Help a female choose a G2 to hunt with please!

[wandering]

Hello all,
I have been looking for a gun to hunt deer with my hubby on our land... Arkansas, so the deer are not huge as in other states.  I don't have any hunting experience, but I am comfortable shooting my S&W .357 (LS) and also use a SA .40 1911 as a concealed carry.  I can shoot it accurately, but I don't like it, I adore revolvers.  Which led me to the G2 Contenders, they are gorgeous!
I'm also uncomfortable with rifles, I find them very awkward to hold.  Again, the G2 looks perfect.
I do know I'd also like a .22LR barrel as well (squirrels and those nasty armadillos!), but my primary purpose would be deer, and maybe turkey.  We have an abundance of both on our property.  Would you guys be willing to help me choose both a barrell length and a caliber?  I can handle my .357 with no trouble at all, the .40 is a tad too much, a .44 mag or a .45 kick too much for me.  I'm 5'4" if that matters.  I'd also like a scope of good quality.  My budget for my hunting gun is $2500, so if something else would be a better fit I'm open to suggestions, but I confess to being completely smitten by the G2.

[streak]

Then a G2 it should be!
As you stated you can handle the .357, I might suggest a 10 or 12'' barrel in the .357 Maxi with 180XTP Hornady for deer. Even a 7TCU would fit the bill.
In most cases one of the most accurate rounds in the contender barrels is the 7x30 Waters. These are rounds with less recoil than your larger bore pistol rounds, when loaded or reloaded with good mild accurate loads which take care of small whitetails fairly easy.
Put a good Leupold 2X pistol scope on it and you should be ready to go!!

[wandering]

Thank you... I was reading about the 7x30 Waters and it seemed like a good fit for what I want, although the T/C website only shows it in a 14 inch barrel.  I don't see a .357 max listed at all, just a .357 mag.

[scratcherky]

The 7-30 Waters would be the ideal round in either handgun or carbine if you reload. If you do not reload, I would consider the old standby 30-30 caliber. Both are accurate in the Contender.

[Da-Law-Dawg]

I own both the 7 TCU and the 7-30 as was stated above. Both are wonderful cartridges and very accurate. You can find them in factory 10" models and I'd look at either the classifieds or contact Eds TC's. With your budget, a custom barrel OS not out of reach either, ie; MGM, SSK, etc. Both rounds will dispatch whitetails without a problem, welcome to the club!

[Ladobe]

Welcome.
 
With your budget you can afford just about anything you want for a G2 or Contender, including having multiple barrels scoped.
 
Personally I recommend finding a used Contender Easy Open frame in mint condition over the G2, and with either Pachy Grippers or custom wood made to fit your hand that will both help with recoil.   And going with either 10" or barrels with a quality scope depending on which balances the best for you.   A 10" is plenty to 100-125 yards though with most cartridges.   So is a 2X, 4X, or 2-7X scope - Leupold and Burris are good choices.
 
If you want to stay with factory barrels, the 256WM, 25-35 Win, TC/U's (6, 6.5, 7mm), 357MAG or MAX, 30 or 357 Herrett will all get it done for deer and are easy on the recoil.  Biggest problem with some of these will be finding them available for sale used.   The 30-30 & 7X30 as well but with more perceived recoil maybe.   For turkey maybe a 22MAG, 22 Hornet or a straight .410 Shotgun handgun barrel (not 45/410).
 
Barrel/caliber wise the skies the limit if you opt for custom barrels to hunt deer, especially if you reload.   They can be had for about $300 new unbraked all the way up to near $700 new braked depending on who you have it made by.   MGM is probably the cheapest, SSK the highest, Bullberry in between but has a way too long lead time.  There are too many possibilities to list that would be plenty tame for you for deer without narrowing it down a bit to max range, and whether you prefer 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 or 30 caliber for example.
 
Some food for thought anyway...
 
 

[fatercat]

madam, you need to look into youth or ladies rifles. they don't weigh much more than handguns.  will open a new world for you that you will love quicker than you think..get a good scope for it.  maybe a 30-30, 243, 7mm08.  make shots over 200 yds. and will kill better than 357 handgun. wish you the best of luck.

