First Encore!!!

[Kevinakaq]

Evening gents,

I dropped by my lgs earlier and looked over a few rifles. There was a butchered kit 54 T/C Hawkin that was a shame to pass on (person who put it together need their license removed). Had been looking for one of those as I have four T/C's - all 50 cal! Well we went through the rack and my friend who works there finally brought out a Stainless T/C Encore Pro Hunter with camo stock. Always wanted one and was on my top ten list so I was excited to see it. Looked at barrel and low and behold it was in one of my favorite calibers - 280 Rem! Had a Redfield 4-12x42 scope mounted in a DMZ one piece mount...all like new. Traded a few 'won't pay that' rounds with my buddy and ended up agreeing on $442. I think that was a good price and look forward to testing out a few loads in next couple days. I also have a Rem 742 in 280 and with reduced loads it performs admirably.

Will be interesting to see how I like it compared to the Handi rifle. I currently have one in 45-70 and have given family members a 30-30 and 308 version. Have a 444 on layaway at Buds. Really like the Handi rifles and sure the Encore will only serve to increase my fondness for single shot rifles. Now to find a Ruger...

Thought I would share with my enablers as I am a kid in a candy store right now! Will try to post pics after returning from swamp in morning.

[pkie44]

Be careful, those Encore barrel will start showing up in your mailbox on a regular basis! You got a good deal for sure.

[triggerhappy243]

If you gave $442 for a complete encore i stainless, keep lookin over your shoulder... that is a steal.

[Kevinakaq]

If you gave $442 for a complete encore i stainless, keep lookin over your shoulder... that is a steal.

Guess he is a better friend than I thought! Lol. I did take a pic earlier to send to my father as he has been a fan of T/C for many years.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/clk5js0twwt5tie/Photo%20Oct%2003%2C%2011%2044%2052%20AM.jpg?dl=0

[bigted]

nice ... yep i think you will really like your new rifle. the barrels will keep pestering till your delivery man/woman will get to know the address quite well.

[35 shooter]

I'm betting your gonna love the Encore and you did get a great deal on yours. They shoot cast boolits very well too. At least the one i have does.

[nagantguy]

My favorite single shot by far, like much better than the handi's. What a price. Those barrels seem to shop up in pairs.,check out eds contenders for used, unique or custom barrels. Always say if I could only own one it'd be a encore, with 50 or so barrels!!!!

[LUCKYDAWG13]

now you need to get a Encore pistol

[leadman]

The ATF published a letter in July 2011 concerning the Contender/Encores and a couple of other guns that are made as both rifles and handguns. As long as you start with a bare receiver and build it up as a legal handgun or rifle you can go back to the receiver and change it to the other version. Say you have it configured as a rifle but want to change to a handgun. Take it down to the receiver and then add the pistol grip and short barrel.
This letter also addresses the imported pistol that can be slipped into the rifle stock with longer barrel. Ok to do this.
The agent I was speaking with said that now that ARs are being made as both rifles and pistols they need to determine if they are going to allow the same procedure. I have not heard any more on this so do not know the outcome.

I do like the Encores much more than the Handis but they do have their little quirks. If the pin gets slop in it replace it with a new one. If this does not take up the slop buy an oversized pin from Bellm. They work very well to restore the accuracy.

[gpidaho]

Good morning Kevin: Good job getting the Encore. I've owned the handgun version sense their first year. I have three 15 inch barrels. 22-250, 762x39 and 454 Casull. The Casull is a hand full but makes a great heavy 45 Colt cast shooter. I need to read up on the short rifle rules as I would like to get a rifle stock just to give me options. Maybe the barrel on the Casull could be threaded and brake installed to bring it up over 16 inches Let me know when you get your 444 home I found 50 new cases from a fellow member over at the CBA and if you haven't found brass by then I will lend you a few to get started with. Enjoy the day. GP

[Jupiter7]

The ATF published a letter in July 2011 concerning the Contender/Encores and a couple of other guns that are made as both rifles and handguns. As long as you start with a bare receiver and build it up as a legal handgun or rifle you can go back to the receiver and change it to the other version. Say you have it configured as a rifle but want to change to a handgun. Take it down to the receiver and then add the pistol grip and short barrel.
This letter also addresses the imported pistol that can be slipped into the rifle stock with longer barrel. Ok to do this.
The agent I was speaking with said that now that ARs are being made as both rifles and pistols they need to determine if they are going to allow the same procedure. I have not heard any more on this so do not know the outcome.

