taylorce1
Handloader
- Jun 3, 2007
- 1,080
- 0
I bought an Encore Endeavor frame a few years ago thinking I'd do some pistol hunting. I started hunting with a guy who uses a lot of pistols in 06 and watched him take a bear at 205 yards, and a year later take a pronghorn at 225 yards all with a Contender pistol. So I bought the Encore frame from Ed's T/C with his trigger job, picked up a set of grips, a 7-08 barrel and went to shooting. The 7-08 was okay but just didn't do it for me, so I traded into a .280 GNR. That was a mistake for sure, the 17" pistol/carbine barrel changed my idea of wanting to shoot hand cannons.
So I switched it to a rifle running a .375 JDJ and that was a fun cartridge to say the least but the best I could ever group with it was 1.5" at 100 with the 260 NAB. The 270 Speer BTSP grouped a lot better but shed the jackets going through the target board and I'd find them laying ontop the dirt in the back stop. I did take it bear hunting in AK but alas no bear this last time out.
I have a .375 Ruger that was less finiky on bullets so I sent the barrel packing and decided to try the .204 Ruger. The little .20 cal is a sweet cartridge, but I must say I don't really enjoy it much in a single shot rifle and someday I'll try it in a bolt action or AR upper. However the other day I found a used 26" ProHunter fluted barrel in .45-70 so I thought why not? Just ordered a Warne scope base yesterday for it, will pickup a set of rings and mount a 2-7X35 B&L Elite 3000 scope on it and see what she does next chance I get.
I'm really a bolt action hunting rifle kind of guy, so if this barrel doesn't turn my crank so to speak I think I'll send the whole package down the road. Encore Endeavor with pistol grip and forearm, Flex-Tec stock and forearm, 28" PH .204 Ruger barrel, and 26" PH .45-70 barrel. Do you guys think it is worth $800 as a package? My other option is to get a ML barrel and turn it into a smoke pole.
So I switched it to a rifle running a .375 JDJ and that was a fun cartridge to say the least but the best I could ever group with it was 1.5" at 100 with the 260 NAB. The 270 Speer BTSP grouped a lot better but shed the jackets going through the target board and I'd find them laying ontop the dirt in the back stop. I did take it bear hunting in AK but alas no bear this last time out.
I have a .375 Ruger that was less finiky on bullets so I sent the barrel packing and decided to try the .204 Ruger. The little .20 cal is a sweet cartridge, but I must say I don't really enjoy it much in a single shot rifle and someday I'll try it in a bolt action or AR upper. However the other day I found a used 26" ProHunter fluted barrel in .45-70 so I thought why not? Just ordered a Warne scope base yesterday for it, will pickup a set of rings and mount a 2-7X35 B&L Elite 3000 scope on it and see what she does next chance I get.
I'm really a bolt action hunting rifle kind of guy, so if this barrel doesn't turn my crank so to speak I think I'll send the whole package down the road. Encore Endeavor with pistol grip and forearm, Flex-Tec stock and forearm, 28" PH .204 Ruger barrel, and 26" PH .45-70 barrel. Do you guys think it is worth $800 as a package? My other option is to get a ML barrel and turn it into a smoke pole.