[Curtis]

Lady, you are wise to look at a .22 barrel in addition to your deer hunting round.  You want to practice with this G2 pistol (assuming you get it) until you are dead nuts (pardon) confident with it and .22 is the round to do that with.
 
I am partial to 7-30 waters in 14 inch, but if 10 inch suits you better (as it does me) then if I were you I'd go with 357 mag if you don't hand load your ammo and 30 Herrett if you do.  I hunt with the 357 Herrett, but that may be a bit much recoil for your taste.
 
Good luck,
Curtis

[Doublebass73]

I'd recommend a 10" 357 Magnum barrel on a G2 handgun if you want a low recoil handgun for deer.

[Curtis]

..........also for a scope, all of my scoped barrels for deer and short to medium range wear a 2x Leupold M8 pistol scope.  I find that the crosshairs come up right in my field of view automatically.  Your mileage may vary.
 
Curtis

[Dezynco]

With your budet, I'd order a custom barrel from MGM in 357 magnum (any length) if you don't handload, or 357 Maximum if you load your own cartridges. Put you a nice Burris or Leupold 4x on there and you can tackle any whitetail out to 100- 150 yards. Low recoil too! 

Get you a nice factory 22lr barrel with the same scope and your all set, well within your budget!

[kynardsj]

I also agree that a 357 mag barrel would be great for you. I had a 10 inch Contender in 357 mag that my wife, all 5'4" and 115 lbs of her loved to shoot. The speed from a closed breech is closer to rifle speeds too. I hung a 1/4" thick mild steel plate at 100 yards for a dinger but the Contender with 158 gr JSP's would shoot thru it. Good luck on your choice.

[mcbammer]

 I   loaned  my  cousins   wife   a  7mm08  .  She  killed  her  first   deer  with  it .   I   recommend  that  caliber .  With   2500.00  budget.  you   can   get  most   any   flavor   of   rifle   you  want. 

[Charlie-SA]

Agree with the easy open Contender frame & suggested grips over the G2 and the 10" .357 Mag barrel.  You can find  ammo anywhere and share it with your S&W.  It will take care of deer at reasonable ranges and after the first year you can decide if you want to try something else, which you probably will

[Flynmoose]

My wife and I shoot G2s in pistol and carbine configurations. The pistols use 12" factory barrels in 22LR match, 357 Mag and 22 Hornet. The carbines use 20 " barrels from the T/C custom shop in 22 LR, 22 Hornet , 223 Rem and 357 Mag. Both the pistol and carbines are easy for my wife to shoot, she is deadly with them. If you think you might want to shoot both, buy a pistol frame so there will be no drama with the federales when you change back and forth.
FM

[wandering]

Thank you all so much for all the help, wow!  You'll never believe this... last night I told my hubby I was pretty sure I'd decided on my deer hunting gun, I just needed to pick a caliber.  When I told him it was a Contender, he laughed and said we already have one!  Apparantly he picked one up in the 80's for a $100 from a guy who was broke.  It's been sitting up in our closet for years, taken out yearly to be cleaned and oiled and I didn't even know it.  He says it has Pachy grips, a .22 bullnose barrel, a .22 hexagon barrel(?) and I want to say a .22-250.  I guess I'll have to get it out and play with it and see if I want to just use it or a get a new one of my own!  If I like this one, perhaps I'll just get a barrel of my choice and a scope, and consider adding one of those new Savage 11/111 Lady Hunters.  Even though I find rifles uncomfortable to hold, I've never tried a smaller one.

[Grumulkin]

Here is one of my Contenders with a thumbhole stock and a 23 inch 204 Ruger barrel.  The crow was taken at 311 yards.


I prefer the "old" style Contenders over the G2 as the trigger is much better.


I'm equipped for every thing from varmints to elephant with mine.  For deer, I've used my 204 Ruger and 222 Remington barrels.


By the way, you would not have a 22-250 Contender barrel as that is not a cartridge chambered in the Contender.

