Who's a fan of single shot pistols in rifle calibers?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Oh... one thing that seems counter-intuitive... bottlenecks are a breeze in these guns. The big straightwalls are a beast in a handgun like this. If your considering .243 to avoid recoil, don’t be afraid to step up in bore size.
 
I've thinned the herd on several of my scoped pistol length (14"-15") Encore and Contender barrels (and frames) and three XP-100's in the past few years but kept what I felt that I couldn't live without for now.

In the Encore I kept two blue frames and three 15" scoped barrels in 6.5x55 Swede....6.5x284 Winch.....and 35 Whelen.

In the Contender I kept four blue frames and five 14" scoped barrels in 22 LR....6mm TCU....6.5mm TCU....7mm TCU....and 300 Whisper.

I also kept one scoped center grip XP-100 factory chambered in 7mm BR along with a couple of new factory take-off barrels chambered in 7mm BR.

For now I can't ever see myself not having a few Encores, Contenders and a XP-100 or two.
 
WestKentucky said:
Oh... one thing that seems counter-intuitive... bottlenecks are a breeze in these guns. The big straightwalls are a beast in a handgun like this. If your considering .243 to avoid recoil, don’t be afraid to step up in bore size.
Click to expand...

Thats been my experience as well. The magnum revolver cartridges really have some snort from these guns because on a revolver the cylinder gap is acting as a muzzle brake. My 13" 357 maximum will push a 180 grain XTP over 2200 fps. That's more muzzle energy than a 10" 454 casull revolver. On the other end of the spectrum 30 herrett feels like shooting a 9mm.
 
LUCKYDAWG13 said:
Well not a rifle caliber but my Encore 454 does ok 100 yards
Click to expand...

Great shooting. My match grade machine 357 max does similar. I had it out with my brother in law last weekend. He is extremely skeptical of this whole handgun hunting nonsense. After I shot a coke can off the 200 yard berm first shot out of the bag he was speachless.
 
Love my Contenders. Only have .357 Max now, but enjoyed .223 rem and .218 Bee in the past.

Keep in mind that the T/C - Silhouette crowd learned decades ago that slightly larger bores with less capacity fare better in terms of less loss of velocity (relatively) in short barrels than smaller calibers: Hence the popularity of rounds like .35 Remington, .357 Max and Mag, .30 Herrett, .44 Magnum, 7-30 Waters, .30-30, 7mm BR, and such.
 
Last edited:
Yeah the ballistics in 10-15 inch barrels are interesting. For example you would think 30-30 would be a lot more powerful than a 30 herrett or 300 blk but it’s not in short barrels. The 30 herrett matches it with 10 grains less powder in a 10 inch barrel. All the extra powder in the 30-30 gets wasted into the air but you still get the recoil. One cartridge I think would be a nice deer caliber in an encore pistol is a 6.5 creedmore. Should be pretty efficient in a 15” barrel. 243 always struck me as a silly caliber in a handgun. It’s just going to be all fireballs and bang.
 
I'm even a fan of revolvers in rifle calibers.
Like .25 WCF, .32 WCF, .38 WCF and .44 WCF.

Maybe those guys from 135 years ago were on to something?

I've only owned one Contender and it came with a Custom .300 Savage Barrel. After I bought it I was told it was unsafe (Cartridge exceeded pressure limits for Contender) so I never fired it. Passed it along in a trade.

Now guys shoot even higher pressure cartridges but maybe they are all downloaded to Contender pressures?
 
Last edited:
LUCKYDAWG13 said:
Congratulations that's a perfect eating sized
Click to expand...

The picture is deceiving, it’s actually a big 4-1/2 year old doe. Long nose, flat across the belly, and completely grey.

94045 said:
I'm even a fan of revolvers in rifle calibers.
Like .25 WCF, .32 WCF, .38 WCF and .44 WCF.

Maybe those guys from 135 years ago were on to something?

I've only owned one Contender and it came with a Custom .300 Savage Barrel. After I bought it I was told it was unsafe (Cartridge exceeded pressure limits for Contender) so I never fired it. Passed it along in a trade.

Now guys shoot even higher pressure cartridges but maybe they are all downloaded to Contender pressures?
Click to expand...

The pressure limits are dependent on case head diameter as well as pressure. A 223 based case (204, 6 tcu, 277 wolv, 300 blk, 357 Max, ect...) is safe to run at 55,000-60,000 psi in a contender because of the small case head. A 30-30 based case (30 herrett ect...) is good for 45,000 psi roughly. 444 marlin (300jdj, 375 jdj, ect...) is good for 40,000 ish psi. 45-70 is trapdoor loads only.

