Hell to all. Just getting started in the sport. Have hunted with rifle and bows for years. Just recently decided to look into handgun hunting. Thinking along the lines of a t/c contender, with a 22 cal barrel, but havn't decided on which cal would be best for deer/hogs in my area.

Oh yeah, I live in southeast Texas ( is there anywhere else??)

Anyway ya'll keep posting, so I can keep picking your brains, while saving for my pistol.. Takes a while on retirement income,,,lol.

22 cal for squirrels/ practicing,,,...
Thanks pards

Never too late! Welcome to the forum!

You would be doing good to start with the.22.For deer and hog in Texas i will suggest a .375 winchester.Here in NY I use a 30-30 and love it ammo is cheap and available almost every where.But every thing in Texas is bigger so I suggest the .375 winchester

My wife and I both have a Contender. I have a Super 14 barrel in 22 LR for both. If I were buying barrels today and NOT Reloading, I would go with a 30-30 as my first choice.

If I WERE Reloading,and looking at TC factory barrels. I would go with a 30-30 Ackley Improved, or a 375 Winchester.

In a Custom barrel I would probably go with a 358 Bellum, I believe it is called. It uses 358 Winchester dies, and I believe 444 brass. It is pretty close to a 356 Winchester as far as what the case looks like, with a little more rim I would guess.

My next choice in a custom barrel would probably be a 35 Remington Rimmed. I believe it uses 303 British brass sized in a 35 Remington Die.

Both the above use standard common (CHEAP) reloading dies.

If you have not guessed I like the 35 Cal/180 SSP bullets for hunting.

I would probably go with 30mm UltraDot's for sights also.

Just my 2 cents.

Welcome to the forum!
As others have said, never too late to start (heck, I was 43 when my son was born!)
For your country the Contender will be a great platform.
The 7-30 Waters might make a great deer cartridge for you although it might be light for hogs.
As others have said, the 375 Winchester is also great.
I would think the 35 Remington in the Leverloution cartridge might make a good all around choice.
One barrel I never had & always wanted for my TCs (I had several) was a 22LR. I don't know why I never picked one up. If I were to get into TCs again I think it would be the 1st barrel I'd pick up this time. Practice makes perfect & with the 22LR you can afford the ptactice.

Welcome to the forum!! As a bow hunter you are going to fit right in!!

From one Texan to another, I second the vote for the 7-30 Waters in the Contender platform. My Dad and I have taken quite a few pigs and deer with the cartridge. If you reload I would even look at the 30-30AI. It is basically a 30 Savage in a Contender.

If you don’t reload, I would even consider an Encore in 7mm08 or 308. More than capable of taking anything in the state of Texas if you do your part.

Duane

Wow,, so many replys so soon. Thanks to you all. I have taken a few notes on calibers etc.,, just in case my alzheimers kicks in, i'll have it in writing.lol.
I hadnt thought about reloading lately. I used to have a set back when most of you were probably in school.lol.. it was in the 70's I think. I really got into it. was fun and was reloading a lot of shot shells for shooting clays.
I'll consider another setup as finances permit.

After carefully considering your post, I suggest going with a 30-30 barrel for the next step: big game up to deer and even elk if you are very careful with range and shot placement. Factory ammo is widely available so you don't need to reload (but can economically if you would like to!) And for hogs, here is a load that would work at "hog ranges": (in close) http://www.grizzlycartridge.com/-strse-1/30-dsh-30-WIN-170-Grain/Detail.bok

A good option would also be the .375 Winchester. I have said nothing new: THANKS to all you other posters preceding mine.

Welcome. Just a side note, you may want to look at getting a retirement job to help with the cost of being a member here. A lot of good people here convincing you (helping you convince yourself) that you need a lot of cool things.

Yes Zac, I see what you mean. However I was expecting this to be a costly venture.

With all of your comments considered, here's one more vote for the .30-30 in a 14" barrel for the Contender.

Welcome aboard. Yes it can get expensive in here.

A lot depends on the terrain you are hunting in. If shots are under 100 yards a standard pistol caliber will work. It comes down to what you shoot accurately and have confidence in.

If I were to start over and reloaded I would go straight to a 338 or 375 JDJ and never look back. Either will cover game animal walking.

Good luck with your decision

If you are not going to reload, then the 30-30.
If reloading, I would lean to the 7x30 Waters.
Welcome, and have fun joining the handgun world!

all of this has been good advice, I too hunt with a contender, but as everyone knows, you should consider a back up hand gun also for just in case. I might add that altho My first barrel was a 30-30, and my next was a 7mm TCU, at the time new york had a backwards law that defined handguns by their diameter, so my wife bought me a 35 rem barrel. twenty years later that 35 has accounted for the majority of my deer harvested. I commony carry a 44 revolver in addition to the contender and have used the revolver when the shots were too close for my contender. I also recently acquired an encore in 7mm-08, but that would be silly to carry as a back-up to the 35 rem. welcome aboard, get a second job and start shooting!

LOL! Ain't that the truth!

Welcome ! The 35 Remington is a good one for deer in a contender; so is the 30-30, even better is the 375 Winchester if you can find ammo for it. If you reload than this is no problem. Good luck and good shooting!

Went out to a local range yesterday afternoon. I met some fine helpful fellows. I find it very interesting that no matter what your particular occupation or background may be, the people at these shooting ranges seem to take you in like a long lost friend.
At any rate, the one fellow had a T/C in 7-30 waters and he offered to let me fire a few rounds, which I happily accepted.
Loved it,,, I even hit Texas every time,,lol..
So I have pretty much decided to go with that cal for my deer gun.

have a good weekend guys en gals
sneekers

Glad you are hooked! The 7-30 Waters is a great deer round.

Ernie beat me to it.