New to the world of Contender, looking for insights on accuracy with the Max

[pme166]

So, I have reviewed all 214 pages of posts to this web site and it was drinking out of a fire hose.  There is tons of good information here and I am slowly digesting and sorting it out. 

My goal is to shoot 357 Maximum.  I have 2 Maxes already, a DW Supermag and a Ruger SRM that I really enjoy so I am just adding to my collection.  My goal is to bang paper right now but eventually I will try to broaden my skills.  Currently I shoot almost exclusively offhand at 15 yrds, but my goal this year is to move back to 25 yards off hand.  The public range I go to limits a lot of what I can do.

Now, I have determined with your help (thank you all) that I have an early framed contender, made about the fall of 76 and it has not been modified with the easy open adjustment.  I have a 22LR 10" a 357 mag 10" a 45/410 octagonal 10" all with open sights.  I have a 357 Max 10" with a scope mount on it and no iron sights.  The gun has some very nice looking grips on it but I found them very hard to shoot offhand well with my supporting hand under the grips due to the odd shape.  It is sort of rounded then very sharp in the back coner.  This is great for the primary hand and the grips feel really good, but for the supporting hand I can't get good indexing spot so my grip seems to change a lot from shot to shot.  So far I have learned that is not the best way to get best accuracy. 



I also find that the lever smacks my fingers with these grips.  Having read this site, I ordered some pachmyer gripper grips and front fore stock because that seems to be the recommendation for better grips.

Before I give up on the wood grips, is there some techniques that I should try? 

I have also read that some folks support the front stock with their supporting hand or shoot it off the bench.  I have not tried this yet, but is that the prefer ed method?

What sort of sight or scope do you all recommend?  I have never shot a scoped handgun before and only use red dots on my 22 target pistols so scopes and handguns are a new topic.  Any advice would be recommended.

Finally,  having shot a 10" barrel for the 357 mag, I can see i want more like a 12 or 14" for my 357 Max.  Any suggestions or recommendations on which one and where I should get it from?

Thanks a bunch.

[Slowpoke Slim]

As for a scope for the Max, I would go with a low, fixed power scope in either 1x, 2x, or at most 3x. Especially if you're shooting primarily off hand at 25 yards. The fixed power scopes will be less expensive (all things being equal quality-wise). Look on the classifieds here, there are deals that come up all the time on TC, Nikon, Leupold brand scopes that will be very good scopes for your purpose.

As far as your grip goes, this gets into more of a personal preference thing. I personally don't care for the pachmyer grip shape. But that's just me, some guys really like them. That's fine. Try one and see how you like it. They are also easy to sell if you find you don't prefer it. Nice thing about Contender stuff, it's easy to move when it's time to go.

For your grip technique, I would change your off hand to either wrap your fingers around the front of the trigger guard, or hold the rear of the fore end. On my boomers, I wrap my index and middle fingers around the front of the trigger guard. On my smaller caliber stuff, I usually shoot it one handed. Also, try it from the bench, off of a front rest. Or, even better, from a good front rest (rifle rest type), and a rear flat bag to put the butt of the grip on. You will be amazed at the accuracy of the Contender platform when shot this way. It will easily rival a bolt action rifle.

Like this:



As far as where to get more barrels...

LOL, from everywhere of course!

I've got some great deals both off of this forum's classifieds, as well as the Specialty Pistols classifieds. You have to shop around, and be prepared to jump when you see one you want. They usually go pretty fast. I think I would go with something different than just a longer Max bbl. Maybe a 223, or a 30-30, or a 22 hornet, or if you like boomers, a 45-70, or a 375 JDJ  . I prefer the 14" barrels for pistols myself, but that again, is just personal preference.

Also contact Ed's TC's, a sponsor here, he has A LOT of TC barrels.

Enjoy.

[Curtis]

For my 10" barrels I use the same hold you describe (cradling the butt with the off hand) but I don't have your same style grip.  I can see where that grip might be a problem.  I think you are on the right track and you will know more once you try the pachy grip.  I know the pachy forearm is heavier and will tame muzzle flip to a small degree.  I don't like them though (grip or forearm) and prefer wood.

Since you mention possibly going to a longer barrel, I will share this:  On my 14" scoped barrels I have to support the front stock, my normal hold will not suffice.  This is one reason that I much prefer the 10" barrels.  One of my favorites is 357 Herrett which is just a tad hotter than the357 Max.  Recoil is very subjective person to person, but you might find that with the right grips it may be unnecessary to go to the longer tube.

Curtis

[DEACONLLB]

To each his own and for me I have installed slings on my contenders and shorten the sling up and then wrap it around my arm and grab the forend and this woks great for me in off hand but for target shooting the rest and pad off a shooting bench works great also.

Deaconllb

[Dezynco]

I shoot my Contenders offhand just like I would a revolver, with the off hand wrapped around the shooting hand, EXCEPT that I point the first two fingers on the left hand straight out to keep the trigger guard from biting them.  The big boomers can cut your fingers if you leave them behing the trigger guard.

I figgure the little forearm is for resting, not for holding.  I've seen folks try to hold onto that little forearm when shooting a heavy recoiling caliber, YIKES!  I figgure that you better grab a double fistfull of that Contender when shooting the big ones like the 45-70!

I like to shoot mine off the bench just like Slowpoke Slim, it's surprising how accurate the Conenters can be!

[pme166]

Thanks for the advice.  I will have to try mine off the bench like that.  I have the rest and bags but not the forearm like Slim's.  Where did you get that one if you don't mind me asking?

