Thoughts on an Encore rifle?

[Streetstar]

-- well, they have levers --sorta

since we tolerate discussion of Ruger #1's and Shiloh Sharps --- just wondering if anybody had any Encore success stories?

The small gun crowd i run with thinks they are fine muzzleloaders , but just curiosities anywhere else

------- if i have a nice 26" 45-70 barrel for it - and close my eyes and squint a little --- i can have just as good a time banging steel several hundred yards away as i would with something more "vintage"

--- I hadn't bought into the biggest selling point of the Encore -- as i like having multiple guns and systems, not just one switch barrel for everything --- but am wondering if i shouldnt explore this things capabilities a little more

I have a pistol version which has been pretty cool

[6pt-sika]

I bought a NEW Encore stainless Pro Hunter a few years back . Got it with a 50 ML barrel and a 12 gauge rifled slug barrel . This was gonna be my Blackwater NWR combo for the ML and shotgun season .

The ML shot great but had to be semi cleaned after each shot . The shotgun barrel shot Hornady SST sabot slugs very nicely when I could keep the scope mounts on the gun .

I later got a 338 Federal barrel for the thing and it shot my handloads very well .

Oh before I ever fired the gun , the action went to _ _ Brown company that makes their own single shot action and does trigger jobs . Anyway they did my trigger and it was a pleasent and creep free 2 pounds .

I liked the rifle barrel , the ML barrel p...i...s...s...e...d me off and not being able to keep the scope base attached to the shotgun barrel didn't sit to well either .

So I sold the ML barrel to someone in AK , the shotgun barrel went to someone in MO and the action and 338 barrel also went to a different guy in AK .

My two Knight Disc Rifles shoot every bit as well as that Encore barrel ever did . And on top of that the TWO ML's together cost less then the Encore setup with the ML barrel .

As to the 12 gauge slug barrel , with that barrel on the action etc it cost as much as my Savage 210 12 gauge bolt rifled slugger and my Savage 220 20 gauge rifled bolt slugger combined. And the two Savage shotguns shoot as well or better then the Encore without trouble keeping the scope bases on them .

So as you may surmise I'm not an advocate of the Encore .

[6pt-sika]

Let me elaborate on the Encore ML barrel . It would shoot very well but needed to be swabbed after every shot or it would blow the group .

With my two Disc rifles I can take a fouled gun to the bench and shoot it three times without cleaning and the group size was as good as any I got with the Encore and alot quicker !

At the time I got the setup I had it was about $700 for a complete Pro Hunter stainless and thats exactly what I have in the two Knight Disc rifles .

At that time if I had bought it as just a setup 12 gauge rifled slugger the price was also about $700 . And the two Savage bolt action sluggers I have cost me about the same price again !

Bottom line is if the person that owns them likes them , then it's all good . And they should not care what my opinion is

[firefuzz]

I've never owned one, and have no intention to, but I've shot a friend's several times. He has a .50 cal ML barrel, .22-250, 7mm-08, and a 24" .45-70 barrel.
He seems to have the same problem with the ML barrel that 6pt talked about, if he doesn't swab the barrel after every shot he gets about 3" groups...if he does it cuts the groups to just over an inch.

I haven't shot the .22-250 barrel, the 7mm-08 kicks much harder than my < $300 Savage Axis that I shortened the barrel to 20" on and is less accurate, I paid less money for the gun than he did just for the barrel.

The .45-70 barrel is pretty accurate with 300gr bullets but with my light loads, trapdoor level, with a 405gr bullet the recoil starts getting pretty fierce. With any load approaching bottom '86 Winchester loads it's like shooting a .458 Win mag.

Switch-barrel guns have a certain appeal, but with the introduction of several companies entry level guns, Savage and Ruger primarily, that I can buy a whole gun for the price of a barrel and probably be as or more accurate, that appeal fades quickly. I would not want one period in a .45-70.

Rob

[6pt-sika]

Points in favor of the Encore to me ;

Switch barrels

Stainless steel

rifle barrel shot wonderfully



Points against IMO ;

ML needs to be swabbed between shots

slug barrels tend to cause the mounts to loosen quickly

the price is a little stiff

[BrentD]

As has been said many times before, "Life is too short to shoot an ugly gun".

Just one opinion of course.

[mikld]

Not an Encore owner, but I have a G2 Contender frame/action and a .22 lr barrel, a .223 barrel and a .44 Mag, 10" bbl. I have gotten excellent accuracy with all barrels and absolutely no problems. They (T/C Contenders/Encores) are what they are; single shot accurate rifles...

