T-C Encore - how accurate?

Guy Miner · Feb 14, 2011

I don't know anyone here locally who shoots one of these, or I'd bug them for some range time with the rifle. Any idea if MOA or better accuracy is normal with the T-C Encore?

Always have liked single shot rifles, and am thinking a combination:

.22 long rifle & .25-06 or .280 might make for a dandy setup. Plink with it as a .22, then pop the centerfire rifle barrel on for coyotes & deer...

What do you guys know about these Encore rifles? The only T-C rifle I have is a traditional muzzle loader, and it's always been a good firearm.

Guy

Guest · Feb 14, 2011

I've not shot the Encore, but I've shot a Contender plenty of times. I have a shooting buddy that owns a couple of Contenders. I like them, and they're easily 1.5" rifles every time, and sometimes closer to 1". The only issue I've found is they are not "max load" rifles, just due to the break action lockup not being designed to support it. You can shoot them at "max" but literally everyone I've known who has, has ended up with slop eventually in the lockup, and gone to a larger pin to "fix" the problem. Well, if you're loosening an action, the new pin is a bandaid, in my opinion. This same limitation applies to the Encore, from what I understand, as well. That's not my direct experience, just what I hear, though. I believe it, based on my experience, but I can't solidly confirm it.

Now, that said, I'd buy one and stay 3% below max all the time and never worry about it. I've thought about them as a great rifle I could shoot that my lefty-shooting son could also shoot, but just never have found one when I had the coin and didn't have something else I wanted more.

YoteSmoker · Feb 14, 2011

MOA is advertised. .25-.75 MOA is the norm with handloads in my experience. So far, 1 turkey, 1 elk, several deer, a few coyote, and 1 bobcat are very upset with the accuracy of the Encore! As far as max loads, I've never had a problem finding accuracy in the 7mm08 with max loads. I've found accuracy with the 22-250 and 30-06 a grain or two below book max, but will handle most book max listings no problem. The contender is a lot weaker frame than the Encore and can only handle stuff like 30-30 based cases, 45-70 is about tops. The Encore handles all pressures of 308, 30-06, standard Win, Rem, and H&H magnums all the way up through 416. Due to liability, TC and other custom makers no longer or never made the SAUM, WSSM, WSM, or ultras because of the increased pressures the frame is not designed or capable to withstand. On such a light rifle, I'm perfectly content maxing out my barrel choices at 30-06. I thought about getting a 22LR but think I'd get bored pretty fast with a single shot although it may be great to teach kids with. Myself, a good accurate bolt gun makes me happy and is just what I need for woods and plinking.

JD338 · Feb 14, 2011

Guy,

I have not shot an Encore but I do have a T/C Contender hand gun that is amazingly accurate.
With the factory stock barrel chambered in 7x30 Waters, my best group off the bench at 100 yards went .227"!

Based on this, I would have to think that the Encore would be an easy MOA or better rifle.

JD338

bteate · Feb 14, 2011

Guy, I had an Encore Pro Hunter with .308, .270, and .300WM barrels and after ALOT of research on the accuracy potential and alot of fooling with it I sold all of the barrels except for the 300WM. From my experience with mine, I needed to dedicate one barrel to the frame I had because of headspace issues and it wasn't worth the hassle for changing them out. I must say that I probably expected too much out of it and would have been fine as a 1-1.5 moa rifle, I just always want more for some unknown reason.

I changed the trigger spring to get it to #2 ( before it was #5.5), had to shave the chamber end of the barrel so it wouldnt hit the frame, put shims behind breech face to get the right headspace, larger hinge pin, heavy lock-up spring and floated the fore-end. It sounds like alot, but all of it is pretty easy to do yourself. After all that, I ended up with a consistant .5 moa rifle that was pretty fun to shoot and looked good to.

Mike Bellm has a tremendous knowledge of T/Cs and a great website for all you ever wanted to know about them and sells all the stuff that I mentioned to make them awesome.

