for a few day after.

I hear you with regards to elbow protection off the bench; used to put a soft sandbag under my right elbow if shooting groups. However, I think OP was concerned about long range accuracy, and as such I would think the Contender bbl would be capable of such. Only question I'd have is accurate aiming at 250 yds.

Yep, I've been through most of the possibilities within the limits of the [/b]straight walled[b] cartridges IA allows. The old war horse with Hornady's flex tip 250- or 325-gr bullets probably offers the best option ballistically excluding the 460 S&W I mentioned above.

I do wish like (Ohio?) we could use rifles with straight walled cartridges.

4-5" MOA would not be worth it for me.

In the 80's I had a .223 in a 15" barrel and it was a tack driver. I took crows on the ground with it north of 200-225 yards, and it was .75 MOA at a 100 yds when immobilized in a rest and on a bipod.

I was hoping to hear the 45-70 iteration was accurate also, recoil aside. I also hunt whitetails and other stuff with a fairly heavily loaded RRH in 45 Colt so have an idea about the recoil.

The very first time I touched off a 45-70 contender was on a wood bench resting on my elbows. It drove them into the bench. It sucked.

As others have said, if you can handle a max 44 load, you should be OK. You can load it to a recoil level you won't like. I assume you are limited to straight wall cartridges. If I was to do it, I'd look for a 357 Max barrel or get one made from a 357 magnum barrel. A 180 Speer flat point is a great deer bullet as are the single shot pistol bullets. A 44 mag barrel is also a good hammer. I've known people who have turned a 44 mag into a 444 Marlin. It too has recoil to spare. I'd look hard at a 357 Max or a 375 Win but wouldn't rule out a 45-70.

The other part of the equation is accuracy. Off the bench, the Contender platform can be very accurate. I've shot alot of 1" groups at 100 with mine. In the field, its a different story. They are a rest-required firearm. You aren't going to to off hand anything at 100 yards. People have done it but it takes some serious dedication to be able to do it consistently. Add a rest to the equation - different story. They are a great treestand weapon. I've shot several deer from a treestand by slouching back and shooting across my knees. I also have a ladder stand with a rail - which is almost cheating. Do not rest the barrel on the rail and shoot. It seems to throw the bullet high. I've never done it but my Dad missed a beauty of an 8 pt at 50 yards - 3 times by doing so.

I have often considered a TC or an XP100 in 35 REM but the idea of the recoil has stopped me.

"4-5" MOA would not be worth it for me."

You have to take into consideration that was me, with a non-magnifying scope. Throw a 4X on it and tighten up the nut behind the trigger and I'm sure it would do much much better. I'm no target shooter and I'm sure with a 1x scope I could probably only squeeze 4 or 5 MOA out of your .223!

tmitch, thanks for your input. Yes, a good scope would make some difference. I have thought about this for years so as to get away from the hassle of the "charcoal burners" but may be barking up the wrong tree.

I'm also aware that I could do a custom thing with smaller, yet efficient cartridge but am passed the time in my life where I want to build stuff, particularly the more uncommon esoteric things.

Neither am I a fan of the S&W monstrosities, the 460 and 500. Hardly handguns IMO.

I have a 35 rem - it is my favorite Contender barrel. You can load the 35 to a bit higher than the books suggest. It becomes a hammer. I get 2200 with a 180 Speer, and 1950 with the 220 in my 14" non braked barrel. H322 and H4895 are your friends with the 35 rem. It is a handful but is more of a push than a quick jab. Deer hate the 180.........

You can also load it to 357 levels if you want. Its pretty tame at mild levels.

I bought a 358 JDJ ~ 20 years ago and it threw 225 Nosler BT at ~2300 in my 14" braked gun. I deemed it the Bolt breaker. I broke 3-4 bolts that hold the handle to the frame in that thing. It was and still is the most accurate Contender I've ever shot. It would put 3 BT into a nice cloverleaf if you did your part. I sold it to my uncle about 10-12 years ago. He still shoots it and has killed quite a few deer with it.

Love the 35's in the hand cannons. They are a good mix of raw power and have a good enough bullet selection to offer a decent BC. I also know guys that have killed mule deer/elk with the 35 Bellm - a 444 necked in a 358 win die - it is ~ 95% of the JDJ version.

I use to hunt quiet a bit with my 14" 7x30Waters Contender and killed a few deer with it. Very accurate. I use a 2-1/2x7 Burris Signature handgun scope on it.

I hear stories of guys taking 250yd shots with their handgun (460 w/sst) and making them, and I do stuff like that all the time when I'm plinking, and can walk the bullets into distant targets. I can't imagine doing taking shots in that range at game though, when the first shot is all-important. Handguns at their best are a shaky platform for distance in the field, and though I am confident to 130 yds or so of a 1st shot hit on a paper-plate with concentration and a good rest with my 44 10", I wouldn't take that shot in the field tomorrow.

The 45-70 would present huge problems in regard to distance. The bullet wouldn't have to be going very fast to do a good terminal job on a deer, but the trajectory would be so steep at 250 yds that a very minor error in hold or range measurement would take you out of the killing zone and into the rodeo arena, if you connected at all. Not that it can't be done, but the commitment involved in acquiring the skill to do it is significant.

There are Contender cartridges that will do it much better because of velocity and higher BC bullets, allowing a flatter trajectory to provide for more error in distance measure, hold, and wind deflection. It doesn't sound like those fit the regs for hunting in IA.

Nothing other than straight walled cartridges in IA and NOT in a rifle. Makes no sense as my mzlr rifle load virtual duplicates Hornady's 45-70 load. And I have killed a buck pushing 250-yards with it.

Here in Western IA there are many places where you can find winter deer bedded down out of the wind; for, example, in the open, in the sun, against a terrace. This is a spot-n-stalk set-up and if one can get prone close enough over a pack and/or bipod, it's doable with my smokeless mzlr which duplicates Hornady's 250-gr TFX, 45-70 load almost exactly, or a Contender in one the afore mentioned cartridges. Assuming no or little wind, an accurate firearm, a LRF, and a familiarized trajectory, it's not a stunt at all.

As an aside, Considering the current reg's, IA could easily include, say, lever action rifles in 45-70, 45 Colt, 44 mag, 375 Win, 357 Maxim, etc., and allow only two in the magazine (as in water fowling) and not increase danger to other hunters appreciably.