jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,622
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Post by jeffh on Mar 2, 2023 22:50:52 GMT -5
.....and I k ow more barrels are in my future.
There is great versatility in the Contender and as a long-range target number, hunting gun for all manner of game, it seems it's most used or at least most noted for its prowess as a handgun.
I see the Contender having an even broader range of versatility when considered as a carbine, in fact, I only use mine as carbines. Most members here have more than the one basic rifle leaning near the back door, but for that very role, a Contender, in the form of a carbine is incredibly useful. With a 22 LR barrel, 32 mag, 32-20, 38 or 357 Mag, etc., is hard to beat for typical "homestead rifle" tasks. Light, handy, accurate, easy to use,...
Deer season rolls around and that 22 LR, 32 Mag, etc. leaning by the back door becomes a very effective deer-hunting rifle with a 30/30, 44 Mag, 7-30, etc. barrel in a minute or two.
Even if a fella only had, say a 30/30 barrel, being a single-shot, it's very easy to load it to make 50-yard head-shots on squirrels with a little lead and and a pinch of powder. One of my two 30/30 loads is a 118 grain, plain-based RFN over seven grains of Unique, which yields a thousand shots to a pound. No feeding issues, no worry about cycling a bolt in an auto, the conversion from deer to squirrel is a simple sight correction, either in "clicks" or holding over.
Say a neighbor wants help weeding out some wary woodchucks or wily coyotes, a 223 (or other) barrel could be switched out quickly too.
My personal favorite is the 18" 357 Mag barrel, with a Liberty Mystic X suppressor. The range of 38 Special-level 148 grain wadcutters, to 180 grain WFNs doing around 1800 fps is pretty versatile in itself and leaves my other barrels idle most of the time. There's squirrel to deer again, depending on where you hunt.
I see the Contender as one of the innovative engineering marvels of the twentieth century, and not just as firearms go. It's truly a classic arm and I wish I'd had a chance to meet Warren Center and shake that ol' boy's hand. I personally respect this design as the ultimate "homestead rifle" design - something of an imagined ideal which, includes more than is reasonable or practical, but it became a reality without shorting any of the important aspects of such a gun.
I suppose I didn't need to say all that to anyone who posts here, but I get excited about how versatile a utility gun the Contender is as a carbine.
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Post by jfs on Mar 3, 2023 0:40:09 GMT -5
It`s so very sad what`s happened to the TC handgun.... Had a 6.5JDJ and still have a 30-30.... They did so much for handgun hunting....
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Post by AxeHandle on Mar 3, 2023 7:09:20 GMT -5
I remember the days when I picked up older Contender barrels and noticed that the bolt wasn't split. I'd just contact TC and they would send me one. No Charge! The only question would be how many do I need!
Never had the opportunity to send a frame back but I also read that if you sprung your frame TC would replace it!
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Post by parallaxbill on Mar 3, 2023 7:16:16 GMT -5
I'm glad I bought mine in the 80's.
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Post by squigz on Mar 3, 2023 7:44:08 GMT -5
I'm still collecting and going after ones that I want, if I want them, I gotta pay for them.. Otherwise I look for deals compared to what they were priced when I started getting barrels a few years back. Most recent acquired was a 45-70 super 14 and a octagon 10" 45 acp
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Post by bradshaw on Mar 3, 2023 8:24:14 GMT -5
I'm still collecting and going after ones that I want, if I want them, I gotta pay for them.. Otherwise I look for deals compared to what they were priced when I started getting barrels a few years back. Most recent acquired was a 45-70 super 14 and a octagon 10" 45 acp ***** At risk of repeating myself, in discussing barrel configurations with Warren Center, he described the old octagon as by far the most difficult to get right. Tapered octagon, with straight, smooth flats. The octagon reflects the receiver motif, and its slim profile works well with low recoil cartridges. Bull barrels came later, attending more powerful cartridges and IHMSA silhouette, which also inspired strengthening of the Contender frame. A 10” .45 ACP octagon sounds like fun. Do you know the twist? As for a Contender .45-70, that’s a cannon by any reckoning. Your Super 14 is odd, leastwise to my memory, as length of the Super 14 bull barrel was specifically to fall under IHMSA 15-inch length for Unlimited category competition. I’ll have to check mine, which Warren Center described as “16-1/4-inch,” so it could be shot with buttstock, as well. Never shot it as a carbine. Never shot it as a carbine, but will measure it. Note: Dupont’s long, skinny-stick IMR 4198 is a great .45-70 powder with heavy bullets. Light bullets lack inertia----“holdback”----for consistent ignition. Vertical stringing results. Compression reduces high Extreme Spread, but this must be worked up individually. David Bradshaw
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Post by bula on Mar 3, 2023 10:30:13 GMT -5
Am sure I shared before, but.. Over the years I picked up and put down a number of TC's. Ungainly and such, my thought. A co-worker loaned me his 44mag Super 14" in the '90's. Allowed to hunt it if I wanted, maybe a deal to cut later. But I didn't shoot it better than my 3lb, wear on my belt 44 SBH.. So passed. A couple of years ago now I guess, a friend turned terminal and gifted me his 12" 430 JDJ. Promised to hunt it, am making progress towards that. IMR4198 is one of the powders that came with. H322 the other. Understand IMR or H4227 is worthy with the lighter bullets. So far Missouri's 300 PC'd SWC has possibilities. Seems throating sufficient for it and long seated 300gr XTP. A LOT more to learn. The FTX bullets that weren't around back in the day, makes me wonder... Gonna keep watch on this thread.
