Curt from Illinois. Got the Contender bug about 30 years ago, when I was a teenager and shot a 10" octagon barrel 30-30 (ouch!)...but didn't buy one until about 15 years ago. That first 223 has taken a few fox and other vermin; added a 7-30 Waters barrel a couple of years later; then in 2006 I had a custom 18", 405 Win barrel made for it (for Illinois deer hunting), and took 2 deer at 150-some yards last fall. This winter I added a SS G2 frame to carry the "big medicine" barrel.
Over the last two years or so, I got my daughter started with 22, then 410, and (she's now 12) last week a Savage 243...we're looking forward to a jackrabbit hunt next month, to be followed by deer and antelope later.