Author Topic: T/C Encore handgun (Read 2656 times)

JKump · « **on:** April 09, 2008, 11:54:50 AM »

Has any one have any experience hunting with these handgun? I am thinking of getting one in 243. I already hunt with a 357 mag. revolver and a single shot rifle in 308. I will be hunting deer here in Georgia. Any comments are welcome.

Graybeard · « **Reply #1 on:** April 09, 2008, 12:00:27 PM »

I've owned a couple in 7-08 both blued and SS. Both were excellent shooters able to do MOA at 100 yards with both factory and reloads. The blued one needed some free floating work on the wood fore end first but the SS with rubber shot right from the box.

If it were me I'd move up to a 260 Remington rather than the .243 but then I just really don't trust the little .243 and that's a personal issue of mine. I consider the 7-08 to be about as ideal as it gets for deer so that's what I generally go with.

onesonek · « **Reply #2 on:** April 09, 2008, 01:24:02 PM »

"Has any one have any experience hunting with these handgun? "

A little

I have to agree with Bill on his thoughts. While the .243 with a well placed bullet will do the job, it's my opinion it's getting a little marginal. Mainly because it's about 300 fps slower in the pistol than the rifle, limiting your range substantially, and with it's power modest at best to start with. The .260 isn't that much bigger, but enough to make the difference. And, as Bill said, the 7-08 is about as practical as one can get.
I do have a .243AI in that group, (top right,it's waiting for a new scope), I primarily use it for coyotes and Prairie Dogs, as it's also a slow twist.
I use to have a 30-40AI that was my "all-purpose", But as time went by and funds allowed, I set up barrels for game specific use. The last acquired is the other one waiting on a scopebase, is a .308 is going to have that "firefly" at the bottom on it and going Black Bear hunting this fall.
The one mounted on the frame, replaced the 30-40 as my deer barrel, which I just got recently and finished fireforming brass for today. It is chambered in the 6.5-257 Roberts AI. The one upside down to the middle right, is a .250 Sav. AIRLN. I set this up for anetlope which I haven't used it on yet, But it would work for deer as well. I used it last year for that purpose, loaded with 110gr. Accubonds. But it didn't get to draw blood as I passed on a small buck at 40yds. Which turned out to be the last chance I had to get out last year. The last one in the group, is a .218 Bee is my "shorter" range pest contol barrel. Along with those, I have a .300 JNKR (.300-376) being built for use on Elk.

All in all, the Encore makes for a pretty good hunting rig, but I still think you be better off with a little more than the .243..

Dave

Catfish · « **Reply #3 on:** April 10, 2008, 04:58:39 AM »

I have an Encore with a .357 max. 15 in. barrel. Good deer gun for Oh. where we cannot use bottle necked rounds. It is impossible to hit anything with this gun off handed as it is so nose heavy. I put a 27 in. by-pod on it and rest the grip on my knee. When fired in this manner it`s about like shooting from a bench. If your wanting an off hand gun keep your barrel lenth to 10 in.

daveb · « **Reply #4 on:** April 11, 2008, 08:46:38 AM »

You've gotten some good advice. I've hunted for 8 years with my Encore, though I also use
a rifle now and then. I bought a 7-08 15" barrel last year, and took a couple of whitetail does
with it.

Here's a photo of a mountain Muley (taken when I got him home) from last year that I took
with my old standby 338 WM barrel. I've used this barrel for a moose, many deer, a couple
of antelope, and a plains game hunt in Africa. I missed an elk with the only offhand shot I
tried with this pistol. I at least must have a rest with the longer barrels.

Dave

Cheesehead · « **Reply #5 on:** April 11, 2008, 08:54:28 AM »

Since you already have a 308 rifle, go with the 308 pistol, it will simplify things and work well.
\
Cheese

Darrell H · « **Reply #6 on:** April 13, 2008, 03:51:50 PM »

daveb that is an awesome mulie!!! Who made your barrel?

