Just drew a handgun antelope permit up on South Pass. Last year I shot a nice one with a rifle there. Two years in a row is luck indeed.
Handgun permit gives me three weeks before rifle season opening with no competition.
I'm planning to pick up a Thompson Contender in a common caliber: .308, .270, maybe 30.30.
Anybody hunt with one of these?

Last year's antelope on the Oregon Trail

Beautiful antelope! Did you get him shoulder mounted? Never got into Contenders but just about every caliber available. Thinking .243 in a Contender would be sweet for your hunt.

I have a friend who is big into the Thompson Encore pistols.  I don't know how many barrels he has but I did shoot his 308Win.  Think it was a 14" barrel maybe.  I shot it from the bench and it wasn't that bad.  

I have an Encore rifle and a couple of barrels.  If you do buy one make sure the frame is registered as a handgun.  You can't legally put a pistol barrel on a rifle frame, however you can put a rifle barrel and buttstock on a handgun frame.

My brother used take whitetail and hog with his TC in .35Rem.  Never had an issue with downing them.

Check into the .30-30 Ackley also.Its very easy conversion of barrel AND dies and ,of course,you can use spitzer bullets and its very accurate.

Oops

7-30 Waters

Turbo goats aren't much different than deer with respect to caliber selection. Pick a decent deer caliber that shoots nice and flat and get yourself a good field portable shooting rest.

Do AR "Pistols" count?

If so, then .300 BLK Supers or a 6.5 Grendel.

You can get a 30.30 in a Contender but not a 308 or .270.  Have to step up to an Encore for the higher pressure cartridges.  I've done quite a bit of hunting with Contenders in handgun, carbine, and muzzleloader form.  My favorite set up is a 6.8 SPC and its killer on whitetails.

For factory cartridges in a Contender, you're limited.  A good .223 load would work great on antelope at moderate ranges.

For Wildcats, the sky is the limit.  The JDJ family of cartridges have some real performers.   The 6mm TCU(necked up 223 basically) is popular and would be a great load.  I had a really accurate 7mm TCU BUT never could get reliable expansion at lower velocities with 7mm hunting bullets.

I've never seen one but I'd assume a 6.5 Grendel would be okay in a Contender frame.  It would be a custom shop barrel I'm sure.

If you go with an Encore frame would could shoot anything you wanted to.  I prefer the smaller Contender frame tho.

Another WY antelope. About 150 yds.

Attached File

contender in 30/30 is a great choice. I would shoot whitetail with a scoped 357 contender pistol back in central Texas.    

Of the calibers you listed, I would probably go .243 or the .308 with a good brake.

If it were my choice, .30 TC or one of the many based off the .30-30 like the .30 Herrett or .30-30 AI