Personally I never liked the look if the Encore.
I agree, I don't like the way the feel or handle either...
I have owned a half dozen Contenders and I did like them allot! I remember seeing the adds in my fathers hunting mags and thinking I WANT THAT!! Pop always said its a single shot, why on earth would you want that!
Later on, I had my hands on one when I was able to buy a hand gun and again pop talked me out of it...
Couple years later another "deal" fell in my lap and I owned a Contender. Then they came out with the carbine.. Thur the years I bought a 7/30, a 357 Maxi, a Match 22LR and a 375 Win in 21". I never had any real accuracy problems. With a 14" 357 Herrett I had buku problems and that's when I bought my first Maxi... It was a 10" and later the 21" for hunting. I slowly sold off contender barrels and receivers until I had one pistol and one carbine and just a couple barrels... Ironically Pop has them!! He not very much likes single shots and enjoys shooting them.
Then, I made the transition to H&Rs and haven't really ever looked back...
CW