I was looking at the pics on this forum and see a lot of elegant and some not so elegant hand gun designs.

I have a scoped Contender 30/30 with pachmeyer grips. I find it easy to shoot in that configuration. (and no brake needed) I would not say easy to carry, but within the context of this type of firearm it is reasonably handy. I like the break open action, because it allows the maximum barrel length in the shortest and lightest package. IMHO.

The bolt action pistols add weight and sometimes extend the barrel way out. On a gun that is only marginal practical to begin with those extra ounces and inches are too much for me.

So; thats my point of view based on a ownership of two Contenders and nothing else. I would be interested to hear a debate of the relative merits of other design types. Not brand names , but designs, bolts, falling block or semi-auto or whatelse?

I kind of agree with you in general but each to there own. I won't say anything against the guys with the XP's and Strickers etc.


I really like my E.A. Brown falling block handgun. It is about the same dimentionally as the T.C.

I like a scoped revolver for hunting but for me the X frames are too big and I'd just as soon carry a rifle but again each to their own.

It's hard to say which is the best design. I have 3 Contenders, 1 Encore, 5 centerfire Savage Strikers, and 1 XP but I can't really say which one I like better than the others. The bolt pistols are the hardest to carry hunting, so they usually have a sling attached. I found a bandoleer holster for the Contenders that works until you wear it with a real heavy jacket. Then you have to find a way to carry a set of shooting sticks and have them handy and ready to use. I have also been known to carry a S&W 44 Mag tucked inside my belt when I wanted to travel light.

I guess I did'nt address the portability aspect.
Actully anything I have that is scoped I carry on a sling. I have one of those holsters for the T.C. but I'd rather carry it on a sling.
Like Nashcat also said I have been known to carry a big bore revolver in leather sometimes as my primary hunting revolver and sometimes as a backup handgun for fast jumpshoot (Like following wounded game)when hunting with my Scoped singleshot handgun.

Well nothing "marginal" about my bolt guns, don't know what you are refering to there but as far as the question goes....

For woods hunting with relatively close shots I prefer a 10-12 inch Encore or Contender or a scoped revolver. Very portable, and easy to shoot offhand if needed.

When sitting watching a field I prefer a bolt action as their consistancy is better than anything else I've shot.

For hunting out west for Antelope I prefer a bolt gun as well. Something flat shooting to 600 + yrds.

For Africa I used my bolt gun in .338 WSM with a 15 inch barrel and found it to be perfect out to 350 yrds on Kudu size game.

So I guess to me it all depends on what I'm hunting and where I'm hunting as to which handgun type I choose.

quote:

For hunting out west for Antelope I prefer a bolt gun as well. Something flat shooting to 600 + yrds.

I had no idea this was going on!

I've used numerous Contenders, a couple of Encores, 7 XP-100's, an RPM XL with 2 barrels, and a Savage Striker.
For me, the best / most versatile single shots are T/C Contenders with the "easy open" configuration and S/N's above 125,000.

quote:

Originally posted by fourbore:

quote:

For hunting out west for Antelope I prefer a bolt gun as well. Something flat shooting to 600+ yrds.

I had no idea this was going on!

When he said 600+, he meant every bit of the "plus"

The XP 100 format is the King for long range shooting with a handgun. They handle virtually anything made and with the ability to buy good Remington fitting custom barrels you are only limited by your pocket book. (And recoil stamina)

Greg

What is "best" for me is more determined by the parameters that the SP in question will be used for.

For my uses, I have no desire for a TC Encore,G-2/Contender.
Why? They cannot perform the way I want them too.

For someone else, they may be the "best."

For the kind of shooting/hunting/competing I do I will use either a Bolt-Pistol or a MOA.

I have also been playing some with the new FA single-shot pistol. I am not against break-opens, but I want a free-floated barrel and I get that with the FA design.
Looking forward to see what I can do with it.

quote:

What is "best" for me is more determined by the parameters that the SP in question will be used for.

This is a good reply. When I asked the question, my experience was limited to my contender. This sport has evolved far beyond my experience.

The break action is best for me, but I understand, there is no single best for everyone. I cannot imagine shooting anything with a handgun at 600 yards. Damn!

This will give you a teaser for how some of like to play. I posted this earlier elsewhere several weeks ago:

"Been out of pocket for awhile helping teach a couple of LR shooting schools. Took my 7mm SAUM center-grip XP and my 7mm Rem Mag Improved MOA--Can't let the rifle guys have all the fun.
Worked very long days, but it was great.
Darrell has opened the school to specialty pistol shooters when I am there, but we had none this year.
When I had some free time when the students were on solo mode I was able to do some shooting between 400 to just under 900 yards.
Lady luck was on my side, because I never missed steel one time. I wish I could say this is always the case, but it is not so.
So yes, I am sharing the joy :grin:
Also, about 20 rifle guys got introduced to specialty handguns at long range.
None of this shooting was from the bench and there was no wind flags.
One of the students who watched me shoot beyond 800 yards in a 14mph wind on Friday, told me that if he read or heard someone talk about such a shot with a specialty handgun he would say that person is full of cow manure (I edited his actual words). I asked him what thought about it now, and he said with a smile, I witnessed it myself and I still can't believe it.""

