I recently picked up a 1st generation T/C pistol on Gunbroker with a 14" 3030 barrel and it has an original TC scope 2.5x20 and I was planning on upgrading the scope. Does anyone have any experience with these pistols and could make any recommendations. Pistol will be used for deer hunting most likely 25-150 yards.

By the way This pistol is a blast to shoot.

Does it have a shoulder stock or are you planning to add one? Will make a difference in scope options.
Burris makes a 2X20 pistol scope that might be a good choice. I had a Burris scope on a .44 Mag TC, but I cant recall the model.

The Burris 2-7x32 should be worth taking a look at.

I have a few Contender barrels. I used to shoot IHMSA matches.
In my 30/30 14" barrel I have an old Bushnell Elite 2-6 power LER scope.Always worked great shooting out to 200 meters.
On my .223 14" barrel I have a Burris 3-12 LER scope. I have not yet tried this. Before I had the Burris mounted I had a Leopold 4X LER scope, that combination worked good but I always wanted more magnification.
The LER scopes require a very finicky eye box that can be frustrating at high magnifications.
You can mount a regular scope but then you need to deal with the small eyebox and a distance of about 4" compared to about 15" for the LER scopes.
Its all about what position you are going to shoot from. Recoil is also a factor if you are going to put your eye within a few inches of the scope tube.
I shoot my 14" 30/30 with a muzzle brake.I use a dead Frog position and shoot one handed.A couple Big Bore 40 round courses of fire and I'm ready to put it away and shoot a few 40 round courses in Small Bore with a .22LR, with a rifle scope (6x24) from a seated position.

First, see if you can work with what is already there. 2.5x is actually plenty for deer in the conditions you describe, and a T/C pistol implies you want a bit of a challenge.

If you decide otherwise though, I've always had good luck with Burris and Leupold.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
Does it have a shoulder stock or are you planning to add one? Will make a difference in scope options.
Burris makes a 2X20 pistol scope that might be a good choice. I had a Burris scope on a .44 Mag TC, but I cant recall the model.

If you plan to add a shoulder stock to a Contender with a 14” barrel you’ll make a regulated short barrel rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by apprentice:
First, see if you can work with what is already there. 2.5x is actually plenty for deer in the conditions you describe, and a T/C pistol implies you want a bit of a challenge.

If you decide otherwise though, I've always had good luck with Burris and Leupold.

I have some experience shooting scoped revolvers and to a lesser extent Contenders.

I echo the sentiment to try working with what you have first. Using a scoped handgun is a bit different than a rifle. High power magnification on a handgun is a difficult thing. It comes with some compromises.

I have a LOT of experience, but what I know about the scopes might be dated now. Single shot pistols were my shooting passion for a number of years, but I set them aside in recent times. I've purchased pistol scopes from Leopold, Burris, Simmons, Bushnell and Bausch & Lomb. (owned a couple other brands that I got for free and gave away lol) At the time, the 2x6x32 Bushnell's were my favorite, I owned many of them, beat on them and never had one let me down. (but I don't know if the ones made today are of the same quality, probably not like everything else. (Like Simmons, the Japan made Simmons pistol scopes were solid, the later China one, not so much))) With the exception of one higher powdered Burris on my .17 Ackley Bee, I sold everything else and just kept the 2-6x32 Bushnells, and one 2x. (the Burris I kept came to me at no cost and belonged to someone no longer with us, that's why I kept it)

Don't waste your time on the higher magnifications. For field conditions, even 6X is pushing it unless you're shooting off a tripod or good sticks or a pack.


By original T/C scope, I don't know if you mean the ones with the built in mount/rail. If so, and you're starting from scratch, I learned the hard way that aluminum is the best. I preferred Millet vertical split rings (at least 3), but they're a thing of the past. Steel mounts and rings may be strong, but they're also a lot of weight. Pistols don't recoil like rifles, asking those little screws to hold a scope and heavy mounts that not only want to go backwards in recoil, but also UP, can be asking a lot. (I've dodged a few flying scopes in my day and near tore off others. And not necessarily with things you'd think of as bad kickers.)

My 30/30 scoped barrel did not keep the scope mounted long with the standard base and scope rings.
I sent the barrel in and had a 3 ring TSOB mount added with the larger mount screws.
The Bushnell Elite 2-6 never moved after that.

I've got a TC Encore .44 Mag, 15" barrel wearing Leupold mounts and an old VXIII 2.5-8x32 scope. I originally tried a reddot, but it didn't work too well...20 years ago so I opted for the Leupold. With that said, I would LOVE to have a 1-6x with a lite reticle or dot on top of the crosshair. Much more power than that and you MUST be using a very solid rest like a bench or solid sandbag. Any little movement you make transfers to huge movement at a distant range.

Also, for what it's worth I did have a trigger job done by a competent gunsmith which knocked the trigger pull down to 2.5 lbs.

Enjoy it, and get a .22 LR barrel. Way cheaper to shoot!

If you are looking for the King of TC Contenders and Encores checkout SSK Firearms formerly SSK Industries. It's all high end stuff. They are still retooling the site so be patient.