Misfire With Two Different Pro-Hunters This Afternoon

[catchone]

Has anyone with a pro-hunter been experiencing misfires?  I have a brand new pro-hunter frame with a 7-08 24" stainless barrel I got from mbp708.  I am using it for whitetail deer.  My pro-hunter came with the 28" ML barrel .  I had a misfire with one new Remington 140 gr CLSP factory ammo this afternoon at the range.  I tried it twice and it did not fire.  I then put the round in another 7-08 of another manufacture and it fired the first try.  The strange thing is that not five minutes later the guy next to me was sighting in his new pro-hunter 30-06 and had a misfire with Remington factory ammo he had just purchased.  Both our serial numbers on our encores begins with PS.  Has anyone else had an issue with either their pro-hunters misfiring or remington ammo lately.  It was about 60 degrees and humid but not even close to rainy.   I live just south of Savannah, GA.  This is such a coincidence that now I am worried that I'll see the big buck and have a misfire caused by either the gun or ammo.  I have never had an issue with Remington ammo previously.  Should I go ahead and just shoot it some to build confidence in the gun or verify trouble, call the factory about sending it back, or go hunting and not worry?  I don't get enough time to hunt to carry a rifle hunting that may have issues.  Thanks for any comments or advice.  The 7-08 barrel shoots one ragged hole at 100 yards so I am happy to say the least except for the misfire.
KL

[Guns4570]

KL, the only thing that could mechanically make an Encore misfire would be the hammer dragging or hitting the scope and slowing down its forware momentum that I can think of.  Did you look to see that it has enough clearance with the scope mount you have chosen?  I handload and use CCI Benchrest primers in mine and its gone off every time.  Works fine with the 209x50 primers in my ML barrel too.  Well at least until I can convert it to the 25ACP conversion.  Maybe Redhawk or some has other ideas.

[catchone]

I used a Leupold QR base with medium height rings.  I don't have any heavy recoiling barrels so this mount system has always worked well on my other guns.  There is plenty of clearance between the scope and hammer.  The scope is a 3-9x40 Bushnell Elite but I can see no way the scope is interfering with the hammer travel.  My thumb was well away from the hammer also.  The primer seemed to be well dented on the 7-08 as the primer on the guy's pro hunter 30-06 round seemed to be as well.  He attempted to fire his 4 times without it firing.  It was the only one time he or I experienced this.  I am hoping this is just a stange rare coincidence but the odds on that seem almost astronomical.  Where I come from hope is not a method.  If the round had not fired in my other 7-08, I would have just assumed it was a bad primer and it still may be that as my other rifle probably hits the primer in a slightly different spot.  I just want to be sure no one else is seeing or encoutering this before I ruin a hunting trip with a problem I haven't solved.
Thanks,
KL

[Keith L]

No doubt having it happen to two guns at nearly the same time is unnerving.  I would have to shoot it many more times before I would trust it again.

[catchone]

I think I have come to a solution.  Our deer season ends 15 January.  I have other rifles to use so I'll shoot the TC at the range only for a bit.  After the season's end I'll send it to MGM (or another servicer) for a trigger workover.  I will explain in the notes to MGM what it did.  They should be able to see if there is really a problem.  When I get it back I'll be ready for 07 October ML season and then rifle season.
Thanks,
KL

[Awger]

I had the same thing happen with my Encore (7mm Rem Mag), also with Remington ammo. Four duds in two different boxes, purchased at different times. Dropped the hammer on 'em several times, full dents in the primers. Usually they go off on the second, third, or fourth hit, but I have one that never went off.

Seems to me, if the hammer strike was hard enough to dent the primer, it should have gone off, regardless of whether or not the hammer dragged on something.

I solved the problem by not buying Remington ammo.

[Redhawk1]

I had the same thing happen with my Encore (7mm Rem Mag), also with Remington ammo. Four duds in two different boxes, purchased at different times. Dropped the hammer on 'em several times, full dents in the primers. Usually they go off on the second, third, or fourth hit, but I have one that never went off.

Seems to me, if the hammer strike was hard enough to dent the primer, it should have gone off, regardless of whether or not the hammer dragged on something.

I solved the problem by not buying Remington ammo.

