Thompson Center Arms Contender Pistol ???

[Carcass]

My daughter asked me for a gun for Christmas. Anyone have any experience with the Thompson Center Contender Pistol? I'm wondering if the .410/.45 caliber version would be a good option for my daughter with which to hunt deer (.45 cal) and doves and rabbits (.410). She only has one hand and struggles with the weight of a long barrel gun. Also, what are the legal restrictions to using a pistol for deer, doves, and rabbits? I'd appreciate any feedback you may have as i brainstorm some options.

[sgtkersh]

I don’t think there is any real restricts on rabbits, I would imagine doves in .410 would be permissible as well. For deer and bear the main restriction is for 350 foot pounds of energy with .23 caliber or larger. Turkey can be taken with something smaller.

For muzzeloader pistols, the same .45 caliber or larger restriction as rifles applies to deer and bear. Turkey can be smaller.

See https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/hunting/re...#legal-use for the list of firearms regulations.


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[Carcass]

thanks sgtkersh. from my quick google search, it looks like most .45 cal ammo is greater than 350 foot pounds of energy, so i guess she's okay for deer on that. also, since the contender is a single shot pistol, the restrictions for magazine capacity are not applicable.

for turkey, which move slowly around my decoy, she can handle a regular length shotgun because i have shooting sticks and the hands-free hunting vest she can use. it's the animals that move more quickly that is the challenge. she needs a way to be able to swing and shoot, like while dove and rabbit hunting. .410 pistol seems to be the only thing that comes to mind. she used my shooting sticks to shoot a dove with a regular length .410, but it was a challenge. she wouldn't have the same ability with a rabbit hunt with beagles. just thinking out loud.

[Luv2fish]

I have a Contender with the 45/410 barrel as well as a 30.30 barrel. The 410 is “ok” because of the short barrel the pattern spreads quite wide in a short distance. The .45 would be ok for deer hunting at short distances (30 yards with open sights). I use my 30.30 out to 75 yards but I have shooting sticks and a 3x6 scope. I also use the 125 grain “reduced recoil” rounds.

The one thing you need to consider is the recoil from that gun. It’s got a pretty good kick which may impact her accuracy.

Steve



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[Settle623]

I think it would be fine. You could shoot slugs in the 410 as well. The .45 is fine. I would recommend the lever evolution ammo.


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[Settle623]

You could also go 300 Blackout with a Sig Brace.


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[67gt390fb]

also in order to use a pistol it must be a rile county and the same rules apply ie if for example its goochland you can shoot a rifle for deer but you must be elevated 10feet so the same rule applies to handguns.

[Carcass]

All great points. Thanks for all the feedback.

[Luv2fish]

(11-18-2019, 04:05 PM)Carcass Wrote: All great points. Thanks for all the feedback.

Have you killed anything yet? I’ve decided to use my 30-30 for the rest of the season. Any lessons learned?

Steve


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[Carcass]

(12-11-2020, 10:16 AM)Luv2fish Wrote:

(11-18-2019, 04:05 PM)Carcass Wrote: All great points. Thanks for all the feedback.

Have you killed anything yet?  I’ve decided to use my 30-30 for the rest of the season.  Any lessons learned?

Steve


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we never got a handgun as others suggested it wasn't very accurate at longer distances and not good for a beginner hunter. instead, i got a caldwell gun tripod. she was recently gifted a .243 caliber rifle from the Piedmont Chapter Area NWTF. it's a perfect fit for her. however, the caldwell gun tripod is a bit too short for every situation. i bought her a Bog Deathgrip gun tripod for Christmas, which should help her to be able to shoot in more positions (sitting on a chair, standing, sitting ground level, etc.) Since she shoots a .410 and a 20 gauge pump shotgun, I've also got her the primos trigger stick tripod for when she dove hunts (and hopefully rabbit hunting this year too). however, i think i'm going to have to upgrade her to a semiauto shotgun to give her more than one shot at a time, since i have to shuck in the next shotshell for her with the pump shotguns.