Specialty pistols and what you use them for?

xphunter said:
Doing a rear grip?
Click to expand...
Yes, most likely. I like the idea of building something else out of it if I don't like the idea after building it. And I'm a tinkerer, so changing things up is always fun...
Savage barrels are cheap to get a hold of also, so I think it would be a fun platform for wildcatting
 
Contender, last version before G2, and seven barrels. Bought for deer and varmints, don't use it for much of anything. Shoot the 22 sometimes to show how you can get hits on small things at 100 yards. Sight in the 357 and 45 Colt before deer season each year but then take the 220 Savage or 50 Renegade.
Play with the .410 and hand trap every few years but don't hunt small game anymore.
Probably ought to sell it as the values are going up and I would like another trap gun.
My two Contender carbines are another story. 22, 223, and 30-30 get a workout.
 
I got a first generation Contender with a 10” 357 Mag barrel for production class at IHMSA handgun silhouette. Later I added a 14” Super 14 barrel chambered in 7mm-Int Rimmed for unlimited.

I now have two more first generation frames but two of the three are set up as carbines, one 22 Hornet, the other is 221 Rem Fireball. I do keep the third set up with the 7mm barrel but it would take no time to switch barrels.

I built a 45 ACP 1911 with a Pro Point red dot sight on a Weigand base mostly for grins and giggles. I only shoot paper or steel targets with it though.

Also, I have a 1911 chambered in 38 Special wadcutters. I have not worked with in a while but it does not feed the last round from the magazine. It shoots great groups though. One of these days I’ll get back to working on it.
 
cfullgraf said:
Also, I have a 1911 chambered in 38 Special wadcutters. I have not worked with in a while but it does not feed the last round from the magazine. It shoots great groups though. One of these days I’ll get back to working on it.
Click to expand...
Ive got one of those too. A Colt Super 38 Automatic, reamed to 38 HBWC, with an extended Bo-Mar sight rib and Karl Nill grips. Runs from a factory Colt 38 special 5 round magazine.

index.php
 
For many years I had a Contender with a Super 14 in .223 with a Leupold 4x scope. I also had a 10" octagonal .357 Magnum barrel for it. Both were very accurate but I just never really got much enjoyment out of shooting it, rarely ever took it out. The .357 barrel was at least as accurate as my 686, but I found myself shooting the 686 instead because I like the feel of it better and the S/A trigger on the 686 is actually better. The Super 14 .223 just seemed to me like a strange novelty somehow -- kind of like shooting a rifle with the stock cut off -- and I lost interest in it after a few outings. Nevertheless, I kept it for about 30 years. LOL Finally sold it and bought a different gun (a no-dash 586, IIRC).

I'll also note here that if you do have one of these for sale, by all means, part it out if you want to get the most for it. I advertised my Super 14 complete on GB (because it was very nice and ready to go to the range and shoot some tight groups) and got no takers after running it through about 3 times. Then I split up the barrel, scope and mount, and frame, listed them separately, and it brought almost 2x what I was asking for the complete package.
 
Last edited:
I'm also into the SP's, and have many XP's and Savage Striker's in various calibers including some wildcats. I've recently also been applying an AR pistol for coyotes this season mainly for portability and have had very good results with it in the field so far. I'm considering seeing if I can pull my 22"- barrelled AR 243 WSSM barrel, chopping it to 18" and putting it on a pistol lower system. Oughtta' be able to net 3000ish out of the 87 V-Max. Should be a very good long-range coyote sniping system.

I also use 22 LR's for walking varminting systems. I have a MR Picuda 3-9X PFI Rapid Reticle, a Kidd-barrelled Charger that now has a 8-26X Horus Vision optic, and now a factory Charger that's (luckily) been shooting very well also. But my favorite walking prairie dogger is my Ruger Mk III 5.5" barrel with a tall Harris on the front and a sling swivel stud stuck in the bottom front of the magazine well (there's room for it there believe it or not) for the ultimate in portability. With a shimmed set of Burris Pos-Align rings I can reference shots to beyond 800 yds. with a 3X Nikon Cross bow scope as that optic has 250 MOA of trajectory compensation in it and a 1/2' turret system (and no I haven't tried to shoot that far...yet due mostly to the fact that it would be very difficult for a spotter to even see impacts at that distance though it is theoretically possible).

You really owe it to yourself to go to Ernie's shoot. It's the best specialty pistol shoot in the world. Wait till you see the customs that show up there. Oh and don't bet Ernie lunch for any shots that you might think he can't make--I've done that twice so far and finally learned my lesson.
 
