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Cowgirl Corner: TCs, my serious single shots
- North Country Gal
- Firearms Advisor
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- Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 12:46 pm
- Location: northern Wisconsin
Cowgirl Corner: TCs, my serious single shots
They really are in a world of their own, these TC single shot pistols. Been shooting them since the mid 80s. Nothing glamorous about their looks, which can border on downright ungainly, at times, but when it comes to accuracy, look out! Same for performance. That closed breach and typically long barrel delivers a nice velocity boost over revolvers. Yup, when I get serious about accurate handgun work, I go straight to my Contenders and Encores. Here's the three that got a workout, today.
Top is a late 80s vintage Contender with a 10" 22 LR Match barrel. It wears a 2.5x Leupold rifle scope that allows me to use a silhouette style hold. Underneath is a 12" 357 mag barrel equipped for the above Contender. Sight is an Ulltradot 25. (Swapping barrels only takes a couple minutes.) The big boy on the bottom is a Encore equipped with Pachymayr grips for the sake of recoil control. On this outing, it wore a 12" 44 mag barrel, also equipped with an Ultradot 25.
Shooting offhand, of course, is what it's all about for me. At 50 yards with these TC handguns, I'm usually content to stay in that 5 shot group size of 3" to 3.5", sometimes less, which is noticeably better than my typical group size with conventional handguns and not too much larger than what I can do with rifles.
First, the Contender with the Match 22 LR barrel. Pulled a few, but otherwise an okay group. Really not liking the scope, though. Too hard to pick up the crosshairs in that black bull. Think this barrel will get a red dot, soon. Otherwise, the big plus on these original Contenders is the unbelievable trigger.
Next target is with the 357, using the Contender frame and the 44 mag on the Encore frame. I used to shoot the 44 mag on a Contender frame, but recoil could get nasty in a hurry on that lighter platform, so by going to the larger and heavier Encore platform with the Pachy grips, I can totally eliminate recoil as an issue (and, yes, I have been known to go to MUCH heavier hitters with my Encore pistol rigs).
Of course, I also shoot TCs in rifle versions, too. More on those another time, though. Today was all about my "serious" single shot handguns. They never disappoint, no matter how I set them up.
Top is a late 80s vintage Contender with a 10" 22 LR Match barrel. It wears a 2.5x Leupold rifle scope that allows me to use a silhouette style hold. Underneath is a 12" 357 mag barrel equipped for the above Contender. Sight is an Ulltradot 25. (Swapping barrels only takes a couple minutes.) The big boy on the bottom is a Encore equipped with Pachymayr grips for the sake of recoil control. On this outing, it wore a 12" 44 mag barrel, also equipped with an Ultradot 25.
Shooting offhand, of course, is what it's all about for me. At 50 yards with these TC handguns, I'm usually content to stay in that 5 shot group size of 3" to 3.5", sometimes less, which is noticeably better than my typical group size with conventional handguns and not too much larger than what I can do with rifles.
First, the Contender with the Match 22 LR barrel. Pulled a few, but otherwise an okay group. Really not liking the scope, though. Too hard to pick up the crosshairs in that black bull. Think this barrel will get a red dot, soon. Otherwise, the big plus on these original Contenders is the unbelievable trigger.
Next target is with the 357, using the Contender frame and the 44 mag on the Encore frame. I used to shoot the 44 mag on a Contender frame, but recoil could get nasty in a hurry on that lighter platform, so by going to the larger and heavier Encore platform with the Pachy grips, I can totally eliminate recoil as an issue (and, yes, I have been known to go to MUCH heavier hitters with my Encore pistol rigs).
Of course, I also shoot TCs in rifle versions, too. More on those another time, though. Today was all about my "serious" single shot handguns. They never disappoint, no matter how I set them up.
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Re: Cowgirl Corner: TCs, my serious single shots
You said those might not be the "prettiest" handguns, but those shore are pretty POIs in the splash targets! Since I shoot a lot of .357s, those bullet holes in the Contender 12" target look great to me. Excellent shooting!
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- RetiredSeabee
- Administrator
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- Location: Harrisburg, North Carolina
Re: Cowgirl Corner: TCs, my serious single shots
Seriously superior single shot shooting.
I occasionally see an Encore or Contender in the LGS. They don't stay there long.
I occasionally see an Encore or Contender in the LGS. They don't stay there long.
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Load on Sunday and Shoot all Week.......okay it's a Mare's Leg I will reload on Wednesday.
- RanchRoper
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- Location: Land of Shining Mountains, Alberta
Re: Cowgirl Corner: TCs, my serious single shots
I know nothing about those guns, but your targets are darn good. Nice shooting for sure. 50 yds standing with a handgun is no small feat.
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1860 Colt SA Richards Conversion Revolver .45C
1860 Henry .45C
1885 High Wall .45C
1820-1840 Frontier Percussion .50
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Ohkínohkomit - Shoot skillfully
1860 Henry .45C
1885 High Wall .45C
1820-1840 Frontier Percussion .50
1790-1820 Frontier Flintlock .50
Ohkínohkomit - Shoot skillfully
- Les
- Cowboy
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- Location: Runcorn, UK, via Africa and parts unknown.
Re: Cowgirl Corner: TCs, my serious single shots
NCG, do you shoot single handed or two handed?
I'm just curious, really, because I couldn't match your results even if I used a ballistic pistol vise!
I'm just curious, really, because I couldn't match your results even if I used a ballistic pistol vise!
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- North Country Gal
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- Location: northern Wisconsin
Re: Cowgirl Corner: TCs, my serious single shots
Thanks, folks.
Les, with these guns, it's two hands. They tend to be quite heavy when equipped with these bull barrels, though the 10" barrel rig is doable with one hand. I do have some older, much lighter octagonal barrels, made back in the 70s and when rigged with those barrels, a Contender makes delightful one handed dueling style handgun.
Les, with these guns, it's two hands. They tend to be quite heavy when equipped with these bull barrels, though the 10" barrel rig is doable with one hand. I do have some older, much lighter octagonal barrels, made back in the 70s and when rigged with those barrels, a Contender makes delightful one handed dueling style handgun.
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- North Country Gal
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- Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 12:46 pm
- Location: northern Wisconsin
Re: Cowgirl Corner: TCs, my serious single shots
Didn't care for the rings on the Contender being up so higher these of balance with the scope, so changed out rings and headed back to the range, today.
Most likely just coincidence, but shot my best offhand 5 shot, 50 yard handgun group for the year, maybe ever. Would normally have gone to ten shots, but chickened out when I looked through the scope. Kind of losing interest in other kinds of handguns. This is what these darn single shots can do to to an accuracy nut like me.
Most likely just coincidence, but shot my best offhand 5 shot, 50 yard handgun group for the year, maybe ever. Would normally have gone to ten shots, but chickened out when I looked through the scope. Kind of losing interest in other kinds of handguns. This is what these darn single shots can do to to an accuracy nut like me.
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- JEBar
- Town Marshal / Deputy Admin
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Re: Cowgirl Corner: TCs, my serious single shots
a couple of days ago I went to Mag-na-port .. http://magnaport.com/ .. just north of Detroit in Harrison Township, Michigan .... the fellow who runs it has one heck of a collection of TC's .... he really enjoys them
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