Have a TC Encore and like the platform a bunch. Have 50×209 mag, 223 rem, 25-06, and 45-70 barrels. I have a love for short barrels so with this in mind, the 45 70 is a Katiden barrel and the 223 and 25 06 have a parred down barrels to 16.5 inch. Thinking about cutting the .50 down as well.
My thinking behind the short barrels is to have em threaded and do the subsonic silencer thing. The 223 barrel is destined to become a 357 mag reline job for the silencer treatment ... however the 25 06 WAS destined for a large cal short case but ... before buying the liner for it i thought ... i better shoot these shortys first to know what i had.
The 223 was and is fair accurate with factory loads and just p@@s poor with cast boolits. However ... the 25-06 is a total trip. I loaded 5 shells as such, full length size in rcbs die, CCI large rifle primers, 75 grain hollow poing bullets from Hornaday, and finally 50 grains IMR 4350 powder for around 3100 FPS.
This is no barn burner, nor would it be out of the home shortened 16.5 inch barrel and hand crowned. Could have knocked me over when i try them at 25 yards. I shot 4 into a hole that didnt measure 3/8ths of an inch. Thinking i could not have just fired 4 in one very small hole, i moved my aim 3 inch to the right and shot the 5th shot. If i could move the hole horizontally 3 inch to the left it would have been EXACTLY in the same 3/8th inch hole. Now i know 25 yds is no proof of repeatability, however the 45-70 and the 223 barrels would NOT do this at the same yards ... so before i do any further work on the 25-06 shortened barrel, i am going to ring it out first to be sure i dont have a short hunter in the short barreled 25-06. Not the chamber i had in mind but ... if it will shoot well i can not in all concience line it to something else.
Hoping that it will shoot lead this well. Pictures to follow