I do like the Encores much more than the Handis but they do have their little quirks. If the pin gets slop in it replace it with a new one. If this does not take up the slop buy an oversized pin from Bellm. They work very well to restore the accuracy.

If it started as a rifle from the factory or was ever sold as a rifle on a 4473, then a rifle it stays unless you SBR it. If sold as a receiver or pistol then the swap is legal as long as it meets a legal configuration(shoulder stock =16" barrel). Same applys to AR15's. I buy all my lowers as bare receivers.

[gpidaho]

J7 That's the way I heard it, thanks GP

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Same applys to AR15's. I buy all my lowers as bare receivers.

thats got me thinking now

[Kevinakaq]

Spent all day in swamp yesterday bow hunting. Moved my stand after morning to a new spot about 50 yards up in a thicket where I was watching the deer move through. Spent afternoon in stand and watched deer walk under the spot where stand was in morning....lol, that's hunting.

Promised a few pictures and attached below. Spent this morning cleaning her up and she's like new. Bore was dirty but a few swipes and she is shiny as can be. No blue to comment about on the patch either after some copper cleaner. Stainless had a few blemishes and a little elbow grease combine with some scotch brite and can't tell it from new. Remounted base/scope and torqued and leveled her up properly. Very happy camper and hoping to put some rounds through her tomorrow.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/67729401/2014-10-05%2011.48.22.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/67729401/2014-10-05%2011.48.10.jpg

[Doc Highwall]

This is what I did to my Encore in order to make it fit me better with the cheek piece. The barrel that is on it is chambered for 7mm BR.

118326

[Moonie]

I recently purchased an Encore pistol in 270, looking forward to barrels multiplying and shoulder stocks and rifle barrels..... I always did regret selling that Contender back in the early 90's.

[triggerhappy243]

you may regret firing that 270 in a pistol format. HEH-HEH

[Kevinakaq]

I sighted the rifle in earlier and fired five shots to group. Load was Sierra 140 gr jwords pushed by 52 gr. IMR 4350. Should be giving me around 2700 fps. Five shots CTC was 1.890 from the bench at 100 yards. Not the best, but promising as these were the first loads tested.

[Doc Highwall]

A friend of mine had 15" Encore barrels in both 30/06 and a 243 and the muzzle blast along with recoil made them unpleasant to shoot. He traded both of them off for something else.

[gpidaho]

I may be getting WOOOSIE in old age but the Casull in a handgun is enough for me. I won't be buying a 15 inch 45-70. GP

[Moonie]

I opted for that caliber of all the seller had because I didn't need 30-06 as I have a rifle in 30-06, the 7mm-08 was a 12" and I already have 2 270/6.8 molds. The recoil I won't mind, I've owned heavy recoil handguns, including 7-30 Waters, 357 Max, 445 SM (Dan Wesson 6 shooter) and NMBH in 45 colt.

[triggerhappy243]

sorry bout that, I keep associating the 270 round to my buddies rifle I did jacketed load development for. that rifle kicked out the S#@* out of me. You could not give me a 270 and expect me to keep as a shooter. I have an 06 and shoot 150 and 165 gr. bullets only. I like it just fine.

[triggerhappy243]

Yes Sir, that is a nice rifle you got there. congrats too.


Spent all day in swamp yesterday bow hunting. Moved my stand after morning to a new spot about 50 yards up in a thicket where I was watching the deer move through. Spent afternoon in stand and watched deer walk under the spot where stand was in morning....lol, that's hunting.

