I'm going to retype this instead of copy and paste and see what happens.

357 Magnum is appealing with its ability to digest anything from 38 WC to Dan Wesson's grizzly loads.

44 Special has a lot to recommend it, but I've pretty much standardized on loads for my Jeff Quinn Shootist Bisely and the Taurus snub. I don't really want to have to come up with another ammo can just for another type of loading, although it'd probably do great with the loads mentioned above anyway.

44 Magnum has a lot to recommend it, especially since I've no other firearm in that caliber. The ubiquitous .429-.430 projectiles aren't too hard to source in a variety of interesting weights, but I've only perhaps a couple dozen range pickup brass cases in the midden heap.

45 Colt would provide a platform to wring more out of the round than I'm interested in trying for in my Vaquero and Blackhawk. Plus I've a decent stash of brass and a bunch of 300 gr hard cast that need SOMETHING to launch them from. But then crops up the possibility of confusing loads - which is why I've no SAA sized 45 Colt (that and USFA went down the tubes before I could do anything about scratching that itch). I've really no urge to replicate Elmer Keith's 4th of July experience, nor to notch my noggin by slipping a heavy load into the Rugers thinking they were simple mid range fodder.

The last four would definitely do good service on North American cervids that may be encountered by yours truly, the first few in the list would of course do great work on small to medium critters.

So I guess what I'm aiming at is the perception of the denizens of the forum as to what would be the most versatile caliber in a 10" Contender style single shot platform. If you were contemplating assembling a dedicated 10" singleshot straight wall cartridge pistol, what would you choose?

I would say 44mag or 45 Colt. If you handload, nothing you shoot could tell the difference. Components are relatively available, compared to some. Consider threading the barrel... you mentioned 300gr bullets... at 1050fps, suppressed, they are addictive.

Years back I had a bunch of Contender and Encore frames/barrel, all gone now

Mainly 41 Magnum, I know who would have guessed , shot handgun silhouettes for a few years and used a 15" encore with a 30-06 barrel, 14" 6.5 TCU Contender then switched to a 13" custom 6.5 Swede for unlimited division and the 10" and 14" 41 Magnum Contender barrels for other divisions.

I was into the Contender/Encores heavy in the 2000's but lost interest in IHMSA and bench shooting and sold everything to buy other things that interested me more.

Contenders are lite weight and recoil directly rearward, 10 inchers can get snappy, food for thought. Ultimately it comes down to what you what to use it for......plinking and a little medium game hunting????

My choice is a 357 Maximum.....lite 38 Spl for plinkng and heavy 180gr Max loads for game, say 12-13" barrel length.

Gunner

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https://www.instagram.com/41gunner/
41 Mags rule, Baers rock!

The older I get, the more utility I see in the 41 Magnum. Only other choice would be a 480 Ruger barrel to go with my Bisley.

Dave

https://www.sskfirearms.com/357-rem-max-cbl10.html

Pros, costs less than used and $80 to $100 less than their other barrels.

Cons, lug spacing might not fit readily available forends and it is assumed that the chamber is reamed to "revolver" specs. Chamber configuration doesn't bother me as it is certainly more accurate as it is than I can steer it.

The Wikipedia article refers to the company past tense. Is this true?

Smith and Wesson certainly doesn't seem to have done much with the company after they acquired it.

and "New and Improved" it according to reports I've read from some of the early adopters. That's what sparked these (disjointed and disconnected) threads over the past few days. I've not seen a Contender frame for sale at a reasonable price in ages, the new SSK version gives hope (although they're still catching up on backorders from those who already knew about them coming out).

I would probably have to go 44 Magnum. You can load it mild to wild for anything you might need.

The 45 colt would be good but stay away from the 45-410 barrels. I have one and it patterns ok with 410 but I never could get good accuracy with the 45 colts