I'm sick of a bolt action and really like the break barrel single shots. It seems to me that the Thompson Encore is a pretty salty rifle. They also make barrels in the 17 HMR, which is a plus for me. I'm possibly planning to get one with a 30-06 barrel.

What do you fellas think?

If a single shot is your prefference, then the Encore is an excellent choice. If you can afford it, get the Pro Hunter model. It has a couple of features that put it a step above the regular Encore. 28 inch barrel instead of 26. Swing hammer for scoped rifles. Flutted barrels for weight and heat dissapation. A 90 degree speed breech on the black powder barrels. A flex stock to tame some of the recoil on the heavy calibers. If you decide to go this route, start with a "pistol" frame gun. You can switch to a rifle configuration from a pistol but not vice versa. Good luck and enjoy. They are habit forming. Ask, Allen in Alaska.

I’m not overly thrilled with the Encore on the first test ammo but I’m not turned off by it either. I just need to work with them. I own 2 actions and 4 barrels.

So if I buy the Pro Hunter with the centerfire rifle frame I can't put a pistol barrel on it, but if I buy the pistol frame I can put a pistol or rifle barrel on it? I don't understand the reasoning behind that

quote:

Originally posted by MickinColo:
I’m not overly thrilled with the Encore on the first test ammo but I’m not turned off by it either. I just need to work with them. I own 2 actions and 4 barrels.

Serious question.

What do can you do to make a break barrel shoot better?

I have 2 one in 300 win mag and one in 375h&h. They both shoot great and are very accurate. I plan on using the 300 this year for whitetail. I put a limbsaver recoil pad on it and use sierra's 165 gr. gameking bullet.It will touch holes at 100 yds. It should be a fine hunting rifle for whitetail.

I have 2 encore, 4 easy open contender & 1 G2 Contender. I do not like the encores & need to sell mine. I like the old & new contenders about the same. A contender with 22lr, 223,7-30 & 375 winchester will do just about every thing an eastern hunter wants to do.

I have been very unhappy with the accuracy of several encore barrels that I have had. It is much easier to free float the forend on a contender than an encore. I have a new Knight KP1 set on order, hopefully it won't have the encore short commings.

The TC Encore is a rifle made out of a pistol, which was in turn made out of a shotgun. There are a number of disadvantages to a rifle which has to fold in the middle at a 45 degree angle in order to load and unload it. But as long as you only need or want one shot (and don't mind the clickety-clack noise of the hammer when cocking it) it can be made to shoot with acceptable accuracy. The gerry-rigged pistol grip is still a bit contrarian for shooters accustomed to a classic rifle's pistol grip.

Thompson Center has been extremely aggressive in paying TV hunting shows to use their rifle. It seems to have paid off in sales.

quote:

So if I buy the Pro Hunter with the centerfire rifle frame I can't put a pistol barrel on it, but if I buy the pistol frame I can put a pistol or rifle barrel on it? I don't understand the reasoning behind that

BATF rules, you can legally make a pistol into a rifle but not the other way around. If you want the best of both worlds you have to buy a pistol frame and then pick up a buttstock and forearm for the rifle.

I have a friend who hunts with contender pistols and watching him shoot his bear in AK at 200+ yards I'd say they are pretty good. He lives in NY State so he likes the Contenders to get around a few of the pistol laws plus he lives in a Shotgun, Pistol or ML area only for hunting. Seriously made me consider buying one, but I have a hard time getting used to the EER scopes so I'll stick to my bolt actions for now.

quote:

Originally posted by Arkapigdiesel:
So if I buy the Pro Hunter with the centerfire rifle frame I can't put a pistol barrel on it, but if I buy the pistol frame I can put a pistol or rifle barrel on it? I don't understand the reasoning behind that

The BATF makes a big deal out of a rifle being converted to a handgun, as in major crime! Even though it's as simple as just changing the barrel and grip, it's something you shouldn't do.

By all means purchase as encore as a handgun, even if you only plan to use it as a rifle. Makes life much easier should you wish to try the handgun configuration later on.

As to the encore platform, I simply see it as a compromise in regards to weight, feel, and accuracy. I've had both a contender and encore as both handguns and rifles. I simply didn't see any benefit over a bolt gun, and many detriments.

