Contenders Get No Respect

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R. Dupraz posted this 13 March 2018

Checking loads for a 218 B in a new G-2 frame at 50 yds.

1" black pasters were aim points, 30 cal. hole in right one. These two, I think made the cut.  Incidentally, these bullets were weight sorted

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R. Dupraz posted this 15 March 2018

Thanks for the compliment shootcast. It was one of those days when everything seemed easy. "In the zone", some label it. Have been dinging around with the Bee for some time and it seems that it might shoot OK. Finally, learned that most of the problems, not all, but most have been me with these bloody Contenders and those miniscule .22 castings. Either love em or hate em. But too hard headed to give up.

Yesterday I fired two more five shot groups of the Lee 225-55  and 2400 to verify. Both went 1" center to center. So I am going to quit and just shoot the Pistol with some degree of confidence that it has the capability. From now on it's all on me I think. No shortcuts with those dang little .22 pills.

The header for this topic explains my real reason for posting.

Small groups do wonders for the attitude!  

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OU812 posted this 17 March 2018

My Contender feels very tight with no loose fit 

One thing I really disliked about my contender is the huge factory grip. I changed it out for the smaller rubber Pachmayr grip. The new grip fits and feels more comfortable now.

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R. Dupraz posted this 17 March 2018

Nice photo 0U812

I have made oversized hinge pins and used some of Bellm's as well and can't really say whether they help the accuracy or not. That has been a long time heated conversation over on the specialty pistols forum. So much so that the thread was finally locked. 

I do think though from what experience that I have had with these beasts that consistent and solid lock up is critical. And, any play between the barrel and frame when locked is not good. Pretty much a no brainer I guess. If an oversized pin can eliminate this, they are probably a good thing. 

The frame in my photo is a re-introduced new G-2 mated to the B barrel that was  from a late seventies Contender frame. while that older 10" octagon barrel and frame shot some nice groups in the past at 50 yds., the lockup with this new frame seems more solid and consistent. Also, I am using the new hinge pin that came with the G-2 as well, which is a perfect snug fit in frame and barrel lug. I believe that the recent groups that I have shot with the "new" combination demonstrate this.

One thing that I can say without reservation is that these guns are not easy to shoot and that consistent hold, rest and bench technique is critical. It has taken me quite a while to begin to master and understand that. But once that happens, these guns will shoot very well for what they are.

 

R. 

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R. Dupraz posted this 19 March 2018

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JeffinNZ posted this 19 March 2018

I have often thought that given my time again I would have fewer long arms and a Contender based rifle with multiple barrels. 

Cheers from New Zealand

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BigMan54 posted this 13 March 2018

I have Leupold or Burris pistol scopes on all my Contender bbl's. The 14" 7MM/TCU & .35REM  wear Leupold 2.5X8. The 10" .357MAX & .44mag wear 2X Leupold & Burris, respectfully. The .22Hornet  had a 4X Leupold on it, but the scope went bad. i sent it back to Leupold for replacement. They sent me a cheap "***" replacement that isn't half as good as the one that went bust. I put it up against all the other pistol scopes and it isn't half as clear as the old ones.  That's the third time they've ripped me off. I'll never buy another Leupold as long as I live. And most of the optic's I own are Leupold, Because of their vaunted lifetime guarantee.  

Blast it. I turned this into another rant.

But the old Scopes, now they are FINE. I once put 3rds into a 1" group with the 7MM/TCU. from the Creedmoor position. I think it was more luck than skill. My .22Hornet never shot that well, even from the bench.  

Long time Caster/Reloader, Getting back into it after almost 10yrs. Life Member NRA 40+yrs, Life S.A.S.S. #375. Does this mean a description of me as a fumble-fingered knuckle-draggin' baboon. I also drool in my sleep. I firmly believe that true happiness is a warm gun. Did I mention how much I HATE auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

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shootcast posted this 15 March 2018

Very nice shooting Richard. 

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BigMan54 posted this 17 March 2018

I've owned three different Contender frames. Not a one had a loose hinge pin. Not even the 2nd one that had 3000+ rds of .35REM & 7mm TC/U.

I like the "new" Contender grip with the rubber backstrap. The old Pachmayr grip is too narrow at the web.