[41 Redhawk]

I have an Encore that I am pleased with. I have a 50 cal muzzle loader barrel that I shoot Blackhorn 209 with Hornaday 250 bullets. Blackhorn seems to eliminate the swabbing issue as it burns real clean. I also have 22-250 and 30.06 barrels that shoot very well and a 22 LR barrel that shoots ok. My trigger was done by Jim Hendershot and breaks cleanly at 2lbs.

[6pt-sika]

I have an Encore that I am pleased with. I have a 50 cal muzzle loader barrel that I shoot Blackhorn 209 with Hornaday 250 bullets. Blackhorn seems to eliminate the swabbing issue as it burns real clean. I also have 22-250 and 30.06 barrels that shoot very well and a 22 LR barrel that shoots ok. My trigger was done by Jim Hendershot and breaks cleanly at 2lbs.

This may be total BS , but it seemed to me that the Pro Hunter ML barrels were a tad tighter .

I used 777 granulated in the one I had and it burned relatively clean however there was enough residue to make a difference in the loading procedure . I saw other folks at our club with what I call the standard blued Encore that didn't seem to have the same issue and were able to shoot 3 or 4 shots using Triple 7 granulated .

Now while TC will not stand behind it , I've also seen several fellows shoot smokeless in their Encore ML's at close to the same level I was shooting in the Savage 10ML-II . By no means am I advocating that , just saying I've seen it happen .

[Nath]

Sounds like the muzzleloader barrels need lapping!

[vancelw]

Encores are the most accurate guns I have ever shot.
I currently have a SS frame, a .243 24" bbl, a .223 26" bbl, and a .22-250 blued 24" bbl.
Every one of those will make a 3 shot 100 meter group that you can cover with a nickel.
I've used the .223 on countless prairie dogs and coyotes, and the .243 on coyotes.
Previously, I had a .243 15" pistol barrel and used it on mule deer with great success.

The great thing about them is that, in addition to being extremely accurate, they are lightweight and ~6 inches shorter than a bolt gun with the same length barrel.

Only disadvantage I have found is the need for a scope for each barrel and it's awkward to store the bbl/scope assemblies in the safe.
No, the single shot aspect has never been a disadvantage.

Right now I'm looking to trade the .22-250 barrel for a pistol barrel. .223 will do all I need so I don't need both.
Great guns.

[6pt-sika]

Only disadvantage I have found is the need for a scope for each barrel and it's awkward to store the bbl/scope assemblies in the safe.
No, the single shot aspect has never been a disadvantage.

I would think it to be very simple to make some sort of rack to put them in inside your safe .

[AJMD429]

I have one with a 280 Remington un-tapered bull barrel with JP brake, that cloverleafs 4 out of 5 rounds at 100 yards, just using factory ammo. It is NOISY though. I got a 300 Blackout barrel for it last year, and it isn't near as accurate, but suppresses nicely.

It is a fun way to 'try out' a new cartridge, but as mentioned above, you may find an entire firearm for not much more cost, depending on the chambering and configuration desired. I think they are at their best advantage with bull barrels, as their otherwise light weight offsets that, plus the bull barrels aren't that much pricier on the Encore, but add lots to the cost of most stock firearms.

[Pete44ru]

.

My (adult) Son has had an Encore Pro Hunter (bought new) in .300 Win Mag & .50 BP for several years now, and loves it to death.

Both barrels carry the same brand/model scope, but the BP's scope has a reticle setup for .50 BP rifles.

IDK how his .50 BP barrel groups, and doubt he does, either - since he rarely shoots it at targets, except for a single shot B 4 deer season to check the zero.

He regularly takes several deer per year (we have a 3 month BP deer season here) with one shot each, using it - so I presume it shoots into one minute of deer.

The .300 WM barrel seems equally accurate, when he uses it on our annual Maine deer hunts.

I wouldn't own one, though - too heavy/fugly for my personal taste. (YMMV, of course)


.

[AJMD429]

I like the fact that with a 16-1/2" barrel (this one in 300 Blk) they are so compact...



...this one is threaded, so works well with a suppressor.

[FWiedner]

-- well, they have levers --sorta

since we tolerate discussion of Ruger #1's and Shiloh Sharps --- just wondering if anybody had any Encore success stories?

The small gun crowd i run with thinks they are fine muzzleloaders , but just curiosities anywhere else

------- if i have a nice 26" 45-70 barrel for it - and close my eyes and squint a little --- i can have just as good a time banging steel several hundred yards away as i would with something more "vintage"

--- I hadn't bought into the biggest selling point of the Encore -- as i like having multiple guns and systems, not just one switch barrel for everything --- but am wondering if i shouldnt explore this things capabilities a little more

I have a pistol version which has been pretty cool

I bought into the TC switch barrel rifle agenda 30 years ago, and bought one of the TCR '83s and sevral barrels for it. It's a fine gun and every single barrel shoots straight and true. Problem is, TC stopped making them. Some baloney about a production line fire and low sales numbers, blah, blah, blah...