One thing that I do recommend is a Talley one piece scope mount for them, they are the best thing for an Encore since sliced bread. I hope that helps.

http://www.bellmtcs.com/store/

Travhunter65 · Feb 15, 2011

Guy, I have owned an encore for years. I do all of my local deer hunting with my pro hunter in .243 with 85 grain partitions. With noslers trophy grade ammo, this combo shoots .5" groups or better, my 17hmr pro hunter barrel does the same. My 50 cal. mz barrel shoots 1" groups. I just ordered a 28" 300 wm barrel with a muzzle brake from Bullberry
Just my opinion because of past problems with factory guns, I think t/c prohunter barrels are the most consistent, and accurate factory made guns. T/c must know what they are doing, how many other manufactures put a 1" guarantee on a cheaper rifle like the venture.

SR80 · Feb 16, 2011

I had one in .280 rem. I just got rid of it and bought a mod 70. I thought with a 28" barrel that you could get some real good velocities, but I never could. I found it very finicky also, not consistant at all. I thought it would be a better gun than it actually is. Just my opinion though.

Larry in SD · Feb 17, 2011

I hunted with a T/C Encore in 2009. However mine had a Bergara Barrel on it. It was a Stainless-Steel .30-06. I did have to reduce my normal .30-06 load (150gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip loaded with H-4350) by one grain of powder in the Encore. Muzzle velocity out of the 24" Bergara Barrel was 3043 FPS with the 150's. Accuracy was another story altogether though.

For some reason my barrel would shoot to different point of impact at 100 yards from an ice cold barrel. My first shot was always 1 to 1 1/2" above the rest of the group. That said the following 4 rounds would always go less than an inch. We tried a couple different forends, one with a Stratton Custom Hanger Bar and one that my local gunsmith pillar bedded. Both were free floated except where the attachment screws go through the forend to the barrel.

I also had a loose fit in the hinge pin. I could actually wiggle my barrel at the muzzle from side to side with the factory pin. I acquired a Bellm oversized hinge pin after a local machinist took a series of measurements to determine which size I needed. That eliminated the wobble and maybe shave 1/4" off my groups.

I also had a trigger job done on my Encore Frame. I think it cost like $50.00 plus shipping but was worth every penny. It came back super crisp at 2 pounds.

I was over at my gunsmith's place on day and his son and him were shooting a 450 yards. He asked if I wanted to take a couple shots, so I did. I shot two rounds at 450 yards and they struck the target 2 1/2" apart from each other. A few weeks later I took a 4x4 buck at 475 yards with the Encore.

I ended up trading off my Encore and kind of regret that decision. I now wish I would have just tried another barrel.

Larry

onesonek · Feb 21, 2011

I have barrels that will shoot in the low .2's, or better on a good day from me. I average in the .4's, but these are custom and with a trigger job as well. I usually hunt within PBR of 1/3 the intended animals kill zone, so that level of accuracy isn't madatory, but nice to have if needed. On one barrel,,,, 6mm AI, where I do play longer ranges, once dialed into the conditions, diggers/PD's only stand a 2 in 10 chance at 600 yds, and down to a 50-50 chance at 800,,,least that's been my avg as of late. That of course, is when the wind isn't gusting terribly.

elkeater2 · Feb 22, 2011

I've had a prohunter for several years now. My first barrel was the 28" prohunter fluted in 25-06. It shot the plain Winchester white box 90 gr. into less than 1 MOA right from the start. I now have a t/c muzzleloader barrel, two Bergara barrels, and the original.
I think they are very similar to many of the major manufacturer's rifles, in that you can check the web and find praise and horror stories on any of them. I think the majority of the Encores have been good shooters. The real difference and much of the negativity on the web revolves about what to do and what protocol to follow when trying to improve accuracy and/or identify problems. The engineering of a hinge pin/sliding bolt/multiple barrel system does not provide for absolute fitting perfection when using barrels from multiple manufacturers and custom builders.
The fact that the majority of the time they all work and provide 'acceptable' accuracy is encouraging.
When trying to improve Encore performance that protocol I referred to is pretty important. It seems that the same folks who object to different size hinge pins, spring strengths, trigger work, bedding changes, and headspace measuring and adjusting for the Encore have NO problem with the standard things people do with bolt guns to fix problems and improve accuracy. If a person is a gun nut and inveterate tinkerer like me, you just do that stuff anyway.
I think you could get an Encore with the two barrels you spoke about and be happy with the accuracy with factory centerfire loads and rimfire ammunition. Depending on your situation I suggest getting the rifle and extra barrels from the same source, just so they share some responsibility for the 'system' you're acquiring.
Elkeater2