[shot1]

If you want to get into hunting I would get a Stoney Point PoleCat ConvertaPod System Compact 3 piece tripod that adjust from 16" to 38" tall. Practice sitting with the forearm of the contender resting in the jaws of the tripod with two legs of the try pod making a bipod and raising the third leg up and placing it on your shoulder and resting your shooting arm and hand on this leg. It is like shooting off a bench rest. Something would have to be really close for me to shoot accurately with my scoped contenders off hand. Out to 200 yards is a snap using the tripod or a sandbag rest out of a stand.  I have three barrels 10" 357 mag, 14" 6mm-225 Win and a 14" 30-30AI and they all have 2.5-8X28 Weaver scopes on them. They are great scopes. They have about the best du-plex type cross hair I have seen on pistol scopes for hunting. It is a little heaver than most and you can see it better and latter in low light. Never had a problem out of them and you can turn down the power to 2.5 and have a good field of view for a pistol scope and when you need some power for long shots you can crank up the power.

[Slowpoke Slim]

pme166,

I certainly don't mind you asking. I bought it as a 3 pc set used off of another forum (Specialty Pistols). I believe that Dave D. is actually the fella that made the set, but I bought them off of the fella he made them for. It came with the grip and 2 fore ends. The one in this pic is the "long" one. There's a shorter one that has the same profile. They are both 3" wide, and take a wide bag in the front rest. I have overly large hands, and have trouble getting a good fit with a grip. Normal calibers are not as big a deal as the true boomers, for those grip fit is much more important, and the grip pictured, fits my hand very well. I think I must have 4 or 5 different sets of handgun grips laying around here. 3 custom sets, and 2 factory sets.

Keep scouring the classifieds, these style of grips do come up used from time to time. BUT, when you see one, you have to jump on it really fast, as they don't last long at all. Just make sure the grip you're looking at will fit your frame. You'll want a "pre-G2" grip. As far as the fore ends go, the frame doesn't matter (Contender's were talking here now), the fore end is made for a specific barrel, either 10", 12"-14", or "carbine", either tapered, or bull barrel.

I have also shot them in the field from a monopod rest, with a "standard" fore end, when hunting. Then my off hand is on the monopod, and I'm one handing the Contender grip. It's sure not as steady as the bench, but it's much steadier than just pure off hand. Sometimes a pack, or a branch or log will work out for field use, or I can just lean against a tree if I'm up north in the woods. I had a friend set his cowboy hat to smouldering by laying his brake'd Contender on top of his hat to shoot. That was pretty funny (but he didn't think so).

[mbopp]

On my 14" 357 Herrett I do the same as DEACONLLB - wrapping the sling around my arm, this ties my forearm and the forend  together. And I shoot from a kneeling or sitting position if I can for more stability.
For the 218 Bee I shoot off a rest, I really need to buy a bipod for it.
I've had a 2X Leupold scope, a 1" tube red dot, and an open red dot on the Herrett. I find I prefer an open style red dot on handguns used at shorter ranges. I really like the Bushnell Holosight I have, it's too bad they're no longer made. Mueller makes a reflex sight that looks promising though. I like the Holosight so much it gets swapped between the Herrett and my 22 target pistol.
The Bee wears a Bushnell 2-7 scope for long range work, 1X magnification just doesn't cut it at groundhog ranges.
I load cast bullets in the Herrett for practice. I can get a lot more trigger time and I'm not beating myself or the gun using full-house loads. You should be able to do the same with a Max.
I had a set of Pachmeyer grips but the ones in my avatar came from Tonys.

[I make oil]

Good info on this post.  I shoot the way Deacon does with the sling in the field but I also use a pair of shooting stick or when hunting from a box blind use the edge of the blind.  Supporting close the hinge pin. At the range when shooting for accuracy I shoot from bags similiar to what Slim posted.  

I like pachmyer grips and shoot with a modified Weaver grip.  Left hand supporting under the grip similiar to what you described in your initial post.  The Pachy's make this much easier.  To me they also help reduce recoil and help control the gun through the recoil.  Don't try to fight the recoil.  Go with it and control it don't try to force the the barrel down you will end up flinching.  Gently squeeze the trigger so that when I goes off it is sort of a surprise and let the gun roll back with the recoil bending at the elbow and rotating the shoulder back.  That is really the only way I can describe it.  I have seen people not holding properly or fight the recoil and the gun will kick back in their hand or hit them in the face.  Not fun I am sure.  Also have seen people get the web of their hands cut by the hammer that way.

Be careful and have fun.  Experiment until you find what works for you.

[pme166]

Thanks a bunch for the advice.

I will definately have fun and play with things.

Time to start scouring the for sale sections!

[billjoe]

Lots of good insight here but I really like my 10" Max.  It's the only short barrel I have not counting the .22 and the most accurate in my lineup.  I use a Burris 2x on it and Pachy grip.  I don't like the looks of the grip, but it does hold well so I use it.  I like the 10" Max not only for its accuracy and precision, but because its light and easy to carry.  Compare that to a 14" with a variable scope and you can appreciate how easy it is to handle.  Not all calibers make good 10" shooters, but the Max really does.  It's a deer slayer to a 100yds.  I always use a rest and never grip the forend when I shoot except on my .22 because it has a rifle scope on it.  Just my thoughts.  I'll keep my 10" Max!

Either way you go, you'll like the Max for short range shooting.
bj