Don't know how much Contender shooting you have done, your report of 608" groups at 100 and then how to best shoot he gun from a bench suggests not a lot, so I hope I don't I come off as some kind of know it all, I certainly don't. But a Contender is not like most other handguns and getting started with one is PITA. Afte you master it, you'll wonder how you ever did without one. Kinda like a Handi in that respect.
OK, first tone that load down. I've never thought the Contender, especially with a factory grip stock is very user friendly. A 10" 357 Max is going to thump, bump and make a LOT of noise. Hang on, and I mean hang on. Don't death grip it, just have a good grip, kinda like you would have on a hammer handle. Don't change it, don't tighten your grip as you pull the trigger, don't relax it either, just maintain a firm and constant grip. When benching, I always used an adjustable rifle rest, rested the forearm on the rest, relax, breath in, breath out as you are aligning the sight, at the bottom of your breath, relax pull the trigger. Sounds easy don't it :roll: But that's it mainly. Be sure the butt of the gun is off the bench. If you don't have a rest, one can be made with a stack of either 3 or 4 2x6"s and some towels or carpet samples. You might need two 4x4's stacked up, but be sure to have at least 1" of padded material, 2" if it is softer stuff, 3 might be better. Experiment. You can shoot 38's or 357 Mags through the gun. USE 'EM. Forget about how accurate you shoot and use a closer target. 25 yards if need be. The trick is this, be sure that when the hammer falls, the sights don't move. Not even a squiggle. If the ammo shoots 4" who cares? Your eye wil tell you what you need to know. At every shot ask yourself, "Where was the sight when the gun went off?" Have a friend load the gun alternately with live and fired cases. You are not to know what is in the chamber. Guaranteed flinch finder and cure all in one. Cheap too, and fun, it's a game all it's own. Untill you can fire the gun and call your shot (Where was the sight) there ain't no need to worry about accuracy, the gun can probably shoot better than you can. WORK SLOWLY!!!!!!!! I cannot emphasize this enough. If it takes 20 minutes to get 5 shots off that are perfect shots WHO CARES???!!! Only perfect practice makes perfect. You cannot get to perfect by practicing screwing it up. That only shows you what not to do, you have to teach your body WHAT TO DO AND WHEN TO DO IT. Firing a short barreled heavy like a 357 max cranks up the bodys natural reactions.....GET THE HELL AWAY. You've got to undo this, and it takes time, so relax and allow yourself the freedom to learn the gun. Finally, shooting is not like riding a bicycle. You can ride a bicycle after not having been on one for 20 years. Shooting is an aquired skill and requires maintainence and skill building. A TC is not a Blackhawk, nor a Smith, nor a rifle. It is the difference between a 750 Honda and a Harley Wide Glide. They are both motorcycles, but require very different riding styles. Relax and have fun. But be serious in your fun, make every shot count. Finally, spend some time with some different stocks, a good stock on a TC is worth the guns weight in gold. A poor stock (and the old Contender stock with that silly rubber along the backstrap is poor on a good day) is worse than a boat anchor. Hogue made some nice stocks for the Contender, so did Pachymar. Good luck, remember, only perfect practice makes perfect.
