Contender Cartridge

Varmint Hunter · #8 03-04-2005, 09:29 AM

I had a contender that SSK built into a custom 444. It beat bthe crap out of me. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] It was very accurate and deadly out past 100yds, which is farther than I intended to use it.

I sold it to a buddy who shoots it occasionaly and bought a SRH 454 for myself. Yeah, that beats the crap out of me too but I like it a lot better. I use iron sights and can make reasonable hits at 100yds. Rides nice in a holster which is one reason that I got away from the contender. A Contender without a scope seems to be a bit senseless to me.

If I bought another single shot it would be an Encore in 260Rem or 7mm-08, max. Nikon 2x would probably be sittin' on top of her too. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Here's my SRH doing the job on a 325lb Russian boar. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Boar ran about 45yds with blood gushing out both sides. That tough grizzle plate was no match for the 300gr Swift A-Frame bullet.

sheehan93 · #9 03-04-2005, 06:19 PM

Just a question, That name you were thinking about; was it Don Bower, out of aroura, CO?

sheehan93 · #10 03-04-2005, 06:27 PM

7Ultra,

My first question would be what caliber do you like the most? Some of my sugestions would be to take a look at some of the Bower cartridges that are set up for the contender and encore. You can get them in 22, 243, 6.5, 7, 30 and 358. All of them bases off of the improved 307 case with a 40* shoulder.. Then if you are looking for more vel. you could go to the ones based off of the 444 marlin case which are chambered in the encore. Like the other guys said there are a few other options out there also.

Just food for thought.

Marc Sheehan.

budlight · #11 03-05-2005, 07:59 PM

I used to the TC in 7mm-223 easy to fire form and it was good varmint gun shooting 130's 14 inch and it didn't require a brake.

brian b · #12 03-05-2005, 09:04 PM

7ultra,
one of my friends has a 6.5JDJ that I have shot quite a bit over the years ,it is very accurate and pleasant to shoot. one day a few years ago he invited one of his friends that I had never met before to go shoot with us, he had a 375JDJ and offered to let me shoot it what a MONSTER. you can use a two handed Vulcan death grip and it still tries to plant the hammer in your forehead. if you really think you want one shoot one first. One other thing to consider is that SSK,Bullberry and a few other places that make contender and Encore barrel's use tighter reamers than Thompson,over the years I have had 6 Thompson barrels that shoot fairly good but the chambers were all grossly oversize.
B