New Contender barrel

G

Guv

New member
Well I just got my 5th TC barrel yesterday, a very nice Hot Shot 44mag. I'm not too concerned with shooting shot out of it but am looking into a hard cast, maybe gas check (240-260gr) load at about 1100-1200fps for close range feral hogs. Should make a really compact package.:)
 
I can't see why you'd need a gas check for a lead bullet at that speed -- I run them faster with no GC and I get fine accuracy and barrel leading is minimal. (240grgr LSWC@1,385 chrono'd from 7.5" Redhawk, YMMV)

I think you're right on as it would be a compact and light, easy carrying rig.

But even at a middle of the road 1,100 FPS, I would expect that setup to be quite UNHAPPY with regards to recoil, but we all feel it differently, for sure.

For hogs? I'm no hunter (fully support it) but those beasts have the ability to inflict damage. I'm not sure a single shot is where I'd wish to be, but you know your abilities, the setting and the animals far better than I could hope to know.

Good luck!
 
you will learn very quickly that if you decide to try some loads hotter than what you are thinking that a TC 44 mag ain't very much fun.

I should add that if you find any 44 hotshot rounds they will be pretty pricey but they are very effective
 
Sevens,

Are those Speer or Hornady? The reason I was thinking about a gas check is I had a Ruger SB that got leaded really bad with those Winchester 240gr Lead Gas Checks. I still have that Lewis lead remover I bought 30 years ago. I will say the surface finish of the TC's bore is like a mirror, just like the blue on the outside, very nice. And my BH was stainless so maybe this contributed to the leading issue.
 
Sevens,

Are those Speer or Hornady?
Click to expand...
Those are neither! They are hard cast from Falcon bullets.
http://www.falconbullets.com/44_spl_44_mag_240_grain_semi_wad_cutter_lead_p/fbc-44-mag-240swc.htm
These are fine folks to deal with, a real "small business" kind of operation, I only wish I used more commercial cast so I could support them even more.

I'm a long time, high round count hobbyist handloader, but one of the first to admit that I do NOT cast my own, have no desire to, and as such -- there is NO DOUBT that I have personally never truly unraveled the mystery and black magic of getting the most from cast lead bullets.

Yes, I realize that many folks have figured these out.
Myself, I don't use enough of them to jump in and cloud my simple mind with all that knowledge! :p

WHY am I saying all of this?
Because...
I bought these slugs to try them at a very sedate speed so that I could shoot steel plates at my gun club without also WRECKING those steel plates. With Titegroup, I cooked up a handload that sends them at a measured 870 fps average from my 7.5" Redhawk and it is pure pleasure to whack steel with them.

Of course...
Gotta try them at BARNBURNER velocities, right? Why not! :D
That's half the fun of running a load bench, being your own boss and trying things.

Well, they run OH so nicely and they don't give me issues. For sure, I don't run 300 of them in a row and neglect my bore... frankly, I can't take that much beating. And I'm sure that every different handgun/barrel is going to have it's own say in how they handle this bullet.

For what they cost, and the fact that Falcon are fine people to work with, I'm happy to keep using them and recommend them.

As long you take my experience hand in hand with the fact that I don't know much about cast lead bullets. :o
 
And you probably caught my reference to this in another thread (likely a Contender thread) but I had a 10-inch .44 Magnum barrel and I personally believe it was the spawn of Satan. Far, FAR more obnoxious, punishing recoil than I can stand.

I never considered myself to be overly recoil sensitive and I shoot a lot of 10mm from a Glock 29 (also not horrible, but it does make some OTHER people horrified when they try it) but the Contender in .44 Magnum is a device for people that are not -ME- :D so I hope you have good luck with it. Never again for me. .460 and .500 Magnum from X-frames? .460 Rowland from a 5-inch 1911? YES! Love that stuff! But .44 Mag from a Contender? Never again. :p
 
Thanks for the bullet info Sevens, not looking to set the world on fire with this one. I have a 10" scoped 357 Maximum as my heavier hunting pistol, I don't plan on digging this 44 out of my forehead!;)
 
If you picked up an old 10" octagon hot shot 44 magnum barrel you do not EVER want to put a standard 44 magnum load in it.

Ever.

Never.

Don't do it.

You will likely put that thing down and reach for a different barrel. Magnum loads do wonderful things in Contenders. You pick up a lot of velocity. If you've run your 357 in a revolver over a chronograph then did the same with your Contender you likely saw a 300+ fps increase.
My 13" Colt barrel will pick up an easy 250 fps with weenie little Trail Boss loads. The recoil is negligible.
Stepping up to the Ruger-only loads will give me an increase of 300+ fps over my revolvers. That thing gets a bit lively even with a scope.
My 15" 460 S&W picked up over 450 fps and was the most horrific, painful, wrist damaging thing I've ever shot.

