Added a "big boomer" to my 'Tender barrels!

There's a guy around here that has one of those things, slightly longer barrel though. The muzzle flash wasn't particularly impressive, but the shockwave was astounding. Made a 44 mag look like a popgun. You guys are braver than I am!
 
Looks awesome! You've got to let us know how it shoots pronto.

I got to fire an Encore with the 15" (IIRC) .45-70 barrel once. It was, authoritative to say the least. It's the only handgun I've ever used to hit the 100-yd rifle plate at our range hard enough to swing it. The fellow who owned it was loading cast 405s at about Trapdoor levels (again, I think, don't remember 100%). At the time I had a 20" Encore rifle barrel in .45-70 that was nicknamed "The Punisher" by my shooting buddies (300s at 1900 from a 6-lb fixed breech rifle). None of rest of them would shoot either the pistol or the rifle... :p
 
Looks awesome! You've got to let us know how it shoots pronto.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Well I got the boomer out to the range today. The first round was enough!!! I'm now typing with just my left hand, as my right arm is in a sling. The doctor says I might be able to shoot right handed again in about 6 months!!!

Jus kidding, the "recoil" isn't really a whole lot more than my 35 Remington Super 14 Barrel. It does however torque and rub enough in the hand to be quite painful without gloves. Which of course I forgot to bring!. No pics of targets yet. That'll come when I get it all dialed in. At 25 yds, the sights were pretty much dead on, but I want to stretch this monster out to at least 50 yards with the open sights. I did shoot about 12 rounds at 50, and was hitting about 4" low, but grouping around 5"" or so. I think it will do much better once I get the proper hand load figured out. Until I get my loading gear back up and running, I might try another session with Hornady Leverevolution just to see what it does. Without gloves, the 20 rounds today was about all I wanted. Another thing I really need to do with the 45-70 barrel is get my hold exactly right. Fingers on the support hand held incorrectly are quickly reminded!!! OUCH!!!
I also have a set of fiber optic sights from my 35 Rem barrel that I think I'll put on the cannon before I do a final sight-in.
 
Neat! When you get your handloading setup running again you should try some Trail Boss loads.

Somebody should start a thread where we just all trade Encore and Contender barrels back and forth!:D
 
Barrels

Love to read about the Contender (and the Encore) in all their possible iterations.
One of the truly great guns being manufactured today.
A Contender was the second pistol that I bought years ago when I started with "short" guns. A 45-70 was my third barrel, following a .357 and a .22.
I'd never fired a heavy kicker like that gun. It was a 16" barrel and the first shot was a Lee 340 grain cast bullet over 40 grains of H322.
The load books all describe the recoil as "severe". It was. The barrel went vertical and nearly sprained my wrist. I persevered, though, with the gun and the load. Now recoil doesn't bother me (.....excepting very heavy bullets from an Encore barrel and the 500 S&W. The single most unpleasant combination I have ever fired.)

Pete
 
I'm hooked... 4 actions & about 40 different barrels

my deer hunting rig for over 10 years was a 15" hunter barrel in 45-70, with a Burris Posi Lock 2-7 scope... I could shoot 3 leaf clover groups at 75 yards with any available field rest...

if shooting from my bench with 1/2 walls & a tin roof over it, you'd think I set off a stick of dynomite... the concussion is pretty intense... my 375 Winchester barrel actually kicks more though, but is not ported, & doesn't seem to put out as much concussion wave...

my next barrel ( if I can find one ) will be a 50-70 Gov, barrel
 
Well, I bought the 'Tender with a 35 Remington "Super 14", and 14" 22 LR Match barrel. Then I got a 14" 223 barrel, then this monster blaster. I think I'll slip on down to the small side next with a 22 Hornet. I've never had anything chambered in Hornet, but it has always intrigued me.
 
.50

MWM:
my next barrel ( if I can find one ) will be a 50-70 Gov, barrel.
Click to expand...
Not sure if the Contender frame is large enough to handle the 50-70 case./ Maybe.

Try SSK Industries. I have a fast twist .50-70 barrel from them for my Encore. It shoots these:
5070750.jpg


That case was made from .348 Win. brass. BMG bullet at 800-900 fps.


Pete
 
what the heck..

don't know what's been going on with this forum, but this is the 3rd time ( out of many... so it's only happening on occasion ) that I typed out a long post only to have it disappear :mad:

anyway... I don't feel like typing it all over again...

that 50 "whisper" looks like alot of fun... I might have to get one of those
 
Last edited:
50

.50 Whisper. I like that. Jones' (SSK) refers to this loading as the 50-70-750. The actual "Whisper" cartridge in .50 cal is the 500 Whisper; it is a belted case, based on the 460 Weatherby.
The one in the picture is easier to deal with. Though seating the bullets requires some experimentation.
Pete
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top