I just bought a new encore frame.. Now i just need to make up my mind on which bbl i want to stick on it first.. I was thinking either the .44 mag or the 454.. Question i have is should i get the bbl in a 12" or 15"... Which caliber would you go with? Thanks for the info..

6.5 Bandit

Welcome to the club. If you're prone to self abuse, get the 454....

I got a new barrel in .454 a couple weeks ago, shot it for the first time this weekend. I started with 11 gr. of Unique and a 265 gr. bullet, it was a pussycat at this level, very little recoil. I shot that for quite a few rounds, very, very accurate out to 75 yds., if a bit of a rainbow trajectory. Then I loaded up some H110 loads, 32 gr. of H110 behind that 265 gr. bullet. I wanted to see if the stories about the recoil were true. I have a set of Recoil Tamer grips by Denzel Roberts and there was considerable recoil and a lot of muzzle flip with this load, but I shot 20 rounds off at one sitting, cleaning every five to "break it in", even if I think breaking in barrels is next to worthless unless they are custom. I had very little leading and they shot very well until the recoil loosened up my forearm screws, then accuracy went to hell. I wasn't chronographing, so I don't know the velocities. I didn't find the recoil unmanageable, and I'm hardly an experienced handgunner, I've only ever owned this Encore and a 7mmBR in an XP-100, the Unique loads were far less than max load in the XP and the H110 load was a bit more, but not unmanageable, I could have shot more and nothing was numb, bruised, or bleeding. I'm going to enjoy this barrel, it's my first straight-walled case, I'm having fun so far. BTW, it's a 12" standard taper barrel.
Yardbird

BTW, the .454 is not available in the 15".

I would go with 454 if you handload, you can shoot the 45 Colt in it for your plinking loads or load the 454 down, then have your full power loads for hunting. I think the 12" is about right for off hand shooting. Foxridge will make one in 15" if you want it in that length.
Albert

Thanks for the replies...

I was leaning towards the 454 just becouse you can load the 45 colts if ya like that and I like the abuse lol .. I was pretty sure that for a 15" bbl in both calibler's i would need a custom bbl made.. But from the sounds of it the 12" in the 454 would work just right..

6.5 Bandit