L Ross
Well-Known Member
Darn, been away from Contenders for a long time. I used to play a form of silhouette with a couple of them at local gun clubs around Green Bay. (Oh, if you care, it's pronounced green-Bay not Green-bay), and gathered up pieces and parts and even shot a deer with a Super 14 in .30-30. Sold or traded them all away after silhouette got to be such a gamer's game that there were even special cartridges made for it. Remember the .270 REN? I was trying to compete with a .357 mag. shooting cast and the hot shooters were peeing away jacketed bullets by the hundreds. I lost interest when it became obvious all I was doing that contributing entrance fees.
At the cast bullet gathering last weekend I ended up swapping a Model 19 round butt for a Contender in .357 mag. We had been handily busting buffalo targets at 210 yards with a .357 Herrett and a 4X scope with my gunsmith friend's Contender with custom wood, a beautiful piece. Another buddy is picking up the .357 for me this weekend, it was a long distance swap.
So now I'm all excited to have a range toy and started looking for other barrels. OMG when did those prices go nuts? Where's the demand coming from? Other than Charlie's piece I haven't even seen anyone shooting a Contender in years!
I finally got a photo from the friend I swapped with and the .357 is uglier than a mud duck with Pachmayr rubber front and rear so I looked for some nicer wood and a 10" .22 barrel and a Super 14" .30-30 barrel. I can now see this is not going to be a simple nor inexpensive undertaking.
At the cast bullet gathering last weekend I ended up swapping a Model 19 round butt for a Contender in .357 mag. We had been handily busting buffalo targets at 210 yards with a .357 Herrett and a 4X scope with my gunsmith friend's Contender with custom wood, a beautiful piece. Another buddy is picking up the .357 for me this weekend, it was a long distance swap.
So now I'm all excited to have a range toy and started looking for other barrels. OMG when did those prices go nuts? Where's the demand coming from? Other than Charlie's piece I haven't even seen anyone shooting a Contender in years!
I finally got a photo from the friend I swapped with and the .357 is uglier than a mud duck with Pachmayr rubber front and rear so I looked for some nicer wood and a 10" .22 barrel and a Super 14" .30-30 barrel. I can now see this is not going to be a simple nor inexpensive undertaking.