Accuracy potential of the Thompson single shots versus bolt actions?

[His lordship.]

For some reason the Thompson single shot rifles and pistols are hard to find at the local gun dealers/sports stores here in Texas and in Minnesota, etc.  I like the idea of a switch barrel, yet these guns seem so rare.  I asked this question years ago, and one responder said it was because of the power of the media, people buy what they see on TV, AR-15's, bolt guns, and semi-automatic pistols.
 
Serious shooters will put in the time and money to get what they want, yet I usually only see bolt action rifles and AR's at my range, are the Thompson single shots more of a hunting gun, ok for getting a deer at 100 yards but not a tack driver at 300?  I have heard that the Browning A bolts are not so good in the accuracy dept. and I mostly see Remington and Savage bolt guns used by the bench shooters.
 
Thanks.   

[1puckaway]

I am in Wisconsin and cannot find any thing on T/C I would like tho get my trigger action fixed and have sent it to T/C five weeks ago and no response I would like to buy barrels scopes and other things for hand gun hunting and target shooting there is nothing. I for one can not understand why it is so difficult to enjoy a sport It almost seems as though no one wants our money. Any one else feel this way?.

[Grumulkin]

Maybe T/C products are "rare" in Wisconsin and some other places but if I wanted, I could probably have several brand new ones in my hot little hands within a week and a half.  Just find a local FFL holder who will accept a shipment for you and call Ed's Contenders and you should be able to get what you want.


As far as accuracy potential goes, there are differences between barrels in the T/C line but I would say they will hold their own with almost every other hunting rifle out there in a similar price range and a lot of their barrels will do quite a bit better than average.  Some T/C barrels would probably give some hunter class  bench rest bolt action rifles a real run for their money.  Since my shooting is mostly of the hunting type, I shoot mostly 3 shot groups and have a couple of handgun barrels that will do about 1.5 inches at 200 yards and several rifle barrels that will do sub 0.75 MOA and one that will do sub 0.5 MOA.  If I wanted to be real compulsive and get a barrel with a match chamber, wanted to turn case necks, etc., I could probably do better.  That said, if you are to be a serious bench rest competitor, you would probably do better with some type of blue printed bolt action rifle.


By the way, if you haven't heard from T/C in 5 weeks about work they were supposed to do, you should be calling them.

[martineta]

Lots of folks around that will do trigger work if you don't mind shipping.  One of the best is a Sponcer here at Graybeard.  JD Jones of SSK, (phone 740-264-0176).   I think he gets $85 for a trigger job. I feel SSK barrels for encores and contenders are the best of the custom barrels if you are looking for that tack driver.  SSK will make you a barrel in whatever caliber cut to whatever length from Shilen match grade barrel stock. 
I now use a local guy in VA for trigger work.  Amherst Arms, phone 434-401-9865.  He charges $80 and is outside the town I grew up in.  I use him now when I go visit my family.  He's done excellent trigger work on two encores and a contender for me.
I agree that a tricked out bolt gun special for target work will be the more accurate rifle in the hands of a skilled shooter using fine tuned loads for that rifle. I still prefer my single shots.   I also primarily use my rifles and pistols for hunting and target shooting is for load development and a little fun between hunting seasons. I just flat out like single shots.  If I can get most shots on paper at 1 inch or less, I'm happy but the deer and varios varmits I bother less so.  I have 3 encore barrels that with the right load consistantly shoot sub one inch groups. 22 hornet, 300 whisper, and .308 win.  My Ruger No. 1 7x57 is almost there.

[Junior1942]

My Super 14" 7mmTCU with a 4x pistol scope has shot many 1/2", 3 shot groups at 100 yards.  That's with a 120 SP bullet and H322. 

[Keith L]

I am in Wisconsin and cannot find any thing on T/C I would like tho get my trigger action fixed and have sent it to T/C five weeks ago and no response I would like to buy barrels scopes and other things for hand gun hunting and target shooting there is nothing. I for one can not understand why it is so difficult to enjoy a sport It almost seems as though no one wants our money. Any one else feel this way?.

All of my frames were purchased in Wisconsin, and my two local gun shops carry Contenders and Encores.  So does Cabelas in Richfield and Praire du Chein.  My barrels come from all over, few of them new.  The used market is good and it is easy to ship them. 

Good luck getting going with this hobby.  And I agree that five weeks is to long.  Give them a call.

[Ladobe]

Chris,
 
IMO the accuracy potential of any firearm is governed by the same set of factors no matter what platform it is built from.   So if your technique can compensate for the longish lock time, TC Contenders and Encores can be as precise as any other platform, in most circumstances.   That said the required shooter technique is the difference in some cases.   An example would be serious benchrest competition where all else being equal by design the TC's do not as easily allow the exact same repeatability of technique as say a bolt rifle does.    A product of having to take the TC "off line" to reload.   So the entire "weld" between firearm to rest and shooter to firearm have to be reestablished for each shot.   That's not as conducive to repeatability.   Even so with long practice of technique, some TC shooters will give even the race rifles a run for the money (and that includes TC handguns).
 
We can all relate the "I" things for our experiences, so here's mine.   I've had plenty of TC's that would shooting in the 2's and 3's consistently, both handgun and carbine lengths, one in the 1's.   But many were premium barrels with match chambers shooting tuned loads to go along with very long experience honing my techniques.    Most factory barrels will do MOA or better with tuned handloads as well, and some of them will shoot as small as the custom barrels.
 

...are the Thompson single shots more of a hunting gun, OK for getting a deer at 100 yards but not a tack driver at 300?

I've had many Contender barrels that were tack drivers at far longer ranges than 300 yards.   300 is just a good stretch of the legs IOW, two to three or more times that is the workout.   The only thing you give up hunting with a TC is the speed of follow up shots.   Like when calling coyotes alone and 6 or 8 come in all at once (been there).  Many folks with good field shooting technique don't need a follow up with a TC hunting - some can do follow ups almost as fast as with a bolter if needed.   
 
As for trigger jobs on TC's, Jim Henry (Barstow, CA) has always been the man, bar none.   And he includes a complete frame teardown, inspect/clean and re-lube for less money than the others charge for just the TJ (way less than some of them).   Also be aware that some TJ's are done by methods that are fast for the smith, but very unsafe sooner or later.
 
FWIW-YMMV