encore for hunting

[WildcatTC]

:sniper: Hey guys If I was going to buy an Encore and only get one Barrel for varmint and deerout to 200 yards what would you buy if you were buying for yourself.I have never hade a Encore so input is needed here.I have contenders but no Encores

Roy

[22hornet]

:grin: Well when I decided thats what I was going to do I got a 15" 243 Improved with a 1-12 twist plan on shooting 75 grain v-max for varmints and 85 grain partitions for deer or maybe 85 XLC's if they shoot in my barrel I just haven't had the chance to take it out and shoot it yet... its killing me though.

Mike

[Rol Page]

My vote for a factory barrel is the .260 Remington.. Factory .243 barrels, of which I have one, are 1 in 10 twist, which at pistol velocities is too slow to stabilize heavier 100 gr bullets.  If you want to stick to 85 gr bullets the .243 is a good choice.

The 1 in 8 twist for the .260 Remington does a better job (for me anyway) of stabilizing the 120 gr bullets for deer size game.  I shot 3 deer this year with the .260 and was satisfied.  I chose to shoot for the rib cage and leave the shoulders in tact for eating, so they did not "drop in their tracks" so to speak.

Good Luck,  Rol

[Dalton]

Your statement is based on a false premise.  You can't get just one barrel.  :lol:

My recomendation would be either a 260Rem or 7mm-08Rem.

[Graybeard]

I think the idea of trying to make one barrel or gun do dual duty on two such disparate chores isn't good. The beauty of the TC system is the easy interchangeability of barrels.

You didn't say which duty would predominate nor what varmint use you plan to put it to. In order to make a reasoned response that might do both we'd need to know what it is you will be hunting. If PDs then there really just isn't a single barrel for that chore as any of the over .22s will really be more recoil than you want for a long session on PDs. If rock chucks or ground hogs where shots come much less often then a gun with more recoil is of less concern.

I'd say the .243 probably comes the closest to being that dual purpose round, either that or a .257 maybe. Still without know more of what you will use it on we're really just tossing out our favorites to you rather than addressing what you really might need.

GB

[WildcatTC]

:sniper: Well as to what i will be hunting there will be the pd but for the most part I am looking for some thing for long range on coyotes and maybe a few foxes if it comes up.But I do go over to a bud's of mine in New Mexico and that Mule deer that keeps laughing at me comes to mind also .Graybread I hope this helps.

[41MAG]

:wink:  All the answers you have gotten are very good.But you might want to consider  a 30/06 .You can down load it for varmints & up load to bear & elk. The factoryammo is great & you can buy it anywhere :wink:

[KYODE]

now i know what you need. IMO. a custom barrel in 6mm benchrest. super nice and accurate. good bullet selection, not bad on recoil or muzzle blast and enough horsepower for an ocassional deer with an appropriate bullet, such as a sierra 80gr single shot pistol bullet. hornady also makes the 80gr sspb.
if you don't want to go the custom barrel and decide on a factory barrel instead. i'd go with GB on the .243.  Love them 6mm's.
if deer were the primary target and the occasional varmint. i'd go 7mm-08 or .260

[Gregory]

I purchased a 250 Savage barrel with just the criteria you satated, a varmint/ deer round out to 200 yds.  Unfortunately I moved to illinois and it's not a legal deer cartridge here.
Greg

[Flash]

Well, I hate to be the "Fly in the Ointment" but I pondered the same decision back when the Encore was introduced. My choice at that time and will still remain, is the 22/250. "X" bullets for deer and hollow point boat tails for varmints never leave me wishing for another caliber.....even with other rifles to choose from.