Thompson Center Contender

[RobertJ.]

It had been a few years since I shot my Contender, and it turned out that I had a few hours to myself this afternoon, so it turned into a range day. The Contender, with its .44 Magnum barrel, was one that I took with me. I shot it at 50 yards from a rest, and couldn't have been more pleased with the results. This group was the first one I shot, and measured exactly 3.0". Not bad for 62-year-old eyes!

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I have a 44 Mag., Super 14" barrel that is Mag-na-ported. But my two favorite barrels are a 10" Bull 22 Hornet scoped & a 10" Bull 221 Fireball scoped (also have an iron sighted 10" octagon 221 barrel I never used!)

I also have:

10" Octagon 357 mag

12" Hunter in 375 Winchester w/ built in "Muzzle Tamer"

14" Match 22 LR

14" 7mm TCU (scoped)

And a total of two actions.

I had a Super 14 in 223 Rem, but could never get smaller than 4" with a scope @ 100. Sold it and went to 221 Fireball and never looked back!

If I could only have one barrel, it would be the 221 Fireball 10" Bull Barrel! My load for it is 50 grain poly tipped Combined Technologies, over 15.5 of H4227 in Nosler brass and a Rem 7 1/2 primer. Death to groundhogs!

Ivan

 

[ACORN]

I no longer have one but when I had mine, the .223 barrel was my favorite. Topped with a7X Burris, my handloads would shoot well under an inch a 100 yds.
I had a .44 mag barrel, .30 Herrett barrel, and a Bellm .30-40 Krag.
Wish I had it back.
I’ve been kinda thinking about getting another one but the prices are getting up there.

 

[Old_Cop]

I had a 10" 30-30 and never thought about getting another.

 

[Usmc5811]

I wish I still had mine with the 14” .223 was a ground hog slayer. I also shot my first turkey with it.

 

[loc n load]

RobertJ:
Great shooting.
Contenders are great guns. I have a 22rf and a 7mm TCU 10” that Ishot in metallic sil. for years.
A 14” 35 Rem that has put venison in my freezer.
A custom 222 mag bl made by Lee Jurras ( of super vel fame ) that has zapped a bunch of coyotes over the years.
Glad you got your’s out, gonna have to break mine out now tha the weather is improving.

 

[nutsforsmiths]

Contenders you say? I have the one below with barrels as follows:

Top is .223. Followed by a 22LR, then the .221 Rem Fireball and a 22 Jet barrel is on the frame. It came with the 223 barrel, but at the time I bought the pistol, the gun shop also had the 22 Jet barrel for sale, and I bought it too!

A lot of fun to shoot, I just don't shoot it enough!

 

[Fishinfool]

I really enjoy my Contender set up. Frame, scoped super 14 barrels in .223 and 30-30, and an iron sighted .45c / 410 shotgun barrel. All fits in one TC soft case, along with a box of cartridges for each. Carried this set up behind the seat of my pick up for years, ready for just about any impromptu hunt that might come up.

Larry

 

[mtgianni]

I have 4 frames including two G2's. They are a lot of fun. Some disparage the octagonal barrels but the 6 groove 44's really shoot. Nice going.

 

[Jebus35745]

Had mine since the 70’s, fun & accurate. Only have a .32 Long, .38 special and.45 acp left all 10”. Use these for 50’ indoor one handed, like pistol caliber single shots.

One frame is used for a .357 Maximum rifle, very accurate with the Bullberry barrel. Out to 100 yards with 180 gr XTP’s. Also shoot it indoors at 50’ with 148 HBWC. A rifle in .327 would be neat also, Larry

 

[RobertJ.]

I had a 10" 30-30 and never thought about getting another.

I only have two other barrels, a .22 LR and a scoped .30-30. The .30-30 is actually my favorite of the three.

 

[RobertJ.]

Some disparage the octagonal barrels but the 6 groove 44's really shoot. Nice going.

Thank you!

About thirty years ago, before I owned one, a friend loaned me his. It was in .30-30, with the octagon barrel. It was the hardest kicking handgun I'd shot up to that point, but it really sold me on them.

 

[RobertJ.]

Had mine since the 70’s, fun & accurate. Only have a .32 Long, .38 special and.45 acp left all 10”. Use these for 50’ indoor one handed, like pistol caliber single shots.

One frame is used for a .357 Maximum rifle, very accurate with the Bullberry barrel. Out to 100 yards with 180 gr XTP’s. Also shoot it indoors at 50’ with 148 HBWC. A rifle in .327 would be neat also, Larry

That's one beautiful rifle!

 

[Dr Charlie]

Ive been into Encores and Contenders since returning from Nam in 1969. My latest acquisition is a 15 inch 470 Nitro direct from JD Jones. It's a blast to shoot and as a reloader I don't have to stick with factory loads.

 

[rockquarry]

I finally lost interest in Contenders and moved on to other things. I sold several frames and seven barrels years ago, including a Bellm carbine with Hornet and .250 Savage barrels long before T/C offered a carbine version.

I found Contenders very enjoyable to work with for quite a while.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

T/C Contenders came out in July 1968 starting with serial number 1001. The first batch had 500 frames. My 10" octagon 357 came with frame #1608 and was bought by the original owner in September 1968. While the sights are crude compared to later versions, it sure shoots well!

Ivan

 

[lrb1200]

Yeah, things change.
Back in 70's, these rifle chambered handguns were the
rage, and crazy in demand and popular.

Today, don't know anyone who shoots one or wants one.

My 70's bought Super 14 in 35 Remington, bought primarily
for shooting IHMSA,
couple years later went into a Remigton XP-100 rechambered
in 7-08. Rem.

Still have both, but they now wear optics instead of irons.

 

[Gunhacker]

Another Contender fan... my original one was a blued Super14 in .44 Magnum. I sold it and then 10 years later
I got the bug again and bought this stainless version with the .223 hunter barrel, and then bought the .44 Mag barrel.

Back when I had the first one, my cousin had a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 Mag with the 10-1/2" barrel. We would go to a Gun Club range that had a "tin can" range, where you could bring cans of all sorts to set on top of berms spaced at 25, 50, 75 and 100 yards to shoot at. We'd buy a couple of cases of cheapo soda pop and set them up at 100 yards and blast away using iron sights.. Great fun!! As they vaporized from the .44 Mag hits.

Someone mentioned it would be great to have a .327 Fed Mag barrel.... I totally agree!! I'd also like to get a .22 Jet
barrel (to go with my M53), either of those in a carbine length barrel would make for an interesting proposition.

 

[KalamazooKid]

Ok now I gotta get my 44 mag Contender out for some pics …….

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Back when I had the first one, my cousin had a Ruger Super Blackhawk with the 10-1/2" barrel. We would go to a Gun Club range that had a "tin can" range, where you could bring cans of all sorts to set on top of berms spaced at 25, 50, 75 and 100 yards to shoot at. We'd buy a couple of cases of cheapo soda pop and set them up at 100 yards and blast away using iron sights.. Great fun!

The cheapest pop I could find was "Bubble-Gum", when shot with a 375 Winchester, it left a sticky pink circle about 10' in diameter!

Shooting into a berm, just before sundown, with the Muzzle Tamer barrel had a muzzle flash about like a 3' ball of lightning (and thunder of course) at the end of your arm!

Ivan