long rang hand cannon

[chris_987]

looking for some addvice on the thompson encore.i live in minnesota and i am restricted to shotguns and hand guns. were i hunt i have had a couple good chances at some very good bucks but have been way to far for a shotgun 2-300 yards. in that range of 2-300 yards what would be the best calliber in an encore that will shoot 2-400 yards that doesnt have a recoil that will tear my arm off? i was thinking of a 308 or would the 270 or 243 be better? i dont know allot about riffles i have hunted with shotguns all my life so try to bare with my question. thanx!

 

[ewallace]

If I were going to have an Custom Encore Barrel for long range Deer hunting I would consider having a 284 if you want a small cal but would go with the larger cal like the 300 WSM with a Brake and a 3x12 Burris hang gun scope or a 338 Win mag or 338 WSM if you reload. I would recommend using a Nosler BT in 180g. SSK or Bull Barry would be a good place to start. These pistols don't recoil that bad with a good brake you may be able to shoot a rifle scope, one with a longer eye relief like the Leupold but I would shoot with a pistol scope first. IF you can find a older XP 100 That would make a excellent platform for a long range hand gun. You could have a gunsmith put a pined recoil lug and true the action. Then you would have the option for a switch barrel set up.
Crow Mag

 

[6.5 Bandit]

chris_987,

I would go with something like this..

Encore in 7mm08 15"bbl will shoot 139grainers @ 2560 and will clover leaf 3 shots @ 200yds.. I have missed claybirds on the back bank @ williamsport by 2 feet but isnt bad considering I couldnt see the target when I fired it lol.. Actually Boyd said it "wouldnt" reach 1000yds so after the match was over I had a gentleman up there spot for me to see if I could hit the bank or not.. If I had it setup with a better scope I could of hit the claybird but aiming halfway up a tree with the bird out of site it would of been luck for me to hit it.. I would limit it 400-500yds in its current configuration...

6.5 Bandit

[ 11-28-2003: Message edited by: 6.5 Bandit ]

 

[Ernie]

crow mag,
My longest mule deer with my 7-08 XP SS Center-Grip (700 yards) was using a 4x Leupold scope. Although I don't use that scope for LR hunting, it is surprising what you can do with the lower magnifications if you are prepared. I really like the 3-12 LER with Ballistic Plex complimented with EXBAL.
Ernie

 

[bigbrother]

I shoot a 309JDJ (modified 444marlin) out of an original Contender. It will push 150sst's at 2420fps. Not super fast, but I shoot the gun with no brake. Off of a bench it shoots MOA to 400yards. This is the furthest I've shot it to. I shoot a simple bushnell 2-6x scope. You definately need more than that for shooting past 400 yards. The elevation adjustment is also a pain. (41 cliks at 400 yards) This gun is definately fun to shoot and I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on an antelope that far away with a good rest. Check out SSK industries...he's a pleasure to work with.

 

[ewallace]

You can convert the pistol to a rifle but not a rifle to a pistol I would order the hole pistol from SSK and have it done right the first time. One of JDs Mini-Dreadnought would be a very nice deer cartridge

http://www.sskindustries.com/encore.html
Crow Mag

 

[chris_987]

thank you all that replied to my questions in regaurds to wich calliber encore pistol to use.when i buy one of these encore pistols do i just have to buy the stock, forearm,and long barrel to convert to the long gun or do i have to buy the whole gun for like shotgun or muzzleloader?

 

[Ernie]

Crow Mag,
SSK does a lot of things right, but they are not my first choice when it come to quality workmanship anymore. Although they have always honored their work when they made mistakes (everyone makes mistake) I don't believe SSK is the top dog for consistent quality. I would go with Virgin Valley (Jeff Stratton) or David White. David White does all of his own work and is perfectionist in a good way. If I am looking for a LR rig in a Encore or Contender/G-2 I am looking for the best workmanship, not just good or real good.
Ernie