Is It me or the Barrel???

[Lawful Larry]

Is it me or am I doing something wrong?  I have never had a BP gun that was so finicky on bullets. I finally got my Encore barrel to shoot a group. Not a great group, but one that I can go into the woods with. And hope I get a close shot. My barrel only likes bullets that are less then 300 grains. Anything bigger and the bullets will fly every where.

I sent the barrel back once and they said there was nothing wrong with the barrel and sent it back to me. Well they may make other great barrels but they know nothing about the BP barrel.

I met a fella at the Bass Pro shop and he said the Encore BP gun was at the top of the list for returns. He said they all said the same thing, It is too hard to push a bullet down the barrel, you can't get a good group or the bullets will not stay on paper. These are the same problems I am experiencing with my barrel.

I have an inexpensive NEF / H &R that shoots any type or size bullet and is a tack driver. Go figure. Glad I don't have any problems with my other Encore barrels.  

Is anyone else having this problem with the BP barrels on Encores???

[Omega]

Nope! Both my 45 and 50 barrels are 1" guns at 100 yards. The 45 was definitely a little more finicky to get a load figured out on.

[Redhawk1]

Lawful Larry, I have 3 Encore muzzle loaders and sold a forth to my friend. The encore M/L I have all shoot great. I would not hesitate to shoot a 150 yard shot with any of them. With all due respect, I think that the Bass Pro fella was blowing smoke up your ***.  I know a lot of people that shoot Encore Muzzleloaders and all of them have great success. Also the gun shops around Delaware can't get them fast enough. I have not heard of any returned to the gun shops or any problems. I can shoot 295gr. power belts and precision rifles 195 gr. DC sabots with under 1 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards all day long. My son's 45 cal Encore shoot like a dream. 1 inch groups at 100 yards with Barnes 195 gr. sabots. I find almost all muzzleloader a little hard to push the bullet down the barrel, but the Encore for me is the easiest. So to answer your question I am extremely pleased with Thompsons Centers Encore M/L barrels.  I hope you find a good load to works for you in your Encore.

[Keith Lewis]

I have a stainless Omega and the tight barrel is a characteristic of T/C current trend. I think the stainless barrels are a little worse initially due to the nature of stainless to machine a little rougher. T/C recommends shooting some Powerbelt bullets or some full caliber lead bullets to smooth out the bore. If you are  having a difficult time loading the bullets you are likely setting the bullet on the power charge at different compression rates which will affect accuracy. I would suggest you try some 295gr. Powerbelts or heavier ones and try to get a decent group with them. They will load the easiest and allow you to compress the load at a consistent rate. Some Encore frames have a very loose hinge pin which also can cause an accuracy problem but I doubt it is a major problem. I ran some JB bore paste on a patch over a bronze brush up and down the barrel of my Omega about 100 cycles changing patches every 20 strokes or so and reapply bore paste. (faster than shooting but not as much fun). Bore is pretty smooth and loads somewhat better now. Powerbelts practically fall down the barrel compared to sabots.

[Vapour]

Developing a decent load for my Encore was definitely a pain.  I eventually found a load that the gun likes and shoots sub-MOA, but I can easily see why these things would top the return list.  It seems that some people get a good Encore and it's trouble free, others are full of problems.

To list a few of mine:  Extremely finicky barrel, poor barrel contour which uses up most of my scope's 90 MOA of vertical adjustment--there should not be a gap between the front of the sight base and the barrel, and I'm now starting to see triple seven crud in the first few turns of my breech plug threads.

All that said, I do love the way the gun shoulders, and it does shoot once you find a load it likes.  Maybe I'll send the barrel back after deer season and see what they say.

[Redhawk1]

Developing a decent load for my Encore was definitely a pain.  I eventually found a load that the gun likes and shoots sub-MOA, but I can easily see why these things would top the return list.  It seems that some people get a good Encore and it's trouble free, others are full of problems.
.

I just got back from the gun shops around my area. Only one gun shop in the last 2 years had an Encore M/L barrel come back due to not shooting will. It was sent to T/C and repaired and the guy is still shooting it. How is it I have 3 M/L barrels and they all shot well, how is it I sold my buddy my 4th Encore M/L and he just loves it and it is very accurate. 90% of the guys I hunt with have Encore Muzzleloaders and they all shoot well. Your statement about seeing how they are at the top of a return list puzzles me.  :?

[Vapour]

I'm glad that you and your friends have had good luck with your Encores.  Personally I'm still a bit dissapointed with mine.  This is the first gun that I've purchased which has had problems of any kind--that includes shotguns, bolt guns, AR's, and pistols so it's not that I'm quick to complain.

Here's a question.  Can you fit 3 dollar bills between your scope mount and barrel--I can.  I you look at some of the old threads in the TC Rifle forum you find that I definitely not the only person who's had this problem.  I had to purchase a scope with LOTS of vertical adjustment just to get on the paper, and yes the base is on the barrel correctly (Leupold QR).

I was dissapointed in this gun for quite a while until I found 2-3 loads that it would shoot accurately if slowly.  The BEST groups I was able to get out of this gun with the 195 grain DC's were 4 inches.  In fact I have yet to personally see a TC barrel that does shoot these accurately--though Andyhass's Traditions seemed to like them.  I can live with the loads that currently work, but I wish I didn't have to.

