Contender / Encore thoughts

[EDELWEISS]

Ive owned a few T/C Contenders in the past with pistol and rifle barrels. They foolishly all moved to other homes. I took my first Wild Boar with a T/C Contender 44mag pistol (hint Black Talons arent the best load for pigs). I really love the idea of the switchable barrels; but never fully loved it as a rifle. Now I think I might like to try it again. What I didnt like was the stock design. I wish they bring back the old rifle design, that had a more "conventional" stock.

I see some pretty substantial cartridges are available in the Encore.

Any of you folks using or used a T/C Contender or Encore? Positive or Negative thoughts? If I decide to get back into the Contender or Encore, any suggestions where to start?

 

[BobT]

I have been shooting Contenders since 1979 and Encores since 1996 or there abouts. I currently have 2 Encores and 3 or 4 Contenders. I shoot them mostly as pistols but do have a couple of rifle/carbine versions too. They have some shortcomings but are a lot of fun once you learn to deal with them. I have both custom and factory barrels for the Encores but get by nicely with factory offerings for the Contenders. My favorite Contender cartridge is the .30-30 AI but I like to shoot them all. These are all the original Contenders (old style) from the top are: .30 Herrett 10" 2x Leupold, .30-30AI 12" with another 2x Leupold, .30-30AI Super 14 with a 2-6 Bushnell and last but certainly not least a stainless Super 14 .45/70 with a 2.5-8 Leupold. The 12" .30-30 and the .45/70 both sport factory brakes.

Where to start depends on what you want to do.

 

[wislnwings]

I owned a Contender in pistol configuration. I had a 30-30 barrel for it which shot 125gr ballistic tips into tiny little groups. I also had an SSK barrel in 375JDJ which like Nosler partitions. Both barrels were extremely accurate. Unfortunately something came up and I sold it.

 

[Mekaniks]

I had both a contender and an encore. Liked the fact that the encore can be recocked without breaking opening the action. I wanted to put together an encore for light weight sheep hunting but ended up selling the whole works to fund another rifle project. Oh well, they are a lot of fun especially if you like being about to switch between calibers.

 

[Divernhunter]

I have a Encore pistol with 223/257R(really sweet)/308win/454Casull and 500 S&W and like them all except the 500. The arthritis in my wrist/elbow makes it not fun.

I will sell the 500S&W barrel and it has 3 shots thru it. It is in the original packaging.

Overall I like the Encore. I also like it will handle cartridges the Contender cannot.

 

[firehuntfish]

I have a T/C Encore and I have been extremely happy with it. I currently have a .50 muzzleloader barrel and a .308 Win with a 28" stainless fluted barrel. Both set ups are scary accurate.... I actually prefer the ergonomics of the Encore stock, but if you don't , both T/C and other companies offer aftermarket versions in all styles.

I had a trigger job done by E. Aurthur Brown Co., that gave me a 2lb sniper trigger, and I also bought an aftermarket locking receiver pin that made all the difference in the world if you will be alternating barrels. This gun is a tack driver.

The only set up I did not like was the 12 gauge turkey barrel I bought in 31/2" mag. It was horrible to shoot. It felt like a punch in the face every time you pulled the trigger. There was so much nasty recoil, that it actually took skin off my thumb. I sold the shotgun barrel after 1 season, but I love it as a rifle and muzzleloader.

 

[Bullthrower338]

I've been very happy with both the contender and the encore. They are very versatile firearms. My contenders have always stayed configured as pistols. 17 Rem 14", 7-30 waters 14", 300 Whisper 12" SSK, 300 savage 12" Bullberry and 375 JDJ 14" SSK.
My encore was purchased for a muzzleloader hunt I drew, my thought process was I might as well buy something that I can use after I was done with the hunt(turned out I really enjoyed ML hunting and have since bought an Austin & Halleck). I purchased a Bergerra 300 WM barrel that shot superbly, I brought this rifle to the northern cape in 2010 and killed 6 PG with it. I also have a T/C 25-06 barrel for the encore that shoots well.
They are a fun and accurate gun regardless which one you get and new barrels are easier to sneak in past the wife than full blown new magazine rifles!
Cheers,
Cody

 

[Grumulkin]

Any of you folks using or used a T/C Contender or Encore? Positive or Negative thoughts? If I decide to get back into the Contender or Encore, any suggestions where to start?

I've had bunches of them in handgun and rifle configuration. Accuracy wise, they'll hold their own or better with much more expensive guns.

In Contenders, I've only had the original configuration; not the G2. It's true you have to open the action to recock it but the trigger is a lot better out of the box than the Encore so I've never wanted the G2 version. I've had rifle barrels in 17 HMR, 204 Ruger and 222 Remington and handgun barrels in 22 LR, 30/30 Winchester, 22 WMR, 222 Remington, 357 Magnum, 357 Herrett, 375 JDJ and 44 Remington Magnum (maybe others I don't remember). Accuracy has been great to excellent especially the 204 Ruger. I used the 357 Herrett barrel in South Africa to take Mountain Reedbuck, Sprinbok and Black Wildebeest.

I've had many more Encore barrels than Contender barrels so I'm not even going to attempt to give a whole list. The Encore trigger isn't as good out of the box as the G1 Contender but I've learned to use the Bellm spring kit to do my own trigger jobs which makes the trigger very good. The Encore stock configuration makes it very easy to get a scope bite so be very careful when shooting heavy recoiling Encore rifles. I got a scope bite shooting an Encore 25/06 that required stitches. I used an Encore handgun in 460 S&W Magnum to take a bunch of animals in South Africa including a couple in the top 10 SCI. I took a Klipspringer with it at a range of about 180 yards. I've also used an Encore handgun in 444 Marlin to take trophies in South Africa. Regarding the heavy recoiling handguns; they're hard on scopes so make sure you don't use a cheap scope and make sure the bases/rings are of top quality and well secured.

Shot with an Encore rifle.

Two hundred yards with a handgun.

Another 200 yard target with a handgun.

The 460 S&W Magnum handgun at 200 yards.

 

[rookhawk]

Had them. Been there, done that. I've killed boar and ram with T/C guns. One with a .308 handgun, the other with a 375 Win Mag Big Bore.

The engraving (etching) of the contenders always struck me as cheesy. The concept is great. I found the single shot pistols by E. Arthur Brown to be very much superior. The luxus single shot rifles to also be much superior. The ruger #1 and dakota #10 to be really superior but all the latter except the luxus at the expense of no quick change barrels.

Accuracy was never the real problem with T/C and Encore guns though, it was the heinous wood and fit. Years ago the T/C custom shop had nice thumbhole stocks available that really made the guns look and handle much nicer but they've sadly all been sold off now.

 

[Grumulkin]

Years ago the T/C custom shop had nice thumbhole stocks available that really made the guns look and handle much nicer but they've sadly all been sold off now.

Kind of like this one?

 

[EDELWEISS]

THIS ONE! Its the Mannlicher style stock that sold me.

 

[CAustin]

Everyone I have know that owned one liked the gun a lot. I have a TC Omega in 50 cal that I muzzle load with and have found it to be a very well made gun.