T/C ENCORE HEAVY BARREL .308 Win.

[Ian M]

Yesterday we shot a heavy T/C custom-shop .308 Win. barrel (stainless, almost straight contour) at 100 yards and had some very nice results - as in sub 1/2 minute for five 168 Speer match bullets at 100 yards. 45.5 Varget, Win. primer and BHA brass. Rifle had a 4-16 Nikon Tactical (prototype on it in Badgers). Best group was 0.453". It was chambered in the custom shop and they left a nice heavy contour, but it is a factory available barrel and an out of the box Encore single-shot break-open action. Trigger is not the best I have shot in an Encore, could be lighter and smoother but the rig did OK. We will be shooting that combination out to 1000 to see how it works.

 

[LaSouthpaw]

Please keep us posted. I would like to hear how the rifle performs at greater distance. Do you know who made the barrel and how long it is?

 

[Ian M]

LA,
Expect it is a selected barrel from their own production, they make some very good barrels. I have seen some of their barrels shoot amazing groups - both muzzleloaders and centerfires. T/C makes a lot of barrels in a day.
Chambered in the custom shop, cut to 24 inches. Very handy little rifle and it is an accurate system considering that you can switch barrels so easily.

 

[Brent]

Ian,

What bullet will you be shooting at 1000?

A buddy of mine has one for his daugter, stock and all, but guess who swaps it out and shoots the 375JDJ when she isn't lookin!

 

[Ian M]

Brent,
We will shoot our standard Varget loads (45.5-46) with a variety of 168's (Speer, Sierra and Nosler J4's) and the 175 Matcking. I don't see any reason why it won't stay in there with our bolt rifles since it is shooting so well at 100.
The Encore is a homely little rifle because the frame was intended for handgun use, but it is surprisingly comfortable to shoot. Encore rifle stocks are undergoing very slight refinements this year, not enough to make a fuss over. They brought out a G2 Contender rifle and it has a different stock contour that fits the Encore, you have to look close to see the difference.
Will keep you advised as we shoot that little rig, it is very handy compared to the bolt rifles.

 

[Brent]

You probably have heard that I got a Savage Striker in 308 from my dad in December, and it really shoots great, better than most factory rifles could wish for.

The one thing I like about the Encore is it's speed in reloading and it's weight, I think in practiced hands it's probably faster than the Striker. I still want an Encore but the Striker filled the bill enough I'll have to wait.

Keep us posted.

The Striker needs to have a left port and then it would be handy! Why anybody would put a right port on a gun that is held with the right hand is beyond me.

It works, but would be alot easier if you could just throw another round in with the left hand after drawing the bolt back instead of halving to lay the gun over to get one in. Just my 2 cents on them.

[ 02-19-2003: Message edited by: Brent ]

 

[Ian M]

My friend shot the Encore again today, he tried 4064 and 42 grains shot 168 Sierra's into 3/4" for five at 100 yards. We took the tactical scope and he used a Simmons Aetec, said it was like having vaseline smeared on the lenses compared to the Nikon.
The Encore is a very easy rifle to load, triggers are reasonable but I would not try to tune one, only problem for me is that the pistol grip area is a little skinny and doesn't give much to wrap fingers around.

 

[LaSouthpaw]

Ian,
Thanks for the input. I am considering having them build me a barrel similiar to the one you were shooting. I am still debating on caliber. Do you know how long it took to make?
Thanks

 

[Ian M]

Apologize but I am not exactly sure how long it would take, I believe it depends on how many custom-shop orders are in at the time you do your order. I do know that they have two or three excellent gunsmiths with a complete shop setup for the custom orders. This barrel is stainless and their heaviest contour and it is very accurate, it cleans up very quickly. T/C has a very heavy one-piece steel base made by Warne that accepts our Badgers and MK4 rings. They also sell steel Warne rings that work well, I prefer the ones without the detachable feature.

 

[LaSouthpaw]

Ian,no need to apologize. The info you have shared has been great, so I have another questio for you. I am leaning towards getting an encore barrel in 300Win in the heavy configuration that you mentioned.(full bull 1") My question is how long of a barrel should I go with? I am leaning towards 26" or 28".

 

[BountyHunter]

You can order the custom shop barrels through Fox Ridge Outfitters which is the outlet for the TC custom shop. However, I do not think they make a stock 1" bull, plus max length they list is 26". Time is up to 3 months on delivery too. They stock a 26" heavy barrel for the Encore though, which might be just what you want. I have the stock heavy in 7mm Mag and absolutely nothing wrong with it and the way it shoots on an Encore.

Best bet is to go to Bullberry Arms. They make all sorts of custom match grade barrels for the Encores and Contenders. I have had 2 of their Contender barrels and they are tops. Cost is around $300 and about 6-8 wks max. You can work with them on size and length.

BH

 

[Ian M]

Bounty,
Good info re Fox Ridge Outfitters, it is a separate building on T/C's property, owned by them. Not sure if you have been in it, it is a very nice store and also the initial customer service point for T/C, if your T/C needs a part they can usually fix it right there so that it does not have to go over to the factory. They get very busy just before hunting season opens.
Re the heavy barrel - their barrels are not a straight taper, at least so far I have not seen one other than on the muzzleloader barrel. I would like to see a barrel with the same contour as their muzzleloader barrel, in .308 Win. at 26 inches. Right now their bull barrel has a shoulder and the one piece mount does not sit flush all way to its front - cosmetic but why not leave the steel instead of contouring it.
I have a varmint weight barrel also and it is a good shooter but the bull barrel is better.
T/C does not recommend any aftermarket barrels on the Encore, there have been some guns that came apart and they had aftermarket barrels and lugs. As it is the Encore can be chambered for some fairly large calibers, I recently shot a .375 H&H factory barrel.

 

[Ian M]

LA,
Just re-read your post and you asked a question. I would talk to them about getting at least a 26" barrel in .300 Win., the rifle will still handle like a big carbine. With virtually no action length you can go with longer barrels and the rifle will be surprisingly light and easy to carry and point. I don't know if they go longer, one phone call will sure tell you. Their custom shop guys are very good.
The phone number to their switchboard is
603 332-2394
Hit #1 as soon as the machine starts talking, then 0 and you will have their switchboard.
Good luck with this.

 

[LaSouthpaw]

BH & Ian, thanks for the info. I just checked the fox ridge website and I can get a barrel 26" and with a .995" diameter. So they can cover the contour, but only 26". If I want to go longer, I will have to go to bullberry or virgin valley. What would the benefit be for going to say a 28" barrel?