I have a TC Encore in 510 whisper. It shoots a 700 grain bullet at 1050 fps. Since the gun weighs less than 8 pounds, the recoil is fierce. It stripped off the bipod adaptor twice, before I replaced it with a heavy duty one. My last trip to the range resulted in the two little screws that hold on the forend stripping. I am thinking of getting new screws, and epoxying them into place. Two holes drilled through the back of the foreend will allow me to remove the hinge pin when I want to change barrels.

Any other ideas other than dilling and tapping new holes? The barrel can not be drilled deep or have dovetail anchor points installed. Thanks.

Ranb

How about getting some 450gr cast bullets and taming the recoil that way? The TC may be able to bolt a barrel on that big but apparently it will not hold to gather for the recoil.

Hog Killer

PS: May be you could fill the forearm and butt with lead and slow it down that way.

I would not put any lead in the forearm it would only make the problem worse(more recoil force on those 2 screws). Would suggest buying sand bags and using them, take the bipod off.

I did try filling the butt stock with several pounds of lead, but it made it cumbersome to hold. When it is fitted with it's 2"x18" suppressor, the recoil is not a problem. I will be shooting from a sandbag even after I glue the forend on. I an stuck on using the surplus BMG bullets for now. The only cast bullet I make is 950 grains hahahah.

Ranb

Call whoever did the work and ask them to fix it!!

imho
jeffe

Kind of sounds like a .50 BMG, on a '98 Mauser, to much of a good thing.

Hog Killer

The Encore uses two tiny screws to attach the forend. I think it was my fault the screws stripped because I had noticed in the past they would loosen after a shooting session, but I failed to use lock-tight to keep them in place. The recoil is beefy, but since I only shoot subsonic loads, it should not be too much. Wish I sprang the big bucks for the TRG-s based gun instead of the Encore barrel though.

Ranb

you should probably consider having a gunsmith solder a "recoil lug" (via a big bore bolt gun) that is say... 2" long and .5" wide.

Not that it would serve to distribute recoil, as is the case with a bolt gun, but that it would give the screws (through the forend) something more substantial to attach to.

At the same time, have him drill and tap it to accept a beefier screw.

That would require inleting the forend to receive the new lug, but that is pretty straight-forward.

Ranb40,

I had similar probelms with my 470 NE Encore shooting it with the bi-pod. My barrel is a Virgin Valley with their hanger bar (15" barrel). The hanger bar is attached to the barrel with two screws that attach to two dovetailed inserts mounted on the barrel. One of he dovetail inserts snapped off. The material seemed very light, almost like pot metal. Virgin Valley sent me a bag of replacement inserts that were made of better steel and they held up. The Single screw that hold the forend on the hanger bar also bent. It created a oval hole in the wood. I think some kind of steel insert (in the wood)would solve that problem. I have stopped using the bi-pod and just shoot the gun off bags/rests.

When TC brought out thier Super 16 in 45-70, I just had to have one for my Contender. Three shots and it actually deformed the dovetails in the bottom of the barrel where the screw inserts were placed to hold the forend on. I called TC and was told that this was a common problem and if I sent them the barrel they would send a new, but different configuration barrel to me. It seems that they had numerous problems with the 16" configuration and were discontinuing it. It just might be that there needs to be a different type of mounting for the heavy recoiling calibers.

Unforntunately, this is a SS 20" SSK barrel. I will have to talk to JD Jones about getting ti fixed. Not sure if he is using the new mounting system or not.

Ranb

You could have a good gunsmith dovetail two blocks into the bottom of the barrel and use larger screws to hold the forend to the barrel. Not a very difficult job for a good smith.

I fixed it. I made a barrel band that slides over the barrel, and holds the forend in place with a 1/2-20 screw in place of the tiny screw to the rear of the bipod adaptor. Hopefully this will keep everything in place while shooting the 637 and 950 grain bullets.

Ranb

Aw Shucks! I had a .50 Alaskan that shot a 700 gr.
heat treated, hard cast bullet at 1750 fps in a
7 pound Remington Rolling Block (new manufacture)
Rifle. Recoil wasn't bad, just a lot of muzzle rise. I shot it from a fixed rest at the range.
I think just shooting over sandbags is best.
Best Regards, Tom

Well, it is not fixed after all. I mounted the bipod and proceeded to shoot about 20 rounds, then noticed that the forend had slipped foreward, completely wrecking the rear screw. While the forend did not come off, it did slide foreward about 1.5 inches. Any suggestions other than a dovetail to help keep this forend in place while shooting with a bipod? Thanks.

Ranb

Is it possible to drill out the stock dovetailed "sockets" and rethread it in a larger size?

Hey Ran!

We used your cast bullets (975 gr with gas check, btw) in our .500 Phantom. AR-10 with 24" barrel, 1100 fps, all day long .... does get your attention in terms of recoil, but not bad at all. They fit in the mag, loaded to 2.81" and the 20 rounder will hold 8. Talk about getting some funny looks at the range ...

Perhaps the solution to your woes, get rid of JD's 20" Encore and move up to the world of semi-autos ....

The Encore forend holes tapped into the barrel are just too small and shallow to do anything with. The large bore precludes putting in any wider or deeper holes too.

I got the SSK 338 whisper barrel put on my savage 10 fcm (4 round mag), and I love it. I wish I sprang the big bucks for the trg-s 510W bolt gun.

Marty, do you plan on casting your own 950 grain bullets in the future? What kind of accuracy did you get with them anyway? What was your laod data? I find that 32 grains of H110 in the 510W starts to flatten the primers and only gives about 975 fps, so I am trying out rifle powders like H335 and 748, but they will require at least 25% heavier charges.

Ranb

I was thinking about the Contender style mounts... Best o' luck!

quote:

Originally posted by ranb40:
I got the SSK 338 whisper barrel put on my savage 10 fcm (4 round mag), and I love it. I wish I sprang the big bucks for the trg-s 510W bolt gun.

Marty, do you plan on casting your own 950 grain bullets in the future? What kind of accuracy did you get with them anyway? What was your laod data? I find that 32 grains of H110 in the 510W starts to flatten the primers and only gives about 975 fps, so I am trying out rifle powders like H335 and 748, but they will require at least 25% heavier charges.

Ranb

I have a 1 in 9.5 Lothar Walther on my Savage 110 FP Tactical in 500 Phantom but have yet to sit down at the bench with it.

Joe has the molds and is stealing weights off the wheels in the mall parking lot as we speak In the AR, your bullet was actually one of the more accurate, Larry Sterrett of Gun Digest did the shooting and reported the 1100 fps figure. Joe used 31.3 gr Re7 and 2.80". BTW, 24" barrel.

Range? Groups size please? Thanks

Ranb

No earthly idea, but apparently Larry has published his article in Gun Week on the AR-10 in .500 Phantom. Considering Joe was getting 1.2" groups at 100 with the Barnes 570 and Larry said that the 975 was one of the most if not the most accurate load .... As to range, I currently only have access to 100 yards, lost access to the other one (private range)