Author Topic: Want to buy an Encore (Read 1291 times)

Swift One · « **on:** March 15, 2005, 03:02:56 AM »

I had a chance to shoot an Encore (22-250) while on a hunting trip this past Feb. I must say that I fell in love with it right away. Lightwieght and fit me like a glove. I have a Handi Rifle in 223 BBL that I use for Predator hunting and like it alot (especially the price), but I am unusually attracted to these Encore rifles. So much that I have started a savings fund for it and put all other projects on hold.

In the long run, are they worth the money? Are they shooters out of the box or do you need to tinker with them to make them right? I understand that reloaders will tinker with rounds but I am talking about the weapon itself. I really like the model with the blue barrels and camo composite stock. If I buy, I would like my first barrel to be in 25-06. Talk about a varmint round!! :twisted: The only price tags that I have seen on these weapons is the Suggested price What is the average price of an Encore? Thanks for the info.

iiibbb · « **Reply #1 on:** March 15, 2005, 03:12:12 AM »

Well... as things go... my .308 shot well right out of the box, but it's obvious to me now that it is more ammo-sensitive than any other gun I've owned. Of course I am striving for better groups than any other gun I owned.

Encores are not so perfect that you won't find people complaining about them. Of course, the people that love them are probably not going to patrol the internet looking for all oportunities to extol the virtues of any product. It's usually easy to find bad experiences.

I think there are some calibers that shoot better than others. I've seen complaints about Encore in .308, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone complain about 22-250.

The gun shoots as well as I do. My only gripe about Encors are the iron sites on them. I think they suck. The 209x50 sights were fine, but the ones that come on standard rifle barrels are cheesy in my opinion and hard for me to see. Of course... I scoped it so that complaint isn't particularly relavent.

There's no discounting the versitility though, and I love the ergonomics... I have no regrets.

pigboy · « **Reply #2 on:** March 15, 2005, 09:30:43 AM »

I recently bought a complete encore in stainless with a camo composite stock from Ed's TC's for $595. I think the blue with the camo stock is about $50 less. I may be wrong on that it may be more than $50 less, but call Ed and ask him 405-879-0879. That camo stock runs the price up significantly. I like it alot though.

Swift One · « **Reply #3 on:** March 15, 2005, 11:15:04 AM »

Really, maybe I will just get the black synthetic and get the camo down the road. I don't know what it is about the Encore rifles, but they really have encompassed my attention. I did a search on 25-06 barrels and it seems that the factory barrel in this caliber is a 50/50 shot on being a good shooter. I also noticed that on the average, some calibers shoot better than others. Looks like the bigger more powerful calibers can be troublesome. Am I reading this correctly?

pigboy · « **Reply #4 on:** March 15, 2005, 11:25:26 AM »

I think the camo buttstock and forend added about $50 to the price of the gun. If you buy them separate, they cost about $120. So a blue complete Encore in black composite should run around $500 or a little less. I went ahead and bought the gun in camo because that is what I wanted and I did not want to deal with swapping out later.

I know what you mean about the Encore bug. I had one, got rid of it for some unexplicable reason, and now I have one again. I love the feel of the gun.

brasskeeper · « **Reply #5 on:** March 15, 2005, 12:23:23 PM »

Quote from: pigboy

I recently bought a complete encore in stainless with a camo composite stock from Ed's TC's for $595. I think the blue with the camo stock is about $50 less. I may be wrong on that it may be more than $50 less, but call Ed and ask him 405-879-0879. That camo stock runs the price up significantly. I like it alot though.

I recomend Ed, I just bought a new barrel and forend from him.He beat everybody on price. I got it in two days and it was packaged great and came with his updated price lists. He has a large inventory if he doesnt have it you dont need it.

tcman · « **Reply #6 on:** March 20, 2005, 03:42:34 AM »

I have both the 22-250 and the 25-06.

Current experience is that the 22-250 barrel (in my opinion) was defective from the get-go. I think the chamber was drilled/reamed a little deep. Sent it back recently and have not received any word from T/C yet.

I have just started working up a load for the 25-06 barrel, but do know that the chamber is reamed properly, as compared to the 22-250.

In my opinion, in my brief time of ownership of the Encore, it appears to be a project weapon, in as much as the more you tinker with it, the better it shoots.

That, however is no different than ANY bolt action I owned either. Out of the box, all rifles I have owned shot a reasonable group.......but an unexceptable group TO ME.

My 22-250 barrel was shooting sub MOA groups with the first load I Plucked From the Air (PFA). Even though it had a headspace issue, it was much more capable from the get-go than my first Varmint rifle (Ruger heavy barrel M77).

Reloading for the single shot brings new challenges if you want minute of nail head accuracy. I expect that by the time I am done getting the various barrels I end up with shooting the way I want, I will be a true expert in the Encore field. Wouldn't have it any other way.

