Two piece stocks tend to be a little sensitive to cheek weld and or butt pressure. How ever you choose to shoot it, consistency is the key. My #1 and #3 Rugers are like that. Is the barrel floated? Could be your getting some sort of rebound from the bipod.

 

I know that the comb is a little low for a scope and put that pad on which helped a little. The other thing I noticed is when the gun recoiled the stock is sliding back slightly in the rear bag which is going to throw the shot high. I think that I'm a little rusty and need to adjust my form. I also forgot my front rest and used the bipod, but have never really had a problem using the bipod in the past on OTHER rifles. At least I got one good group with CHEAP ammo, so I know that the barrel has potential and won't end up down the road

Jay in Oregon

 

The contender requires you to completely rearrange your hold after every shot. You need to resettle it to take another shot. Shooting a bolt action the gun remains 80-90% settled between shots. Just too may things to repeat every time to get a good group.

 

Yeah, thats what me and my buddy were talking about at the range, there's a lot of jostling around between shots and the neeed to focus and repeat. Well at least I retired this year so I have lots of time to practice

Jay in Oregon

 

With a 2 piece stock the barrel cannot be free floated. This makes it very sensitive to the pressure on the forstock. Bipods will make it worse if you tend to load the bipod. The front has to lay on your support in the same exact spot everytime, weather its a bag or your hand kind of like shooting a pellet spring gun.

 

That makes sense, that last group my hold was kind of like shooting my Beeman R7. I had it snug to my shoulder but just resting on my palm. I was trying to stay neutral on the bipod and had its feet sitting on a couple paper targets. But I know it had to be chattering a little or bouncing. I think that I also read someplace that contenders like to be supported near the hinge pin.

Jay in Oregon

 

No it's not floated but forum member J A graciously sent me a Bullberry hanger bar [THANKS again J A ]. Now I'll just need a forend that will fit or modify what I have. It might just be ME since it's not exactly a bench gun. But it sure showed promise with minimal support.

Jay in Oregon

 

I know it takes time to "knock the rust off" when shooting the #1. A problem I don't have with my bolt guns. You'll figure it out with some practice no doubt.

 

I know the feeling. I'm usually a bit rusty, too, when I haven't shot one of our Contender Carbines in a while. It's just the nature of shooting a little carbine with a light barrel that barely breaks 5 pounds without a scope. I also shoot my Contender Carbines with a bipod and a bag. You just need to be super patient and diligent with each shot and be especially mindful of good follow through to get back in the groove. The accuracy is there, though. Just takes a bit more work than a heavier gun.

 

Once I get this one figured out I'll have to take my Super 16 22 WMR to the range. It's been a long time since I had it out, but it was always fun shooting Jack Rabbits with it. Come to think of it, being so short, light and having such a low comb it took awhile to get it dialed in also. I almost picked up a Williams peep sight for it at the last gun show just thinking about the low comb and open sights. But I passed on it since it's getting hard to see them anyway By the way what is your favorite stock for the carbine? I'll probably put my 2-7x rimfire scope back on the 22 mag so I might search for a different stock with a higher comb and maybe a G2 forend. Then maybe a few more barrels... Thanks

Jay in Oregon

 

I have used a small piece of thin carpet flipped upside down to rest the bipods feet on. Helps tighten up some on the vertical.
That said, on my Contenders I mostly shoot them off of bags set back near the frame.

 

All the factory carbine stocks have the same dimensions with the exception of the youth stock. The G2 rifle stock is stocked better for a scope, but, of course, it won't work fit a Contender. I have seen some nice after market stocks, though. Given the high prices factory carbine stocks now bring, probably not that much more expensive.

 

I have a 21" carbine barrel in 22 Hornet that I have shot out of the same stock configuration you have. Shouts the same with bipod as it does off standard front rest. I hated the low comb if the butt stock and bought an EABCO thumbhole set. Barrel channel is a bit big with the TC carbine barrel but it shoots good. I'd try some different ammo. Not had much success with the current American Eagle in my 22 lr barrels. I have a 14" match barrel that shoots Geco LR Match real good off my bipod. Federal offerings not so well.

 

A

Actually I have tried different ammo, Tac22 ,Tac22 subsonic, and Eley subsonic HP all shot decently, but I think that the main issue is me. I've shot alot of my other rifles with this bipod without a problem. But I think that I just need to get back in practice. The TC having a low comb and being a break open doesn't help, so a different stock may help. Another note is it seemed to also show potential with some old Winchester Xpert 22, that will be nice if it doesn't have an expensive appetite The thing that really suprised me was the last group I got by just changing my hold, if it would shoot like that all the time...

