Encore

[white eagle]

does anyone notice that Encore's have a lower pressure
threshold than other guns
from what I have noticed from mine is I can't load to
max BOOK levels or even close to them with my
Encore barrel
so far I have experienced blown primers and case head seperation
which have happened with charges under book max load data

[marcusp323]

Almost sounds like the barrel isn't fitting up tight when you have those 2 problems. Maybe your gun just doesn't like those loads though, or you have a detonation issue with that combo. Tried other powders at all?

[NSB]

The Encores will go to max pressure, you have something else wrong with your gun. There is a very simple way to check headspace on these guns, and it's pretty easy to correct. Are you using aftermarket barrels on your gun? It sounds like you definitely have a headspace problem. There could be some other issues such as how you're sizing your brass, etc.. What caliber are you having a problem with? Factory or reloaded ammo? If reloaded, are you using virgin brass or using range pick-up or brass fired out of another gun? Not nearly enough info here, but I'd bet it's not just that you're shooting an Encore. My case life is excellent and I have no primer problems either. In fact, this isn't something I've heard of very often and when I did it was the ammo, not the gun.

[white eagle]

the barrel is a MGM in 224 tth (6mm-22)
virgin brass no pick up's
can't buy factory fodder for this cal
this is a wildcat cartridge
something else I have had trouble opening the rifle
and just broke the extractor on the gun

[NSB]

the barrel is a MGM in 224 tth (6mm-22)
virgin brass no pick up's
can't buy factory fodder for this cal
this is a wildcat cartridge
something else I have had trouble opening the rifle
and just broke the extractor on the gun

If I were you, I'd measure the headspace on the gun/bbl combo. I have two MGM barrels and there's nothing wrong with the way they make them. However, they have tolerances and so do the guns. Add that to what the sizing die is producing and you could easily get a problem. Measuring headspace on these guns and barrels isn't overly difficult. You need to end up with .004" or less to get best results. My last MGM barrel in .223 Rem was giving me over .004" and I was getting quite a bit of vertical stringing and grouping was fair to bad. I took care of the headspace and started actually full length sizing my brass and adjusted the headspace to the brass....pretty easy to do. I no longer have stretched brass, difficulty opening/closing the gun, vertical stringing, and group size has shrunk remarkably. All this can be measured and done with a set of feeler gauges and a height gauge and shims available from Mike Bellm. It's very easy to do once you read the directions (or watch the videos). How are you sizing the brass? Neck, bump shoulder, or neck sizing only? Here's pics of my most recent improvements. I'm now ladder testing two powders to improve the groups further. These two pics are of one bullet/powder combo of before and after playing with the gun initially. I'm trying to get it smaller than a dime each time at 114 yards (my deck to back stop).

Attachment 240021Attachment 240022

[ShooterAZ]

Are you forming your own brass? If so, I'll go out on a limb and speculate that the problem lies somewhere within that process. Case too long, neck too thick, excessive headspace, something along those lines? Again, just an educated guess without seeing what is going on.

[white eagle]

forming brass is quite simple really
just get your 6mm Remington brass
and resize the neck to 22 cal
I do have a Redding 22-6mm die
normally and what I most always do is neck size only
to as close to shoulder as I can get and check fit in rifle
my first thought when I had a case separate is a headspace issue
I was in the process of checking that when these other issue took control

[NSB]

forming brass is quite simple really
just get your 6mm Remington brass
and resize the neck to 22 cal
I do have a Redding 22-6mm die
normally and what I most always do is neck size only
to as close to shoulder as I can get and check fit in rifle
my first thought when I had a case separate is a headspace issue
I was in the process of checking that when these other issue took control

Neck sizing only is rapidly falling out of favor. Sooner or later you're going to have to full length size anyway. It sounds like your neck sized cases are stretching too much when fired and causing the primer problem, and the case head separation. Neck sizing only will also make your gun difficult to close. By full length sizing every time and making ammo to fit your gun by controlling headspace you get more consistency. Sizing your necks down to .22 from 6mm is probably causing the necks to get thicker when you do it. Are you turning the necks on these cases? I'd suggest getting your headspace checked on your Encore. If it's over .004" you should correct it to less than that. If you have a FL die, try sizing some cases with that die and see what happens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLG2kSrD40g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Wt8-VqeAE

[white eagle]

I only neck size till I start to have issues closing the gun
then I readjust the die till I get a fit in the chamber and
the gun closes easily
however somewhere along the line I started having trouble
not sure the sequence or when my troubles started
I does seem though that my original loads that were below
book maxes were giving me high pressure signals and that is
why I asked about pressure
I am not turning the necks and that may be giving me some of these
current issues but my brass is either new or at best 2x fired
so its back to square one once I get my extractor installed

[NSB]

I only neck size till I start to have issues closing the gun
then I readjust the die till I get a fit in the chamber and
the gun closes easily
however somewhere along the line I started having trouble
not sure the sequence or when my troubles started
I does seem though that my original loads that were below
book maxes were giving me high pressure signals and that is
why I asked about pressure
I am not turning the necks and that may be giving me some of these
current issues but my brass is either new or at best 2x fired
so its back to square one once I get my extractor installed

White eagle, you're going to need to do this before you make any progress with your ammo and gun. Right now you're just trying things by trial and error. Watch this video and see how to measure headspace on your gun and barrel. Once you know where you are to start with you can proceed to adjust and correct. You'll get a lot better results with your gun after that. Good luck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZvbO0tu2ts

[Nazgul]

I have several barrels for my Encore. 45/70, 450 Marlin and a 375 JDJ. The 375 JDJ can be loaded to very high pressure levels, see JD Jones website, he takes elephants with that round. I have never had any problems as you describe.

Don

[30-30 guy]

I have 11 barrels, 5 receivers and barrels by Tc, MGM, Bullberry and have never had your problems either. Will bet is a headspace problem too!!

[MDC]

I'm having trouble with an MGM 250 Savage barrel. I suspected a headspace issue and bought Bellms dial indicator but haven't had a chance to get back to it. After seeing NABs pics and reading his posts, I'm even more certain this is the problem.

[Fisher]

https://www.6mmbr.com/BellmEncore.html

Give special attention to point no 4.

[white eagle]

thanks for the links fellas
will see what comes of this