Here is a pic of the 7mm SAUM XP-100


Two one-shot attempts at 775 yards (one shot per person).
This was Jody's first shot from a SP.
He was one of the assistant instructors.



Practicing under 400 yards, unless the wind is really crazy can get boring for some folks I know using specialty pistols.

Anyone advocating "hunting" at those extended....600-900yds needs to ask themselves just what hunting is, and I don't care if its using a SP or a rifle. Its plain irresponsible and accuracy has nothing to do with it. That said, my Custom Encore w/15" bbl 7mm Rem mag is as good as any other platform used.

I think that Remington in their unguided, no market research way, did away with the XP-100 Centergrip pistols way to soon! If they'd re-tool and make a run of them built to to the quality of the centergrips turned out in the 70-s and 80's and early 90's, chambered in 7BR(my first choice and first love of the XP's) 223, 6BR, and any myriad of chamberings in between, they'd be all sold before they were made............but alas, RUM's take precedence!! Look at Remingtons marketing now! Nothing in 222Rem, 6mmRem, one offering in 25-06, and nothing in 260 Rem. And they tore themselves a new one when they let Winchester beat them to the market with WSM's instead of the SAUM's that already had the R&D done but were set on the shelf so they could go to market with the RUM's........biggest, baddest whatever!!!! The SAUM case design is superior to the WSM design!!! And if either of the Big 2, (Remington or Winchester) had had the wherewithall to make their short magnums in .257 or .264 they'd have sold a bunch more!! And the popularity of the "hand rifles" was brought about by the advent of the XP-100 originally chambered in 221 Fireball back about 1963. The marketing expertise of T/C and others was spawned from this.
As to Woodrow S and his aversion to long range "hunting".............in the words of Chuck Yeager, "It ain't bragging if you can do it!" Groundhog hunting starts at 400 yards! That don't mean we don't shoot them at less distance, it just means that up to that distance, a miss is the shooter's fault!! GHD PS: And deer's is varmints around here too and they're a lot bigger!!

quote:

Originally posted by Woodrow S:
Anyone advocating "hunting" at those extended....600-900yds needs to ask themselves just what hunting is, and I don't care if its using a SP or a rifle. Its plain irresponsible and accuracy has nothing to do with it. That said, my Custom Encore w/15" bbl 7mm Rem mag is as good as any other platform used.

Differ with you in two ways.

First, I will take on an Encore any day in field shooting conditions or from the bench for that matter.

Hunting is what is legal first of all.
What may be irresponsible for you is not automatically irresponsible for someone else.

A bullet in the vitals, is a bullet in the vitals.
Accuracy does have something to do with it, besides a number of other factors.

Some guns have no business, since the accuracy potential alone knocks them out.

In other situations, the gun may have the accuracy and there may be enough impact velocity for the bullet to performance, but the conditions may not allow it or the person behind the trigger may not be up to the task.

GHD,
Good to see you.
Most of the time for me, pd shooting begins at 1,000 yards.

I did use a factory Ruger Charger (22lr) and took out a pd @ 345 yards at the end of June.

Getting a 22LR built up on a clone Charger action (rear grip specialty pistol) with a goal in mind of 400-440 yards.
Quarter Mile Rimfires-I like the sound of that.

Still have that 2K goal on pd's with center-fire specialty handguns.

Ernie, Didn't mean to flame anyone or any firearm! may have come off that way. Sorry. If I was in leg distance of you, you could KICK MY ASS for ever selling any of the XP's I've owned!! I have owned the Contenders but not the Encores in pistol form...........maybe I need to get me some Encore pistol barrels and check it out. The old factory XP's just had inherrent accuracy it always seemed. But then again it's a damn sight easier to make and accurate 14.5" barrel than it is a 26" one!! Them little short stiff actions with short barrels did the trick. My best groundhog shot with an XP(7BR with an original Bushnell Holosite on it) was 376 yards!! Talk about a horseshoe up the butt!! Held that dot above the groundhog and the 120 Hornady VMAX hit him in the center chest bone! What a smack! Probably could have stood 10 more groundhogs up there at that distance and I'd have missed them all! I have shot a lot of groundhogs with the XP's from 200-300 in 223,6BR and 7BR.....not really difficult with a rest and good optics.......Burris 3-12's or the holosite with a lot of range time. I still have a couple of the holosites in the safe.....maybe I need another 7BR to get them back in action. I would love to visit and do some shooting at your PD's at 1000. But I would be limited to the rifles in 6MM and 260. GHD