They are fun platforms for experimenting on the load bench, but I just never found myself hunting with them, or wishing I'd brought one into the field.

quote:

Originally posted by Paul H:

quote:

Originally posted by Arkapigdiesel:
So if I buy the Pro Hunter with the centerfire rifle frame I can't put a pistol barrel on it, but if I buy the pistol frame I can put a pistol or rifle barrel on it? I don't understand the reasoning behind that

The BATF makes a big deal out of a rifle being converted to a handgun, as in major crime! Even though it's as simple as just changing the barrel and grip, it's something you shouldn't do.

By all means purchase as encore as a handgun, even if you only plan to use it as a rifle. Makes life much easier should you wish to try the handgun configuration later on.

As to the encore platform, I simply see it as a compromise in regards to weight, feel, and accuracy. I've had both a contender and encore as both handguns and rifles. I simply didn't see any benefit over a bolt gun, and many detriments.

They are fun platforms for experimenting on the load bench, but I just never found myself hunting with them, or wishing I'd brought one into the field.

I'm sure you already know this but just in case: The pistol and rifle actions are exactly same....just a registration thing. When I bought one, I had no interest in a Pistol at the time but I bought a Pistol frame anyway...just in case.

The action came with the action and grips only. I then got 2 rifle barrels and an unfinished stock & forearm from Boyds. I ended up buying a pistol barrel for it 3 yrs later.

To your 1st question - Encores, they are Ugly but they are accurate! I have rifle barrels in 22-250 and 375 H&H, I have a 15" 25-06 pistol barrel(which is a bitch to shoot...it hurts... a real SNAP into the wrist) and I enjoy my Encores.

Another plus - If you try a caliber and don't like it, you won't lose much when you sell off the barrel and get another caliber.

FWIW, I purchased a Encore, in a pretty SS/Comp
pistol(308 Win), because I bought into the "just
switch barrels for a different gun" notion, and
my Savage Striker, although very accurate, had
wild muzzle whip, in 308 Win. That was the
start of my Encore journey. After frustrating
load development, and learning a bunch of
stuff like over sized pins, forearm hangers,
etc. were needed for accuracy, in some Encores,
careful concern for case sizing, to avoid head
space issues, and T/C's crappy attitude about
my 308 Win barrel not shooting the ammo they
test barrels with, into anything close to 1 MOA,
I traded it. And it is probably the only gun I
have traded, that I didn't have some latent
regret about trading. About the only positive
aspect of my Encore experience, was the gun shop
gave me back almost all of my money spent in the
original purchase, due to demand for SS pistol
versions.

My hat is off to those that like their Encores.
I hope the person that got mine is happy,
because the Savage rifle that I traded the
Encore for sure makes me happy. Now when I
switch barrels, I can use the same scope,
and it truly is a different gun, and at the
present, all have been extremely accurate,
and easy to get that way.

Squeeze

I had a Contender Carbine with two 21" barrels:
1. A 22Hornet.
2. A 44Mag.

The frame had an excellent Trigger, no creep, no drag, and released like a pipette breaking. The Synthetic Stock was designed for use with Iron Sights, so my head was just a bit high when using a scope. Not really bad, but simply a poorly executed design.

The 22Hornet shot so-so. Nothing to brag about and the Freebore was w-a-y too long for it.

The 44Mag killed a good number of Deer, but I never got real fond of it. They had made the barrel with a "Left Twist" and when you would go to clean the barrel, it would "unscrew" your brushes or jags.

I called Thompson Center to inquire about "Why?" they had made them with the Left Twist. The YANKEE lady that answered the phone handed me off to a YANKEE Shop Foreman. Our conversation was maybe 3-4 sentences long and I knew he had no desire at all to be talking with me. Didn't concern him at all that I had what I considered a simple question for him.

Went that afternoon and swapped the entire mess off for a S&S 223Rem M7. I seriously doubt that I will ever have another Thompson Center product, but now that S&W ownes them, I might.

Best of luck to you folks.

I have a T/C Encore 50 cal muzzle loading rifle. It shoots ok but I don’t like how hard it is to access the breech plug. The barrel has to be removed, then extractor has to be removed, then you can remove the breech plug. I have heard the make a new extractor than pivots which eliminates the problem. The Pro Hunter already has this fix.

quote:

Originally posted by TheBigGuy:

quote:

Originally posted by MickinColo:
I’m not overly thrilled with the Encore on the first test ammo but I’m not turned off by it either. I just need to work with them. I own 2 actions and 4 barrels.

Serious question.

What do can you do to make a break barrel shoot better?

