Author Topic: Is a 10" Contender easier to shoot than a 14", in a deer caliber? Advice??? (Read 1973 times)

smong2000 · « **on:** December 01, 2010, 10:35:16 AM »

Kind of a subjective topic I know but many of you guys must have been through this and surely can give me some advice. Here's my dilemma, I have a 14" braked and scoped .35 Rem Contender that shoots EXTREMELY well off the bench (0.5" at 100). I like it a lot but keep wondering if I'd be happier with something in a 10" barrel like a 30-30 or 30 Herrett or ??. My only use would be range and whitetails at 100ish yards, maybe out to 175. The 14" Contender replaced a 15" Encore and was a huge improvement IMO for carrying and shooting but I still am uncomfortable in offhand and makeshift rest positions. It's also quite a package to carry and I haven't found a good system for it yet. I can't really afford to just go buy one and all the reloading stuff for it easily and as far as trading goes, I'd kick myself for getting rid of a great shooter like my .35 someday for sure.
What do you guys think, pros and cons from experience?
Thanks

I make oil · « **Reply #1 on:** December 01, 2010, 11:30:14 AM »

IMO any of the bottle neck calibers shoot best from a 14" barrel min my 7-30 barrel is 15". If you want to shoot a shorter barrel at the ranges you are talking I would look at a straight wall round like .44 mag, .45 Colt or 357 Max. Just my opinion. I have owned shorter barrels (10" and 12") in 30/30, .223 and 7-30 and while accuracy was OK muzzle blast was pretty extreme which is an indication of wasted powder to me. In fact I don't even own a .223 in a pistol barrel. My shortest .223 is 16" in a carbine which is still too short for me. But it is a Bullberry and does shoot very well so I am keeping it.

Junior1942 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 01, 2010, 11:31:47 AM »

I never liked deer hunting with my 14" 7mm TCU Contender due to the unwieldy factor of the barrel when trying to shoot off hand or from an unsteady position. So I quit hunting with it. Plus it had/has a 4x scope which has a very narrow Field Of View. One of the members here posted a 10" 7mm TCU bull barrel so I took a chance and bought it. I topped it with a Burris 2x scope with a much wider FOV. Long story short, both barrel and scope exceeded my hopes and expectations.

The barrel aims and holds like a dream. The 2x scope is looking at the target when the barrel is quickly up and aimed. So the unwieldy 14" barrel and its 4x scope are now for targets, and the handy 10" barrel and its 2x scope are strictly for hunting.

KYODE · « **Reply #3 on:** December 01, 2010, 11:55:52 AM »

your 14" 35rem is a great one. i love my 14" 35rem for my deer hunting. i had mine converted to use rimmed brass, and use 303 british brass, cut off n ran thru the 35rem size die.

anyway....i prefer and like 14" barrels. they do not handicap me in any way whatsoever. i've never even tried the 10" ers because i like the velocity/performance etc from the long barrels. use of a sling as a shooting aid may be something you could look into.

but.....here's what you need to do to satisfy your curiosity.

pick up a 10" 357 maximum barrel and try it. it would make a good companion to the 35rem. you can use a lot of the same bullets interchangably for target or even hunting. .357" or .358".....pistol or rifle bullets. of course it would require reloading your own ammo. do ya now? you might pick up a used 357 max factory barrel for a reasonable price. save up for a while if ya have to.

best part....you get to keep your good 35rem barrel. you like it....don't get rid of it. add the max barrel when you can afford to.

SD Handgunner · « **Reply #4 on:** December 01, 2010, 03:03:26 PM »

I too like the 10" Barrels for certain types of hunting, but then for certain types of hunting I prefer the Super 14 Barrels too. For me it depends on the type of hunting I am going to be doing.

If I am sitting on stand be it on the ground of on top of a pile of bales I perfer the Super 14 Barrels and only shoot from a rested position such as crossed shooting sticks.

However if I am going to be easing through some trees of a cat tail slough where a quick shot might have to be taken a 10" Barrel just seems to fit the bill better for me.

As for cartridges for a 10", the recommendation of a 10" .357 MAX is hard to beat, as would be a .44 Magnum, 7mm T/CU or the tried and true .30 Herrett.