Promised a few pictures and attached below. Spent this morning cleaning her up and she's like new. Bore was dirty but a few swipes and she is shiny as can be. No blue to comment about on the patch either after some copper cleaner. Stainless had a few blemishes and a little elbow grease combine with some scotch brite and can't tell it from new. Remounted base/scope and torqued and leveled her up properly. Very happy camper and hoping to put some rounds through her tomorrow.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/67729401/2014-10-05%2011.48.22.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/67729401/2014-10-05%2011.48.10.jpg

[Kevinakaq]

Thanks for the comments gents. I am moving to NH in a couple weeks and should be able to enjoy the deer season there and in Maine which lasts through Nov. I am only taking one modern rifle and one bp for now. Will come back around xmas when I have a place and get remainder of rifles/equipment. The Encore just may be the rifle in my trunk when I drive North. If i had a bp barrel then I would really be in business for the early Dec bp season as well...

[LUCKYDAWG13]

118724

you will love your Encore 100 yards

[Kevinakaq]

Spent some time this morning trying out a few loads. Still nothing spectacular and getting the occassional flyer. Have been using IMR 4350, but may switch over and try IMR 4831. Low on powder though and need to go down and see what the lgs has in stock. I want to take about 50 rounds with me to NH.

Had problem with extractor as well. About 1 in 5 rounds would not extract. Extractor would slip past the rim and leave brass in the chamber. Wasn't stuck and was easy to remove brass with a small screwdriver. I removed extractor and gave flat spring a bit more tension by slightly bending it. Still had problem, so I slightly bent the extractor so that it engaged a little bit more and seems gtg now. Time will tell that story.

[bigted]

sorry bout that, I keep associating the 270 round to my buddies rifle I did jacketed load development for. that rifle kicked out the S#@* out of me. You could not give me a 270 and expect me to keep as a shooter. I have an 06 and shoot 150 and 165 gr. bullets only. I like it just fine.

i would guess that the kickin 270 was on a remington 700 platform ... had one of those myself and it DID kick me hard ... rifle just didnt fit me at all ... now the ruger 77 or win 70 handles very well and i never had a bad rifle in 270 from either ... but no more remingtons for this kid.

[triggerhappy243]

no, this was actually a much lighter rifle than a remington. swiss or sweden made. super light contour bbl.

[Kevinakaq]

Gentlemen,

Thought I would report back on my testing. I looked back through my targets and all of them had two shots close together with one shot high and vertical. Vertical stringing was the culprit. I did some research and then installed a neoprene washer between the forearm and barrel on both screws and placed my sandbag to the extreme rear of the forearm. Fired three test shots this morning and bingo 0.5" group. Adjusted scope up 5 clicks to put it where I wanted and shot a 1" group. Winds were gusting about 20mph and one shot which made group larger was in wind direction so I think I'm good to go, especially for hunting. Good to get that problem out of the way!!!

Kevin

[Ronnie Dale]

This is what I did to my Encore in order to make it fit me better with the cheek piece. The barrel that is on it is chambered for 7mm BR.

118326

I have the MOE stock on my "carbine" encore frame.

Thanks for the pic. I was curious as to how a fixed stock would look

Mine sporting a 17" 45/70 bbl

119150

[Doc Highwall]

Ronnie Dale, the 7mm BR barrel on my Encore is 26" and I have 16-1/8" barrel also chambered in 6.5mm BR. I am also thinking of a collapsible stock like yours but I need to have the cheek piece raised and I am not quite sure if the 3/4" cheek piece will be high enough for me.

[Ronnie Dale]

I have been contemplating a fixed target style ar15 buttstock for my other frame Doc?

Two frames, m4 and a2 configuration. Best of both worlds

[Doc Highwall]

I have been thinking of two different configurations myself but I also have pistol barrels in 6mm BR, 6.6mm BR, and 7mm BR and the PIA to change from a pistol to a rifle then back. I mostly keep one as a rifle and the other as a pistol.

The best thing for me with the Magpul PRS butte stock is the cheek piece puts my eye at the correct height for proper stock weld.