Encore 22 hornet accuracy?

[Ficus strangulensis]

Hi,

I'm a new member and just got an Encore in 22 hornet. So far, it's not shooting any better than my Ruger #3 or NEF 22 hornets.

With handloads [10.5 Lil gun and Hornady 50 spire pt] it does about 3-4" vertical and 1.5" horizontal [5 rds, C to C].

With Rem factory ammo [45 gr HP] it did about 3" vertical and 3" horizontal 10 rds with the best 7 in about 1.5".

I noticed with factory ammo, primers were backed out a little. Enough to feel and see easily. I can see light between the back of the barrel and the receiver.

My 2003 TC catalog says something about 1 MOA and I'm assuming that's with factory ammo.

Before I call them, does anyone have words of wisdom/advice?

Sincerely,

Ficus

[22popnsplat]

I had trouble at first with my 22 hornet encore , My chamber is oversize and has to much headspace but not to a level that is of extreme concern . Mine has a synthetic stock and I glued a rubber waher to the forend so each of the forend screws would pass through one, this free floated the for end .
I had trouble finding a bullet that would shoot very well until I tried the hornady v-max in 40 grain , loaded to within .020 of the lands(the bullet is on held in the case by about .040 of bearing surgace) it shoots groups that average .625 and my best group so far is .280 , if I push the bullet in another .100 the groups will stay under 1 inch and with each I was useing 1680 and could duplicate it with 4227 , the 50 grain v-max and the cheap 50 grain TNTs will shoot under  and inch also.
Float the forend , dont use a bipod , Shooting off sand bags it makes a difference were your front rest is , Most often closer to the action is best but not a concrete rule .
Also as true on any rifle with a break action the amount of downward pressure you put on the stock will affect the gun , in other words a very light and consitant downward pressure would be best , a right had shooter has a tendency to apply downward pressure with the right hand thumb .
All the above is pretty much true for your NEF also , I have a .223 nef that I have not been able to get to shoot as well as I would like , It will shoot 1 1/4 inch groups but rarely better , I would like to have 1 inch cut off to be sure the muzzle is square to the bore and then have it recrowned of course . This is has fixed more than 1 NEF that I know of .
try these and see if it helps

[Ficus strangulensis]

I'll try the 'O'-ring treatment after I've shot some more rounds to get new brass fireformed to my chamber and then load some neck-sized to see if that helps. [My chamber appears to be sort of large also.]

I'm seating out to 'touch' the rifling and it makes a LONG round.

Ficus

[Ficus strangulensis]

Hi, All.

I measured headspace on the 22 hornet Encore and was able to close the action easily on 0.011" feeler gauge, with some 'feel' on a 0.012" gauge and was not able to close it on a 0.013" gauge. I think I got the gauges between the back of the barrel and the middle part of the frame [the raised part around the firing pin hole].

Comments on my 'headspace' measurement are welcome.

So... is this 0.012" headspace large enough to give me the vertical stringing and flyers I'm observing?

My 50-gr, hornady spire points seated to approximately max OAL group 6" vertical by 1.25" horizontal. I suppose some of that could be due to OAL[?]

Remington Factory 45-gr. HP's group more nearly in a round pattern but with 1-3 flyers per 10-shot group which enlarge a 2" group to 3-5".

Y'r o'b't s'v't,

Ficus

[22popnsplat]

That gap sounds pretty large to me , Have you talked with T/C ? Is this a new Frame ? Even with the strength of the encore frame it can be stretched , What other barrels have been on this frame? and T/C does turn out a clinker now and then but my one experiance with the customer service was excellent. I think its time to talk to the factory.

[Ficus strangulensis]

Hi, 22popnsplat.

This is the only barrel that's been on this frame. It's a 'parts gun'... I bought the receiver one place and then the barrel. Maybe they do a better job matching them if the whole thing is assembled by the TC factory?

I figured the extra cost compared with a NEF, should give me parts interchangeability but maybe not so. I'll report back after I call them.

Ficus

[22popnsplat]

Yea the barrels a "Supposed to be interchangeable " , I now a guy that fits barrels to frames . Most of the time there is no problem but when things dont lock up tight or when they wont close you gotta do something

[Tom Brush]

Go to Bellm TC's, Inc. and read about headspace.  Your .011 measurement is less than mine.  One of mine is .012 and the other is .013.  This is your barrel to frame gap.  You subtract the distance that a sized case protrudes from the back of the barrel from the frame gap measurement.  This is the headspace.  e.g.  a gap of .012 minus the distance a case sticks out from the barrel equals headspace.  I just purchased the headspace gauge but have not had much of a chance to use it yet.  

Tom

[Ficus strangulensis]

Sent the Encore to TC. The TC technician found a 'flap' of metal on the crown and fixed it. He got about 1.5 minutes with Winchester factory ammo at 50 yds. Turnaround time was about a week from my door till it was back! He said the action would close on a 0.005 feeler and not release it. I'm still wondering about that because I see primers backing out enough to see or feel easily and I DON'T think I measured wrong when it would accept a 0.011 feeler and still close but...

Back again after testing more loads:

Got considerably better accuracy with some old Nosler 52-gr. solid base match bullets & AA-1680 in neck-sized cases.

Used the starting load and about 1/2-way from that to the max in my manual.

Varied seating depth from the maximum [determined by chambering a split-neck case and bullet] in approx 0.005 steps down to about a 0.035" jump to the rifling.

Saw some evidence in group size and chrono results that it likes a 0.010-0.020 jump better than kissing the rifling.

Several groups were around an inch and a couple around 1/2-inch. So, there's progress.

Thanks, all, for your comments.