I did hunt with a 10" 7-30 Waters and managed to take 4 Whitetails with it, all one shot kills. However it does get your attention when it goes off as it has lots of muzzle blast and fairly stiff, but not objectionable recoil.

Good luck with your quest.

Larry

Bullseye · « **Reply #5 on:** December 01, 2010, 03:18:03 PM »

There are some calibers that I want in nothing shorter than a 14", rifle calibers mainly. I have some 10" barrels in smaller rounds, generally pistol calibers.

I used to only hunt with 10" barrels because I thought a lot of the things you did. Now I hunt with mainly only 14" barrels and prefer them and shoot them better even offhand. I still have a 44 mag & 45 colt in 10" though in case the mood hit me for a shorter barrel.

I also prefer the 22lr and 22 hornet in 10" barrels because with that small a hole the 14"ers are heavy. I will probably always keep them around also.

Get a 10"er or two and try them out. The great thing about the Contender is you can buy a used barrel and shoot it for a while and if you do not like it get your money back or close to it. The list of ones I have tried and sold is way longer than the ones I still have. Almost all of them shot great, some just trip my trigger and some did not.

Hopalong7 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 02, 2010, 01:00:09 AM »

To me the greatest thing about a Contender is it's versatility. I would hate to be limited to just one barrel length even if I could pick the length. The original design was a 10" barrel and for several years we thought that was loooong. Then TC announced the Super 14 barrel and I thought to myself that I would never want one of those unweildy things....I can't tell you how many are in my safe right now and the latest addition to my collection is my second 18" barrel, and Yes, I shoot them in pistol configuration. Bottom line...enjoy what you have but don't be afraid to try something else either.

Walt

shot1 · « **Reply #7 on:** December 02, 2010, 01:58:30 AM »

It is almost imposable to shoot any scoped Contender off hand accurately. You need to get you a Stony Point Tri-pod and practice shooting off it. They are light and you can get them into position very quickly. Go to You-tube and type in "handgun hunting" in the search line. One of the first ones will be Larry Wisehume (SP?) on a hunt and he is using the tri-pod and a Contender.

Dezynco · « **Reply #8 on:** December 02, 2010, 02:00:52 AM »

I've got some of both, but I preferr the 14" barrels because I mostly use my Contender while sitting in a stand, regardless of which barrel length. I usually carry a rifle or shotgun if I'm gonna be on the move.

Here's what you can do if you really like the 14" 35 Remington and are concerned about the chance that an offhand shot might present itself. Run down to the local sporting goods store and purchase yourself a 10lb dumbell, practice holding it straight out as if it were a pistol. Do this repeatedly, after a while the Contender will feel like a cap pistol! That's basically what I did to help me to get steady with my 14" Contenders.

I agree with what everyone has said here, the straight walled cases like the 44mag, 357Max, etc tend to work better in a 10" barrel than some of the bottle necked cartridges, with the exception of a few wildcats that were originally designed around a 10" barrel. For example: 7mm TCU, 357 Herrett, 30 Herrett, but those will involve handloading your own ammo.

c_latrans · « **Reply #9 on:** December 02, 2010, 08:18:04 AM »

I have 10" barrels in 44 mag and 357 Herret. I wouldn't even consider a 14' barrel anymore. I however don't hunt from a stand, but move around a lot hunting deer antelope and coyotes. Dale

inluvwithsara · « **Reply #10 on:** December 12, 2010, 03:19:59 AM »

I am a complete newbie on the subject, I see y'all mentioning 14" and 10" but nothing of 12"...is there a reason?
I just bought my first barrel...a 22lr in 12 inch and was about to buy a 44mag in the same...is there trouble with 12"?

spinafish · « **Reply #11 on:** December 12, 2010, 05:03:22 AM »

Nothing wrong with the 12s I have one in 357 Max and love it..just seems to be more 10 and 14's out there..Most 12's I have seen are Custom Shop or NON T/C manufactured..

Curtis · « **Reply #12 on:** December 12, 2010, 11:16:04 AM »

Quote from: inluvwithsara on December 12, 2010, 03:19:59 AM

I see y'all mentioning 14" and 10" but nothing of 12"...is there a reason?