Long time Caster/Reloader, Getting back into it after almost 10yrs. Life Member NRA 40+yrs, Life S.A.S.S. #375. Does this mean a description of me as a fumble-fingered knuckle-draggin' baboon. I also drool in my sleep. I firmly believe that true happiness is a warm gun. Did I mention how much I HATE auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

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R. Dupraz posted this 17 March 2018

 

 

Ross Smith posted this 7 hours ago

 

"I see your pistol is an encore, mine is a contender. Is your hinge pin a little sloppy or is that a contender trait"

 

It's a Contender G-2 not an Encore

The hinge pin is a snug friction fit.

 

R.

 

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OU812 posted this 17 March 2018

Mounting the scope closer to the eye helps also. Every little bit helps.

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RicinYakima posted this 19 March 2018

It is a competition firearm; built, modified and fired in sporting events. That is its only function, to have fun with.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 06 August 2018

following joeb's adventures, i had to notice that his * pistol * seems to outshoot his * rifles * ... same savage actions, same class of barrels ...

and so i looked at the past several years of CBA  matches ... HOLY SMOKES, .....  the pistols tend to outshoot the rifles !!! ... say it isn't so ...

...   maybe a bit of apples and oranges ?? ... or ... ok, short stiff barrels might well be more accurate ....  

****************

kinda along those lines, it would be interesting if some shooters used " pistols " in the current  fall groundhog shoot .... be embarrassing to find out they worked well for that ....

ken  

 

 

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Tom Acheson posted this 08 September 2020

For quite a few years, in the early and formative days of IHMSA, a 10 1/2" Contender chambered in 7 tcu ruled the roost in the Production category! Using jackted bullets.

Tom

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mashburn posted this 10 September 2020

The .22 Hornet was the worse Contender barrel that I ever owned and I owned a heck of a lot of them .At least you could say, it shot cast as well as jackets, both were horrible. All of the other barrels that I owned were very acceptable.

Mashburn

David a. Cogburn

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max503 posted this 10 September 2020

Difficulty holding crosshairs still is one reason I'm using iron sights on my 357 barrel for deer. I'll only take short range shots. Heck. I don't even care if I get a deer. Last two years I passed up easy shots just because..... The gun is so much handier without the glass on top.

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mashburn posted this 13 September 2020

Hello gemihur,

I do really like the looks of your contender rig. That one looks like it would shoot itself. My contenders have been laying idle for several years, but am getting the bug to put them back too work. I used to collect all of the contender barrels in all of the different calibers that Thompson Center produced. I had all of them, at one time, but have sold most of them off over the years .I still have all of the grips and forearms that they produced from the late sixties, when they started, up until they started the G2.I'm glad to see that you are shooting a Real Contender other than a G2.

Mashburn

David a. Cogburn

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Tom Acheson posted this 13 September 2020

Shooting a revolver off hand, as in hunting, is something that I’ve had poor success with. For deer hunting, iron sights works best for me. I can see the entire deer, I can where he is going, including the terrain he must traverse and I can see what is behind him. Where the bullet goes after exiting or missing the deer is very important.

 

If David can post the photo I send him, you’ll see the two revolvers I’ve taken my deer with.

The one bellow is a S&W Model 57 Mag with 8 3/8” barrel and  Bomar rear sight. The top one is a customized Dan Wesson 357 Super Mag, modified with a Douglas 1:14 twist barrel and chambered in .41 “Super Mag” (almost). It weighs 4.5 pounds and is a real pain to disassemble and clean.

At one time I owned a 10 1/2” TC, chambered in .32-20. And I also owned an MOA chambered in 7.62x39. These were used in IHMSA’s Production category. The MOA  is a lot “busier” to shoot than a Contender.

Tom  

                                   

 

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OU812 posted this 13 March 2018

I have one chambered in 300 Whisper (.309 diameter,.200 long freebore, 10 groove). Should be a good cast bullet shooter, but very difficult to hold and shoot. Eye relief on scope is not long enough to really stretch out and shoot in comfort.

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tlkeizer posted this 13 March 2018

Greetings,

A couple clicks up depending on which group you use and a couple clicks right and that is ready for prairie dogs out by Okaton.

TK

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R. Dupraz posted this 14 March 2018

Yep TK, Would be a "hoot" again, wouldn't it. Been over 20 yrs. since the last time. Don't know if there are any places left anymore. 

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