Jay in Oregon

 

My 22 LR carbine barrel actually does very well with CCI SV.

 

I have been shooting a contender with various caliber rifle barrels for years. I found adding two flat washers under each fore end screw to aid accuracy a little. I see it as semi-free floating. The trick with the Contenders and the Ruger #1 is to place your front rest as close to the action as possible.

Patience is required bench resting a contender as it's a slow process. If you like to blaze away choose a different format.

 

Perhaps that is why the accuracy is so good with the bipod attached to the Pachmayr fore end using a machine threaded sling swivel stud in stead of a screw to hold the fore grip on. Makes a real short coupled gun, but sure shoots good.

 

I have a couple of Bullberry hanger bars on a 20" 6mm TCU carbine and a 15" pistol barrel.
It claims to free float the barrel, but the hanger bar is screwed to the barrel and the forend is screwed to the bar. I could never honestly prove or disprove that they work.

 

I have a couple of Bullberry hanger bars on a 20" 6mm TCU carbine and a 15" pistol barrel.
It claims to free float the barrel, but the hanger bar is screwed to the barrel and the forend is screwed to the bar. I could never honestly prove or disprove that they work.

That appears to be a difficult way and expensive way to get a little space between the barrel and fore end. The flat washers do the same and are cheap and simple. Since either way is screwed to the barrel there is no free float. Free float to me is when nothing at all except the action contacts the barrel.

The Ruger #1 uses a hanger bar to attach the fore end and has the same problem as the Contender, the farther from the action the rest is placed the worse the accuracy becomes.

 

I use the washers like you have suggested on my tapered carbine barrel in the EABCO fore stock that is sized for a bull barrel. Works good. My 14" wood fore stock has pillars. I think it is one of Tony's. I bought it used so not sure. Have a bipod stud in the front of it and it shoots very tight groups off the bipod with all my barrels, 22 match, 22 Hornet, 223. They shoot just as good with a Pachmayr fore end.

 

Another thing to consider is proper bedding of you grip or stock. With my laminate grips and stocks I use a plastic spacer and a stainless allen screw. Adding the space adds elevation for the hammer and helps even out pressure on the facing surface, rather than all on the screw. With the original hollow plastic Contender stocks I filled the mounting surface with epoxy. The bench-rest shooting techniques are opposite of what is expected compared to bolt actions. Strong twist-forward pressure, but not too much. Test and release pressure till you see a nominal movement point of aim, then fire.

 

Good tip!

 

I have no experience with plastic stocks at all. I find the Contender standard stock to be too low to get a good cheek weld. The thumb hole stock works perfectly for me. However the Encore's standard stock fits well.

My Contender wears a a thumb hole stock and a fore end I made that is considerably more friendly for bench rest shooting that the factory one is. The encore wears factory wood with one barrel. I also have an after market 223 bull barrel that is 28" long and I had to make a fore end for it as the factory one wouldn't line up with the holes in the hanger bar it came with or the holes in the barrel. Equipped with the long barrel it's strictly a bench rest gun as it weighs a little over 13 pounds.

 

I just bought my first contender recently and have realized what a rabbit hole it is that I’ve dove into!

 

I know what you mean. I almost brought home a really nice .223 Carbine with the checkered stock and single screw forend. I'm also still kind of on the lookout for a Hornet barrel, but I already have 5 Hornets!!! JUST SAY NO!!! Unless it's a really good deal

Jay In Oregon

 

"I just bought my first contender recently and have realized what a rabbit hole it is that I’ve dove into! "

Consider yourself lucky you arrived this late in the game. 20 years ago, T/C stocks - grips - barrels were much less costly to find and you could find yourself spending a lot of time shopping just to have this barrel length or cartridge chambered barrel on hand. A single shot exchangeable barrel firearm, a person felt they would have their 'ultimate' if they just had this or that.

Rabbit hole indeed !

 

"I just bought my first contender recently and have realized what a rabbit hole it is that I’ve dove into! "

Consider yourself lucky you arrived this late in the game. 20 years ago, T/C stocks - grips - barrels were much less costly to find and you could find yourself spending a lot of time shopping just to have this barrel length or cartridge chambered barrel on hand. A single shot exchangeable barrel firearm, a person felt they would have their 'ultimate' if they just had this or that.

