Just going to be honest..............need help

[CBM]

Well I finally got my Encore set up and shot it a little. And it was not pretty.

My gun- Encore frame, Prohunter .308 barrel, Pachmayr grip/forend, Stratton base, Burris sign. Zee rings , Bushnell 3200 2x6 ff recticle

What I don't like - barrel blueing has a descent sized flawed spot on the front and it's rubbing my frame on one side and has already worn the blueing off on that side of the barrel..............and the trigger pull is way stiffer than I am used too.

Shooting- well ......I haven't shot a pistol in a few years , have never shot a scoped pistol.........but I shoot a bow very well and after some practice I have gotten pretty good with a rifle up to 300 yards . But I can barely shoot an 8" group at 25 yards with this pistol . And when i would flinch........heck.......I may blow dirt up 10ft in front of the target (and I was resting on a vise). Anyway........it was humbling and disappointing at the same time.

What I have started working on - The Pachmayr forend makes a lot of contact with the barrel so I have worked on that and got it to where the only contact that's made is where the screws touch. I also sent my frame off to get a trigger job done (I feel like this is a mojor contributor).

So when it get's back I'll have to try again. BTW..........I was shooting Federal PS 150's and Winchester 150 ballistic tips .

Any suggestions, help, critcism, etc..........accepted !!

[RonF]

Well, if the barrel was new when you got it and it came with the flaw, then you can send it back for replacement.  Be sure there are no burrs at the muzzle and that the crown is good.  The wear on the side(s) where the barrel contacts the frame is normal; nothing you can do about that and it is to be expected.

I haven't felt the need for a trigger job on my Encores, but your mileage may vary - entirely up to you.

You should be getting LOTS  better groups than 8".  I have three suggestions:  1.  At 25 yards, the parallax in your scope can be a big problem.  Be sure to center your eye in the scope the same way each time and make sure the scope isn't loose.  Sometimes the mount screws can be a bit too long and won't snug up the base.  2.  Get yourself a decent rest, preferably some sandbags, and support the gun the same way each time.  Don't try to to over control it; get it on target and hold the grip lightly, and do it the same every time.  3.  Set your target out to at least 50 yards; that way parallax won't be such a problem.

If you're doing everything right, an Encore should give you at least 1.5 - 2" groups with factory ammo at 100 yards, and maybe a lot better.

Let us know about your progress.  There are a lot of guys on here that know a lot more than I do; we're all willing to help you.

RonF

[KN]

RonF made some very good points. It should shoot around 1-1/2"-2" easy. Mine shot groups that I could cover with a quarter at 100yds when I first got it. I haven't shot it in a long time but seem to remember it liking bullets in the 150gr range. Particularly Sierra and Winchester 748.    KN

[neald]

CBM,
 what I am going to say is from MY experience , I am not trying to throw rocks in a glass house so please don't take it the wrong way.
 If you have never shot a scoped pistol before and the fact you said you are flinching you need to get a lighter kicking barrel to practice with .
 
My first big boomer in the contender was a 375JDJ, it kills on one end and wounded on the other . And it did not care which end was which. I had trouble keeping shots on the paper. A buddy of mine who watching  me shoot that thing  brought one his barrels over to my  bench and had me shoot it . It was a 6.5 TCU.I SHOT THAT THING THAT DAY for 75 -80

[Tom W.]

My Encore is a 30/06 pistol, and when I first touched it off at the range, I knew that I couldn't hold it like I hold my Super Redhawks. That spur on the trigger guard hurt plenty. I did, after a while, make a load that shot pretty decently @ 100 yards, but my son bought a Burris scope for me, and I changed Bases and rings and have to start over. I didn't hunt with it this season.
I also found out that you don't want the butt of the pistol to contact the bench in any manner when it's on sandbags.


 I must admit I believe I'd rather have a 7mm -08 or .243 A.I. but  haven't seen much of a demand for the '06, so I'll stick with it.

[rand4c]

This is to Ron or anyone else . He mentions having a light grip for better accuracy . I just bought a Contender in 44 mag and the trigger guard beats me up if I hold it lightly..I find I have to hold it very tightly or get my fingers slammed . Any tips..??

Thanks , Randy

[Heavy C]

Whether I shoot my 44 mag Contender or my 308 Encore I use a two-handed grip with medium to light pressure.  Holding it tightly just seemed to make recoil worse.

One thing I also did was buy a snap cap for my 308 to practice trigger control and practice establishing a good sight picture with my scope.  Everybody has already provided great advice; just stick with it.

[CBM]

Thanks for the advise so far !!! I can get some "low recoil" .308 ammo I suppose to get a feel for it !! I don't have a descent sandbag but I have shot on them before with a rifle and can see the benefit. I was shooting on a cheap vise and I had it turned sideways so I could utilize the front "V" only on it .

I understand continuity with shots................from archery...........it's all about repeating the same form !! But this scoped pistol is a whole new deal to me !!

I must admit.............I don't really understand parralax

Again..........thanks for the help. I come around slow sometimes but usually get there !! LOL

[skarke]

LOW RECOIL AMMO!!!!

Please beware loading the 308 too lightly with many typical 308 powders.  It seems counter-intuitive but too little powder can cause as bad of pressure issues as too much.  If you must stay with the 308 (too much for me and I've shot contenders since 1985), try 4895.  It is very pressure tolerant, and might do the trick.  Also, nosler makes a 125 Ballistic tip that might also help.

Last (see my other post to your first question), get a brake, man, and use double hearing protection when you do.  It'll help.  And like I have said before, a 7x30 waters, a 30-30, or even the old herrets are fine cartridges for pigs and deer, and a whole lot more fun to shoot for the rest of us.

I really hope this helps, and have fun shooting.

[CBM]

Thanks !! I was just referring to the Remington "managed re-coil" factory bullets. I don't have a clue about re-loading !!

The .308 is a little stout..........but seems like I can get used to it !!

I hunted with a .30-30 Marlin for a long time. And while it definately kills them..........it does not have as much nock down as I would prefer. I want a pistol that can drop the hammer on them pretty good................I guess as long as I can tame it !! LOL

It's just too thick here in SC to have to be tracking stuff very far !!

[poncaguy]

 I enjoy shooting 1" groups with my 357 Max and 6.8 Rem at 100 yards. They open up when I shoot my 45-70 and 460 S&W. My 7-08  is the biggest I enjoy shooting. My next 2 barrels will be 17HMR and a 243.

[CBM]

Well........the guy doing my trigger work called and said it was pulling 7#3oz  !!!!!!!! Just my luck.............he said it was within 1 oz of being the hardest pull he has ever seen on one of these !! And mine and the other guys were a fair amount worse than the next ones down usually 6# or less from the factory !!

So he has gotten it down to 2.5# for me !!

And I ordered some managed recoil loads to try and work me way up to the heavier loads !! Hopefully this will help me out a bunch !! Thanks for all the advise !!

[Blowtorch53]

CBM,

The trigger on my first Encore was crap.  It was on of the first ones on the market.  It was probably about 10# and rough as a cob.  I couldn't shoot it at all with a .270 rifle barrel.  I couldn't find anyone in the Houston area willing to work on it so it started treating it with Break Free and shooting it a lot.  After about 200 rounds, it got a lot better and is getting better everytime I shoot it in smoothness.  I haven't checked it for pull weight but it is fine for me now.  Shooting an Encore pistol with a scope will show anyone how bad they really shake! Especially in the field when game is involved.  Good Luck!  BT 53

[skarke]

There are some fine replacement springs that do wonders.  Any good gunsmith could do it for cheap.