I have always been a crack shot and the rifle was merely an extension of my body. I don't feel that I could ever achieve the accuracy and ability I have shooting off-hand, sitting, bench rest, etc without paying the dues so to speak.

By the same token, in my prior life, I may be in a situation where I have to put a bullet to the left of a hostages ear to hit the bad guy in the brain stem....then use that same rifle (my rifle) hunting elk. Accuracy was not just a neat thing...it was an absolute necessity............. glad I no longer have to worry about such large issues.

Lawful Larry · « **Reply #7 on:** March 29, 2005, 07:11:45 AM »

Quote from: iiibbb

Encores are not so perfect that you won't find people complaining about them. Of course, the people that love them are probably not going to patrol the internet looking for all oportunities to extol the virtues of any product. It's usually easy to find bad experiences.

Never were words spoken so true. I hate my Encore and love my G2 contender.

My Encore in 209x.50 is nothing but a pain in the a$$ prima donna. It took me more then three days at the range to get a good recipe that the piece of junk would shoot in a respecticle manner ( 3" group @ 50yds). Not what I call a great shooter. Sent it back to the factory for a possible tight spot that is still there and they say doesn't exist, BS!

I also have a .30-06 barrel that can't keep a decent group at 100yds. Had sent that barrel back to factory three times and still doesn't group. Yet the guys at factory say it groups to 1 and 1/2 at 100 yds. , BS!

With my G2 I have five barrels that are all tack drives out to 100+ yds. Go figure that one out.

As to the Encore and rifle barrels forget it. I give up on them and will sell my Encore and .30-06 barrel and go out and buy regular fifles. Got my hands on a Win model 70 in .300 WSM that groups at 1/2 inch at 100 yds. no data on anything out farther. Now that I can live with!

Good luck in your adventure. Hope you have enough cash to support it. :wink:

Keith L · « **Reply #8 on:** March 29, 2005, 07:28:00 AM »

Why do you suppose there is a difference between Encore and Contender? Same company, materials, most likely made on the same machines, to the same specs, by the same people.

Maybe the concept works better with the smaller rounds, but some of the Contender rounds are fairly large.

One thing for sure: it is rare to hear complaints about Contenders, no sweat finding people who don't like their Encores.

Keith L · « **Reply #9 on:** March 30, 2005, 02:03:43 AM »

Have a nice day Rockfish. You may want to consider Decaf.

brasskeeper · « **Reply #10 on:** March 30, 2005, 02:52:58 AM »

[quote="Rockfishyeah that's right T/C has on some barrels not threaded the screw holes deep enough to accept the long screws sent by the base maker... people pull the screws tight and the base is still loose cause the screws are bottomed out on the holes... they take the scope off to send it back, the factory shoots it off a machine rest, it shoots within factory standards and they send it back as a good barrel... guy gets it back and does the same thing with the long screws on a loose base and it still won't shoot... whose fault is this... certainly not T/C's... quote]

I own and encore and so far I'm happy with it.

Now on the subject of who's fault it is threading the screw holes deep enough and to long screw sent buy an outside vender. It is T/C responsiblity to ensure that anything their name is on is right.

They are supposed to check all parts that they make and all parts supplied to them by an outside vendor. Its called quality control and quality assurance and SMART. If the parts from the outside vendor are not right they can reject them. If they don't reject them and knowingly let the parts make to a customer than they reap what they sew.

Keith L · « **Reply #11 on:** March 30, 2005, 03:10:26 AM »

Quote

Now on the subject of who's fault it is threading the screw holes deep enough and to long screw sent buy an outside vender. It is T/C responsiblity to ensure that anything their name is on is right

I read this as the screws provided by the maker of a scope base provided by another company, purchased by the end used of the gun. It is hard for T/C to be responsible for overly long screws provided by someone else that never went through the TC factory.

For what its worth I have seen this problem on guns other than TC as well. If screws bottom out then the base is loose and moves. I think it is the base makers fault, not the gun makers. Fact is TC would have to drill through into the bore and thread the whole thing to use the screws supplied with some mounts I have bought.

If you mean bases supplied and installed by TC at the factory, or sold by TC, then you have a point. Others need to make their product to fit what it is intended to be used on.

MickinColo · « **Reply #12 on:** March 30, 2005, 01:52:37 PM »

Rockfish,

Although you seem a little upset, you gave some great information in the third paragraph of your post.
:-)

Bullseye · « **Reply #13 on:** March 31, 2005, 05:19:14 PM »

Not that this is what has happened to all others, but I have put many scopes on Contender barrels. I had a Leupold mount last year that the screws were to long for. I have had this happen before so I filed a little bit and then a bit more and more. Before it was over I did not have enough thread left to make me happy. Any other time this happend I just barely filed a little off the screw. After I started measuring and looking the screw hole had the locktite the factory uses for the sights in the hole. I know this happens and clean it out, but I did not get it all this time. After cleaning the hole out the screws worked just fine at their full length. I know from changing scopes around that this can be a problem.

