Buckslayer,
I have the 20 gauge rifled barrel for my Encore. I tried six different types of slugs. The two that shot best in my barrel were the Winchester Supreme Partition (260 grain at 1900 fps) and the Remington 1 oz. Buckhammer. At 50 yards, the Winchesters group 1 1/2 inches (three shots). The Remington Buckhammer load shot tight 1 inch groups. The Buckhammer recoils more, but also cuts a bigger hole in the target. If I were hunting tighter cover (shots less than 100 yards), I'd use the Buckhammer. For shots over 100, the Winchester can reach out there. You just have to invest some $ to find out what shoots best for you. The gun is sighted two inches high at 50 yards. My Encore has had a trigger job and oversized hinge pin. I have a 3 X 9 Nikon scope mounted on the gun. I also use a Shooter's Ridge rest with two 25 pound bags of shot resting on a plate that I mounted on the rest. This set up generates about zero recoil, and makes shooting slug loads actually fun. Wish I had bought this set up years ago. Hope this helps.
scienceguy