Scoping a TC Contender in .223

[Knarley]

If things work out right, I'll be getting a 14".223 barrel for my my Contender. I used to have a .222 on it long ago. I don't remember what it had for a scope or how it was mounted.
Would those "picatiney rail" type mounts be a good idea? I don't own a single gun that has those, and I'm not really up to speed on hand gun scopes either. The gun will most likely go varmint hunting with me as a back up for the sneaky ones that come in the back door.

[Blackwater]

Not sure what you want or what your preferences are, and there are many ways to do this and a good variety of scopes out there. FWIW, I watched once as a friend of mine from VA took his Super 14 .223 with a 2x Leupold, and standing on his knees, shot a 9x14" gong at 420 lasered yards 4 times out of 4 shots, for 100% hits at that distance. He'd shot a lot of long range with that gun, and knew where to hold it (how much drop) at 400, and just held a tad higher, and got those results. And it was OFFHAND, too! But that guy shoots like nobody else I've ever seen, and he was a champion handgun silhouette shooter for years in VA, so .... us mere mortals have to at least rest it.

But it DOES show what's indeed possible with accurate loads in a good pistol at distance, even with a lowly 2x scope. For small targets, if that's what you've got in mind, a 4x would probably be better, though, and both you and I would have to have a rest, I'm sure, to hit at longer ranges. Even then, there's be the inevitable "Oops" shots, too, but maybe it's at least heartening to know what CAN be done with those wonderful pistols. FWIW?

[rking22]

I have a Leo 2x on my 223 Super14 in weaver mounts on a weaver base. Been there since early 80s and was good for crows out to about 200 yards. Past that the 2x just didn't have the resolution! Now I would not have the resolution and 125 would be about it. I tried a 6x and had too much "wiggle" for the field of view, even back then! A 4x might be ideal for longer range but be aware the field of view is not much to work with unless well rested. Sounds like you want an offhand setup so I would probably go with a 2X, maybe even a reddot. I don't do much with the variables, so others may have better suggestions, this is just my experience, YMMV.

[contender1]

It's easy to scope a Contender. Remove the rear sight, add a correct base & add the rings & pistol scope. I've got "a few" and some wear T/C bases & mounts, some wear Leopold, some wear Weavers. ALL work just fine.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

back when i had a 223 barrel on my contender I had a 3x9 rifle scope on it it was a hunter barrel with a break on it
was way to loud for me sold it fast but man did it shoot good

[M-Tecs]

2.5 x 8 and a Harris bipod.

[str8wal]

Weaver 92A base and Leupold Rifleman rings, either vertical or standard. Best bang for the buck. The Bushnell 2-6x scope would do nicely on a 223, or a 2.5-8 Weaver or Leupold depending on budget.

[Forrest r]

I like adjustable ao's on my pistol scopes along with scopes that either have target dots or fine crosshairs for target work or varmints/small cridders. Scopes with thick hunting crosshairs are fine for close work. Have a beater tasco 3x strait tubed 3x20mm, the crosshair are so think they cover a crow @ 150yds. The 3x20mm is an excellent scope for something bigger like deer. But you have a flat shooting varmint caliber and an excellent setup that will provide you with untold hours of quality range time.

I use the weaver 92a or leopold mounts on my contenders anymore. My super 14 in 223 is setup with a leopold mount & rings, a harris bi-pod & a burris 10x scope that has an ao and a target dot reticle.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/223contender_zpsfdd33fba.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/user/forrestr-photo/media/223contender_zpsfdd33fba.jpg.html)

Haven't had allot of time to spend on it yet but I did manage to work up 500 pieces of free range brass and I'm in the process of swaging some 55gr hp's (2000) for the contender and a beater savage axis hb.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t242/forrestr-photo/b01be3c9-9b7e-48cd-8b11-6c556217f909_zpsmbztnpmr.jpg (http://s162.photobucket.com/user/forrestr-photo/media/b01be3c9-9b7e-48cd-8b11-6c556217f909_zpsmbztnpmr.jpg.html)

The starting goal for the contender is to get a moa load using nothing more than mixed (commercial/nato/headstamps) brass and home swaged bullets. Last fall I got a moa load for the axis using the same mixed brass/home swaged bullet combo. I'm hoping the same load will work in the contender.

Anyway, that's my 223 setup, it's designed for bench work or from something else flat and stable like the hood, tailgate or bed of the truck.

[Lonegun1894]

I have mine set up with a Weaver base, Leupold rings, and a Simmons fixed 4x pistol scope. Works great for what I need it for, but I have to use a rest to get decent accuracy past 50yds. Now with a rest, I trust it to at least 200, and I'm betting I can get to at least 300yds with more practice.

[BCgunworks]

Not a tc. But here is what a 223 single shot can do.

http://www.handgunhunt.com/promo/membership/features/readNewArticle.php?oid=87&title=February%20Hog%20Hunt

[franklin!]

I have used Weaver mounts and rings, but my favorite set-up is the T/C Duo-Ring Base and Scope Mount. Put the base on the barrel, scope in the mounts, and you can easily remove the scope, still in the rings, from one barrel and put it on another barrel if it has the Duo-Ring Base. You will have to re-zero, of course, depending on caliber. I have this outfit on my .223 10" barrel, and have used the same scope on my .32-20 barrel. Scope is a Burris pistol scope. I want to try this scope on my 7mm TCU barrel as well. Don't know how well it would work on heavier recoiling calibers, but it's convenient if you get more than one base. They are no longer made by T/C, but I see them on Gun Broker and other sites.

[Doc Highwall]

I have the Warne steel bases on mine and have a Leupold VXIII rifle scope 12X40mm with AO and target knobs on my Encore in 223. On my other Encore's in 6mmBr, 6.5mmBr, and 7mmBr I have Burris 3-12X AO with target knobs.

What I like about having the same Warne base on all of them is the spacing of the rings is the same allowing me to change scopes without having to move the rings.

[Greg S]

I'm running a Bushnell 2.5 - 7 on my 223 S14 barrel and like it alot. I mounted it with a standard twist lock front and windage adjustable rear and works fine with the Hornady 50 sxsp. Picatinney rails are nice for removeing and remounting ect but are 3-5 more costly. Although I havemother barrels for my contender (357Max & 445SM), I have never thought of mounting that scope to those barrels. I shoot the 223 the most.

[Doc Highwall]

I have a 10" T/C Encore Custom shop barrel in 7mmBr that has a Burris 2-7X32mm mounted on it, and a T/C Contender with a 10" barrel chambered in 375 Winchester with the same scope.