Trouble with first shot accuracy with T/C Prohunter 50 cal.

[black powder]

realy surprized that some hunters have a problem with the ENCORE i have had 7 muzzeloaders and kept only one my ENCORE it is very accurate at 100 yds. butttttt it likes a CLEAN BORE ,so for accuracy i swap the bore after each shot ..i have found that for a hunting bullet the BARNES EXPANDER 250 gr. is very accurate and all of my game has dropped on the spot [if i do my part] pic below is of my ENCORE ..

 

[johnp034]

My Pro Hunter will print 1" all day long with BlackHorn 209 & Hornady 250's + a CCI magnum primer. I never swab the barrel and only shoot out of a clean barrel 2-3 times a year.

Have you checked your hinge pin for slop? They make a hinge pin that is adjustable so you can snug it up, helps a lot. That can play havoc on accuracy. Also, a trigger job sure helps. The Encores are notorious for heavy triggers. Use a number 63 drill and make sure your breech plug is opened up.

My shooting buddie has 3 Pro hunters, I have 2 and they all will shoot 1" or less w/BlackHorn 209.
We have some Parker 275 bullets coming, supposed to be slicker than snot on a doorknob! We'll see how they work.

jm2c

 

[smyers717]

First start out by decarboning the flash channel with a 1/8th drill bit. If the 1/8th will not start use a smaller one and work up to the 1/8th bit. This will ensure proper ignition of BH209.

On a clean bore snap 2 primers. Run a dry patch down and out the bore to distribute the fouling.

Harvester 260 and 300gr PT's in a black Harvester Crushed rib loads nice in TC bores. No swabbing is necessary. Pretty much any flat base .451/.452 bullet in a Harvester crushed rib sabot will load nice.

Make sure both forend screws are tight along with the rear stock allen head screw located under the TC cap. Mine was throwing shots and the rear buttstock screw was loose.

With 100-110gr of Blackhorn 209, 260 or 300gr PT, that gun will hold a tight 100yd group. Another good bullet is the .452 250gr Speer Deep Curl.

After cleaning with Hoppe's I dry the barrel and run one patch of Montana X-treme Bore Conditioner down and out. I have forgot to swab it out before shooting and 1st shot is right there with #2 and #3.

 

[GrdHogr]

The barrel has to have a little bit of fouling to get it to sling them all the same,, Try shooting 2 primers before you load a clean barrel,

 

[17Tactical]

Thanks for the information and suggestions. I will try the fouling process before I shoot my encore again.

 

[varminthunter]

I had a very similar problem with my ProHunter also. Believe it or not it was both the hinge pin on the barrel and the locking latch on the receiver.

The latch had a little too much play and was allowing the barrel to rock downward slightly, causing the first shot to be lower and either right or left depending on how I close the barrel. After the first shot the barrel and attached metal parts heat up and start to contract, tightening up of the parts. I replaced the latch and hinge pin and the problem went away.

I shoot the Hornady 350gr FTP bullet with Blackhorn 209 powder of 120 gr. with a CCI shotshell primer.

I now get .75" group at 100 yards and 2" to 2 1/4" groups at 300 yards. I only clean at the end of the day. One trick that I have found was to use the attachment on the end of your ram rod that will allow the bullet to swivel freely down the rifling, much tight fit.

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[17Tactical]

Varminthunter,
Thanks for the information. I was beginning to believe I was the only person having this problem. I know where to get a new hinge pin, but where did you get the replacement latch? I am going to replace both the hinge pin and the latch to eliminate those items from being a problem.
Thanks again.

I had a very similar problem with my ProHunter also. Believe it or not it was both the hinge pin on the barrel and the locking latch on the receiver.

The latch had a little too much play and was allowing the barrel to rock downward slightly, causing the first shot to be lower and either right or left depending on how I close the barrel. After the first shot the barrel and attached metal parts heat up and start to contract, tightening up of the parts. I replaced the latch and hinge pin and the problem went away.

I shoot the Hornady 350gr FTP bullet with Blackhorn 209 powder of 120 gr. with a CCI shotshell primer.

I now get .75" group at 100 yards and 2" to 2 1/4" groups at 300 yards. I only clean at the end of the day. One trick that I have found was to use the attachment on the end of your ram rod that will allow the bullet to swivel freely down the rifling, much tight fit.

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[varminthunter]

I ordered it from T/C and had my smith install it. I don't remember exact how much each one was, but both ran me a little over $100 including the shipping charges for both.

 

[smyers717]

I would start with a TC adjustable hinge pin first which will take up the play in the frame and barrel.

 

[17Tactical]

Thanks for the help. I'll get a latch and hinge pin. This could be the fix for my prohunter.

I ordered it from T/C and had my smith install it. I don't remember exact how much each one was, but both ran me a little over $100 including the shipping charges for both.

