range barrel choice.

[troy_mclure]

im looking for a range barrel for my encore.

would like at least 100yd, and cheap ammo is great too.

ill probably be putting a big scope on it too! lol.

im tempted by .22lr, but would like to hear center fire options as well.

[Grumulkin]

I presume by "range  barrel" you mean for target shooting.  For that application for 100 yard shooting and for relatively cheap ammo, I would go with the 223 Remington.

[troy_mclure]

i should mention that my range extends to 300yds, but i dont need to shoot that far.

[nomosendero]

OK, still 223 !!

[securitysix]

Yep, .223 Remington.  Cheap ammo is plentiful, even if you avoid steel cased ammo, and it will shoot fine out to 300 yards (farther with the right barrel twist and bullet combinations).

There are lots of other choices, but for "cheap ammo" + 100 yards, .223 Remington is your boy.  And if you ever decide to take up reloading, .223 Remington is not a bad cartridge to start with.

A .22 LR will shoot 100 yards (my dad used to shoot small bore silhouette out to 100 yards with a 10" .22 LR barrel), but it has what's known as a "rainbow trajectory" at that point.

[troy_mclure]

im a pretty experienced handloader, its still cheaper to buy milsurp .223 than handload it for bulk.

i occasionally shoot my marlin mod 60 out to 100yds, but it isnt really the gun for it.