Last edited:
I have a couple of goals for 2023.
One is getting good with a tripod, using hunting weight center-grips (sitting, double-kneeling, and standing) to see how consistent I can be with 8" or 10" targets. I want to be proficient out to 600 yards standing...This is a hope-Time and actual shooting will tell what I can do with my set-up.
Some of the chamberings will be: 6-284, 6.5-284, 284 Winchester, 280AI, and 300 SAUM.

Also want to hit steel beyond 3K with a center-grip XP or even a rear grip bolt action specialty pistol.
I am not going to use my rear grip 375 Chey-Tac! That would be cheating
 
I have had I think 5 different contenders and probably a dozen different barrels in different chamberings and they are my personal favorite despite a few shortcomings. Honestly the main reason I like them so much is just because I think they are a lovely design and they are just attractive. The shortcomings are that they are almost 100% weight ahead of the grip so they are not very easy to shoot except from a rested position, and they are generally pretty unpleasant to shoot with really high recoil cartridges. If you shoot them with a 2 handed grip, which is what I prefer, you have to be pretty careful about your finger placement to avoid the trigger guard release lever from digging into your fingers. Some advantages are that they have probably one of the best triggers that has ever come in a production firearm of any type. They are capable of very good accuracy, can be chambered in hundreds of cartridges, and aftermarket barrels are readily available. I have been using Match Grade Machine barrels on mine and the jacketed bullet ones have all been 1 moa accurate from a bench. They are also relatively compact and light weight compared to bolt actions, and very slim so they are nice to carry in a chest holster.

I have only taken 1 deer with a contender, otherwise I just shoot them at steel or other targets from the bench for fun. I find it awkward to try to shoot over the side of a deer stand but I took this doe at like 100 yards doing so. This one is a 13" 357 maximum. I much prefer 10" and shorter barrels as they can actually be shot offhand with some practicality.

This is just my opinion, but to me a pistol should be something that you can stand and shoot with outstretched arms and carry in a holster or chest rig of some sort that leaves you with 2 arms. If your pistol weighs 8 lbs and you can only shoot it from a bypod then I personally don't really get the point. Its not a handgun anymore, its a rifle that's avoiding its buttstock for purpose of being called a pistol. At that point why not just put the stock back on and make it an SBR or carbine? No offense intended to anyone, if that's your thing then I'm happy for you. If we all liked the same things then everyone would be trying to date my wife.

155-DD836-3-E6-F-44-A5-A175-5272837-C18-AC.jpg

My new hunting pistol is this Magnum Research lone eagle in 35 remington. Because it is a center grip it is much better balanced. The balance point is just a little bit in front of the grip. I find this much easier to hold offhand, or over the side of a deer stand, or from other improvised rests, so to me it is much more practical to shoot from field positions. It is also very short for its barrel length since the barrel starts like 1" from the rear of the action. Its a rotary breech kind of like a cannon. The biggest disadvantage here is they are long out of production so there are no parts available and the trigger stinks, although I was able to smith mine into a pretty crisp 4ish lb trigger. It was like pulling a staple gun before I reworked it. This is 4 shots at 100 yards just resting it on a pack. I have a 2 power burris posi loc on it as I intend to use it at 100 yards and less mostly due to terrain.

B6F97F4D-1DBD-482B-9D9E-536D506F2521.jpg

I guess I'll let you decide if this is a specialty pistol or not, but I also love shooting this buckmark. I have this old TC 3 power scope on it and also a 2-7 power scope that I sometimes swap on with quick detach mounts. I like shooting steel with it at 100-200 yards and also use it to control the chipmunk population around the house. At 200 yards I can ring a 12" plate 10 for 10 shots from a rest which is pretty fun.

8626AE19-ABCC-49DF-887C-46025CC32A88.jpg
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

bluetopper
  • Locked
Thompson Contender Encore?
Replies
8
Views
4K
hardluk1
H
DMK
  • Locked
T/C Contender, Encore, G2: What's the difference?
Replies
8
Views
5K
Stevie-Ray
Stevie-Ray
R
  • Locked
Bolt action pistol VS cut down rifle
Replies
23
Views
2K
hardluk1
H
L
  • Locked
Your cartridge and what you use them for
2
Replies
36
Views
2K
sscoyote
S
WestKentucky
  • Locked
AR pistol brace used on other platform?
Replies
23
Views
2K
Styx
Styx
Back
Top