Sell Me On The Encore; and Show Yours Off

conor_90

conor_90

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So like many users on here I have an interest in lots of different and possibly redundant calibers. Lately I have had a bit of a hankering for the t/c encore. I have always been a single shot fan but I am not totally sold on the dramatic pistol grip.
I like the idea of a few classic calibers and a few short barrels

A few questions

- anyone ordered barrels from ssk, what was the damage approx with importing?

- for those with short barrels do you carry some kind of documentation with them? How do you prove its a factory barrel?

- are stocks with a less dramatic pistol grip available?

- hows the recoil on heavier calibers?
Not especially recoil sensitive but I would prefer a heavier gun for some of the calibers I'm fantasizing about.

- anyone have exotic cals? Thinking of a " safari trio" .303, 9.3x74r and 405. Always fantasized about a 50 ak. This gun in vanilla cals would be boring for me and kind of ruin the "point" I'm getting at

Thanks guys, and please show off your rifles and barrels!
 
I have a short barreled 45-70 for mine as well as a 204, 308, 7mm mag and 300 win mag as well as the Muzzle loader option that requires a seperate fore grip

The "dramatic pistol grip" as you call it is specifically designed to reduce felt recoil

Though rare I believe there is a wooden stock option
 
I have a short barreled 45-70 for mine as well as a 204, 308, 7mm mag and 300 win mag as well as the Muzzle loader option that requires a seperate fore grip

The "dramatic pistol grip" as you call it is specifically designed to reduce felt recoil

Though rare I believe there is a wooden stock option
 
I to enjoy singles, I had an Encore that I upgraded with the "Flex Tech stock" I had "vanilla" barrels in 7 mag, 300 mag, 270, 25 06 and 375 H&H. I had extractor problems on the 25 06 a brand new barrel and shooting the 375 and the 300 was a different experience, after the trigger was pulled I could feel the stock flex and see the scope coming at my eye. It was totally different than any other rifle to shoot. What finished me was the lack of support on getting a new extractor, the warranty gunsmith was in Victoria and He was getting no support from Smith and Wesson [parent company at the time], I ended up talking to a Lady in the states and She couldn't have shown less interest in helping Me. I traded for a Parker Hale 375 H&H sold the 25 06 barrel separately with full disclosure I assume it is serving as a long tent peg somewhere. I sent a scathing email to Smith and Wesson and never received a reply. The gunsmith called me about two years after I had sold it to ask if I still needed an extractor. I am sure some will have had the positive experience you are looking for but for me the idea was far better than the reality.
 
Thanks Milt I appreciate your candor, my hypothetical three barrel set would be a serious investment so negative reviews are definitely appreciated especially by those with experience with the heavier cals. Just imagining the savings over three ruger no. 1s, maybe it's too good to be true?

And iirc you are also the proud owner of a t3 light with reciever sights in .338 wm, if you say the recoil is bad I'm inclined to believe you..
 
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That pistol grip is what I love about them.
I use mine only as a 50cal Muzzleloader.
I had a few rifles barrels, but a single shot rifle is just not my thing.
I prefer the walnut stocks, they are still available. Not a fan of the plastic at all.
 
conor_90 said:
Thanks Milt I appreciate your candor, my hypothetical three barrel set would be a serious investment so negative reviews are definitely appreciated especially by those with experience with the heavier cals. Just imagining the savings over three ruger no. 1s, maybe it's too good to be true?

And iirc you are also the proud owner of a t3 light with reciever sights in .338 wm, if you say the recoil is bad I'm inclined to believe you..
Click to expand...

Recoil was not so bad, more on the 300 than the 375, rather than you moving with the rifle my perception was the front of the rifle bent at the pistol grip to take up the recoil, I was just very aware of the scope coming towards my eye and didn't like it. The 25 06 did not do that at all and I do not recall the 7mm so I think it was fine as well. If I had stayed with the wooden encore stock and smaller calibres I still might own it, I think the bad service finished me on the rifle as much as the flex in the stock.
 
I wish I had pictures to show you I have one of the first produce in fifty cal. black powder one of the best shooting muzzle loaders I've shot, bought a second one in SS with thumb hole stock, a third one I cut the quick start off what a tack drive it is, then I started to do custom bullberry barrels and wood work in 17HMR, 7-08 and the last was a 20ga slug made by bullberry that is sweet, as you can see I really enjoy TC
 
I have an Encore with 7 Rem Mag and 50 BP barrels, Pro Hunter stock with pillar forend for the 7mm by http://www.tonysforendsandgrips.net/ I have used it for 15+ years and it is my second favorite hunting gun. I haven't shot anything with the BP barrel but the 7mm has been very successful. Both are quite accurate. Bellm trigger and springs in everything. I had a Bergara .243 barrel that I dropped and it broke the lug, now junk. It was a laser beam with 87gr Bergers, I miss it very much.
My main hunting gun now is the Encores baby brother, a Contender carbine with .223 Rem and 7-30 Waters barrels with Tony's butt and forestocks in Walnut. The .223 has taken many coyotes and the 7-30 has accounted for its fair share of deer and a few coyotes as well.
Here's the Contender, no pics of the Encore, sorry
8xmn94.jpg
 
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with short barrels there will be an increase in noise and muzzle blast as I have had a 15" 3006 and still currently have a 18.5" 375hh. I think a 20" barrel would be the best in this set up. As for the 375 it had a muzzle brake from factory which it had to be removed as it could not be shot with out earplugs due to the noise. If you are going with the short 15" brls I would get a smaller caliber like 223 or 308 size as the max. The weight feel was off for me with the 15" brls.
 
I have two Encore frames, with four barrels.
.50 ML, .45 ML, .45-70 and .30-06

I love the two muzzleloaders and the .45-70.

I do not so much love the .30-06 barrel It has what appears to be a headspace problem. The chamber is longer than normal. On occasion, the cartridge will move forward and off the extractor upon hammer impact. When that happens, the primer does not detonate. I cannot trust it as a hunting gun, which is what I bought it for.

The .45-70 is my favourite configuration. The 24 in. barrel makes the rifle short and easy to handle. Originally, it was too light, which caused excessive felt recoil. I filled up the cavities in the foreend with lead and epoxy. It is now better balanced and recoils a lot less.

The .45-70's saving grace is that it is a rimmed, straight wall case. Rimless bottleneck cases like the .30-06 are not ideally suited for a rifle like the Encore.
 
I have two frames, an original and pro hunter. I use the regular fram with my 50 cal muzzleloader barrel with thumbhole stock and the pro hunter frame with all my other barrels. I have .223, 22-250, .300 win mag, .375 H&H, .416 Rigby and a 20 g rifled slug barrel.
my favorite firearm that I own. I do have a few.......... all pics I have are on photobucket and aren't working but love these guns. next purchase will be a contender at some point just for the hell of i.
only problem I've had was a 12gauge rifled barrel that had the base screw holes drilled too deep and had problems getting a new one when the transfer happened when S&W took over but finally took the 20gauge barrel in exchange and very happy with it.
 
I have 3 Encore frames and a legit Carbine Contender. The Encore is a high pressure frame, rated for large centre fire rounds, whereas many state the Contender is .30-30 only.

Barrel change option, from .22, .223, .30-30, .30-06, .12 ga, and .50 cal m/l, make this platform very versatile and practical. Single shot not for everyone, but I like it, and don't find recoil bad in larger bores.

P.
 
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