Contender Assistance

Buck Hunter 1 · 08-11-2008, 05:50 AM

Went to a gun show and a new Super 16" conterder came home w/me. It's blued w/factory grips. Looks like it was barely shot and clean as a whistle. It is 44mag, w/ a 1x leopold scope and swivels. Anyone have any advice on setting this up for hunting & shooting, things to watch for or inmprove my accuracy? I have never shot one of these but it looks like fun so all advice is welcome.
Thanks

Rifle Loony · 08-11-2008, 07:08 AM

Sounds like it's pretty much set up already.

Work up a load with 240 grain XTP's......

skb2706 · 08-11-2008, 07:37 AM

I'd suggest loading up some mid level laods with the afterfore mentioned XTPs and taking it to the range. Set it up and shoot it off a good front bag out to 50 yds to start with. If its like all the Contenders I have ever have that will convince you this is more than a 50 yd. gun.

PS never rest the barrel on the front bag. Rest the foreend on the front bag up close to the trigger guard.

Buck Hunter 1 · 08-11-2008, 11:17 AM

Great thanks, any particular factory loads? I have not gotten into the reloading world yet. Only have so much money.

skb2706 · 08-11-2008, 12:11 PM

Contenders...I have a long history with and have many combinations of handguns and carbines. I do not however have much experience with the 44 mag so load info isn't there. Factory jacketed hunting loads tend to run pretty hot and you can get them loaded with the same bullet mentioned earlier. With a 1x scope you will be limited by what your eye can see and not the range of the round. Shoot the way it is and see what you think.

2FNSLO · 08-11-2008, 12:42 PM

My 14" likes just about anything I feed it as far as ammo goes. Just make sure you practice with the same type of ammo you are going to hunt with as it effects the point of impact.
I was shooting mine yesterday with some of my dad's hot loads and some target loads. The hot loads are loaded to the max according to the loading manual and the target loads were chrono'd at 1000fps out of my dad's 8 3/8" barreled revolver. Adjusting the 4x burris scope at 50 yards with the hot loads puts the target loads about 8 inches high at the same distance. That's more than enough to miss deer at that distance.
Good luck!

bronko22000 · 08-19-2008, 05:07 AM

Congrats on a fine handgun. I assume you are used to shooting big bore pistols. But a quick note - don't be too surprised at the recoil the 44 will give you out of the Contender. Its a might stouter than from a revolver as there is no cylinder gap to relieve some pressure. Its not scary just stouter.
The only thing I didn't like about it was that if you cocked the hammer and didn't want toshoot, you had to open the action to 'reset' it. They eliminated that problem with the Encore. The largest round I've fired out of my contender is the 35 Rem. I just sorry I never had the chance to harvest a deer with that caliber. I did take a few with it in 7-30 Waters.
But alas, my Contender went to the gunshop with its extra barrels so that a new toy could come home with me. I can't recall what I traded it in on.