Accuracy tips

[buckenbass]

What would you people say the Three best accuracy tips are ,for your contender or encore  pistols and rifles??

[dammyankee]

The three things that are the most important for accuracy in the Contender or Encore are in order PRACTICE,PRACTICE and PRACTICE.:-)When I started using mine some 15 Years ago I thought they were pretty inaccurate but since I shoot every weekend now for a few hours at a time it has all changed and all my groups have shrunk ALOT,These are some of the many under half inch groups that my Contender does on a regular basis at 100 yds.

http://img108.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tcu30zn.jpg

http://img108.imageshack.us/my.php?image=7tcu13rl.jpg


http://img234.imageshack.us/my.php?image=7tcuno26dw.jpg

[Lone Star]

Non-shooter-related tips include: tuning the trigger to a light and clean letoff; keeping the action dry with no oil on the action parts; using a proven, fool-proof scope/mount system, particularly if using a potent cartridge.  Don't scrimp on optics or mounts - you'll eventually be sorry you did.

[mjshell]

A good trigger whether factory or tuned,  free float the barrel, the right load. Practice, practice, practice!

[Ex-Cajun]

I'll have to agree with Lonestar in the department of the optics and mounts.  I thought it'd be cool to buy one of those NC Star scopes off ebay for like 60.00.  Well I did.  And I couldn't get my 7mm tcu (that everybody told me was such an accurate round) to have anywhere NEAR MOA.  After some careful reloading to get the bullet closer to the lands and switching to a Burris scope, I can shoot a hole through a quarter a 50 yards all day.
Another tip is to hold the gun the same way everytime!  If your resting on a sandbag, rest the back of the gun on one as well. If it's rubbing on the table that will cause it to be off a little too.  The gun moves as much as 3 tenths of an inch before the bullet leaves the barrel.  Keep this in mind when setting up to sight in.  I've fond that the best thing to use is a stable platform to rest the forestock on, with a sandbag on the back.

[Lone Star]

...free float the barrel....

Free-floating the barrel might help, but my most accurate bull barreled Contenders shoot almost as well with the Pachmayer forend screwed down tight as they do with wooden forends touching only to the barrel hanger.  This trick might buy you a little more accuracy on the bench.  The better forend trick is to get a wooden forend with a wide, flat bottom so it rides the bags well - this can help turn 0.9 moa groups into 0.5 moa groups.  As stated above, gun handling is critical to small groups with a handgun.

For a hunting pistol the practical advantages of the frimly attached rubber forend outweigh any tiny accuracy advantage on the bench, IMO anyway.  

[nvmichael]

keeping the action dry with no oil on the action parts;

I don't get keeping the action dry. I grease and oil  the moving parts in my action and it made a huge difference. Especially the trigger, it seems much smoother.
I'm not being a jerk here. I've owned my Contender many years and this is what I've always done.
Could please explain why I should keep it dry. Thanks
Great Tips!

[MnMike]

In my opinion the three key things are:

1 A good load. I finally got a 5/8" group out of my 7-30 by using 120 gr instead of 130 gr. My .223 shoots 3/8" once i found the right load. I am not a great shot.

2 Consistant grip. The gun moves before the bullet leaves the barrell. If you hold loose one time and tight the next, the two shots could be 2" or more apart.

3 A good forend. On the bench, a flat forend will tighten groups greatly. I built my own.

my opinion,

mike

[Lone Star]

I don't get keeping the action dry.Could please explain why I should keep it dry.

I've shot Contenders for 31 years, and for the last 25 of those years I've used a dry action.  Why?  Initially because the factory recommended not to use oil in the action.  Now it is in the owner's manuals too.  The manual which came with my last frame says this on page 13:  "Never use any oils or grease on any internal parts."  RTFM.

Oil attracts dirt and grit which can get behind the action parts and tie them up.  The Contender is finicky about the interlock safety, and anything which interfers with those parts can result in the action not firing when the trigger is pulled.  I suppose if you only used the handgun indoors with filtered air it wouldn't matter much, but I've used mine hunting in wet Southeastern and sub-zero Interior Alaska, dry dusty Arizona, sticky East Texas, the sunny and sandy California desert, etc. and never had a problem with action function after I kept the action dry.  

Another negative to the oil is gumming as it sits in place over time.  The result is similar to the dirt - an action which may not fire.  I used my three frames for IHMSA competition setting the triggers to about 22 ounces and they functioned perfectly from -25F to +95F.  I periodically blast out the action with degreaser if I've been in dusty conditions as a precaution.  Can't remember the last time the interlock safety failed to release the hammer.

[toecutter]

You didn't mention whether or not you are rolling your own.  All the tuning and quality optics won't do a thing for you if the gun doesn't like the combination of powder, bullets and primers you are using.  You may already be doing this but I figured it bears mentioning.  By the way, nothing compares with taking game cleanly with one of your own handloads. Good luck and keep shooting.

[skb2706]

For the ultimate in accuracy ..........assuming the gun is clean and oil free, it is fitted with a proper scope/mounts, loads have been worked up and the shooter has the ability.
1. foreend is not contacting the barrel in any way and the foreend is resting on a bag up close to the trigger guard.
2. Barrel is chambered true and in what is commonly referred to an "inherently accurate" round. ie. .222 Rem, .204 Ruger and .223 various 6mms.
3. trigger is adjusted for let off

[nvmichael]

Hello my name is Michael and I'm an oiloholic. I oil everything.

Lone Star, I agree with you. My Contender is 21 years old and looks like new. I don't shoot it much now but do keep it clean. I'm in Nevada where temps range below 0 to above 100. I have always used synthetic oils and never had a problem with gumming or anything else.
I'll try to get into a self help program and try to oil less.
thank you for the reply.

If your a handloader you will find most guns are accurate if you take the time to taylor a load to your gun.

I read a lot of posts here about free-floating the barrel. Could someone explain how it's done.

Thanks

[skb2706]

I am sure there are other ways with a Contender but the two I am familiar with go something like this.
1. Hanger bar - small piece of square bar stock with notches cut in the ends and holes drilled to match the dovetail nuts on a factory/custom barrel. The bar is bolted to the barrel and remains with it as an attachment part to the barrel. The foreend only contacts the bar directly on the bottom. The concept is to minimized any contact as it is not possible to truly "freefloat" a TC barrel and keep a foreend on it. I prefer hanger bars and all but one of my barrels has them.
2. Using a factory foreend and a factory spaced arrangment of dovetail nuts in the barrel you can shim the foreend away from the barrel using either small washers or 'o' rings. I use a combination of 'o' ring and washer to get the desired effect.

I am a long time shooter of TCs and have come to believe in the 'freefloat' idea. It has improved the accuracy in every barrel I have ever shot.

[nvmichael]

skb2706, Thank You. I'm gonna try it.

[buckenbass]

I am not asking this question because I need any help, but more to find out what everybody finds to give them best results in making these guns preform..after a dozen feedbacks I was hooping to see a hard list with a three top choices...seams thoughts a little broad..

MY 3
1 A smooth trigger          ( I don't mind a trigger on the heavy side as long as if it is smooth).
2 a forearm that alows you a solid rest either on the range or field.
3 ammo ...  either the search for a good factory ammo   or  load your own..

[skb2706]

nv - I use my TC for shooting prairie dogs out in the dust, wind and weather. Oil doesn't work well in that environment. I do oil them but before they go out I wipe it all off. Makes the lockup and trigger pull much more consistent.

buck - Most of my TCs are not "factory ammo" compatable so loading is my only option. But finding a 'good load' is never much of a problem if the gun is setup correctly.