Quote

Has any one have any experience hunting with these handgun?

Yeah, they are effective on deer of all sizes.

I shot this Colorado elk with a .308 Win at about 80 yards and he dropped in his tracks.

What part of Georgia are you hunting in? Here in the mountains (I'm in Ellijay) shots are rarely over 100 yards. I'm pretty much partial to Contenders for GA hunting. I hunted with a .357 Max last year and will probably hunt with a new 44 mag barrel this year. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Darrell

JKump · « **Reply #7 on:** April 14, 2008, 02:46:16 AM »

I will be hunting in middle Georgia. Mostly shooting in the woods, however, I do hunt fields sometimes. I like the thought of the Contender, easy to carry when I have my blind (a pop up dog house) and chair. Woods hunting shots are close, any where from 10 to 45 yards. Of course the fields can be as long as several hundred yards (personally I try to keep the shots under 200 yards, I like alot closer).
In the past I have taking deer with a 357 mag. at around 30 yards.
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc127/JKump/Picture015.jpg

I have also taking a couple with the 243. I took these two in the same day. The first was shot in the woods ( around 20 Yards) and the second shot over a field at about 100 yards. It is funny the first ran about 50 yards before dropping the second dropped right there.
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc127/JKump/Picture009.jpg
http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc127/JKump/Picture019.jpg

I like the idea of the 243 Contender, the recoil should be very tame, and the 243 has always been very accurate for me.
Thanks for the responses.

Graybeard · « **Reply #8 on:** April 14, 2008, 03:59:52 AM »

Quote

I like the idea of the 243 Contender, the recoil should be very tame, and the 243 has always been very accurate for me.
Thanks for the responses.

You CANNOT use the .243 in the Contender only in the Encore.

Darrell H · « **Reply #9 on:** April 14, 2008, 08:08:57 AM »

Good shooting JKump. It looks like you're no stranger to handgun hunting. Like GB said, the Contender is for low pressure cartridges only like the 30-30, 44 mag, 7-30 Waters, .223, .357 Mag and Max, etc. You'll need to get an Encore for the .243.

If you wanted to go with a Contender and you wanted a 6MM cartridge, there are several wildcats that will work in the Contender such as the 6MM TCU which is a .223 case necked up to 6MM. There are also several 6MM wildcats based on the 30-30 case that will work. I don't know if that is attractive to you at all. If you want simplicity, just stick with the .243 and get an Encore!

Let us know what you decide on.

Darrell

daveb · « **Reply #10 on:** April 15, 2008, 07:19:03 AM »

Darrel H -
Pretty darn good bull yourself. I've yet to take an elk with my Encore.
My 338 barrel has been around for quite a while. I bought it from a regular
poster here, and have used it a bunch. It's a Bulberry barrel, and I have
had great service from them. I also have one of there barrels in 7-08 that
I like a lot.
Dave

warrior1 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 15, 2008, 08:36:48 AM »

yesterday , i shot an encore handgun for the first time it was only 25 yards the reason being i wanted to sight it in. once i got it zeroed it did an outstanding job with 139 gr and 154 grain
bullets using imr 3031. next time out the real test happens at 50 yards then 100 yards.
i feel confident it will still be right on. nice round this 7mm08. good shootin, dan

JKump · « **Reply #12 on:** April 15, 2008, 09:18:58 AM »

I missed type. I meant the Encore. Sorry guys.

kennisondan · « **Reply #13 on:** April 15, 2008, 02:01:49 PM »

I have several barrels from 22 through 460sw... I like the 308 best so far for deer close and far... the regular taper 16" stainless barrel on the pistol is surprisingly light and well balanced and I can shoot it just fine offhand for closer shots and propped for long range... it is quite deadly.. shot two running bobcats with it up close and really fast, and one deer with it offhand as well about 45 yards or so...
that is all the experience so far, I have a rifle in the caliber too and it is easy to find heavy and light rounds, factory and handloads are easy also...
it is hard to beat, and does not kick as much as my revolvers as to felt recoil.
dk