[wandering]

That is a gorgeous gun! 
I wasn't sure about the 3rd barrel caliber, I just remember it being small.  We're away in our RV at the moment so I can't get it out.  I can't wait to try it though, and put a larger barrel on it.  I'm enthralled with the looks of these Contenders.

[woods]

     I prefer the old contender style over the g-2 but all three barrels I currently own that I would recomend to you mam are a 22 long rifle,223 and a 30-30, All three barrels are currently available in the g-2 12" or 14" version. With theese three barels you can handle about anything deer (30-30), turkey and varmit (223) and practice (22 LR). These are also about the cheapest to shoot factory rounds there are available if you don't reload.  I became hooked on contenders back in 1984 and haven't put them away yet.  Nothing wrong with any of the selecitons others have sugested these are 3 of the barrels I own and would recomend to anyone starting out. I curently own one g-2 contender carbine in 223. Over the years I have added frames to the barrels so I didn't have to switch barrels back and forth but one frame is all you really need.
 
woods

[wandering]

Well guys I blew my budget.    I still plan to confiscate hubby's Contender as my own, but this weekend we went shopping and I brought home a beautiful Sako 85 Bavarian Carbine (30.06) with a Swarovski 3.5-10 42mm scope.  I'm going to have to have the stock modified as it's too long for me, but this gun jumped into my arms and begged to go home with me.  I am feeling extremely blessed!

[Curtis]

Nothing wrong with more guns in your collection!  I know you're a happy gal right now!
 
Curtis

[shot1]

I hope you hand load because I have a load that I found in the Sierra manual for 125 gr bullets for the 30-06 that is very mild in recoil and kills deer like lightening struck them. 53.1 grs Varget and use the Nosler 125 gr ballistic tip, Remington cases and Fed 210M (Match) primers. In your carbine they should run around 3000 fps muzzle velocity which is perfect for this bullet to not push it too hard. I shoot the 125 ballistic tip in various caliber weapons for deer in east NC and as long as you keep the impact velocity below 3000 fps they work wonderfully. Put one in the shoulder of a deer and it is BANG FLOP.  I also have shot a Contender pistol with a 10" 357 mag barrel for deer. It works very well out to 107 yards which is as far out as I have shot a deer with it so far with 13.5 grs H-110 and the 180 gr Hornady XTP bullet. It is very accurate with little recoil because of the weight of the Contender with a scope. I use Weaver 2.5-8X28 pistol scopes. Great scopes for the money. My main deer Contender barrel now is a 14" MGM made 30-30AI. It will drive the 125 ballistic tip 2670 fps and drive tacks and recoil is about like a 357 mag revolver. I have killed 7 deer with it in the past two years and only one moved out of it's tracks. It was a rut fired up buck that took three jumps and piled up dead. Good luck and good hunting.

[Jay HHI6818]

What are the pistol regulations in Arkansas? Bottle neck cartridges allowed? I live in Ohio and regs state, 38 cal & larger, straight walled cartridges. Own property in WV and regs 24 Cal & larger bottle necks.
357 Mag or 7X30 Waters would be good choices if you don't reload.

[I make oil]

My wife hunts with a Contender rifle in 7-30 and loves it.  I highly recommend one.  She has taken over that gun so now I'm looking for another one for my self.  The best thing to me about the Contenders is the versatility.  Once you start shooting yours I know you'll love it.   

[wandering]

I got a chance to shoot the contender last night, I'm already in love

[45-70.gov]

Thank you... I was reading about the 7x30 Waters and it seemed like a good fit for what I want, although the T/C website only shows it in a 14 inch barrel.  I don't see a .357 max listed at all, just a .357 mag.

another one for the 357.......you already have ammo for it and your revolver
i just reamed my contender to  357MAX with the reamer from the H&R forum


357 mag will do fine....the 357 max  is just icing on the cake
i would stay with 10 or 12  inch


if you have  a good budget get a 22 too
get mating barrels and scopes
or  just  use the 38s when you want less power and cost
learn to cast and  load  soon...lol