This is a can of worms that could be discussed for hours on end based on experience and opinions.
Which platform, Contender vs Encore, comes down to personal choice I think, but most who start with one usually ends up with both after the TC disease takes hold of them. Since I am a l40 year Contender die hard (sold all my Encores) it'll be hard to give opinions that are not too biased. But I'll give it a shot.
Since you posted this in the pistols forum (but don't miss out on the advantages of using either as a carbine/rifle too)... the Contender fits smaller hands better than larger ones, the Encore fits larger hands better than smaller ones. The extra pound or so of weight in the Encore help some folks with felt recoil maybe, but it also means more weight for you to hold up when shooting offhand. Even the stoutest wildcats designed for the lighter weight Contender are manageable for most people when they learn the technique for shooting them. Classic Contender frames can be made to have better triggers than the Encore or G2, important if you will be doing much long range varmint, predator or target shooting. I personally hate muzzle breaks on any of them.
Since you are going to reload, the skies the limit for you with either platform if you will consider custom barrels (not just factory barrels) and are willing to get into the world of wildcats. The Encore will handle all of the cartridge choices for a Contender, and a bunch more the Contender can't handle safely. But there are plenty of wildcats that were designed for the Contender that there isn't much that walks this earth you can 't hunt with a Contender as well or nearly as well as with an Encore. In the more potent cartridge choices, if you don't want to get into reloading wildcats or custom barrels you will have more choices with an Encore though. For NA game animals, both have factory barrels that shoot cartridges that will get the job done for any of them. Not as well as wildcats will generally speaking.
Calibers to start with also depends on whether you decide to go with factory or custom barrels or wildcats. You will be somewhat limited with factory choices and will have to pick the closest available for each of your different needs. TC offers other choices in their so called custom barrels beyond their regular factory offerings too. With true custom barrels its whatever you want that the barrel maker considers safe for that frame.
I'd opt for a 17 rimfire barrel over a 22 rimfire. Either a 17HM2 or 17HMR. They are both inherently accurate even in factory barrels, shoot farther/flatter than the 22's, are good game takers and are a lot of fun to shoot.
For preds and varmints the 223 or 204 will get the job done fine if you want to stay simple. I prefer the 17's myself, both factory and wildcats, and when the winds get heavy something in 24, 25 or 26 caliber for them (all of mine are wildcats though).
For deer there are several good factory offerings for both platforms, and just a matter of choice. There are also a lot of great wildcat options for deer sized game. For big western mulies I always liked the 309JDJ myself.
My antelope/caribou barrel is a 6.5SB it's also my longest range target barrel.
Elk to moose can be handled with some of the Encore factory offerings and a couple for the Contender. Or better yet with wildcats for either. Since I think every TC hunter needs to own a 375JDJ sooner or later (I've had 4 - pure fun), that would be my choice for elk up.
For NA dangerous game its the 375JDJ as well.
Proofread shows bias, but at least I also made some well deserved comments for the Encore as well.
L.