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Post by squigz on Mar 3, 2023 10:36:58 GMT -5
I'm still collecting and going after ones that I want, if I want them, I gotta pay for them.. Otherwise I look for deals compared to what they were priced when I started getting barrels a few years back. Most recent acquired was a 45-70 super 14 and a octagon 10" 45 acp ***** At risk of repeating myself, in discussing barrel configurations with Warren Center, he described the old octagon as by far the most difficult to get right. Tapered octagon, with straight, smooth flats. The octagon reflects the receiver motif, and its slim profile works well with low recoil cartridges. Bull barrels came later, attending more powerful cartridges and IHMSA silhouette, which also inspired strengthening of the Contender frame. A 10” .45 ACP octagon sounds like fun. Do you know the twist? As for a Contender .45-70, that’s a cannon by any reckoning. Your Super 14 is odd, leastwise to my memory, as length of the Super 14 bull barrel was specifically to fall under IHMSA 15-inch length for Unlimited category competition. I’ll have to check mine, which Warren Center described as “16-1/4-inch,” so it could be shot with buttstock, as well. Never shot it as a carbine. Never shot it as a carbine, but will measure it. Note: Dupont’s long, skinny-stick IMR 4198 is a great .45-70 powder with heavy bullets. Light bullets lack inertia----“holdback”----for consistent ignition. Vertical stringing results. Compression reduces high Extreme Spread, but this must be worked up individually. David Bradshaw I am unsure on the twist of it, I'll have to run a rod through it later to see if I can get an idea of it. The octagon's really hold no more gravitational value or use to me other than I simply enjoy their profile and the fact that I have a fore-end for them that makes it look as if it's a "mannlicher". One of those times where I decidedly choose style/looks over true functionality, fully knowing a bull barrel will be more accurate. I have misspoken on the "super 14" barrel for the 45-70, it may just be a regular old 14" barrel which for those I suppose I personally just caulk up to "super 14's". It does not have any muzzle brake/porting or marking stating it as a "super 14"". My initial tests with it are going to be around IMR3031 with a Hornady Interlock 300gr HP, if I get around to it I would like to try a cast 405gr with IMR4198 as you stated. Below is the 45ACP barrel along side a 30m1 barrel I have as well.
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Post by bradshaw on Mar 3, 2023 11:29:55 GMT -5
William.... good photo. Have seen Mannlicher-style forends on Contenders, wondering whether your, or any of ‘em, are from the factory? The barrels you show are early, with both octagon and round contours requiring more metal removal and careful polishing than the 10” (Production category) & 14” (Unlimited category) tapered bull aimed at IHMSA silhouette. Silhouette configuration doubles for hunting.
Having contributed data, including .45-70, I just checked Sierra Manual #3: T/C barrel is 16-1/4”, with 1:14: RH twist. The moment T/C released the .45-70 Contender barrel, Sierra insisted it be included. I groaned, but couldn’t say “No,” and could not turn down Warren Center. Thus, T/C introduced its .45-70 as a pistol/carbine combo. The 16-1/4” was too long for IHMSA. Which didn’t stop silhouetters from flocking to try the new cannon when I passed it around with ammo. During lulls in the action, steel shooters let fly with Sierra .458 300 JHP handloads and Federal 300 JHP, pigs offhand @ 100 meters. Some shooters backed off after one or two shots. Others, including some of the Canadian ruffians, said, “Feed me!”
My .45-70 16-1/4" barrel came without sights. The Thompson/Center Custom Shop offered options of a muzzle brake and iron sights. I asked for a muzzle brake. The Custom Shop returned it iron sights, but without the muzzle brake. I really like the iron sights. Load development for Sierra was done with a T/C 4x scope mounted in place of the open rear sight. Groups & velocity measured simultaneous. Oehler chronograph, probably Model 33. To reduce recoil effect of long strings, the forend was removed and a 30 pound bar of linotype taped to the barrel... with a 25 lbs bag of birdshot draped over the scope. David Bradshaw
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Post by seminolewind on Mar 3, 2023 11:35:28 GMT -5
My two Contenders in 309 JDJ have been in the bottom of the safe for several years in favor of single action revolvers I have come to love for hunting. This post makes me appreciate the TCs I have, and I'm so glad I didn't sell them to finance other guns. I'm not ready to bring them back out yet, but it's good knowing they are there.
