Author Topic: Hope to have some Encore Q's answered. (Read 1244 times)

New Hampshire · « **on:** November 22, 2003, 02:37:53 PM »

Hello folks, I am new here and hope you can answer some questions. First of al. I have decided that this winter, with my tax return check, I am going to purchase my first real deer rifle (right now Im using an 870 with the vent. bird barrel and rifled slugs.) That rifle WILL be an Encore. But Im having a bit of a caliber dillema. My first inclination was to go .30-06 and not look back. But since my second year of deer hunting has completed Ive realized that it may be more round than I really need. So I am looking more at "brush" type calibers. I would be hunting from a tree stand in "brushy" areas 50 percent of the time, and still or ground stand hunting the same type of woods the other 50 percent. So I was looking at the Katahdin barrel in .444 Marlin. My biggest concern is the muzzel break, which Im not a big fan of (hey I like my hearing thank you :lol: ) Plus I want something that wont kick like a mule, which is why Im wary of the other two chamberings (Im not recoil sensitive, but I want to be able to shoot this gun in practice a lot, like any hunter should.) Does the .444 Marlin kick bad? Would a factory 24" in .45/70 be better? How would the recoil compare to my slug gun? Im willing to go custom from Fox Ridge, so is there a better option available. I also am looking for it to take blackbear possibly. If I need anything bigger (like for moose) I will just get another barrel (love those switch barrels.)
Next question: Are ALL barrels drilled and tapped for scopes? Including the ones with the factory installed sights? I want to put a low power variable on (1.5-5(ish)x.) Would I use the T/C available weaver mounts?
My final question is a legal one. Im told that it is legal to convert the Encore Rifle I buy into a pistol form. Is this true? Im thinking of a .480 Ruger (one of the 5 calibers my state allows in shotgun only territory.) I know it is as simple as replacing stocks and barrels, but is it legal? Would I have to purchase the frame as a pistol and build the rifle from there to make this option available?
Sorry for the long post but your answers will influence my decision greatly.
Thanks,
Brian M.

KN · « **Reply #1 on:** November 22, 2003, 03:44:23 PM »

I'll try to answer some of these. I have an 18" 450 custom shop barrel that I have shot as a rifle. It is ported so I would say recoil wise it should be compatable with the Katahdin barrel except in 45/70 instead of 444. It is brutal to shoot. I don't even shoot it as a rifle any more, just as a pistol. The 444 should be a little more forgiving. I have never found muzzle breaks to be much of a problem, especially outside. Although there are others here that obviously hate them. As for the legal issue you will probably get a bunch of different answers. My belief is that if its bought it as a pistol you can change it to a rifle, and if it's bought as a rifle you can't change it to a pistol. But who would ever know unless you some how managed to get it taken away? Personally I have a bunch of frames, some bought as pistols some as rifles and I couldn't tell you which were which with out going through all my paper work. Hope this helps, And yes all barrels are tapped for scope mounts. KN

Graybeard · « **Reply #2 on:** November 22, 2003, 05:32:57 PM »

Your hunting conditions sound much like mine. My favorite is the 7-08 and as far as I'm concerned it is the ideal deer cartridge. There is no such thing as a "brush buster" bullet. If they hit brush they veer off course. How much and how soon you'll never know and it changes shot to shot as you never can duplicate the same set of conditions. It is best to just miss the brush. To do that you need an accurate rifle and a good quality scope.

GB

ingwenya · « **Reply #3 on:** November 23, 2003, 01:35:24 AM »

I likewise intend to purchase a Thompson Contender among other things with that refund check. I would go with a 45-70 if I were in your shoes, it is a very flexible round based on ballistics tables. But like you said, TC offers interchangeable barrels, gotta love that. I want one because it takes some stones to go out knowing you only have one shot. If you or anyone else has a critique of TC let me know your grievances. I am seriously considering adding one to my collection as well. Nobody I have talked to has anything bad to say about em. I was kinda hopin somebody could tell me somethin to look for.

New Hampshire · « **Reply #4 on:** November 23, 2003, 01:56:38 AM »

Thanks for the replys, folks. 7mm-08, Ill add that to the possibles list. I have also been pounding the reloading books and my copy of "cartridges of the World By Frank Barnes" and have come up with a couple more, what seem to be good alternatives. Tell me what you all think. The rounds I came up with are the 6.5 Swedish Mauser, 35 Remington and .358 Winchester. Id have to say the .358 sounds like a beter kind of deal over the the other two, but the 35 Remington is superior to the .30-30 and the 6.5 Swede shoots nice and flat. Ive also been told to just be quiet and go with the .30-06 like I had planned to and to heck with being "overgunned" (oK I wasnt literally told to shut up

.) I know there is no such thing as a riccochet proof bullet in heavy brush. Ive just always felt that the slower moving heavy bullets just had less deflection when compared to a fast moving, light bullet. But I could be wrong. Boy the choices are making my head hurt :lol: . At least the good news is that if I, for some reason, make a bad choice I can at least replace the bareel instead of buying a new gun (the Rugerforum guys said to go with a No.1, but I cant justify that much money on an addmitedly good gun, but without the advantages of the T/C systems.)
Again, thank you all.
Brian M.
P.S. I am writing to Thompson Center directly to see what their take on the legal issue is. I wrote in letter form so that I could get a written response in case I need to show proof to big brother :roll: .

