300 Whisper for Encore

[patrickcudd]

I'm having a hard time trying to find a 300 Whisper barrel for my Encore.  SSK Industries does not have them listed on their website, and I'm not interested in T/C's due to the 1/10 twist that I've read about.  Are there any other makers out there?  

Bullberry doesn't have anything listed, even under the non-trade marked 300/221 Fireball.

[skarke]

Haven't used him, but he seems like a pretty knowledgeable guy.

http://www.mygunroom.com/dvgunshop/calibers.htm#7.62x39 39

go down the list, and you won't see the Whisper, but I know that he can make it in any twist you want.  Are you looking for sub-sonic?

[Keith L]

I would give SSK a call.  They developed the Whispers and I bet they will make you a barrel if that is what you really want.

[martineta]

I guess you want to shoot the big 220 matchkings?  I have a Thompson barrel but I mainly shoot 150's.  The 150 nosler ballistic tips shoot way more accurate than I am capable.  Not bragging  but less than 1 inch at 100 yards is standard.  When I shoot the corbon 220's they spread some but not to bad.  I can head shoot deer with it all day long at 100 yards or less.

[sbhg]

http://www.bullberry.com/TCbarrels.html
http://www.bullberry.com/encore.html

Bullberry lists theirs as .30-221.
You'll have to call them about the twist's available also.

http://sskindustries.com/cartridges.htm
They list the Whispers here on this page.

[patrickcudd]

Thank you all for the responses!

[sweetwyominghome]

SSK has chambered Whispers for the Encore since they first were developed and offered by J.D. Jones. But any of the custom makers can chamber a .300/.221 for you (only those from SSK can be stamped "Whisper," however).

I'd go with either MGM or SSK.

[martineta]

Thompson Custom shop barrel 26 inches 300 whisper in stainless.  Shot my best groups ever today.  Leupold 2-7 scope.  150 gr Nosler Ballistic tip. 17.1 gr H110, I shot 20 times today.  All 4 groups at 100 yards covered by a dime.  If you are looking at 220 Sierras, I never get that kind of group.

[sweetwyominghome]

Martineta-

Those are some impressive groups. Nice shooting!

But the reason your barrels won't shoot those long 220s is simply because the factory TC barrel is not the proper twist rate for such usage. 

J.D. Jones designed the cartridge to be used with a 1:8, and that is the twist SSK uses.

[martineta]

Martineta-

Those are some impressive groups. Nice shooting!

But the reason your barrels won't shoot those long 220s is simply because the factory TC barrel is not the proper twist rate for such usage. 

J.D. Jones designed the cartridge to be used with a 1:8, and that is the twist SSK uses.

Yep.  The thompson barrels are 1:10 twist.  I prefer the 150 grain bullets to hunt as at 2200 fps, the Nosler Ballistic tips expand nicely.  Still pretty quiet, not much louder than a 22 LR.  The subsonics at 1050 corbons that I tried, I could only get about a 1.5 group out of and have a trajectory like a rainbow. They are quiet though!  No sound suppressor and out of my 26 inch barrel, they are about as loud as a 22 short!  Incredible!  I have shot 15-20 deer with head shots using the 220 gr sierra matchkings subsonic 1050 FPS..  So far non have gimped off but I prefer the 150 Sonic loads at 2200 FPS.

Good luck with the 300 whisper.  I have seven barrels and four encore frames.  The 300 whisper is easily my favorite and I love them all.

[skarke]

The real interesting thing about the 300 Whisper is how it performs when loaded sub-sonically.  See, the velocity of a supersonic bullet tapers very quickly; however, a subsonic bullet maintains its lumbering along velocity quite well.  Really, at distance, the terminal ballistics are very similar.  What is nice is, when loaded sub-sonically, there isn't any "crack" associated with breaking the sound barrier.  Even non-surpressed, the 300 at sub-sonic velocity is amazingly quiet.

It does get loud at velocity though, so load for your needs.

It is a fun round.

[skarke]

Here's what the inventor says about the cartridge.

http://www.sskindustries.com/cartridges.htm