Contender and scope eye relief too long

[longwinters]

I posted this on another topic but hope to get more comments by spreading it out.  I have a Contender in 7x30 with a Bushnell 2x6.  For target this set up is fine.  But for hunting applications the eye relief is too long.  I feel way too stretched out, probably because unlike shooting off of a bench my elbows are unsupported adding too much wiggle.  Previously I hunted out of a stick blind and just strapped 2 poplar poles together to make a sort of bench and killed a decent 10 pt at 70 yds.  But now I hunt out of a tent blind and this won't work anymore.  

It would seem that there would be something a person can do to shorten things up.  Any ideas that have worked for you?

Long

[blhof]

Some LER scopes have shorter eye relief than others, try some scopes at one of the sporting goods chains to find the best one.  Pistol scopes command a good price used at auction so you probably will recoup a good portion of your investment.  The only alternative would be to try a monopod with your setup.  I use one with my Contender/4X tasco set in a pop-up blind, and have taken deer to 120yds.

[longwinters]

blhof, how do you hold steady on a monopod?

Long

[tc scout]

Had one too, thats the problem with that model, a solid 18" of eye relief. nothing less.

I have a Weaver 2.5-8X and a Thompson Center 2-7X, both mounted on contender barrels,
eye relief is great with both scopes. Burris also has good eye relief.

[Keith1]

Long,
    I have the same problem using my 4 power Leupold. You need arms about 6 feet long I think. What I did was use a EGW base and that will move the scope forward some but shooting prone it still needs to move a little more. I can't quite get a full field of view.
     I have an old [30 years] Leupold 2 power that was desinged to use on a Winchester 94 mounted in front of the action and it's perfect. This scope has intermediate eye relief. I keep it on a Contender 22 barrel.
     I also have a 4 power Weaver and it's fine. This scope is mounted of a 7X30 barrel and it's a nice rig. The eye relief on the Weaver is quite a bit shorter than the Leupold 4 power.
     Hope this helps.
          Regards Keith

[Merle]

I posted this on another topic but hope to get more comments by spreading it out.  I have a Contender in 7x30 with a Bushnell 2x6.  For target this set up is fine.  But for hunting applications the eye relief is too long.  I feel way too stretched out, probably because unlike shooting off of a bench my elbows are unsupported adding too much wiggle.  Previously I hunted out of a stick blind and just strapped 2 poplar poles together to make a sort of bench and killed a decent 10 pt at 70 yds.  But now I hunt out of a tent blind and this won't work anymore.  

It would seem that there would be something a person can do to shorten things up.  Any ideas that have worked for you?

Long

I used two of these scopes back in my IHMSA days & had the same problem. Shooting Creedmore (flat on your back with your feet pointed at the target & using your leg for a rest) or one handed with a rest & the eye relief was OK. When switching to both hands, it was too close. I would suggest you spend some time in the various scope catalogs & look at the range of eye relief values. That should help you decide what works best for you & your style of shooting.

    

[Bigeasy]

I am far from a Contender expert, owning just one in 223 with a 4x Swift scope.  BUT, What about trying an intermediate eye relief scout rifle type rifle scope?  Might work for you.  Back in the late 1980's I used to shoot on the department range with a guy who was a National handgun silhouette champion.  He used a Contender on occasion, chambered to some small (hornet based?) round, using a standard 6x rifle scope.  His off hand shooting stance placed the gun inches from his eye.  Recoil was very mild.  I would be leery of using his method with even a .223 level of recoil.  It worked for him though, as he was fond of showing me when I started thinking I was getting pretty good. 

Larry

[longwinters]

I was thinking about the Scout type scope.  Any idea what manufacturer makes them?

Long

[Bigeasy]

I was thinking about the Scout type scope.  Any idea what manufacturer makes them?

Long

Leupold, Burris to name a couple quality makers.  I have learned to avoid bargin glass on a handgun, especially if it has some recoil to it.

Larry

[Merle]

I am far from a Contender expert, owning just one in 223 with a 4x Swift scope.  BUT, What about trying an intermediate eye relief scout rifle type rifle scope?  Might work for you.  Back in the late 1980's I used to shoot on the department range with a guy who was a National handgun silhouette champion.  He used a Contender on occasion, chambered to some small (hornet based?) round, using a standard 6x rifle scope.  His off hand shooting stance placed the gun inches from his eye.  Recoil was very mild.  I would be leery of using his method with even a .223 level of recoil.  It worked for him though, as he was fond of showing me when I started thinking I was getting pretty good.  

Larry

Quite possibly he was shooting a 270 REN; they were quite popular in Field Pistol or Hunters Pistol short range silhoutte competition. It is a 22 Hornet opened up to take a 270 (actually a .277 dia) which makes it a straight wall cartridge.

FYI I saw a guy shooting a TC Contender Super 14 in 30-30 using a rifle scope (about 1" of eye relief too) and full power handloads. He was a machinest & was using a muzzle break of his own design, with very little recoil. I asked him how many cookie cutters he got during developement, but he just smiled & wouldn't answer. He's a much braver man than I am!!!

There were a lot of strange things happening in the world of IHMSA back then.

     

[xphunter]

How about getting a base that extends further down the barrel so the scope is further from you?