acceptable accurary for 357 contender

[diego naveira]

Hi buddies, I own a 357 magnum TC Contender that formerly belonged to Grandpa. It has an 8" barrel with a RP 2.5x20 TC scope. Today I fired it for the first time. The target was 50 meters away. Using a rest, grouping was not nice for an usual long range rifle shooter, 6". As there are almost none TC owners down here in Argentina, I have no references wether the group was acceptable or not. Please, tell me what shuold I expect out of this nice piece of iron.
TKS,
Diego Naveira

[kynardsj]

Should be much better then that. Make sure all scope mounts and rings are tight and shoot off a good rest. Also make sure the crown is in good shape. If it's still shooting poor groups then you may have to start looking for what load and bullet it likes best.

[diego naveira]

I donīt trust the mounts at all. It has a strange design Iīve never seen before. I know it is original because I remember when grandpa bought it in a gunshop in Miami. It is screwed to the barrell in the same holes the rear iron sight should be. The scope is held to the base in the same way some german scopes, with a sort of rail below with some notches where the screws fit and tightens to the mount. I mounted it my self and do not notice any movement with bare eyes, but I know thatīs not enough to be certain about propperly mounted scope. I think I should bring to a gunsmith.

[Keith L]

You mention being a rifle shooter, but are you also a pistol shooter?  It is a different game, with consistency of hold and rest point as well as the amount of you finger on the trigger that can affect the outcome as well.  If you don't shoot pistol often then you may want to find someone who can coach you at the range and see if that helps.

[spinafish]

only rest the forearm on the bags,never ever the barrel! practice,practice, then practice some more!

[Ladobe]

Your scope mount sounds like a Weaver type base.   Nothing wrong with that mount at all on a low recoil 357MAG, they will handle far more than that cartridge.    And there is nothing wrong with the base being mounted in the rear sight holes on the barrel... that is typical of most scope bases on all TC barrels.   If the base screws are not too long and the base is tight to the barrel it is just fine.   Rings should be lapped for maximum contact with the scope tube to be done right... and the right screws snug.   Even so i doubt the scope is moving.   TC scopes are well made, so doubt it has any problems either.
 
Your accuracy problem is most likely shooter technique, how supported, possibly the load or the trigger.   Contenders are capable of having excellent triggers -  if yours is not it might be part of the problem.   The load is easy to fix by working up hand loads to find what the barrel likes best in bullet, powder, primer, seat and crimp.   But most barrels will also shoot factory ammo pretty well.   Not as well as a handload worked up for the barrel though.   As spinafish said, off a rest support the forend just in front of the trigger guard ONLY, and do not rest the grip on the bench (vertical stringing).   Use your off hand to support the grip and to adjust for elevation.   Keep in mind that there is a big difference between shooting a rifle and a handgun... the pratice needed to shoot any handgun well is many times more than for a rifle.   You also need to realize that shooting a Contender well takes lots of practice and learning the technique for the slow lock time it has.   They are very easy to wander off target with from squeeze to fire.   But they are very capable of exceptional accuracy in the right hands though, and 8" of barrel is plenty for 50 meters with groups 1/3 of or even more than what you are shooting off a rest so far.   Having had a truck load of Contender handguns and hundreds of both factory and custom barrels since soon after they first came out, I can say that I had very few that were not very capable at 100 yards or more, many that were very capable at 500 yards, a couple to 1000 yards, and most gave up very little or nothing at all to rifles.
 
FWIW
 
   

[Ken ONeill]

It sounds to me like you have a T/C Rail mount which uses screws through notches in a rail at the bottom of the scope. They are sturdy enough for a .357 if properly mounted. I used one for years on a .357 in silhouette shooting matches.
To be properly mounted, the base must be attached to the barrel with Loctite, fingernail polish, or even varnish so it cannot easily loosen. The 4 screws to the barrel must be very tight, and the screws across the rail mount must also be very tight. I suggest that the mount and scope should be the first things to check. A quick and crude check of the scope can be done by removing it and shaking it next to your ear to see if anything rattles inside. It shouldn't. If it does, something is broken .
A T/C Contender .357 should shoot 3 shots in 2" or less at 50 yds. in the hands of a capable shooter, from a rest, with good ammo. Mine will frequently do as well or better @ 100 yds.
All of the comments from other people above are true. But check the scope and mounts first; if they are not right, your gun will never shoot well.

[Steve P]

At 50 meters if your shots are not touching you have a problem with ammo, scope, or barrel.  My 357s, scoped, off the bench, make one ragged hole at 50 meters.   Lots of things to try.  Confirm mounts tight, check barrel for fouling, improve shooting technique.  Contender .357 barrels can shoot very well.
 
