I picked up my Encore last nite. A Nikon 3x9 goes on it tonite. The bad part is that I get to stare at it until Sunday. That's the soonest that I can get to the range. I picked up some 100 gr Rems the other day at Wally World. I tried the trigger last nite and it has no creep and feels like it's breaking around 3 lbs. I'll have to get my buddy to loan me his trigger gauge to be certain but it ain't heavy.Even with the 26" barrel it's not as long as my 788.The weight is all forward and it holds real well. My wife said that it looks kinda plain. Blk syn stock and forearm and blued barrel. She likes a "pretty gun". Pretty don't count too much with me. I keep telling her that the color of the horse don't make 'em run no better,but...that's not how her mind works. I might have to get "sick" tomorrow afternoon and leave out of here a little early. HWD
I got to the range last nite with about an hour of light left(I couldn't do a very good job of acting sick). After getting targets set at 25yds and 100yds,I proceeded to touch off a couple of rounds.2shots, 1 hole at 25yds,3"right and 1''low. A little twisting with my fancy scope tool(a penny) and I put 2 more shots ,touching ,right at the bull. I moved out to 100yds and touched off 3 rounds. All 3 were under 1". 2 were touching and I had one flyer. This gun seems to like these factory 100gr bullets. The light was going quicker so I tried 2 of the 120gr's that I'd bought. They didn't do very well! As I reset the gun in the bag,I found out the reason pretty quick. Even with a heavy barrel on a cool evening,I'd heated this puppy up. I'd just broken my own rule. DO NOT SHOOT MORE THAN 2 TIMES ,THEN COOL AND CLEAN!!!! If ya hurry,you screw up. I'm pretty happy with it right now and will try it again this weekend. I'm supposed to pick up the 300WinMag barrel Fri nite. I might tell ya'll about a cute little cresent over my left eye come Monday...NOT!! HWD
Sorry it took so long to bring ya'll back up to date on my Encore excursion.My buddy SOLD the barrel that I wanted. You'd think he was in business to sell stuff at his gunshop! HEEHEE!! Any ole how, I bought a barrel at the gunshow this past weekend in 300 win mag. I got to get it to the range last nite, another one of my "try to beat the dark" runs. I beat the dark and found that I've got one fine shooting barrel. After the first three shots at 25 yds and moving the cross hairs a little,I moved it out to 100 yds. After some fine tuning, I got 3 shots well under an inch with factory 150 Remingtons. Dies and bullets came in last nite from Midway. I'll be loading up some trial loads tonite or Friday for both barrels. The dies for the wife new 243wssm came in the same box,so I'd better get to loading her something also. If any of you guys/gals decide to buy an Encore, I'd like to make one recommendation. Buy one of the recoil pads from Limbsaver! This rifle,for some strange reason,doesn't kick much worse than a 270. I bought one of these pads at the gunshow and installed it Sunday nite. Is this the reason for the lack of recoil? Is it just the way the rifle fits me? I really don't know! This rifle doesn't kick near as bad as the last 300WM that I owned. Sorry this got kinda long winded.... HWD
I own an Encore and I have several barrels for it. This is the best part of the Encore system I get bored with one I go to another. My worst problem is I really need at least two frames which I hope to remedy sometime later this year. My favorite barrel I own is my 25/06 Rem. It groups about 3/4 minute of angle with handloads.
Desertdog, What does your rifle shot best? My 25-06 doesn't like heavier bullets. I've been messing with 117 hornady sst and I may need to try another powder. I shot my 300wm last nite and found out that is has a thing for 180 RN bullets. I had three shots in one large hole. What's really weird is that it doesn't like 150 gr bullets. It's throwing them all over the place. I've tried H4831 and IMR4350. Neither one has given me any accuracy at all. HWD
HWD I have found that Alliant powders(reloader 22) uses less pressures at the same velocity on some guns.Look at PSI on newer books and compare,C.U.P s are not the same as PSI.newer books use psi while older books use cup(copper units of pressure).That being said I get best accuracy with IMR 4350 Drop-Shot
Hey 8point Accurate Arms makes powders and 1 that I like is the accutate#5 for 38 special and 357,but they have a 4350 also,I wonder if it's supposes to load like IMR4350.I have taken all 15 elk and more deer than I can count with IMR 4350,I have taken a few deer with unique in 44mag.The newer unique is cleaner burning than the old.I want to experiment with the reloader series like 22 and mabe 7.If the Montana magic works I may try to post my first animal since leaving Montana.I plan on getting a digital camera soon and will bring it with me on hunts.I will need a durable camera.I have 2 cannon's,F-1 and an AL-1,I guess I could scan pictures from them and try to figure out how to send photos to sites.Its only 5:40 and I'm going to bed,I took my meds and soon I will be inable to sit up,I also use a c-pap machine to breathe better and I sleep better and no snoring.Drop-Shot
Accurate xmr 4350 is very close to IMR4350. I have used it before with great results.Not many places sell the Accurate line here, so I can't exsperiment like I want to............
8point I have figered out if I kill an animal how will I get it out?I plan on drilling a hole in my truck bed close to the cab,I will put an L shaped piece of metal on the bottom to grab the back of the rear box,I will have a supporeted eyelet to bolt down and use a comalong to winch the animal 10-15 feet at a time,it might take awhile,but winch it to the truck and hook on the bed and with a come a long just winch that elk in my truck.I wish I had a better truck but can't make the payments so I look like a migrit workers truck,my kids will not be seen in it buts ok I come down the mountains side ways some times and I don't wont to worry about my truck,if it hits a tree oh well,I've had passengers find Jesus coming down a mountain,I'v had folks swear that they will give everything to the catholic chuch if they made it.I've had these same folks call and say we can't hunt this year,were talking about Jesus to all we meet and the other folks said they gave all to the church,there broke,I wondered if you could borrow from that promise,I guess not.If I'm healthy I will try them mountains again.Drop-Shot
8 point, Do you set your bullets out against the riflings on you Encore? I'm gonna keep trying to make this thing shoot better.I know that you only change one thing at a time and I'm keeping pretty good notes. Moving the bullets out could help but it will also raise pressures. Dropshot, Coming off a mountain sideways in a truck usaully causes folks to have religious experiences. When they get to the bottom, safely no less, they generally forget the religion and start cussing a blue streak. I had a couple of folks just about peel the paint off my truck!! I'm laughin',they're cussing and everything is right in my world....AMEN! HWD