A 300 savage or 308 is about 444 marlin in diameter but I think saami pressure for the savage is 45,000 or so and the 308’s are 50-60. So a 308 is a no no, 300 savage is borderline. It would be doable if you used starting loads. I’ve seen several 300 savage barrels out there but nobody will make one anymore. The G2’s can take a little more before the frame stretches so you will see some makers that recommend some chamberings for a G2 only, like 6.5 Grendel.
 
I have never held a single shot pistol but am interested in getting one to shoot from my back porch. What is the reason for the long piece coming off the bottom of the trigger guard? Is it cosmetic or is does it have a function?
 
I know the intended market is pistol hunting season, but I think they make great plinkers, possibly even survival gun use up in bear territory as switching from .22 LR or some other small bore small game cartridge to .45-70 or .500 S&W is useful.

Had my mind on one in .308 and would have got a barrel in .460, but ended up not doing it for some reason.
 
Last edited:
farm23 said:
I have never held a single shot pistol but am interested in getting one to shoot from my back porch. What is the reason for the long piece coming off the bottom of the trigger guard? Is it cosmetic or is does it have a function?
Click to expand...
Thats the lever to open the action to load and cock
 
someguy2800 said:
Yeah the ballistics in 10-15 inch barrels are interesting. For example you would think 30-30 would be a lot more powerful than a 30 herrett or 300 blk but it’s not in short barrels. The 30 herrett matches it with 10 grains less powder in a 10 inch barrel. All the extra powder in the 30-30 gets wasted into the air but you still get the recoil. One cartridge I think would be a nice deer caliber in an encore pistol is a 6.5 creedmore. Should be pretty efficient in a 15” barrel. 243 always struck me as a silly caliber in a handgun. It’s just going to be all fireballs and bang.
Click to expand...
I don't think when .30-30 was made that Winchester engineers were thinking of it's use in 10-15 inch barrel single shot pistols, back then barrel length was what made a gun more accurate and powerful. Put it in a 20 inch or longer rifle and it does well.

.300 BLK max pressures are 55000 PSI, while .30-30 is 42000 PSI... quite a lot more pressure behind .300 BLK gets it up to speed quickly in those barrel lengths.

I'd like to see a barrel in .577/450. Don't care if it's black powder, from a 15 inch barrel it would still pack a punch.
 
WestKentucky said:
Oh... one thing that seems counter-intuitive... bottlenecks are a breeze in these guns. The big straightwalls are a beast in a handgun like this. If your considering .243 to avoid recoil, don’t be afraid to step up in bore size.
Click to expand...

That is interesting.
The only reason I was considering it in .243 Win. is that it is the only one available in the CVA, since they stopped making them.
 
Arkansas Paul said:
That is interesting.
The only reason I was considering it in .243 Win. is that it is the only one available in the CVA, since they stopped making them.
Click to expand...
I looked hard when they first came out. The offerings were quite limited. The 7-08 never happened or I would have bought one. I was not aware that they had quit making the various calibers. That’s just another gentle shove over to the encore arena. Go encore and get the calibers you want.
 
They've actually quit making them all.
It's just that some retailers still have the .50 cal MLs and the .243s in stock.

I'm going to pass on it and look to the T/Cs if I decide to take the plunge.

Plus I'm intrigued by the 7-30 Waters. I know there's probably better calibers out there, but necking down a .30-30 interests me for some reason.
And god knows I've got a ton of .30-30 brass laying around. You know, that's a good reason to buy a new gun isn't it? ;)
 
Ok gang I would love one of these t/c encore or contender in a 6.5 Grendel is that possible/safe? I think it would be just dandy
 
Thanks LD13 I thought it must serve a purpose. Just goes to show how much I have to learn. For crows eating in my vegetable fields out to about 100 to 150 yards what would you'll advise?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

L
  • Locked
Stevens single shot pistol 32 caliber
Replies
6
Views
497
hartcreek
H
coondogger
  • Locked
Who uses a single shot for deer
2 3 4
Replies
78
Views
4K
Frostbite
F
G
  • Locked
CVA Scout V2
Replies
8
Views
5K
Caribou96
C
L
  • Locked
Stevens Single Shot .22 Pistol
Replies
2
Views
713
Lovesbeer99
L
ThomasT
  • Locked
Single Shot Pistols
2 3
Replies
70
Views
4K
doubleh
D
Back
Top