Awger, I have to agree with you on this. If the primer is well dented and it did not go off, I would say it was a bad primer.  I don't care if 4 out of 20 did not go off, as long as it had a well dented primer, it is bad primers.

[tanoose]

Well i am glad you guys wern't shooting at a trophy buck! I must say that even though i reload over the last couple of years i have bought some reminmgton factory ammo cheap as i now have a wal-mart in my area i have bought there 30/06 , 308 and 25/06 and have not had any misfires . This was the first time i bought remington factory ammo since me and my buddy stopped because about 15 years or more ago we would get alot of misfires from remington ammo so we switched to winchester with never a problem. And we were using different rifles inb the different caleiers we were using.  I have been reloading since 1989 and have never had a reload misfire. I hope that everyone who has had a misfire sends an e-mail to remingtoin so that they can fix there problem.

[catchone]

I'm fairly comfortable it is a bad primer issue.  The primer was well dented the first attempt to fire the bad round.  Second attempt showed a little more indenture but not a great difference.  It should have ignited.  The guy next to me having the same issue has to be an unusual coincidence.  I was going to have a trigger job done anyway.  I like a crisp three pound trigger so that is what I'll ask to be done.  Thanks for all your ideas guys. 
KL

[Awger]

Well i am glad you guys wern't shooting at a trophy buck!

The "round that never fired" wasn't aimed at a trophy buck, but it should have dropped a fair-sized doe. I reloaded, that one was a dud, too -- but it eventually fired at the range several days later, after several more hammer strikes. What angers me most is, that was the end of my season last year; shortly after that little incident, I broke my wrist. So, in effect, two Remington duds cost me meat in the freezer.

FWIW the rounds that didn't fire had been in an ammo pouch (covered flap) and out in the weather (damp / cold) several times. I can't say that I had a round misfire at the range, right out of the box, so I suppose there could be some environmental factor, but any ammo that can't withstand casual exposure to the elements isn't something I want to pay money for.

I looked for lot numbers on the boxes, couldn't identify any.

Ya'll think there's any point in contacting Remington?

And, is there any consensus on heavier hammer springs for Encores, with or without extensions?

[Greenhunter]

Sounds like bad primers,,,,,,
but to make sure, you might want to look at the length of the bolt that screws the butt stock into the frame....i
f it is a bit too long, it will touch the spring that pushes the hamme,r thus slowing down your hammers forward momentum. 
If it is too long you can grind it down a little and that should solve your problem,

[catchone]

I'll take a look at that, also, just to be sure.  That brings back memories you mentioning that.  I purchased a stainless NEF in .243 Win for my son to start deer hunting three years ago.  When I put the youth synthetic stock on, I found the stock draw bolt to be bent which would not allow the stock to fit tightly to the receiver.  As the bolt was turned it caused an eccentric movement of the stock relative to the receiver stock recess.  The bolt also protruded too far into the receiver and blocked the hammer sear engagement.  That was with the adult or youth stock.  I was very disappointed in the QC of the rifle.  A new fine thread stainless bolt form the local hardware store and a little fitting solved the problem.  Incidentally the little NEF rifle shoots extremely well and Jake has taken several deer with it.  I really wish NEF had made the receiver in stainless instead of nickel plating it.
KL

[FOX22250]

rem factory ammo is not the best thats why you get what you pay for.........

[alsaqr]

Bet it ain't the ammo.  Encores are notorious for light hammer strikes.  i was warned by friends before i bought mine.  With the .50 cal.  muzzleloader barrel and 209 primers, never a misfire.   Took it to the range yesterday with the .30-06 barrel and a bunch of my handloads.  First round, misfire!  Took the hammer extension off.  No more misfires in 30 rounds.   

[K.K]

I installed a hammer spur on my Encore (before the swing-hammer was available), I was getting misfires on several boxes of Remington .308 ammo.  I have never had a problem with the muzzleloader set-up, but in .308 pistol it happens too often.  I'd like to get the swing hammer installed, but now i don't know. Any added weight to the hammer seems to cause problems.

[rks1949]

I installed a heavy hammer spring by Mike Bellm,he warns about "light strikes on his site. After installing the heavy spring,I could tell the diffrence right away. The "stock spring is very weak,plus installing the heavier spring speeds up the lock time(a plus). It's a simple job,anyone with a little skill can do. Here's  the link;  http://www.bellmtcs.com/