Steve

[martrage]

     TC R-P scopes are just that, recoilproof ! Have used a 2x7 Rail Mount scope purchased used @ Cabelas Bargain Cave. This scope started it's life w/ me on a 30-30 Ackley Imp., moved to 22 Hornet , then K- Hornet, 22 RFs, both 10& 14 in.s & now rests (not really) on 14in 357 Rem Max Hunter barrel.  The scope (RP 2.5) & 357 mag should , w/ good ammo, easily be capable of 2 in groups @ 50 yd.s . My 1st scoped hunting handgun was a Dan Wesson 357 mag  w/ 6in light shroud barrel & a Bushnell Phantom 2.5 pwr standard crosshair (also a rail mount)  A witnessed, rested standing shot w/ a 125 gr handload @ 92 steps, resulted in a darn near decapitated woodchuck !! Many more chucks, racoons & a crow or two have met their maker as a result of a well placed 357 shot from several TC Contender barrels I've had. By the way , the Phantom scope held up on the Dan Wesson for as long as I had it, although a few years ago I picked up a used TC Contender  10 in 22 RF w/ one that was moved to a 45 acp 12 in from the Custom Shop. The scope lens shattered internally in less than 50 rounds !

[Hopalong7]

diego,  You mentioned that this is an eight inch barrel....could it possibly be a hot-shot barrel.  If so, it would be an octagon barrel slightly over 8" with the choke tube removed, would be ported directly under the front sights and have female threads same location as the porting???  If so, it was designed to shoot the hotshot capsules and most likely has a rather generous throat.  I've had one for long many years and though I haven't used it in a loooong time I recall it shot mucho better with caliber heavy bullets rather than standard,i.e. 158gr or less, pills.  In fact, this has been true at least to some extent with all the TC 357MAG and/or MAX barrels that I've had, which is probably around a dozen or so.    ?just checking here?
Walt
BTW A hotshot barrel was marked "357Mag".........no hotshot mentioned.

[diego naveira]

YES SIR HOPALONG !!!! indeed, thats the barrell I own. So you reccomend heavier bullets... Iīll make some loads then... if I could find those pills here in Argentina. We donīt have everything we need down here.
To the rest of you guys, thanks a lot for the advices. Even thow I feel more atracted by rifles than handguns (single actions aside, I have 5), Iīm quite used to pistol shooting, but in a different way than the kind of shooting needed to extract all the best out of a TC. I mostly shoot my 9mm at 15 yards to a human shaped bad boy in a double tap and making fist sized groups. TC contenders are buttstockless rifles in such a way.
Yerterday I removed and mounted again the base-scope set. Two screws were not thight enough.
Iīll load heavier bullets as Hopalong suggested and start shooting at 25 yadrs and moving further as I gain practice.
 
TKS,
Diego Naveira

[Hopalong7]

diego, There should be a screw on choke tube with straight rifling inside acompanying this barrel that was designed to shread the plastic shot capsule that these barrels were made to shoot.  Of course they also shoot regular 357 ammo WITH THE TUBE REMOVED!!!  At one time TC marketed both capsules for shot reloaders and loaded ammo with the capsules.  Most had #9 shot in them.  They were pretty good for snakes, rats, etc. at reasonable close range.  The ammo and capsules have become very scarce and collectable and far to valueable as such to shoot.  Speer shot capsules will work quite well but don't hold as big a load of shot as the old TC Hotshots.  In all honesty, even though I've had this barrel a long, long time, I've not shot it a lot....not nearly as much as some other 357Mag barrels and nowhere close to as much as my 357Max barrels.  Hopefully, those two screws and some heavier bullets will tighten up those groups for you though.  In all my TC 357's I like 180's and up.  Be aware that heavy bullets and hot loads in that light little barrel are gonna get a little kicky .  Good Shootin to ya!
Walt

[Camba]

Diego,
Tu Ingles es muy claro.  Where in Argentina are you located?  If I remember, in Buenos Aires or in other towns like Campana, Zarate, and others, they sell reloading components.  You can try purchasing a .357 caliber cast bullet mold and do your own there.  I am not sure if you can order from there through www.midwayusa.com a bullet cast mold.  You should give it a try.  You can try a Lee bullet cast (lowest cost to start) thumble lube type bullet.  See some of the casting info.  http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=lee+bullet+casting+molds&qpvt=lee+bullet+casting+molds&FORM=IGRE#x0y0
Buena suerte.
 
Camba

[diego naveira]

Camba, Iīm from Ciudad de Buenos Aires, and I guess from your nickname that you must be correntinian for sure. I do have dies for 357 mag. because I also own a 5 1/2" barrelled Colt Peacemaker in that caliber. But the moulds and bullets I have are quite lighter. Accordding to Hopalongīs advice, I started looking into my Speer reloading manual and found there that exists some loads for 357 mag "silouete" specialy developed for TCīs and such guns with without the limitations that cylinders have... the load published there is for a 180 grains bullet. Now I ask a question, does .357 180 grains bullets meant for 35 Remington are suitable for my 357 mag TC? I like the spitzer shape they have but want your advice here too.
 
Saludos and a sapucai
 
Diego Naveira

[spinafish]

they should do just fine for target work and plinking..I wouldn't count on them expanding at .357 mag velocities..

[Camba]

Diego,
You were very close.  See PM
Camba