I don't like the looks of the contenders or the Encore, and TC abandoned the one product they made that I liked.

I still have the rifle and all the barrels I puchased or traded for, but I haven't bought another Thompson Center gun.

Ugly as they are, a lot of folks like 'em, and I gotta admit they make a heck of a gun.

Nothing like a high gloss blue by TC.

[AJMD429]

I don't like the looks of the contenders or the Encore, and TC abandoned the one product they made that I liked.

Eabco still makes their 97-d rifle, which may be 'better' in some ways, although I actually like the looks of the Contender/Encore better - http://www.eabco.com/store/97d-rifles-a ... 30-30-win/

[vancelw]

I don't like the looks of the contenders or the Encore, and TC abandoned the one product they made that I liked.

If I was buying a gun for my wife or daughter, I might give a crud what it looks like.

My main concern is that it works and is 100% reliable.

[Buck Elliott]

Never owned an Encore or Contender, but have shot many of each.. I have always found them to be homely contraptions, and clumsy to hand.. They feel like handling the wrong end of a hammer, at the bench or in the field..

The trigger guard/barrel release is an unacceptably-weak link in the design.. I've lost count of the shooters who accidently unlatched the barrel as they were getting ready for a shot..

The puny little hammer is in the wrong place for natural manipulation, and the trigger angle is uncomfortable for me..

Nothing that couldn't be remedied by a complete redesign of the system...

[AJMD429]

Nothing that couldn't be remedied by a complete redesign of the system...

Sounds like a fun weekend project for the next John Browning...

[FWiedner]

I don't like the looks of the contenders or the Encore, and TC abandoned the one product they made that I liked.

If I was buying a gun for my wife or daughter, I might give a crud what it looks like.

My main concern is that it works and is 100% reliable.

Context matters.

[vancelw]

I don't like the looks of the contenders or the Encore, and TC abandoned the one product they made that I liked.

If I was buying a gun for my wife or daughter, I might give a crud what it looks like.

My main concern is that it works and is 100% reliable.

Context matters.

And meds.....

[Streetstar]

I'm going to try a .22 barrel for starters i think --- there are so many stand alone big boomers i want separately --- i dont see the Encore being a substitute for everything

Shoot --- a recent trip to Cabelas i wrote about in a separate post, i saw a Quigley replica, a red pad Ruger #1 in 45-70, as well as one in 7mm STW , and a few other cool things

Can't buy 'em all though --- i just want to get some use out of this Encore, (or move it to someone who will) --- I dont really hunt anymore, and thus , a $700 ML just seems to be an anchor to have around in the back of the gun safe

[North Country Gal]

Little late, here, but I shoot the Encore 209x50 using Blackhorn 209 and I absolutely do not need to swab the barrel between shots to get the accuracy I want - inch or so at 100 yards using Barnes 290 grain sabots - or for the sake of making loading easier. I also shoot a 209x50 15" pistol barrel using BH209. Same. No messy cleanup with BH209, either. If you haven't used Blackhorn 209, give it a try. The Encore 209x50 makes a great ML platform. Love the removable breech plug, too. Makes cleaning a breeze.

I shoot mostly Encore pistols and I won't even begin to list all the times my Encore pistol outshot my bolt guns when chambered for the same cartridge. There is a learning curve to shooting the pistols to get that kind of accuracy, though. Rifles, of course, less so.

If not for the fact that I dearly love our lever guns and our bolt guns, I would be quite happy shooting just TC Encores and Contenders for most of our shooting. Very versatile and efficient system.

[Streetstar]

Little late, here, but I shoot the Encore 209x50 using Blackhorn 209 and I absolutely do not need to swab the barrel between shots to get the accuracy I want - inch or so at 100 yards using Barnes 290 grain sabots - or for the sake of making loading easier. I also shoot a 209x50 15" pistol barrel using BH209. Same. No messy cleanup with BH209, either. If you haven't used Blackhorn 209, give it a try. The Encore 209x50 makes a great ML platform. Love the removable breech plug, too. Makes cleaning a breeze.

I shoot mostly Encore pistols and I won't even begin to list all the times my Encore pistol outshot my bolt guns when chambered for the same cartridge. There is a learning curve to shooting the pistols to get that kind of accuracy, though. Rifles, of course, less so.

