WB, you and I are kinda' poor relations in this club, I guess. I've just got one frame. Like the 10" oct. barrels. I've got a non-match .22 LR that must THINK it's a match grade, because it would out-shoot my M-39 Marlin, and the Marlin wasn't any slouch, either. Then got a .221 FB. My favorite barrel's a .256 Win. Mag. and I even scored 750 rds. of original brass. Forming cases isn't any picnic, but I DO love to shoot that barrel. Blast is more pleasant than the .221 and those .25's hit a lot harder than .22's.
Then there's the .30 Herret - the only round "bull" barrel I've got. Took my first handgunned deer with this one, and with a 125 gr. Nosler BT, was VERY impressed with the damage it did. Darn fine caliber, even if some folks DO call it "obsolete," whatever THAT is supposed to mean. Have the forming dies, complete with inside neck reamer. A pain to form cases for, but may well be the best 10" caliber going - probably a smidgen "better" than a 7mm. TCU, though I don't think anything shot with them could tell the difference between the two.
Then there's the .357 oct. 10" barrel, and another .357 I had reamed out to the Maximum. Hard to decide whether to shoot the Herret or the Maximum on my next foray after venison.
I also like the older pattern, smaller grips. Just make the whole gun feel REAL NICE, I think, and handle really splendidly. I've got iron sights on the .357 and a red dot on the Maximum. Have a 2x Leupold on the Herrett, so if I go back under the tall pine canopies, I'll use the Maximum, with its red dot. If out in more "open" country, I'll go with the Herrett.
I've got the camo colored syn. rifle butt and forend for tapered barrel. I need to get a .22 LR Match blued barrel and maybe a 7x30 Waters or .30/30 to match. Maybe a .22 Hornet or .223 would be nice, too, but don't have them yet.
For everyday shooting of no particular intent or type, just "messin' around" shooting, I'll take that little .256 ANY day. Darn flat trajectory, mild recoil, enough "whoomph" to whoomph whatever needs whoomphing - what more could a man want???? I like the 75 gr. bullets, mainly the 75 gr. Hornady HP and the 75 gr. Hornady V-Max. I think the V-Max is probably the better bullet for all around use, but the HP is a little cheaper and punches fine lil' holes in whatever needs a hole in it. Then too, "messin' around" with a Contender 10" oct. is a right nice way to pass a little time. That's my take on it, anyway.
If anyone has a blued - or even a stainless - .22 LR carbine barrel, let me know. I may just add something to the collection. I do have a Super 14 .30/30 barrel I permanently added a 2 5/8" extension to, and made it a "recoil compensator." For ONCE, it worked better than intended. I can shoot it off bags with the pistol grip, and there's NO MOVEMENT AT ALL when the trigger's pulled! Since I drilled all the holes myself, nobody was more surprised than me at the way it worked. Cuts down the flash, too, so back up under a tall, thick pine canopy, it'll really be nice not to be blinded when I pull the trigger. Neat little barrel. I'd trade it for a .22 LR barrel, though. I just don't think I'll ever really use it for deer, with so many other guns to take afield, but I think I really would USE a .22 LR. Anyone interested in a trade????
Then there's the .30 Herret - the only round "bull" barrel I've got. Took my first handgunned deer with this one, and with a 125 gr. Nosler BT, was VERY impressed with the damage it did. Darn fine caliber, even if some folks DO call it "obsolete," whatever THAT is supposed to mean. Have the forming dies, complete with inside neck reamer. A pain to form cases for, but may well be the best 10" caliber going - probably a smidgen "better" than a 7mm. TCU, though I don't think anything shot with them could tell the difference between the two.
Then there's the .357 oct. 10" barrel, and another .357 I had reamed out to the Maximum. Hard to decide whether to shoot the Herret or the Maximum on my next foray after venison.
I also like the older pattern, smaller grips. Just make the whole gun feel REAL NICE, I think, and handle really splendidly. I've got iron sights on the .357 and a red dot on the Maximum. Have a 2x Leupold on the Herrett, so if I go back under the tall pine canopies, I'll use the Maximum, with its red dot. If out in more "open" country, I'll go with the Herrett.
I've got the camo colored syn. rifle butt and forend for tapered barrel. I need to get a .22 LR Match blued barrel and maybe a 7x30 Waters or .30/30 to match. Maybe a .22 Hornet or .223 would be nice, too, but don't have them yet.
For everyday shooting of no particular intent or type, just "messin' around" shooting, I'll take that little .256 ANY day. Darn flat trajectory, mild recoil, enough "whoomph" to whoomph whatever needs whoomphing - what more could a man want???? I like the 75 gr. bullets, mainly the 75 gr. Hornady HP and the 75 gr. Hornady V-Max. I think the V-Max is probably the better bullet for all around use, but the HP is a little cheaper and punches fine lil' holes in whatever needs a hole in it. Then too, "messin' around" with a Contender 10" oct. is a right nice way to pass a little time. That's my take on it, anyway.
If anyone has a blued - or even a stainless - .22 LR carbine barrel, let me know. I may just add something to the collection. I do have a Super 14 .30/30 barrel I permanently added a 2 5/8" extension to, and made it a "recoil compensator." For ONCE, it worked better than intended. I can shoot it off bags with the pistol grip, and there's NO MOVEMENT AT ALL when the trigger's pulled! Since I drilled all the holes myself, nobody was more surprised than me at the way it worked. Cuts down the flash, too, so back up under a tall, thick pine canopy, it'll really be nice not to be blinded when I pull the trigger. Neat little barrel. I'd trade it for a .22 LR barrel, though. I just don't think I'll ever really use it for deer, with so many other guns to take afield, but I think I really would USE a .22 LR. Anyone interested in a trade????