The light little TC with the lovely 10" octagon 44 barrel is an adorable little cupcake laced with botulism. Think Monty Python and the Rabbit of Caerbannog. It was just a cutesy little rabbit until it ripped the man's head off.

The front sight won't stick in your forehead but there's a fair chance your thumb will touch your elbow.

Stick with the 900 to 1000 fps revolver loads and you'll get your 1200 fps through the longer barrel and lack of cylinder gap. It'll have a light rotation in your hand and be an all day plinker.
Brew up some loads scheduled to push a 240 gr bullet at 1300 in a revolver and Satan will pay you a visit. It simply does not have the nose weight to hold itself down.
 
feets,

I have some 255gr cast performance bullets that I'm planing on loading with 9-10 grains of Unique.
 
1st off... they do have a habit of reproducing ( both rabbits & Contender barrels ) I have more than a couple barrels...

I picked up a 44 Hot Shot barrel recently for what I thought was too cheap... & used it for the basis of a new project...

a 444 Marlin chamber reamer did not remove much metal, but allowed me much versatility...

I load one group of 444 marlin cases like 3" .410 shot shells... they shoot as well as my 45-Colt / .410 barrel, & I've loaded them with 2 shot sizes so far with good solid patterns///

I load one group of 444 cases, with .375 lead round balls ( 3 ) this load is quite impressive, shooting one 1.5" hole in my target backer, at 25 ft, & only spreading to 3" -4" at 50ft

I load one group of 444 cases with light loads & 240 grain bullets...

I've knurled off the head stamps of the 444 cases I use in the Contender barrel & re-stamped the barrel as 44 HL

I have to assume the Hot Shot barrel ( mine is ported ) is easier to shoot than the 44 Mag barrel, which listed above, is a lil bugger on the hands... was a little worried about the ports & no shot cup in the shot loaded shells, but I've shot it enough to know there were no issues with size shot I was loading...
 
Magnum,
Does the 44 magnum have the standard chamber dimension on a Hot Shot barrel? I was thinking they were.
 
there shouldn't be any difference in the chamber. the capsule is bore diameter. the only difference is the choke on the end of the barrel to shred the capsule. just remember to remove the choke when shooting a bullet
 
Thanks steveno,

I'm really looking forward to shooting that thing. Got me a nice old octagon forend and matching Herrett grip, waiting on my frame now.
 
There was a special grease to protect the threads, but it's been so long I can't recall the name.

I have trouble shooting anything but light loads out of the original Contender in .44 Rem Mag. They don't roll in the hand like a revolver. The 30-30 barrel is far easier to shoot, must be the extra weight. Muzzle flash with factory 30-30 ammo is impressive.
 
The first Contender I had as a young dude (early 80's) was an octagon 30-30, as I remember it had a pretty terrific muzzle blast!
 
the reason for removing the choke is that the inside diameter has the shred the capsule and if you shoot a bullet through the choke the bullet is going to be in pretty bad shape
 
I don't think I will ever use the choke, I sprayed it down with Rem Oil and put it away. I originally wanted a 10" octagon 44mag or 45 Colt and didn't give the Hot Shot barrel a second thought. After some looking around and asking some of questions the idea of an 8" octagon without the choke installed was very appealing to me. I could have gotten a 10" oct but wanted the more compact Hot Shot length. The vented rib version does nothing for me, realizing it was intended for a different use than what I wanted mine for.
 
the purpose of the choke is to stop the shot from twisting, ( both the Hot Shot barrels ( 357 & 44 ) & the .410 / 45 Colt Contender barrels are rifled ) & create a donut shape pattern, without the chokes... the chokes are straight rifled, to stop the spin... I've never measured it to see if the Hot Shot is "tighter" than my .410 / 45 Colt barrel, but they appear to be identical, & there is no plastic shot capsule on a .410... BTW... the straight rifled choke tube works well, as I often use my .410 barrel on rabbits out as far as 50 yards, with good success... perhaps the rapid change from twist to straight by design broke the capsule, but I'd suspect it breaks the same way the Speer plastic shot cups do from my 38 Special, which ( just guessing here ) likely break from the momentum of the shot after it leaves the barrel, & doesn't have any support on the sides???
 
Well I finally got around to loading some Cast Performance 255gr WFNPB bullets over 10.0grs Unique. Very nice shooting load that should give about 1200fps according to my Lyman book. Much nicer than the Buffalo Bore 255gr SWC "Lower Recoil" stuff I had on hand. Can't imagine what their +P 44 magnum loads must be like!
 
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