Would like opinions on a good T/C Contender carbine barrel.

I’m looking to buy a .357 Magnum barrel for a frame and buttstock/forend I already have, so it would be their standard carbine contour. I want this for a fun gun, a mild kicking plinker to play with at the range while the bolt actions are cooling off, rolling cans out as far as I can hit them, stuff like that.

I see that T/C’s Fox Ridge outfitters makes one but I have heard varying reports on the quality of their barrels. Virgin Valley makes one but I heard they are out of business.

So, any recommendations for any other T/C carbine barrel makers out there?

Bullberry and OTT are makers I have bought barrels from and will do so again. Bullberry has their own hangar bar system but cut it for factory standard and will build it to standard contours. OTT charges a bit more for non-bull barrel contours and will cut any forend spacing you want.

Jim

I have two Bullberry barrels for my Contender (7-30 Improved and 223 Rem) and also had them rebarrel a Remington 700 several years ago. All three barrels produce very satisfactory results.

I chose them because they chamber to minimum specifications rather that 'loose' like you would get from the factory.

Just a suggestion if you are going to do it anyway. Have the barrel punched to .357 max and you get a full spectrum of versatility. Shoots everything from .38 specials to the 'max'. As the others have suggested either Mike at OTT or Fred at Bullberry can fix you right up. I happen to have a .357 max carbine barrel I got from VVCG and it is excellent, to bad they went down.

Help me understand something about the 357 Max suggestion.

I know the 357 Mag shoots well, I have no reason to suspect that the 357 Max would fare differently. But I'm confused about performance of a short case performance in a long Maxi chamber. It would seem to ne that the necessary long bullet jump is contrary to accurate shooting.

To tell you the truth I was curious when I bought my barrel about how it would do with the shorter cases. I really wasn't concerned because I bought the barrel from VVCG specifically for shooting the 'max'. I was very surprised when I shot some mags thru it.....realizing that the bullet jump was considerable. I could easily get 2" groups at 100 yds. after I made scope corrections. Then for short range plinking the 38 specials.....I never put them on paper but I had no trouble plinking small pop can size targets at say 25-30 yds.
But remember this is a custom chambered and throated Shilen barrel....not a TC factory job.

It is my understanding that the Fox Ridge barrel is simply a factory barrel with the chambering, length, and contour of your choice. I've long thought a 24 inch regular contoured 357 magnum barrel wearing a Williams aperture rear sight would make a very handy little carbine; cheap to feed, but with enough oomph to fill the freezer at close range. As a factory contoured barrel it would most certainly arrive ready to drop in to your existing factory fore end. Good hunting!

I have at least one barrel from most major makers of TC barrels. The exceptions are OTT which I understand does outstanding work and Virgin Valley who reorganized before I could get one ordered.

Anyway, as a user of both the .357 Mag and Max in carbines I'd say that a .357 Mag is all you want or need, that in all likelihood the Custom Shop barrel will be just fine for you and that you can do some truly excellent things with the .357 Mag in an 18" barrel with no NEED to go to a 24".

You will hear somebody badmouth just about anybody. All of my factory barrels perform just fine.

Try Bullberry. I live about 15 minutes away and was visiting with Fred yesterday for about an hour. Picked up a rechamber I had then do and more than pleased with their work. Watched him at the mill machine notch a bunch of barrels for the ejector.

I have two factory T/C Contender carbine barrels, a .17 HMR and a .223 REM.

Both are 1 MOA or less, and both are really handy.

In my experience, the Encore barrels are a little more variable as far as accuracy than the Contender barrels.

I wouldn't be afraid of factory/Fox Ridge barrels at all. My new .204 factory barrel shoots "lights out" and would really test any of my other custom shop barrels.

i have always wanted a TC CONTENDER carbine and .357 mag or max would be my caliber of choice for such a single shot rifle... your opinion is that a .357 mag in that long barrel is all a guy needs?? i suppose i'd get better ballistics with 2400 in a longer barrel like that...... i've been using bullseye excluively but i'm very familiar with 2400 too..........what do you think about loading hard home cast 150 gr. swc over about 16 gr. of 2400??

Winchester 296 is your best bet for max velocity in a .357 Mag. 2400 will work fine if that's what you have on hand, but give 296 a try the next time you buy.

A .357 carbine will make a pretty good deer rifle if you keep the range reasonable. It's a good choice for a young shooter.

what range do you shoot deer with a .357 mag rifle??