Well, not in an Encore, But....
have a contender barrel by SSK in 7.62x39 with the .308 bore (30x39 as they stamp it) shoots great, but have not taken a deer with it.
I did take one deer with my Interarms Mini Mark X Mauser in 7.62x39 using a Winchester factory load.. wasnt a big deer, probably 125 pounds, but it seemed to work just fine.. smacked him behind the shoulder & he went maybe 20 yards and piled up.
did the same thing last year with my Remington Custom Shop .350 Mag, also right behind the shoulder. Deer went 20 yards and piled up. My .350 has probably 4 times the muzzle energy, but the deer didnt seem to notice the difference.
Cant speak for any other loads but the Winchester factory loads left a nice big hole, and the bullet opened up like it was supposed to. Hope this helps.
