A bit of an update, as I CERTAINLY HAVE NOT ABANDONED this thread. Been reading here and looking at all the groups I have shot so far and comparing and everything else that goes with this “dang” hobby! Many many variables as we know…
To date, I have tried 4 different boolit designs, with another 2, maybe 3 in the future. I have used 14 different powders…
With the boolits I cast, I could be “free-wheeling” and shoot as many as I pleased. The 311041 that I use in all my 30-30 Winchesters with WC-860 or WC-852, is sort of O.K. in the 308 using IMR-7383, yet it can be a bit erratic at times. It is the one that I have accepted as best for that boolit—but it is not a “beer can killer” at 150 yards by any stretch of the imagination. With the donation of the boolits a member of this site sent me, I had to do some thinking and use them wisely. With the 311299 (sized 0.311”) he sent me, I have fired a dozen 3-shot groups. I picked the best 2 groups at 50 yards (that is where I started the group process) and then fired them at 100 yards. Now I am down to one group at 100 yards that shows some pretty good promise. I have saved 8 boolits to do my final testing of the 311299. So far, IMR-4227 is the winner—I must say I am a bit surprised…
I am glad I purchased the QuickLoad program some time back as it includes another program called QuickTarget. With the known impact of the boolits at 50 yards, I can have it calculate where impact might be at 100 yards. That way I don’t have to fire a round for effect to see if I am even on the paper. That saves me a “precious” boolit from the donors! So far, the program has kept me on the paper at 100 yards when P.O.I. is known at 50 yards and velocities are calculated by QuickLoad—even though they may not be completely correct they are 8.5”x11” of paper correct at 100 yards. I can fire a 3-shot group and not have to waste a boolit…
I am now working with the RCBS 30-180-SP (sized 0.311”) the donor also sent me. I have only fired 3 different groups with it. So I am yet certain of what powder might be the “magic bullet” so to speak. SR-4759 put 3 into a bit less than 0.6” so it might be a contender…
I was hoping for 75% one-inch groups at 100 yards with this Encore, but that may be too much to expect—or at least now it seems…
I must say that this has been a “bad dream”. It hasn’t reached the nightmare stage yet, but who knows!...
There is no doubt that the barrel on this Encore is over-sized as some of the bore riders will fall into the muzzle end. They will also enter the end of a 30-30 Contender, but it does take very minimal push to get it there. So, there is some resistance. Interesting, an old Marlin 336’s muzzle won’t even let the bore rider enter—must be a dang tight bore—a pretty good shooter for me and open sights…
So that’s the way it is today. Hopefully something will be found that will work as I hope. If not, the entire firearm might need sent back to T/C…S&W—this I dread and hope doesn’t happen…
Thanks all…
BCB