Encore28 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 23, 2003, 03:44:26 AM »

My pick would be the .350 Rem Mag BUT being you mentioned recoil sensitivity I would proballly go with the .35 Remington. (Can you tell I am biased to the .35 Caliber rounds?)
Good luck and enjoy the ability to pick ANY caliber barrell you want!!!!
Encore28

New Hampshire · « **Reply #6 on:** November 23, 2003, 05:23:36 AM »

I had been looking at a .350 Rem Mag project rifle for when my tag finaly gets pulled for the Moose lottery here in my state. But that would be a specialty project and not something I would use as a regular hunting round. I know the 6.5 and 7mm-08 dont really fit this criteria, but I want to stick with a larger diameter bullet at modest speeds. This is why I was looking at the .444 Marlin and why Im now looking at the 2 .35 cal cartridges. My shotgun has shown me what big holes in deer can do, and I like that kind of preformance. I see the .358 Winchester does with heavy bullets what the 06 does, just a larger caliber. So Im wondering if that cartridge is still a little overkill. So now Im eyeballing that .35 Remington, but of course the decision is still in the air. The accuracy and flat shootingness of the 7mm-08 and 6.5 swede still have me intrigued, however.
Thanks,
Brian M.

New Hampshire · « **Reply #7 on:** November 23, 2003, 11:07:44 AM »

Another quick question. This one is about barrel length. Now if I decide to get a custom barrel from Fox Ridge, then I get anything my heart contends from 16 1/2 to 26 inches. So what Im looking for is to keep a nice fast handling length but try and milk what I can out of the round. For instance, the .35 Rem. data I see is mostly for a 20" Marlin, which everyone says is a nice, quick handling gun. Since the Encore does not need the full length of action a lever gun does, Im thinking of pushing my barrel length to 22" or quite possibly 24". This would probably get me an extra 100-200fps from the barrel while still keeping the gun short and quick. Am I right, or do I keep with the 20" barrel? I know in the larger round, the .358 Win, it does not seem much of a big deal, but in the .35 Rem. it could mean a little extra punch at those longer ranges. So what say ye!
Thanks,
Brian M.

doc-and · « **Reply #8 on:** November 23, 2003, 12:40:49 PM »

Hi Brian

,

The Encore with buttstock and 24inch barrel is just 37inches long. (just measured mine). My Contender, set-up as a carbine, with a 16.25inch barrel is just 30inches in length.

Also to avoid any legal problems with big brother, I would strongly advise that whichever you purchase, buy in pistol configuration. Also when coverting to carbine, ALWAYS, remove any barrels shorter than 16inches before converting to carbine. You never know when trouble will raise it's head.

I currently own both, Encores & Contenders, you will enjoy them and their verstility, and you'll find that you can't own just one barrel.

Good luck

doc-and

Leaving the Peoples Republik of Kalifonria

New Hampshire · « **Reply #9 on:** November 24, 2003, 01:50:35 PM »

Thats perfect! The 03 Marlin catalog has the '95 Guide guns at exactly the same length, but a 18 1/2" barrel instead of 24. I am really starting to love the idea of these systems more and more. I think I have decided on the .35 Remington from the custom shop. This works out twofold. I have to order the frame from my local FFL dealer. I can go ahead and order it as a pistol frame and purchase rifle stocks while Im at it. Then I can order the custom barrel from Fox Ridge. That way the "leagl eagle" paperwork clearly states a pistol frame, no legal issues, no complaints :grin: . Then I f I can come up with the cash I will probably set myself up for a .480 Ruger pistol barrel. So Im also convinced I should go with a 24 inch barrel. Ill get a scope mount and T/C 1.5-5 Rifle scope. I may also pick up one of the Williams peep sights and try both scope and peep out to see which I might like better. Thanks all for the guidance. Im looking forward to a nice long run of deer seasons with filled tags thanks to the trusty Encore (knock on wood!) Heck, just looking at that custom catalog has my mouth watering. Just think, a .357 MAximum carbine, .350 Rem Mag moose gun, a .30 Carbine plinker gun and a 375 H&H kodiak gun (OK I never actully plan on a kodiak hunt, but the 375 would make one hell of a squirrel gun :lol: .)
Thanks,
Brian M.

dakotashooter2 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 26, 2003, 05:44:03 AM »

Regarding the legal aspect my understanding ist that on the federal level it does not matter but some states or municipalities have laws that indicate a frame registered as a rifle can not be converted to a pistol. You might what to check locally to see what applies. The safest way is to buy the pistol configuration or buy just a frame and register it as a pistol.

securitysix · « **Reply #11 on:** November 26, 2003, 06:43:30 AM »

Just a thought (I'm having a lot of those today, I'm starting to get a headache), but have you considered getting a rifle barrel chambered for a pistol caliber?

If ranges are going to be reasonably short (say under 150 yards), you'd probably have fine luck with a .44 Magnum, hot loaded .45 Colt (the hotter loads are safe in a Contender, the Encore should be able to eat them up), .454 Casull, or something of the like.

Of course, the .30-06 will work well at short ranges as well as long. .30-30, 7-30, .357 Maximum, 7mm-08, .308, .260, .270, .280, and a whole host of milsurp cartridges would also do the job (6.5x55, 7x57, 8x57, 7.62x54R, to name a few).

So, get one of everything, then you can go out with whatever barrel is on the gun and just make sure you have the right ammo for it.

Coltdriver · « **Reply #12 on:** November 30, 2003, 06:31:55 AM »

I am no contender expert but I do hope to have my first one in hand before CHRISTmas.

For a great deer cartridge you might think about a .243 Not nearly as punishing to shoot as even a 30-06 but very effective on deer.

For a bear a .44 Mag is not a bad choice.

There is nothing wrong with a 30 06, that is what I have for deer and elk in Colorado. But I had to install a recoil pad on my model 70 in order to shoot it without flinching!

When some of the experienced shooters on this board say brutal I mentally multiply the effect of the steel butt stock of my 06 and shudder. For me it is absolutely no fun to have your shoulder brutalized.