OT - New Coyote Rig - TC Contender & Questions

[salvo]

I have been meaning to make a carbine out of one of my Contender pistols, it finally came together with a .204 Ruger barrel and stocks. I hope she shoots good, it sure is light and handy!

I know Hobie and others are Contender shooters. What is the deal about free floating the fore-stock? How do you do it and does it really help with accuracy?

[JReed]

That is slick should do wonders on yotes. I dont know for sure how to free float TC's but I do know how to do Handis and it can make a world of diference on them. How is the forend atached?

[salvo]

Two screws, the barrel has two dovetailed studs for the fore-end screws.

[JReed]

One of the tricks on an H&R is to put an O ring on the forend screw it acts as a spacer between the forend and the bbl. Then you releave the barrel channel like you would normaly. I dont know if this is done the same on TC's but the O rings are cheap and easy to remove if they dont help. Have you shot it yet?

[salvo]

Just got it together, the previous owner of the barrel & stock was disappointed that it was not very accurate with 40+ grain bullets, 32 gr shot very well, but he wanted heavier. I'm sure it has more to do with the 1in 12 twist of the barrel. The guys over at Predator Masters swear by the 35 gr. Berger bullets and that is what I'll try to work a load for.

[2ndovc]

OOOOH! That's Sweet!


I just got a pile of Contender stuff in a trade. Going shooting tomorrow and can't wait.
Don't know why I waited so long. Great stuff! I have a .35 Rem barrel on the way and
have my mind set on a .41 Mag carbine barrel but a .204 sounds really interesting.

jb

[AndyM]

I did the same thing with my contender pistols a while back - at first I thought a 14" scoped pistol would be really cool - I just never could warm up to the whole thing. Beleive me I tried - I had a 223 barrel, a 30-30 barrel, and a 22 barrel - I sold them all off, now just have a 223 rifle carbine.

It took my a few tries handloading until I could find a load it liked, I settled on Varget and 50 grain Nosler BT's. It shoots pretty tight, but not as good as a Savage bolt in 22-250 I once had, although plently good enough for some groundhoggin' here in Pennsylvania where a 300 yard is fairly long for the farms I visit. It is handly little rifle that I have no plans of getting rid of.

Have fun with it, it sure looks nice.

[salvo]

You guys both hit on the barrels I thought about getting some day, .223 & .35 Rem.
Pistol barrels are a 14" 30-30, 10" 7mmTCU and a 10" .22LR.
I have often wondered how a 23" 7mmTCU would perform too.

[Dave James]

http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/eve, try these guys or the graybeards site or Bellums

[JReed]

Those 35gr seem to work the best in most guns from what I hear on PredatorMasters and they do a number on dogs from all that I have read. Give them a try you may not want to change a thing.

[salvo]

I just loaded 50 of the 35gr Bergers, running up to Utah and hopefully test them out!

[Hobie]

I'm a doubter on the methods used to "free-float" barrels on Contenders. One never really free-floats a Contender barrel. Mostly what is done is to attach a bar, like that used in the Pachmayr forearms, to the two dovetail locks and screw the forearm to that. The forearm is relieved all around so as to to otherwise contact the barrel or bear on the receiver. I feel that how the Contender works/locks up is as much or more important (aside from how well the barrel is made in the bore/chamber/crown). It seems to me that the old Contenders (non-G2s) will do 1½" at 100 on average. Some combos of barrels/frames do better and some worse. I do have a few barrels.

[Lefty Dude]

The fore-arm has never been an issue with my TC's. And I have been shooting them for over 30 years. If you have a long fore stock for a rifle, I would free float from the studs forward. I like the long Pachmeyer with the bar and a single screw.

Handi-rifles yes, TC's no.

[Bear 45/70]

My 2 cents. 204 aint enough for yotes, at least at the range we shoot them from. 22 Hornet minimum and usually 223 or 22-250.

[Hobie]

IMO, if the .22 Hornet is enough gun, the .204 is enough gun. Heck, the .22 WRFM works on local dogs you just have to get closer. Some Contender shooters really liked the .17 Rem and whatever they call the .17 on the .221 Fireball case. The other day a fella was bragging on his .17 rimfire!

I figure that there must be a difference in what is expected. IME farmers expect that when shot the pest will die, when isn't really a concern but sometime before killing another lamb or such is acceptable. HUNTERS expect that when shot the dog dies right there. Anything less is a failure. So for farmer types, the .22 LR or .22 WRFM is just fine and for some hunters a .270 is almost a minimum.

[awp101]

Some Contender shooters really liked the .17 Rem and whatever they call the .17 on the .221 Fireball case.

.17-221, .17 Fireball or .17 Mach IV? I don't recall the exact relationship offhand...

[Camp Cook]

That is a nice looking set up...

I have messed around with trying to free float the fore ends for years and finally have it figured out.

The simplest fix is to get small metal galvenized washers that the screws will fit thru and that will fit into the fore end inner holes all you want is enough space so the fore end does not touch the barrel except for the points that the screws go thru when I get a chance I am going to glass bed these washers in.

I have 2 s/s Contender carbines and 6 barrels for them...

16.5" 22LR Match Chamber about the most accurate 22LR I have ever shot (CCI SGB are the best/accurate grouse/rabbit bullets I have ever used)

21" 223 Rem is amazingly accurate with 40gr Hornady V-Max @ 3400fps I have put 3 shots @ 300 yards into 1 1/2"

18.5" 10mm is just a fun barrel that I picked up because I have 3 10mm handguns

21" factory 30-30 rechambered to 308Bellm (444 Marlin brass necked down with 308 Win dies gives 2620fps with 150gr bullets)

21" factory 375 Win just rechambered a couple weeks ago to 375JDJ (right now I have 250gr bullets doing 2240fps)

22" 45-70 load from 300gr to 430gr jacket and cast bullets

Here is a pic from Jan of this year I have the 223 barrel installed shot 3 coyotes on this trip to Alberta.



Here is a pic of the same rifle with the 308Bellm barrel installed shot this fellow @ 210 yards.



When I go on my grizzly hunt this spring I am taking both frames with the 45-70 barrel one and the 375JDJ barrel on the other.

[Bear 45/70]

IMO, if the .22 Hornet is enough gun, the .204 is enough gun. Heck, the .22 WRFM works on local dogs you just have to get closer. Some Contender shooters really liked the .17 Rem and whatever they call the .17 on the .221 Fireball case. The other day a fella was bragging on his .17 rimfire!

I figure that there must be a difference in what is expected. IME farmers expect that when shot the pest will die, when isn't really a concern but sometime before killing another lamb or such is acceptable. HUNTERS expect that when shot the dog dies right there. Anything less is a failure. So for farmer types, the .22 LR or .22 WRFM is just fine and for some hunters a .270 is almost a minimum.

I qualified the 22 Hornet thing. "...at least at the range we shoot them from." Up close and personal even a 22LR will get the job done, if you can really shoot. But out any distance, 100 yds and beyond (I'm extra careful with wounding animals and would never personally use a Hornet past 75 yds), IMO just not enough gun.