I remember tables full of them,thats when I got mine. Picked an action, barrel, stock, and put it all together. It was like a Buffet, fill your plate and pay the cashier

Jay in Oregon

 

Late to the game, but I would first echo the comment about having to reestablish hold and rifle position after each shot with the break-open Contender. It's hard to imagine another action style that requires being completely "undone" for every shot; even slide-action and lever guns require less re-positioning from the bench. This is one reason I was never attracted to break-open rifles.

Second, you don't mention weight, but light .22s tend to want to be held in a death grip -- due to the looong barrel time -- meaning pulled hard into the shoulder, very firm right hand around the wrist, and the left hand firmly grasping the fore stock. The latter will be hard to do with that bipod, so I would try the death-grip technique using a BR-style front rest and rabbit-ear rear bags.

Years ago I thought I had the perfect .22 in my 4 lbs., VQ receiver and tensioned barrel, Kidd trigger build with super-light, very minimally dimensioned, low density custom claro stock, but I could hit crap with it. The death-grip technique saved the day and allowed me to shoot some very tight groups, but it was no fun to shoot, so it went down the road. I also still have a very light (4.5 lbs.) Sako M78 action on which I installed a shortened, very thin Shilen 10/22 barrel and a Chipmunk-class kid's stock. Same deal. The light rifle and very tight Lilja chamber will produce some jaw-dropping groups, but only with the death-grip hold.

 

Late to the game, but I would first echo the comment about having to reestablish hold and rifle position after each shot with the break-open Contender. It's hard to imagine another action style that requires being completely "undone" for every shot; even slide-action and lever guns require less re-positioning from the bench. This is one reason I was never attracted to break-open rifles.

Second, you don't mention weight, but light .22s tend to want to be held in a death grip -- due to the looong barrel time -- meaning pulled hard into the shoulder, very firm right hand around the wrist, and the left hand firmly grasping the fore stock. The latter will be hard to do with that bipod, so I would try the death-grip technique using a BR-style front rest and rabbit-ear rear bags.

Years ago I thought I had the perfect .22 in my 4 lbs., VQ receiver and tensioned barrel, Kidd trigger build with super-light, very minimally dimensioned, low density custom claro stock, but I could hit crap with it. The death-grip technique saved the day and allowed me to shoot some very tight groups, but it was no fun to shoot, so it went down the road. I also still have a very light (4.5 lbs.) Sako M78 action on which I installed a shortened, very thin Shilen 10/22 barrel and a Chipmunk-class kid's stock. Same deal. The light rifle and very tight Lilja chamber will produce some jaw-dropping groups, but only with the death-grip hold.
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Well I think that I have it figured out. First it doesn't like my BR-S bipod,but will shoot from my Low-S bipod with the legs retracted. I don't think that it likes those spindly legs extended. It does like a light hold on the forend with a medium hold to the shoulder. So just using my bags with very minimal support it shoots nice little clusters to the same point of aim as using my Low-S bipod. But using the bipod it's a little more likely to have a flyer. I was shooting some pretty good 50yd groups from the bench with no rear bag and holding the forend like an egg with my hand resting on a bag!!! And that was with Winchester XPert 22HP or my Federal Am. Eagle HP's. So it looks like I found a CHEAP date I don't think that it will be a bench gun, but as accurate as it can be, it should be alot of fun out in the woods.

Jay in Oregon

 

Good for you, Jay. These little carbines can be very accurate if you take the time to work with them, finding what hold and rest they like. It's time well spent. Keep it up.

Here's what mine will do when I take my time and work with it and it's not even a Match barrel. The two shots at either edge are the first two shots, sight in shots.

 

Good for you, Jay. These little carbines can be very accurate if you take the time to work with them, finding what hold and rest they like. It's time well spent. Keep it up.

Here's what mine will do when I take my time and work with it and it's not even a Match barrel. The two shots at either edge are the first two shots, sight in shots.

Thats looks about like what I was getting with mine. Maybe if I keep practicing I can do that off hand We used to have some silhouette shooters with 10" 22 Hornets that did incredible things with those Contenders!!! Great little guns!!!

Jay in Oregon

 

For sure, the 22 Hornet is one of the greats in a Contender. I have Contender Hornet barrels in 10", 14" and a 21" carbine.

 

Don Bower broke new ground with the contender

http://www.retro.co.za/gundex/articles/Ultimate%20(Thompson%20Contender)%20pistol%20accuracy.pdf

I do what I can