Darrell H · « **Reply #14 on:** April 15, 2008, 03:14:38 PM »

Thanks for the compliment on the elk daveb. My .308 barrel is a Bullberry barrel too and like you, I have several of their barrels and have been very pleased with them. I have only shot one mule deer. It was taken in 2004 on a Southwestern Colorado blackpowder hunt. At that time, i didn't have a blackpowder pistol (I now have a 17" cutdown Encore that I use in pistol format) so I used a 209 X 50 Encore rifle on this hunt. Here is a pic of that deer:

I had every intention of going mule deer hunting with my .308 pistol this year with the outfitter that I used on my DIY elk hunt last year. Unfortunately, I waited too late and the outfitter was full on all of his deer hunts. However, he did have two elk slots left so a friend and I are going after elk again this year. I have a new 17" MGM .376 Steyr barrel that I want to try out this year.

Do you have any photos from your African handgun safari? That is a dream of mine...

daveb · « **Reply #15 on:** April 16, 2008, 07:34:03 AM »

Great buck Darrell. I have African animals on a friend's server:

http://wardragon.com/safari/

I had a great time, and had an outfitter who does a lot of guiding for bowhunters,
so getting close was a specialty. We were actually closer than optimal for the
Encore, with the closest shots under 30 yards and the longest at about 240 yards.
Most shots were just right, between 80 and 150 yards. Some of the trophies are
pretty good in the handgun list.

I have a 375 H&H barrel that I want to use on a Cape Buffalo sometime, and isn't
that bad to shoot. If everything works well next May (2009), I'll use the 338 barrel
on a brown bear (I'm taking a rifle too). I do most of my hunting now with the Encore.

Have you shot any silhouette with yours? That seems like a fun game.

Dave

Darrell H · « **Reply #16 on:** April 16, 2008, 10:21:13 AM »

Outstanding photos and trophies Dave; that had to be the hunt of a lifetime. Congratulations. It's funny that you mention Brown Bear. That is the reason that I ordered the .376 Steyr barrel from MGM. I'm getting 2400 fps with Varget/270 grain Hornady handloads and consistent 1" - 1.25" accuracy with the barrel, so I'm satisfied that it will do the job. Like you I am planning a 2009 coastal brown bear hunt, but I plan to go in the Fall.

I have never shot silhouette, but it does sound like a lot of fun.

daveb · « **Reply #17 on:** April 17, 2008, 09:12:42 AM »

Darrell,

Ain't TC handguns a hoot?

I hope that trip of a lifetime to Africa is just my first. What a great place!

Good luck on the brownie preparation. I'm working on offhand shots and
shots off a Stoney Point bipod. I used it for the Mulie, and it really helped.
From what I understand the brush is thick and high in AK. Are you using
any mechanical rests?

Dave

Darrell H · « **Reply #18 on:** April 18, 2008, 10:39:16 AM »

Yes, T/C's are fun...expensive but fun!

I do have a couple of Stoney point products; a mid-height tripod and a taller bi-pod. In all honesty, I'd rather not mess with them if a tree or a prone shot is available. I have come up with a pretty good method to cradle the forend between my index finger and my "bird' finger with my left hand against a tree and rest the grip on my left arm. I can get pretty stable with this method. However, my preferred shot is to lie prone and shoot off of my backpack. I've been busting milk jugs at 300 yards with my .308 lying prone so I'm very confident in that shooting position. I've heard the same thing; that there is a lot of brush in Alaska so there will probably be few trees to rest off of and the tall brush will make a prone shot difficult to obtain. I think that it is definitely a good idea to take along a bipod/tripod shooting rest.

