Encore 45/410 barrel its all in the sights

[jh45gun]

When I first got this barrel I looked up some info here and guys were saying their barrels were not as accurate as the reguar 45 barrel due to the longer chamber and maybe thats so but I added Williams Universal Slugger Sights to my Ventilated Rib and I shot it today. At 25 yards I shot a 3 shot group that went into a half dollar group. Thats more than good enough for what I want it for since most of the barrel use will be with 410 shells anyway. The barrel before adding these sights was shooting high too at least with the sight picture I was using so this should help with the shot patterns too as I know they were shooting high at 25 yards. The 35 bucks I paid for these sights was well worth it.

[Gunfixer]

Is yours a 16" or longer? Mine was a 10" and you could keep 3 of 5 on a redfield sight in target (16" square) at 25 yds off a bench. Now with 3" #4s it would blow the center out every time

[jh45gun]

Mine is a 12 inch barrel. I was shooting my 45 colt load of just under 8 grains of Unique and the Lee cast 253 grain Semi Wad Cutter. The Fiber optic sights does not hurt either considering my 57 year old eyes. LOL The load shot well in my Uberti Cattleman too. I say just under 8 grains as I and a friend drilled out a brass rotor on a older pistol powder measure to drop 8 grains of unique well it drops just slightly less than 8 grains I figure its between 7.5 and 8 grains. As long as it is shooting good I am not going to mess with it.

[Gunfixer]

7.3 unique is what I was trying. I got to thinking about it after I posted and I now remember that the boolits were .4515 store bought. Probably way too hard and or undersized. I did all this 8 years ago ( mine was a contender) If I pick another one up I will try more as I didnt know all that I know now, thanks to this GREAT site

[jh45gun]

I think that 45/410 barrel is really a great barrel you get a pistol round and a shotgun round all at the same time whats not to like. My bullets were out of WW and I sized them .452 at least that is what my Lyman die for the lubrisizer says and I got that from a friend who gave me the lubrisizer and the dies for the 45 as he shot a 45 ACP and LC and some 30 cal dies too which I shoot in 30/30 and 7.5 Swiss. I got a few other assored dies with it as well. .452 seems to work well in both this Encore and my Uberti cattleman.

[lathesmith]

jh,
I've used 45 Colt brass and lighter loads like this in my Encore 460, with results similar to yours. The 460 chamber isn't as long or as large as a 410, and the regular 45 Colt loads seem to shoot just fine for my use. Sort of a "460 Short", I guess; it gives the barrel more flexibility, and I like shooting the lighter loads much better than the hot ones anyhow. Enjoy!
lathesmith

[jh45gun]

Yea I figure that load using 8 grains of Unique works well so I am not even going to try to hotrod some 45 ammo for the Encore as I figure at pistol ranges that load will still kill a deer just fine.