[Free Trapper]

I would have been very open to a Contender being used but there was a reported witness to the latest shooting that said he saw the shooter with a rifle.

[tje]

A Contender with a 14 inch barrel and a scope might look like a rifle from the forestock forward when viewed from a distance to the untrained eye. Albeit, a small rifle.

The shorter barrel makes it a little more difficult to work up a good load. You won't get the highest velocities the cartridge is capable of. I forget the rate of twist, but I used 50gr highly frangible bullets. But I don't think this shooter is using FMJ's. The kills/wounded ratio is too high, or he's putting the bullets where he wants them.

[sparkomatic]

reported witness to the latest shooting that said he saw the shooter with a rifle

That doesn't mean much. To an unfamiliar person a contender might be a rifle. It has a long enough barrell that it could cause one to think "rifle" and the scope, if it has one, could cause one to think "rifle".