You can give them a trigger job by changing springs if an encore needs a trigger job. The hinge pin can be changes to tighten up the action.
The only problem I have with 2 of the 4 barrels is, I just need to work up a proper load for them. But so far I don’t get a fuzzy feeling that the 25-06 and the 22-250 barrels are going to be small MOA barrels.

The hinge pin suggestion intrigues me.

Will this change not affect the other barrels? Or must it now be changed with the barrel?

quote:

Originally posted by TheBigGuy:
The hinge pin suggestion intrigues me.

Will this change not affect the other barrels? Or must it now be changed with the barrel?

I don’t know. I’ve never changed one. Interesting question though.

I (my wife’s guns) have 4 barrels, 243, 17 Rem, and my problem children the 25-06 and 22-250. The 243 shoots the same on both frames. The 17 shoots better on one of the frames but shoots good enough on both. I haven't worked with my problem children since last spring but I’ll get back to them.

Wow, lots of people having issues with Encores and accuracy. I have owned 4 Encore barrels (223, 308, 30-06 and currently a 6.5-284)and ALL of them shot true .5" groups at 100 yards. Three of those were factory barrels. I am currently shooting just a tad over 1" groups at 200 yards (1.13")and that is a five shot group. The ncores can be as accurate as the shooter in most cases, but like any other company there are some barrels that escape that just won't shoot. TC will replace those. They have the best customer service in the firearms industry.

6.5-284


Factory untouched .308



As you can see they are very inaccurate.

quote:

Originally posted by brasskeeper:
I have a T/C Encore 50 cal muzzle loading rifle. It shoots ok but I don’t like how hard it is to access the breech plug. The barrel has to be removed, then extractor has to be removed, then you can remove the breech plug. I have heard the make a new extractor than pivots which eliminates the problem. The Pro Hunter already has this fix.

You would be amazed at how easy the breech plug can be removed from the Pro Hunter 50 BP. Tilt the barrel. Swivel the extractor to one side. Put on the tool and rotate 90 degrees! Pull out. BIG difference from the original Encore but by adding the EZ tilt extractor to your Encore you can do almost the same. (you would have to unscrew the plug, not just rotate it 90 degrees.)

I went through an Encore phase and had several, but I have gone back to bolt guns. My youngest son still has an Encore 270 WCF with a T/C custom shop barrel that is super accurate, and we both have Encore ProHunter muzzleloaders.

For me, there was no advantage to the "change barrel" system, because once I got one set up with oversized hinge pin and sighted in, I was never going to change barrels. So, I ended up with 8 frames.

Don't get me wrong, Encores are great guns, but in my opinion, they are overpriced.

I did the Encore thing about 8 yrs ago. I bought a receiver, a .30-06 barrel and a .223 bull barrel. The .30-06 would do about 1 1/2"-2" 3 shoot 100yd groups on average. It's was almost a keeper, but the .223 barrel was a big disapointment. 3"-4" groups were the norm for this one. I didn't reload any .223"s for it, but I went through a large amount of factory ammo to try to find something this barrel liked. I went through all the T/C forums I could find and tried all the little tricks they suggested but no luck. After a while the whole concept grew old and I dumped it.

My experience was luke warm at best.

Terry

They are ugly!! Despite the fact that they may shoot OK, I would not give one of those ugly buggers houseroom. Now, TC used to make a beautiful break-action rifle, the TCR. But for some reason, they trashed it, and used their plant fire as an excuse not to resurrect it. Maybe it had some design fault, but the one I had worked OK. I had a .22/250 barrel for it that shot well. A .243 barrel that shot not at all, and a .30/'06 barrel that would do 2 MOA w/selected handloads.

Now I'm back to all Rugers, both No. 1's and No. 3's. I do miss the interchangeable barrels!

I have a TCR also in .243 Win that won't shoot worth a damn, I have tried probably 50 different loads and nothin' 2.5 or 3 inches is about best.

I have a couple of contenders that shoot well but several that don't. I think TC is very hit or miss but I do love my Contenders ( not really sure why though ).

quote:

Originally posted by El Deguello:
They are ugly!! Despite the fact that they may shoot OK, I would not give one of those ugly buggers houseroom. Now, TC used to make a beautiful break-action rifle, the TCR. But for some reason, they trashed it, and used their plant fire as an excuse not to resurrect it. Maybe it had some design fault, but the one I had worked OK. I had a .22/250 barrel for it that shot well. A .243 barrel that shot not at all, and a .30/'06 barrel that would do 2 MOA w/selected handloads.