Now on the other hand, I have had a gunsmith tell me that about 10 years ago T/C could not drill 4 holes to the same depth.

Who knows.

Keith L · « **Reply #14 on:** March 31, 2005, 08:55:53 PM »

There is a lot more to mounting a scope than bolting it on. You identified one of the things that must be done to get a secure mount. I put my own on, having had to take apart a "smiths" work several times to get it right. There are many so called experts who do good work for the crowd that buys a scope, has it mounted and bore sighted and goes deer hunting the next day without ever firing the gun. Many of these folks are too full of beer to have it matter much whether the gun groups or not.

Lawful Larry · « **Reply #15 on:** April 05, 2005, 11:14:59 AM »

First off I think Rockfish has more problems then decaf can fix. If you don't like the flow of information that is coming across this board, go somewhere else that will fill your needs.

I come here to get info from people that have had the experience for a particular rifle or handgun. All am I trying to say with my horror story with this lousy Encore of mine is that I have worked months on this gun to try to get it to work. The last time it went back to the factory it was shipped complete with frame, barrel and forend! Aside from insulting my intelligence on scopes, my prolbem is with the frame/barrel.

If as you say you have over 30 years of experience on T/C's, I would love to hear you ideas, not get dressed down! Thanks for the help!

Keith L · « **Reply #16 on:** April 05, 2005, 12:12:50 PM »

Ol Rockfish just nailed me on another thread in this forum.. We may never be pals. You may want to try an oversized hingepin. It has never done much for my Contenders, but Rockfish highly recommends them. Maybe Encores are different.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #17 on:** April 05, 2005, 12:16:10 PM »

Lawful Larry, sorry to here of you problems with your Encore. I have 4 Encore frames and 5 barrels. All of them shoot well. My 50 cal and 45 cal muzzleloaders both shoot 1 to 1 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards. My 444 Marlin shoots 1 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards, I am still working up a good load. My 22-250 will shoot 1 inch groups at 100 yards as well as my 300 Win Mag.

If you want to sell your Encore frame, stock and forearm, I would be willing to buy it. I don't need the M/L barrel or the 30-06 barrel. I am sure you could sell them as well.

Or I would be willing to trade you a Contender frame with a pistol stock and some cash if you are interested.

tcman · « **Reply #18 on:** April 05, 2005, 04:10:51 PM »

makes me wonder.....any sales people for Bell - m or T/C on the forum???

ps....he sure has a good headspace rig!!!!!

Lawful Larry · « **Reply #19 on:** April 07, 2005, 04:59:25 AM »

Quote from: Redhawk1

Lawful Larry, sorry to here of you problems with your Encore. I have 4 Encore frames and 5 barrels. All of them shoot well. My 50 cal and 45 cal muzzleloaders both shoot 1 to 1 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards. My 444 Marlin shoots 1 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards, I am still working up a good load. My 22-250 will shoot 1 inch groups at 100 yards as well as my 300 Win Mag.

If you want to sell your Encore frame, stock and forearm, I would be willing to buy it. I don't need the M/L barrel or the 30-06 barrel. I am sure you could sell them as well.

Or I would be willing to trade you a Contender frame with a pistol stock and some cash if you are interested.

Thanks for the offer, Redhawk1. I can't understand it. I will always sing the praises of the T/C Contender. But the Encore is another story. I have tried over and over to get it to shoot. I have had it back to the factory and also had gunsmiths that are well versed on Encores and it did no good.

I can say my new Winchester Model 70 in .300 WSM is fantastic. I am eyeing a .243 WSM, but am having a problem finding any reload data. Seems that Winchester is keeping their data top secret. :roll:
:?:

Keith L · « **Reply #20 on:** April 07, 2005, 02:51:44 PM »

Quote

Keith, you and that other fellow are both talking about hinge pins, frame barrel alignment, etc not doing anything for accuracy... where does it start then?... I'm not upset, nor angry with anyone... but I'd sure like to hear what you have to say to qualify these statements...

If you would read my comments then you would see that I agree that a sloppy fit will cause accuracy problems. Lots of folks buy a new gun with a tight fit, fall for the crap that an oversize pin will make it more accurate, and go away disappointed. I may not currently own an Encore but I have handled many, worked on a few,and never seen a new one that was wiggly. None of my Contenders are a problem, even one that the pin will fall out if coaxed with the action open. It locks up tight with the action closed. Claiming a bigger pin will help a healthy action is like selling snake oil. I would be looking lots of other places for an accuracy problem. And I suspect you would too.