If not for the fact that I dearly love our lever guns and our bolt guns, I would be quite happy shooting just TC Encores and Contenders for most of our shooting. Very versatile and efficient system.

Is Blackhorn a loose powder, or a pellet? (never mind - google is my friend ) ---- I want to try that stuff now! --- I will have to learn how to properly meter out the powder though, i have been using pellets for too long i guess

[AJMD429]

I used Blackhorn in my Black Diamond muzzleloader, and it WAS very clean and accurate; with 'bore butter' I could shoot several in a row accurately and still load easily enough.

(Now I have a Savage ML-10 and use 5744 or SR-4759 instead.. )

I think the Encore is the one they make a 25 ACP 'nipple' for that also helps in the cleanliness department, at least at the back-end of the gun.

[octagon]

Brother has a contender with the 14" (I think) bull barrel. I watched as he shot a hundred yard target from a bench using sandbags and .223 hand loads. He shot five shots and told me to take a look through the spotting scope. A one hole group, that when we walked out to the target you could cover with a dime! No fooling. I tried it, having never shot one of these (kinda ugly) and shot a group you could cover with a quarter. Hell, I don't have a rifle that will shoot THAT tight. Would not have believed it unless I saw it. Dang!

While this brother is a great shooter, I think it had a lot to do with that 14" barrel.

[vancelw]

Brother has a contender with the 14" (I think) bull barrel. I watched as he shot a hundred yard target from a bench using sandbags and .223 hand loads. He shot five shots and told me to take a look through the spotting scope. A one hole group, that when we walked out to the target you could cover with a dime! No fooling. I tried it, having never shot one of these (kinda ugly) and shot a group you could cover with a quarter. Hell, I don't have a rifle that will shoot THAT tight. Would not have believed it unless I saw it. Dang!

While this brother is a great shooter, I think it had a lot to do with that 14" barrel.

Every encore or contender barrel I have ever shot would do that at 100 meters. Has a lot to do with the fact the scope is mounted directly to the barrel.
New England (H&R) rifles do pretty well too, from what my friends tell me. They cost about half what a TC costs, but are too heavy for my taste.

[AJMD429]

Brother has a contender with the 14" (I think) bull barrel. I watched as he shot a hundred yard target from a bench using sandbags and .223 hand loads. He shot five shots and told me to take a look through the spotting scope. A one hole group, that when we walked out to the target you could cover with a dime! No fooling. I tried it, having never shot one of these (kinda ugly) and shot a group you could cover with a quarter. Hell, I don't have a rifle that will shoot THAT tight. Would not have believed it unless I saw it. Dang!

While this brother is a great shooter, I think it had a lot to do with that 14" barrel.

Yep. The short, rigid, barrels are VERY consistent. All you have to do is hold it steady until the bullet has left the muzzle.

[OLBIKER]

I have two Encores.One is a 50 cal muzzle loader.I use Blackhorn 209 with a Federal 209 primer and have shot up to 15 times with out cleaning.If you use Triple Seven you can barely shoot twice with out patching it.The other is a Custom Encore in 6.5 X 55.it shoots 5 shot groups MOA at 100 all day.What is nice about Encores and Contenders is that they are simple to work on and do action jobs.Mike Bellm has all the parts and instructions on how to do it.OB

[Old Ironsights]

...

Nothing that couldn't be remedied by a complete redesign of the system...

Hey, maybe you could turn it into a Handi-Rifle...

I guess, to me, the cons of the Encore - esp the price - are mitigated almost in their entirety by the Handi-Rifle breakopens (everything but the Stainless Steel bit).

And even though Handi wants to hand-fit all of their accessory barrels, it's still as cheap, or cheaper, than Encore barrels.

And yes, there are not as many weird calibers available... unless you stub the barrel.

(Someday I'll be able to afford to actually get a couple of more barrels and a stub... )

[AJMD429]

And yes, there are not as many weird calibers available... unless you stub the barrel.

(Someday I'll be able to afford to actually get a couple of more barrels and a stub... )

What's a "stub"...???

It seems like one could get a barrel, drill it out large and thread it, and then turn down virtually ANY barrel to insert to correct headspace..... Maybe interrupted threads, even....

[Old Ironsights]

And yes, there are not as many weird calibers available... unless you stub the barrel.

(Someday I'll be able to afford to actually get a couple of more barrels and a stub... )

What's a "stub"...???

It seems like one could get a barrel, drill it out large and thread it, and then turn down virtually ANY barrel to insert to correct headspace..... Maybe interrupted threads, even....

That's a "stub"...