Does Anyone Actually Use an Encore?

I have one in 22-250 and have a .280 rem bbl. great concept with acceptable accuarcy. Light weight and GREAT FUN to shoot. I could carry this around the woods all day no problem.
 
I know a few people who hunt with them here in the middle part of the country. The typical owner is usually the serious hunter and shooter type. Not a popular rifle design with the mouthy kid crowd.

I owned one for less than a day - the reason for that short period was because I'm a nice guy, not a fault of the rifle. I ran across a deal on a never fired Encore in 7 Mag and 50 cal ML with 2 sets of wood. It was a screaming deal that I got in part because as I walked in to the a shop a guy was walking out with the rifle he had just traded the Encore for. Didn't even have a price figured out for it yet. When the guy quoted me a price that was at least $300 less than what new cost would have been I jumped on it.

As I sat at home that night I was thinking about how much my older brother wanted an Encore. Long story short - I sold it to him for what I gave for it.

My impressions from shooting it:

It needed a trigger job, about like most things these days. It responded real well to treatment.
The design of the stock fits me well and tames recoil well. Certainly the easiest shooting 7 mag or 50 cal ML I've ever shot.
Accuracy with the centerfire barrels has been as good as anything I've seen. A 22-250 and 204 barrel are particularly noteworthy as being better than the typical production rifle.
Accuracy with the ML barrel has been better than other ML's I own and shoot. And again, the recoil is so much more reasonable than something like my Black Diamond or Trade Rifle.

Even considering all of those favorable traits I don't own one and probably never will, unless I come across another 'smokin deal. Too much other stuff to spend money on now, things like gas to go hunting.
I'm also afraid that if I bought the first one I'd constantly be wanting to add barrels.

FWIW - as for the concept of being severely limited in hunting situations by a single shot.......not really. Not for a decent shot with a cool head. I killed a coyote triple with a single shot Hornet this winter. And yes, I use the butt stock carrier as well as shoving a round through the back of the knit glove on my off hand when on stand.
 
Did have one in 223 would not shoot. Not much better than 1" groups at 100 yds so I sold it. I ecently bought a CVA optima elite in 222 and that gun is a shooter 1/4" groups all day. Take it over an Encore any day. They just dont make as many barrels for it as they do an encore, but it is alot cheaper.
 
I did nothing to my Encore other than put a scope an bipod on it. Trigger is fine, shoots fine. Every time I've pulled ther trigger on it a coyote went down and the hole was located where I last saw the crosshairs.

t/c223encore.
 
I was just watching a gun test on G&A TV they blew up an encore in 416 Rigby by shoveing the muzzel six inches into the mud then fireing it in a rest with a long string. The barrel split and peeled, about three or four inches, and the comp was blown off. The case showed no signs of pressure and the action opened with just a small bit of tightness. The frame was undamaged and only needed a new barrel to be a functioning firearm again. That says a lot to me about the strength of the design. But it is still a one shooter.
 
I have a Pro-Hunter with a 22-250 barrel, a 223 barrel, and a 204 barrel. It shots great it took some time to get used to the look, but I enjoy shooting it. Recently it has been the only gun I have been carrying at all.
 
I like mine. 22-250 and 7mm-08 pistol. I only needed a quick follow up shot once on a sounder of pigs but I still managed to kill three before they got away. I guess I could have got one more with a bolt gun and a few more with a semi. With the Encore I can go from rifle to pistol in a couple of minutes and shoot sub moa with either. A $20 trigger job is the extent of my customizing. Although I’ve killed plenty deer, pigs, coyotes and bobcat with it It’s not my go to gun. I usually grab a bolt gun or AR but the Encores are fun. I've been thinking of having a 12ga. pistol barrel made just for kicks. I guess guys that are worried about quick follow up shots don’t muzzle load or bow hunt.
 
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I bought a pro hunter last summer mainly because it was the most comfortable handling gun I ever picked up. To me, a gun that fits me well means alot. I bought the gun with a 204 barrel and it took down 8 coyotes with no follow up shots needed. I did practice a bit with follow ups at the range and with practice can be pretty quick. Gun shoots great and I love it. I will be buying other barrel for it soon. As a bowhunter, I also like the idea of one shot. I really forced me make the first shot count
 
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I've got a Pro Hunter, along with Bolt Guns and an AR. I bought the Encore as a pistol frame and paired it up with a 44mag pistol barrel for some Iowa deer during muzzleloader season. I only got to take it out one day during that season and never saw a deer but even with a red dot sight I was impressed with its accuracy at 75 yards. Later I picked up a 25-06 rifle barrel for $199 and with the first handloads I tried I was getting 3/4" groups. I do like the gun and although it may not be my favorite gun it is certainly a valid hunting weapon.

The most recent "Rifle Sporting Firearms Journal" (March 2008) has a good article entitled "Anything But Bolts", that discusses the "second shot theory". It has some very interesting points and I'd suggest reading it. But if I'm not mistaken they point out that, besides the single shot break action, the bolt action is the second slowest action to manipulate. Levers are faster, as are pump/slide actions, and the semi-auto is fast but may not be faster than the pump action. Like I said give it a read.

Also they had a wonderful point where they mentioned that many of the people who look down upon the break action single shot because of its slow follow up are also the same people who gladly grab a smoke pole or bow and head out without a second shot to a quick follow up shot.

I say, to each his own.
The single shot TC is probably one of the last that the gun grabbers in DC will go after so at some point we may all be toting the old Encore to the woods.


Mahamari
 
I have two of them one in 204 and one in 17 mach IV and they are extremly accurate. I 17 is a Match Grade Machine barrel and I will but it up against most anything, most people would not believe how good it has shot. I have over 20 rifles and 7 out of 10 times I have the encore. I like the way they shoot I like the way they feel and I really think that they have made me a better shooter. I have become alot more patient and more cognisent of making sure that I do my part to make a good shot. Also there is a certain amount of satisfaction in making a good kill with it. Also with some practice you can reload allot quicker than you think I have killed coyotes where I had to reload and follow up. I am in Idaho and I know alot of people that use the encore, it is really popular up here.
 
.50 cal muzzleloader, .17 remington, .280 remington.problem with them is the barrels muliply !!!!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I have one in 22-250,50ml, 204, and 30-06 they all shoot great and have no problems on too slow to reload. 6 of my friends hunt with them as well. I also hunt a lot with contender carbines, with syn stock and 21" barrel with a compact scope it weighs less than 6pds. we are here in ETX
 


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