I will probably take my bipod since it is taller. I use a similar hold when using the bipod as the hold that I use on a tree. With a standing shot, I grab the right leg of the bipod with my left hand. I put the trigger guard of the Encore as far as I can push it forward in the fork of the bipod to use the physics of the pivot point of the barrel to my advantage and limit muzzle jump. I then rest the grip of the gun on my left arm and it takes a lot of the wobble out. With a sitting shot, I use my right knee to rest the grip on and that takes a lot of the wobble out. I know that this is hard to envision but it works for me. If anyone has any suggestions on how to get steadier with pistols and shooting sticks, I would love to hear them. Always eager to learn from others.

On the big bears, I'm gonna try to get within one hundred yards but my .376 Steyr should shoot fairly flat out to about 200 yards. I haven't had a chance to shoot it at longer ranges, I have only had it for about six weeks and have just now settled on a load. Now for some longer range testing! Here is a photo of my setup:

I'm still waiting on a matching grip from Bullberry, but I'm shooting it with a rubber grip in the meantime. I'd love to hear about your results with the .375 H&H, Dave.

SingleShotShorty · « **Reply #19 on:** April 18, 2008, 12:34:24 PM »

This is my Encore in 308 Win with a Leupold 2.5X8 scope, it has become my favorite hangun to hunt deer with.

warrior1 · « **Reply #20 on:** April 18, 2008, 01:18:18 PM »

i shot mine again and the more i shoot it the more i realize i'll probably use it for deer hunting.
it is easy to understand the the following these handguns have. good shootin, dan

Spencer · « **Reply #21 on:** May 04, 2008, 04:16:10 PM »

I have several barrrels, both long and short, but my most used is the .45/.410. I use it for rabbit hunting with my beagles.

kennisondan · « **Reply #22 on:** May 06, 2008, 03:05:09 PM »

Hey I have a bunch of the barrels... but the 308 is my favorite so far... it is an accurate and devastating round, known for its accuracy... I like it best since I have some other 308s semi, ruger one, bolt gun... it is well balanced and feels surprisingly light.. it is actually quite fast onto target... once I shot game with it and a couple of bobcats, it drove home the raw power of a rifle bullet over a handgun bullet.... and it was not a linebaugh round or any super big bore... a rifle round is just amazing and in such a small package..
I do not think you can go wrong with any of the larger centerfire rifle loads in the encore... I imagine the 243 would be adequate, I have killed lots of deer with it... but it is not the kind of round the 30 cal.s are or the 270 either... I also am anxious to try out a 358 winch. barrel that is similar but a bit larger bore... but the 08 got the nod because I could take a variety of guns in various action types and weights and bring one basic hunting round... just simplified things for me, and gave me some flexibility to adapt to conditions ...
you will be mighty happy with any centerfire rifle round in your contender... is there any reason you want one load over the other ? the game will not know the difference.... but the 243 will not go to the elk camp with you if you get the chance... I feel the 308 family of cartridges would get that done for you... and am impressed by the 7mm 08 that Bill points out .... I just opted for the 308 cause I can also pick it up in a variety of places on the road if needed and it is common by comparison to many others that are out there... I also bought some match ammo for it for accuracy testing etc.
they all work .. find some criteria to decide upon ... and .. go shoot.
dk

Grumulkin · « **Reply #23 on:** May 06, 2008, 03:32:31 PM »

Being in Ohio, if I want to handgun hunt the handgun must shoot a straight walled cartridge. Since I wanted a 200 yard deer cartridge, I chose the 460 S&W Magnum. Here is a photo of a Klipspringer I took with it recently in South Africa at an estimated 180 yards.

It also worked very well on Zebra (this one probably weighs somewhere between 700 and 750 lbs) and a bunch of other animals.

kennisondan · « **Reply #24 on:** May 07, 2008, 03:35:07 PM »

Grumulkin : nice shooting, sir... when I look at over a hundred or so, I am seeing the heartbeat in my scope... I got an encore 460 also and have not shot it.. what scope, load, etc did you opt for... did you use a feild rest or sticks, etc for the shot.... ? sorry for the hi jack but this may also interest the original poster ... i hope at least...
dk