I've got a T/C Encore rifle, and was wondering whether to pick up a muzzleloader barrel for it.

For those of you with experience with them:

• How well do they shoot?
• What is their effective range on elk?
• Do they prefer a particular blackpowder or substitute?
• Do you recommend conicals or saboted bullets?
• Is a 26" or 28" barrel 'better'?

Thanks,
George

1) They all seem to shoot great
2) Just deer so far
3) two pellets of pyrodex, total 100 grains.
4) sabot, they get difficult to load without cleaning after a few shots
5) 26 I think.
It was a easy gun to set up to kill a few deer. For me not something that gets alot of range time just makes my deer season longer.

The only problem I have with the encore muzzleloader is the stock fit. It keeps my head up too high and you get wacked right on the cheek. You however may be built differently and have no problem.

No personal experience with either an Encore or hunting elk, so take this for what you paid for it, LOL...

Anyway, I find no difference between a 26 and a 28 inch barrel in a muzzle loader accuracy wise, and I never shoot at max velocity anyway so and gain there wouldn't matter to me.

However, for 50 caliber barrels it does move the center of balance noticeably, and if you are in the woods like I am it also gets hung up more than what you would think. So for me, shorter is much better.

My second thought in regards to the T/C is that the barrel alone is not that much less than a reasonable complete rifle from some other design. If BP guns had the registration issues cartridge rifles do then it could be argued a bit, but since you can order a BP rifle and have it mailed to your house the benefits of just a barrel aren't that significant.

Anyway, IMHO unless there are other factors like you have a nice custom case with an empty place for an extra barrel or something I'd be tempted to find a complete rifle of a different design.

Thanks all.

I will take your suggestions under advisement.

Mark,
As I am left-handed, my options for an inline are limited. The Knight Bighorn (LH) and the T/C Encore are about it.

George

I use a CVA Electra, which is definitely not everyones cup of tea and somewhat controversial but it has an ambidextrous stock and a thumb/tang safety. Main issue is that it uses an electronic ignition so on the plus side you do not have to worry about running out of caps or primers but some states have outlawed them for hunting as they need to have a cap or primer.

However, if you can deal with that stuff it is a nice shooting gun IMHO, I like mine a lot and they show up on the used market (sometimes NIB like mine) for $150-$350. Quite a bargain for what was once the top of the line ML of CVA.

George

It depends on where you are going yo be hunting elk. You can't use sabots in Colorado or several other states. I have not found a bore sized bullet that the encore will shoot well. If you need to shoot a bore sized bullet try some thing with a agreement Mountain barrel on it.

LHR redemption
Knight Rolling Block

Theses are two that I know for sure work well with bore sized lead bullets.

surestrike,

It will be primarily in Nevada. We can use saboted bullets here.

The other gun I was looking is the Knight Bighorn, which has a Green Mountain barrel.

George

I had an Encore muzzleloader after I missed 2 deer with it I sold it. The stock did not fit right since I have bought a CVC Accura with one piece scope base and rings. I don't have a scope yet but when I put the rifle to my shoulder the rings line up. I have killed many deer with my Knight MK85 54 cal but am having trouble with open sights any more.

Good luck

George, I'm in agreement that for what you pay for a barrel alone, you can buy a complete rifle.

Recently, I picked up a new CVA Optima, with scope, rings and a case for $380.

I load it with two pellets of White Hot powder, a sabotted bullet (I'll have to check the shop to see what kind), load up a 209 primer and have shot 3 shots touching each other at 100 yards.

The reason I bring this up is that I too am left-handed and I love how well this rifle shoots. Now all I have to do is get a deer in front of it.

As far as range for elk? I would think that if you can get within 80 - 100 yards with a good charge down the barrel, you should be eating elk steaks.... I once killed a caribou with a patched round ball percussion gun and when we stepped off the distance, it was approximately 150 yards....

My muzzleloader is an old original ( and barely ever fired I must confess) TC Renegade in 54 caliber.

I had been thinking of getting a new one anyway so this thread got me looking at the Knight Bighorn in 50. Heck I thought Knight was out of business.

If you do get the Knight, or any other, maybe you will update the thread for those of us still looking. I will tag along for the Knight and other information.

i had a t/c omega, sold it when i got an encore. then sold the encore to buy a t/c dimension.. so i bought another omega so i'd have a muzzleloader.

i'm assuming the barrels between the omega and encore are going to be about the same. so with that in mind...

mine have all been 1.5" guns. i just shot my omega this weekend, and the last two shots i fired was one ragged hole at 100y. my buddy got scope bit pretty bad and was bleeding, so i didnt get a chance for a 3rd shot for my final group, it was only a group of 2.

i like to pack it full of powder, so i use 120gr of 777 loose powder. 777 is a little hotter than pyrodex, so my understanding is this is close to the max load.

i shoot the 250gr sabot t/c shockwaves normally. but this year i got 250gr barnes mz expander hollow points solid copper sabots. they are extremely tight in the barrel, but shoot really well.

i have had 26 and 28" barrels and noticed no accuracy difference. i have not chrono'd any of them, so idk what kind of velocity difference it may make.

i tried pioneer powder or whatever its called and my omega did not like it. when using pyrodex, my omega liked 120gr of loose powder the best. my pops shoots an omega and it likes 110gr of loose pyrodex and 250gr shockwave sabots.

i will be moving to colorado next year. so i'll have to find a full bore projectile, and hopefully i can find one it likes.

I'm left handed and shoot a T/C Omega with a SS barrel and a laminated wood stock. No issues for a lefty, the rifle is fully ambidextrous. Mine is 45 cal.

My son, a righty, also shoots an Omega. His is 50 cal.

Both rifles have great triggers and are accurate, but point of impact shifts (upward) from a clean bore shot to shot No 2. Shot 2-4 are consistent though. My rifle needs a swab after 4, my son's could go another shot or two.

Cleaning is easy but with a scope on the rifle it is easiest with a socket to fit the breach plug and ratchet with a 6" extension.

I used to use 3 50gr Pyrodex pellets, and I found the 45 cal Powerbelt bullets weren't up to it, they killed deer well but I never recovered more than pieces, so I dropped my load to two x 50gr pellets. The 50 cals seem to hold together on deer using 2x 50gr pellets, but for elk I would steer clear of them altogether.

I would think that T/C's Maxi Balls or Maxi Hunter would shoot well in T/C rifles. I haven't tried them though.

A friend uses an Encore. I don't know his load or what (sabot) bullets he uses, but I used his rifle to kill one deer. It also has a great trigger.

Hope this helps,

JPK

If legal in where you plan to hunt, try some Blackhorn 209 powder. The stuff works great in my T/C Omega with 250 Gr. Hornady 50 cal. sabots. The nice thing about BH 209 is it doesn't build up fouling like many other blackpowder substitutes and you don't need special solvents/water for clean up. Just use regular centerfire rifle solvents.

I have an Omega and a Encore.110 grains of Blackhorn 209 and a 250 grain hornady SSt puts me in the black from 50 to 200 yards.I am now having a 45 caliber Smokeless muzzle loader barrel being built for the Encore for longer distance shooting.To me the stocks on both are perfect for scope use.OB