 

[jde650]

Sorry to open this older thread, but have you tried the Precision Rifle's 400 grain Ultimate Conicals. We have had good luck with them. Like you these were used for a hunt in Colorado.

There web site - www.prbullet.com

Jim

 

[sticknstring]

17 hunter-T/C encore are known to be sabot guns. This is what they shoot well. They don't do well with conicals or round balls. I would suggest getting your hands on some of the new Thor bullets(call them and ask for the free sample pack) to test if you mustn't use sabots....
As for the hinge pin, trigger springs, hammer springs, latch spring and the tools to do the job-get on the mike bellm website-you should be able to buy all of this and the tools to do it yourself for under $100. These are all relatively easy to fix your self-Kurt(the support guy) will get you on the right path. The site has all the instructions to do the jobs too along with alot of informative info/trouble shooting articles on these guns. I've done a bunch of work to my encore-most recently adjusting the head space between the barrel and reciever. My T/C is my go-to gun.

These encores are like Harleys, once you get them smoothed out -they are a pleasure to ride!

 

[varminthunter]

Thanks for the great ideas.

I have made the mentioned mod's to the rifle and I did change ammo and powder.

Switched to the Hornady FPB 350gr bullet, Blackhorn 209 powder and CCI Mag Rifle Primer. Loading with 100 gr of Blackhorn, 1875fps muzzel volocity. Holds 1 MOA at 100 yards.

One other thing that I noticed, which might be specific to my barrel, but the rifle starting shooting better after about the 200 round point.

Thanks

 

[ENCORE]

The Encore platform rifles all have one thing in common when it comes to accuracy or the lack thereof. Without question it is the hinge pin as mentioned by others. I've owned Encores since I could get my hands on one and just about every rifle that I've seen or owned, needed a replacement hinge pin. Its not uncommon to replace the standard hinge pin with a 1X and improve a 3" group to a 1" group.

In most cases, a 1X hinge pin will be sufficient. However, some rifles may need a 2x or, even a 3x. You should NEVER be able to move a hinge pin by hand. Hinge pins need to be tight, which tightens up the barrel to the frame and prevents movement. If you just tap your hinge pin and it comes out, you need a larger pin. Your pin should require force to install it. I'm not talking a 2# hammer but, it should require multipal taps and be tight. I DO NOT recommend the adjustable pins. I also recommend that the pin be lubed with anti-seize, which will keep it from seizing in the event of prolonged storage. My current Pro Hunter required a 2X hinge pin right out of the box.

The locking bolt can be another contributing factor to tightening up groups. I always recommend that the stock spring for the locking bolt be replaced with a heavy duty spring. In RARE cases, the locking bolt itself may require some attention. This is mostly noticed with centerfire shooters but, it can affect long range muzzleloader shooting. This issue has to do with spacing of no more than .0025" top and bottom of the bolt. It can be happen with any break open rifle. I spent days discussing this issue with senior engineers, matheamaticians, ballistics experts and the most knowledgable people in North America with Encore platform rifles, Bellmtc.
If the barrel moves just short of .002" at ignition and before the bullet leaves the barrel, it will make a 6" difference in POI at 200yds. In other words, the bullet will appear to shoot flatter than a ballistics software program indicates it can.

Encore platform rifles also appear to need at least one round fired to foul the barrel, then it will group. Its been my expierence with my rifles and those that shoot with me on my range. My current Pro Hunter will shoot the first shot out of a clean barrel, 3" high and 1.5" right EVERY TIME. However, every shot after continues to group perfectly, 1/4" @ 100, 3/4" at 150 and 2+" at 200yds. I never hunt without swabbing out the CLEAN barrel, firing two primers, then two full loads discharged before my hunting load goes into the barrel.

You DO NOT have to invest a lot of money in extras to make a great shooting rifle into an outstanding shooting rifle. If you have good mechanical ability, can follow directions and work with small parts, you can completely improve and customize your Encore or Pro Hunter for approximately $35. This includes changing the trigger pull and eliminating any creep.


For about $35 my Pro Hunter has:

• replaced the stock hinge pin with a 2X
• replaced the stock locking bolt spring with a HD spring
• replaced the stock firing pin spring with a HD spring
• replaced the stock hammer spring with either the 44# or 51# (hunting/target)
• replaced the trigger spring with a 2# spring (actual 1.7#)
• honed and polished the sear
• installed a trigger over travel screw

All these parts, including FREE downloadable directions can be purchased from Bellmtc. If you own an Encore or Pro Hunter, I strongly recommend that you visit Mike's site and read each page. Mike is without a doubt the most knowledgable man in North America when it comes to the Encore platform rifles. Mike Bellm TCs - Other Shops Supporting TCs & Trigger Work

I shoot 75grs by weight (107.1V) of BH209, CCI209M primers and Barnes 250gr. TMZ bullets. Nikon Monarch 2.5-10x50 scope.
Good shooting....