I have always been partial to the 10" barrels because of the carryability, good balance and the history of Contender wildcat cartridges developed for the shorter tube. However I own several 14 inch barrels, mostly in bottleneck calibers that I feel justify the extra length. I don't have any 12" barrels but have thought maybe they're all the disadvantages of the 14 without the advantages of the 10 (or vice versa). But I could be entirely wrong and the 12 is just a good "happy medium". Maybe one day I'll buy one and see for myself.

Curtis

smong2000 · « **Reply #13 on:** December 12, 2010, 11:59:46 AM »

OK Gentlemen looks like I NEED a 10" barrel

. Now to choose a cartridge....

. Got some ideas already (.357 Max seems like a good one) but how about some input on your favorites. I reload and would only be using it for deer at less than 150yds and of course punching lots of holes in paper.

Couple things that I am concerned about, first recoil, second muzzle blast and third is cost.

I can't see myself wearing hearing protection all the time while hunting (I know about cumulative hearing damage) and for that reason haven't considered carrying the .35 Rem with it's muzzle break. I am diligent about protection on the range and certainly would have muffs when in a stand or blind but my style includes lots of sneak and peek through the woods in the wind and bad weather where I need the ambient sounds without attenuation or distortion. Just can't use electronics or plugs.

Is there a 'better' choice of cartridge for a 10" barrel considering those 3 issues?
Thanks again.

Curtis · « **Reply #14 on:** December 12, 2010, 12:55:31 PM »

IMO all deer calibers are going to have a fair amount of blast and noise, even 357 Magnum. Speaking of 357 Magnum, you could save lots of cost by practicing with 38s and hunting with 357. It is said that a 10" barrel with enclosed breach and no cylinder gap really wakes up this venerable round.

Curtis

I make oil · « **Reply #15 on:** December 12, 2010, 10:56:20 PM »

My vote is .44 Mag then .357 Max. for a straight wall round.

Doublebass73 · « **Reply #16 on:** December 13, 2010, 12:49:52 PM »

357 Max if you plan on shooting out to 150 yards. I hunt with a 10" 45 Colt which is probably more quiet than the other straight wall cartridges but has way too much bullet drop for 150 yard shots.

inluvwithsara · « **Reply #17 on:** December 19, 2010, 05:31:30 AM »

With the pistol cartridges 10 inch shouldn't be too much as blast goes...when you say .44mag or .357mag and muzzle blast I think 2 inch barreled revolvers but never would consider anything with a 6 inch or larger barrel let alone a 10 inch barrel a problem.

smong2000 · « **Reply #18 on:** December 19, 2010, 06:23:02 AM »

Well I just made the leap and ordered a 10" 30 Herrett barrel set up from a member here. Probably a little on the light side for 150 yd deer, but should be fun to shoot.

Curtis · « **Reply #19 on:** December 19, 2010, 07:19:26 AM »

Use lighter bullets (110 or 130 gr) and that 30 Herrett will surprise you.

Curtis

Hopalong7 · « **Reply #20 on:** December 20, 2010, 03:45:30 AM »

Alrighty now!!!....Good choice....'course the Max would have been OK too. My first "barrel addiction" was due to the then brand new and pretty much unheard of 30 Herrett. I thought that there was no way life could get any better than this and, even today if limited to one 10" barrel(God Forbid), it would have to be a 30 Herrett, with due respect to the Max and 22lr. The Herrett can be a little persnickity about ammo but don't be discouraged. There have been reams written about reloading and headspacing for it. Just pay attention, go slow, and, as Curtis said stick with light bullets(Speer still makes several good 110's and, of course the 125BT). Good Luck and ENJOY!!!
Walt

goodtime7 · « **Reply #21 on:** December 21, 2010, 01:17:04 PM »

Agree....good choice. I started out contender shooting with a 30 cal Herrett. Got my first whitetail with it. Surprised a few prairie dogs with it too. It still wears the Leupold 2x, that has been in place for 25+ years. Been shooting the 130 gr Hornady SSP's for deer, and they have worked well. You might think about forming a few cases, loading them, and firing them before doing a whole bunch....that way you can be sure that you have the shoulder exactly where you want it. After the initial case forming, they reload just like everything else. Its gonna be fun.....