Now I'm back to all Rugers, both No. 1's and No. 3's. I do miss the interchangeable barrels!

In IMO you’re right about the Encore being ugly. They look a little like something out of a Star Wars movie (some people think that’s cool though). I do think because of their design they are one of the best “natural pointing†offhand rifles out there. The scope comes in line with the eye at the same time the stock hits the shoulder.

The reasons my wife picked (with my input) the Encore is because she wanted to shot like me. I’m a single shot guy. She can’t handle the pull length of a No 1 stock, and/or when cut down the comb height. The weight of a No 1 is too much for her, not that she can’t carry it all day long, it’s just to heavy for her to shot, the balance is all wrong for her. The youth butt stock of the Encore is perfect for her, its well balanced, and she can bring the gun to her shoulder and eye at the same time.

She’s a killer with her Encores. People at hunting camp don’t make fun of her rifle (they’ve seen what she does with it).

But! Every time I pick one of her guns up, I feel like I’m handling a Bee Bee gun that shoots center-fire ammunition.

I agree that the Contenders are flat out ugly looking and awkward handling abominations. That is why I won't have one. But that is just one man's aesthetic opinion.

But given that it's my opinion, I sure wish there were fewer Contenders in use on the hunting TV shows. Seems as though TC sponsors half of everthing out there, especially the hicks in the sticks who keep whisperin' like damn fools even after they done kilt their deer from tree blinds and kin see 'em lyin' there dead in the woods deer hunting shows.

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
I agree that the Contenders are flat out ugly looking and awkward handling abominations. That is why I won't have one. But that is just one man's aesthetic opinion.

But given that it's my opinion, I sure wish there were fewer Contenders in use on the hunting TV shows. Seems as though TC sponsors half of everthing out there, especially the hicks in the sticks who keep whisperin' like damn fools even after they done kilt their deer from tree blinds and kin see 'em lyin' there dead in the woods deer hunting shows.

Relax, money for Hunting Shows comes from where ever it comes from.

It takes money to put anything on TV. Who ever provides the money dictates the weapon used on the show.

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
...the hicks in the sticks who keep whisperin' like damn fools even after they done kilt their deer from tree blinds and kin see 'em lyin' there dead in the woods deer hunting shows.

We strongly urge our Hunters not to say anything in the Woods/Swamps/Fields. It is difficult for some of them to do, but we have found the Human Voice to be one of the most effective Deer Repellants going where we Hunt. But of course, we don't have YANKEE Deer.

Now I know your Dixie deer are dumb, and our Yankee deer are smart. But not even Yankee deer are smart enough to figure out how to come back from the dead.

After they're dead, I don't think they can hear you, and I know for damn sure from first hand experience they're way past going anywhere.

I own an Encore with 50 Cal BP, .22-250, .25-06, and .405 Win barrls. All barrels, including the ML have been capable of 1" at 100 yards. I did an have issue with the 405 barrel's chamber originally being cut too short, but I sent it to the factory and had the barrel back in a few weeks. I have not tried a bunch of loads in any of the barrels, but that's mainly because it was easy to find one I want to shoot in each of them. Some guys hate the ergonomics of the stock and I can see that. I don't like shooting it off the bench, but find it very comfortable from field positions.

Lou

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
...After they're dead, I don't think they can hear you, ...

Do they only let " 1 " Deer into those YANKEE woods each year?

Down here, there may be 20-500 Deer within hearing of a voice during some Twilight Periods. So, we try not to run them over to other folks property. It isn't that way all the time, but often enough that anyone who Hunts the South should be able to verify those numbers.

If you ever want to see a good many Deer on a single night, here is how to do it. Pick a warm late October day when there has just been a rain and drive(very slowly) across the road that bisects Camp LeJeune. You can see 2000-9000 Deer or perhaps more.

Best of luck to you finding that " 1 " Deer.

I have a new Encore in .204 Ruger, does cloverleaves with handloads. Bought it to replace a Savage 16 that needed to go back to the factory too many times.

I guess it is like all guns - some shoot some don't. I have and continue to play with the enocre. I am satisfied with the centerfire barrels that I have and think with some reloading time I could get them shooting better. I am more a fan of the muzzleloader. Mine flat out shoots and outshoots some of my centerfire rifles and it is easy to clean and maintain.