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Post by junebug on Mar 3, 2023 12:03:08 GMT -5
Started with Contenders in 73/74. First barrel was a 10 in. 45 Colt followed by a 10 in 30-30 for production silhouette with Presentation Pachmayrs grips. Have added several more frames and barrels from 10 to 14 in 22 lr to a 12 in 45-70. Recently picked up a 357 and a 32-20 barrel, need to get a split locking bolt for the 357. My son has a 7-30 Waters 21 in barrel he is trying to trade to me ,I already have a stock and forearm so that will add one carbine to the mix. Have a silhouette match Saturday In Lawrenceburg Ky. to 500 yds and a regular match Sunday to 200,so the Striker in .308 goes Sat. and the Contenders in .22 and .300 Whisper go Sunday.
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Post by Encore64 on Mar 3, 2023 12:35:58 GMT -5
I got into Contenders in the Late 70s when I was still in my teens.
At one time, I had 44 Different Barrels. Now, I'm about 10 less than that. Definitely need to reduce that some more.
Recall reading decades ago that barrels had been built in over 700 Chamberings. I'm sure it's higher than that now.
No gun has ever spawned a bigger selection of Wildcat Cartridges. Claims of all sorts have been made thru the years as well. Some valid and some to persuade buyers in one direction or the other.
Although I've never owned one, I've always thought a 30-30 Carbine with Spitzer Handloads would be tough to beat.
I did recently find a Custom Shop Carbine 24" in 30-30 Ackley for a good price. I'll be trying it out soon.
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Post by squigz on Mar 3, 2023 12:47:17 GMT -5
William.... good photo. Have seen Mannlicher-style forends on Contenders, wondering whether your, or any of ‘em, are from the factory? The barrels you show are early, with both octagon and round contours requiring more metal removal and careful polishing than the 10” ( Production category) & 14” ( Unlimited category) tapered bull aimed at IHMSA silhouette. Silhouette configuration doubles for hunting. Having contributed data, including .45-70, I just checked Sierra Manual #3: T/C barrel is 16-1/4”, with 1:14: RH twist. The moment T/C released the .45-70 Contender barrel, Sierra insisted it be included. I groaned, but couldn’t say “No,” and could not turn down Warren Center. Thus, T/C introduced its .45-70 as a pistol/carbine combo. The 16-1/4” was too long for IHMSA. Which didn’t stop silhouetters from flocking to try the new cannon when I passed it around with ammo. During lulls in the action, steel shooters let fly with Sierra .458 300 JHP handloads and Federal 300 JHP, pigs offhand @ 100 meters. Some shooters backed off after one or two shots. Others, including some of the Canadian ruffians, said, “Feed me!” Whether my .45-70 16-1/4" barrel came without sights. The Thompson/Center Custom Shop offered options of a muzzle brake and iron sights. I asked for a muzzle brake. The custom shop returned it iron sights, but without the muzzle brake. I really like the iron sights. Load development for Sierra was done with a T/C 4x scope mounted in place of the open rear sight. Groups & velocity measured simultaneous. Oehler chronograph, probably Model 33. To reduce recoil effect of long strings, the forend was removed and a 30 pound bar of linotype taped to the barrel... with a 25 lbs bag of birdshot draped over the scope. David Bradshaw I would love to know if they were a factory thing or not. I have seen a handful of them, but they're always accompanied with a frame and barrel and I don't need more of those at the moment. I've seen them both for a 10" barrel and a 8" barrel as well (the hotshots). I am always on the look out for them to get more if I have the opportunity as well as octagon barrels to match to them, just a silly little collection to the side. As far as the 45-70 goes, I have not shot it yet, it's been too wet and cold at the range and time hasn't been available for me otherwise. I'm starting my load low and I don't intend to push it's limits as it's going to be a "fun" gun, possibly a deer gun as well; but the deer gun mostly leans towards my 7-30 waters barrel now.
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edk
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,118
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Post by edk on Mar 3, 2023 13:48:29 GMT -5
Did someone say Mannlicher?
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Post by parallaxbill on Mar 3, 2023 14:32:34 GMT -5
My 35 Remington Super 14 is a tack driver and has helped me kill a half dozen whitetails out to 100 yards easily. It was sent out for rifle 4 port magnaporting then bead blasted, then blued after filling the front sight screws by pistolsmith Brent Mullis. The 41 magnum barrel is stock but has also been great for whitetail out to 50 yards.
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