Larry asked if it was the barrel or him.  If he has another gun which he can shoot accurately, then I'm inclined to believe that it's the barrel.  Again, I wish I had your luck with Encores, but I'm still a bit dissapointed with the performance of mine and can easily see why someone would return one, or at least send the barrel in to the manufacturer.  I really do like everything else about the gun, I just wish it would shoot a bit better.

[Dago1]

I started the encore craze in our group 4 years ago. The main complaint has been the heavy trigger pull. Out of 8 encores in our group 3 had to have the triggers worked on.
   One thing we did notice on 4 of them, they didn't start to group well until 40 or 50 rounds were fired thru them. The other half were killers right out of the box. 2 of the 8 encores are blued the rest are s/s.
    The last 2 purchased this year did have a little play in the hinge pin, but did not affect the groups. 2 of them will shoot sub moa, 4 will shoot 1 moa and 2 will shoot 1 1/2"- 2". The last 2 encores are used by 13 & 16 year olds. We all shoot the same load and bullets and  buy in bulk to get a better price.
    There are 3 others in our group that haven't switched to encores yet. But they're interested

[Redhawk1]

Here's a question.  Can you fit 3 dollar bills between your scope mount and barrel--I can.  I you look at some of the old threads in the TC Rifle forum you find that I definitely not the only person who's had this problem.  I had to purchase a scope with LOTS of vertical adjustment just to get on the paper, and yes the base is on the barrel correctly (Leupold QR).

I was dissapointed in this gun for quite a while until I found 2-3 loads that it would shoot accurately if slowly.  The BEST groups I was able to get out of this gun with the 195 grain DC's were 4 inches.  In fact I have yet to personally see a TC barrel that does shoot these accurately--though Andyhass's Traditions seemed to like them.  I can live with the loads that currently work, but I wish I didn't have to.

Larry asked if it was the barrel or him.  If he has another gun which he can shoot accurately, then I'm inclined to believe that it's the barrel.  Again, I wish I had your luck with Encores, but I'm still a bit dissapointed with the performance of mine and can easily see why someone would return one, or at least send the barrel in to the manufacturer.  I really do like everything else about the gun, I just wish it would shoot a bit better.

I found that the Warne bases work best for me. I do not have any problems with the gap between the barrel and scope mount. As far as the 195 gr. DC from precision rifle, I am shooting 1 inch groups at 100 yards consistently. I can use 2 triple7 pellets or 100 gr. of loose triple7 and have the same point of impact. I can shoot 3 shots in a row with them and I am able to load them with little effort. I do have to run a spit patch through the barrel after that. My buddy that I sold my other Encore to seen how well my Encore shot the 195 gr. DC, that he is thinking of trying them also. He wants to wait tell after the M/L season to switch, his Encore is shooting 1 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards with 295 gr. powerbelts. I wish you both luck in finding a load that will shoot well in your Encores.

[AndyHass]

I bought a thumbhole Omega that was 3X the cost of my old Traditions because A) the ignition on the Traditions was becoming unreliable, and B) I expected much higher quality and had the cash to go for it.  The Omega and Encore have the same barrel from the same supplier.
   Well, the overall quality of the gun is better.  The out-of-the-box accuracy was better, though after 200+ rounds through both guns they arrived at about equal accuracy.
   The big difference is the Traditions would shoot almost anything...to date, the Omega will only shoot 2 bullets (200 and 250 gr Shockwaves) with MOA accuracy.  A couple more are in the 1.5" range.  The 195gr DC which shot supremely in the Traditions shoot 4" or worse in the Omega at all powder charges, 70-135 gr 777 tried.
   Bottom line, each gun is different...even those of the same model.  I can hit 3" balloons at 500 yards with a .308 so I don't think it's me blowing 100 yard groups with my Omega, especially since I have found a couple consistent MOA loads and shot 6" groups with them at 400 yards.  It appears, from with I have seen, that the barrels on the Omega and Encore can be very, very finicky.  I know more than half a dozen people who have had problems.  Patient ones, like Vapour, eventually find a sub-MOA load because the barrels are high-quality just finicky.  However I still dislike having spent so much on a gun that only likes 1 or 2 bullets.  I am very happy for you that the ones you have had are relatively problem-free, but I can assure you this is not our imagination.

[Lawful Larry]

Thanks for the input guys.  I think my biggest beef with the Encore is that a simple NEF ML at $159.99 will shoot circles around my $650.00 Encore!  My NEF will eat anything and is a tack driver.  

I did find a load that will work for now and carry me through the season.  One is the Hornaday SP Jacketed 300gr sabot with 80 grs of Clean Shot.  The second is the Power Belt 295gr with 80 grs of Clean Shot.  I use the Power Belt for the second shot, due to the ease of reload.  

Well I went hunting last week and got this beauty on the run at 50 yards.  I don't think I will get rid of the Encore barel just yet.  I will work at getting a really good load for it.  I do love the way it shoulders and shoots.

[Omega]

Congrats on a great deer! I'm glad you got something worked out, to smack that one on the run you got to be dialed in real good.