Contender impulse buy, I think not!!!

If you want a real eye opener for recoil, get one of the old octagon .44 Mag barrels (10")! I was so shocked, I said a bad word out loud at the range!
Nothing like any .44 Mag revolver or auto pistol at all! Much worse than my 14" ported .45-70!

++1
Several years ago a friend asked me to take him to a range and give him some instruction on guns.
Had him shooting after an hours instruction and pulled out my Contender with the same barrel. Now these were not factory rounds. These were rounds that were on the EXTREAMLY hot hand load range.
There was a partition between the shooting booths at the indoor range and I touched one off.
I looked back when I saw movement behind me and it was my friend with a very worried look on his face.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“I thought you blew up a gun!”
H110 out of a contender pushing a 200 GR bullet at over 2100fps makes a beautiful flame thrower.
I asked him if he wanted to shoot it and he said “No!”
 
Yeah, shooting handgun silhouette (IHMSA) with a 44 mag barrel nearly ruined me for pistol shooting. I hated it (and still do) so I went to a 7MM TCU, Won lots of matches with that one!

Those barrels are like potato chips, you can't get just one.
 
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Try the original Contender and the OCTOGON...

Barrels.
Too much time, too little money and not enough octogons on the market.

Am now looking for a 21" barrel for deer, either the 30/30 or the 7-30 Waters.


No, one is not enough!:eek:
 
45-70 barrel with muzzle tamer, Please, someone stop me!!!
Click to expand...
Make sure that .45-70 bbl is a bull and not a tapered, otherwise that muzzle tamer won't do squat. My tapered is Magnaported and it doesn't help much; recoil is totally abusive with factory 300 gr loads. These guys that say their .45-70s aren't as bad as .44 magnums must be shooting only 405 gr loads, and if that's the case, well, no kidding-mine's a popgun with 405s.

My favorite is the .30-30 bbl.
 
Welcome to the club... I have 4 actions & 28 barrels... my favorites are my 16" vent rib 45 Colt / .410, my old tapered octogon 10" 22 Hornet, my 15" 7-30 Waters, my 10" custom 45 Colt barrel, & my 15" Hunter barrel in 45-70...

my top 3 hardest kicking are 1st my custom 10" 45 Colt with magnum level loads, ( this combo will make my knuckles bleed in less than 10 shots ) then 2nd my 15" 375 Winchester barrel, ( this one is really a handfull ) then 3rd my 45-70 barrel...

my newest ones are a 10" tapered octogon 44 Mag Hot Shot with the ported chamber on the end & screw in straight rifled choke tube... this one has had the chamber bored to 444 Marlin, & will shoot 444 Marlin cased shot loads ( equal to .410 ) 444 Marlin 000 buck loads, & light 444Marlin bullet loads, a custom built 10" 5.7 X 28 barrel, & a 21" 6.8 SPC barrel
 
Wow! Reading this thread is bad for me...more specifically my pocketbook. I love the Contender and currently only have the .45/410 barrel. My current heart's desire is to get a 12" .357 Max custom chambered and bored, as it's my favorite out of the Contender.

On the other hand, I kind fell in love with the 14" .223 I shot too... MOA groups at 100 yds...what's not to love?

BTW, that price makes me sooooooo jealous! Good for you!
 
I was going to wait until I was ready for the next barrel, but since I have the attention of so many Contender experts:
223, or 204 Ruger?
To help:
For little furry critters, black feathered noise makers, etc.
I do hand load, or at least hope to have my bench back up and running again soon.
 
204!!! Its basically a mini-GRENADE going ~4000fps. Laser beams to 250yards+ then KABOOOOM!!! Even better if you hand load... you can reload em for ~.25c.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9x-f0RBBMc

:D

My buddy sold me on 204 over the summer... not like it was hard... such an awesome round!! My MGM Encore 204 barrel should be here very soon :D
 
Don't have a 204 , and probably won't ,as I have 221 fireball,and 223 barrels. The 223 in the contender will shoot 1/2 in groups if I do my part ,but the Encore 223 barrel shoots little better.Haven't played that much with the 221, shoot it lots just never tried to see how small a group it would shoot. The 35 rem is great in the contender, the 45/70 loaded even a little hot is a hand full, but step into the Encore with a 45/70 or 460 S&W ad shoot full house loads ,now thats brutal.
Alex
 
newbie to Contender -- only 1 frame, 2 barrels

Bought a .22 lr so I could add the 357 Max.

Now glad I have the .22 for plinking and extended practice sessions.

The 12" 357 max has yet to make it to the range, but I intend to wring it out thoroughly before next fall and deer season.
 
got a 15" max barrel, & a Dan Wesson revolver in that caliber, & it's a shame it nearly died off, because it's really an awesome hunting round with 180's or heavier
 
.221 fireball is an old school high velocity varmit round... which lead to the .20 vartarg. Basically the same thing that happened with .222 rem mag to the .204 ruger.
 
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