Encore 12 Ga Turkey Barrel

[rickyp]

Please tell me everything you guys and girls know about this barrel.

I have seen that it will take a mosburg 500 choke tub

how do they preform how? will it work for for  squirrel and rabbits? 
the barrel I am working a trade on has the fire optic sights.

[DropTheHammer]

I got a great deal on mine, camo with a camo forend thrown in.  Couldn't pass it up.  After i got it and put it together i was quick to sell my 835.  Thing is a dream to carry in the spring turkey woods.  It was a little brutal on the cheekbone though when patterning with 3" federals.  It patterned good enough with the factory turkey choke installed, but i think i'm going to upgrade to a mossy 500 comp-n-choke or similar for this season.

[rickyp]

I have a 835 and used it for almost everything.
in the past year I got 209x50, 20 ga slug and now working on a trade for the turkey barrel.
I carried the 20 ga last deer season and it was great light and easy to handle the 835 didn't come out of the safe, and I am hoping this 12 ga will be as nice.

have you used it for a field gun yet?

what size shot are you using?

[DropTheHammer]

Negative on the field use.  I have an over-under that serves that purpose.  The turkey barrel will probably only ever get use in turkey season plus maybe predator (yotes/fox) if i ever get into that.  Might take it out for crows one of these days.

[Hopalong7]

rickyp, I been carrying one for 3 spring seasons now and absolutely love it.  Mine is the 20" katahdin version which carries even easier.  I didn't shoot a bird last year, but the it shot two birds the previous year....bang/flop.  I've tried several different brands of ammo...all decent....haven't really settled on a favorite yet.  I've always been a believer in #6's for head shooting a turkey.  It is a kicker though.  Not any fun at all to pattern off bench and do not shoot with shoulder planted up against a big white oak tree...ouch!!!  I've not tried any other chokes either.  Go for it!  Walt

[rickyp]

I just finalized the deal for it and hope to have it with in a few weeks.

I am looking forward to getting the barrel but now looking forward to the recoil.

are you guys using 2 3/4 or 3" shells

can the barrel be bored out for 31/2' shells?

[jw4570]

If you shoot the 3" extended range from the bench with a Prohunter even with a flextech stock, I doubt you will want to try the 3.5" anymore.  These are nasty kickers.  Thankfully, you only pull the trigger once on a Turkey usually.

JW

[Hopalong7]

10-4 on the kicking............3" is enough for this old man.  I also don't see any need for 3.5"
 Walt

[TRM-1]

I have the 12 gauge 20 inch and it is a pleasure to carry but it kills on both ends. I have the flextech thumbhole and with light 2 3/4 shells it will let you know it kicks hard. with 3 inch hevi shot it will kick the snot out of you. Something interesting that I found about the 20 inch version is it is NOT tapped for the scope mount. open sights only.  So if you are thinking about the 20 inch and want the scope it isn't drilled and tapped for the factory 12 gauge mount. This is the second turkey barrel I have owned the other one was a 24 inch and it kicked just as hard. I sold it because of the harsh recoil and then thought it over and realized one or two shots a year I could live with the recoil for the light easy handling of the gun so I purchased the 20 inch I still have. So be prepared for the recoil and good luck.

[Davemuzz]

I have the 12 ga. vent rib smooth bore encore barrel on my ProHunter frame with the flex-tech stock 'n forarm. I've been using this for pheasant hunting and find this gun exceptionally nice to carry because it's so light, and because of the flex-tech stock, the recoil is hardly noticeable.  When I pull it up to shoot I'm looking right down the vent rib at the bead and gun patterns very well. I've dropped quite a few birds with this single shot shotgun. I wonder if it's because it's easy and accurate...or because I only have one shot, and I take my time to put the bead on before I pull the trigger!!!???

Dave

[rickyp]

I got the 12 ga turkey barrel today loaded up a few 2 3/4" shells with 1 1/8 OZ of #9 shot (this is only size I have) and 18grs of clays the book shows I should be in the 1090 FPS range. no way of me knowing for sure.

so I went out to the farm I hunt on and took two shots both about 30 yards. one shot was at a12" tree with a ribbon around it. I used the ribbon as a aiming point. the shot completely  cut the ribbon off the tree and a dense pattern that covered the 12" very well.

the second shot was about 30 yards  and a 3" round tree and I used a ribbon as a aiming point again this time I didn't  cut the ribbon off but it destroyed it and had a very tight pattern.

The recoil wasn't bad at all less then my 50 caliber barrel.

I need to do some playing around with the loads but it looks like this barrel will be a shooter. I just need to get me some turkey shot to work with.

[jw4570]

You won't have a problem with 1 1/8 loads.

It only gets bad when you get 1 3/4 or more, particularly the Extended Range.

My 26" VR Patterns really well at 40 yards, the sights are just off.  It's easy on the Turkey Barrel, you can adjust them.

My muzzleloader barrel showed up.  I'm getting stuff together to try it, I got wads so far (but I want to get some shotcups, I just have the felt type now).  I need some FFg Triple Seven too.  I have some GOEX Clear Shot around (who remembers that?).  Hopefully, I'll have it all figured out by fall Turkey muzzleloader season.

Congrats.

JW

[rickyp]

Bass pro sells 3 1/2" wads with over shot cards for M.L. shotguns  for $10.00 for 20 cound

[GrampaMike]

I have the blue turkey barrel (#1753 I think) with the TC screw-in turkey choke tube.  What other choke tubes fit this TC barrel?  Want to use other chokes besides just turkeys.  Thanks, Mike

[rickyp]

I just got a mossberg 500 choke  in "mod" it fits well but is a little below the bore line. I tried my mossberg 835 and the choke tub is as big as the barrel.

so any tube that will fit a 500 will screw in the T/C

[jw4570]

rickyp has it.  I posted info in another thread about chokes too.

JW

[Hopalong7]

The Invector (not Invector Plus) choke tubes fit.  This is the same as Mossberg 500 and Win-choke.
TRM-1, You're dead-on the 20" barrel....no scope holes.  I hunted and hunted..none......called TC and a very polite young lady informed me that ALL Encore barrels were drilled and tapped for scope mounts, I just couldn't see them because of the camo finish.  OK, I looked some more...scraped off a good bit of the camo....NO holes.  Called TC again...talked with a technician this time...was told the 20" Kathdin Turkey barrel was the only barrel they made NOT drilled and tapped.  I really didn't want to scope it anyway, but I did want to mount a peep on it.  I also had to put a taller front sight on it(supplied at no cost by TC).  GOOD SHOOTIN',  Walt

[Davemuzz]

Walt,

Well.....I can also tell you that the 12 gage shotgun barrel with the vent rib does NOT have any pre-drilled holes in it for a scope or reddot. I have another post where I was looking to get a weaver type mount that attached to the rib, but that did not work out. Then I called T\C and ask them if I sent the barrel back to 'em without the rib, would they drill and tap the holes for the weaver mount?? They said no because that would be too many holes in the barrel, and they feared it would weaken it.

FWIW

Dave