Encore 308 strikes again

[jh45gun]

Shot a nice 5 point buck with my 308 Encore pistol this year using a cast 150 grain load. This is the third deer I have killed with it so far the other two were does in the last two years. I shot the cast load as that is what I had the gun sighted in for and thought I would give it a try. used a round point bullet to the neck and it downed the deer but I had to put one more in him to finish him. I was not that satisfied with the round nose the way it worked no expansion but the next loads have a flat point on them. The two does were shot with factory Remington 150 corelocts. I switched to some cast loads to get rid of my flinch I had developed shooting some reloads using 165  jacketed bullets. Evidently they were a lot stouter than factory ammo as I can shoot that all day long with no ill effects but these handloads really recoiled two much and I developed a flinch that cost me a large buck last year. THe milder reloads using cast cured the flinch and I can shoot factory again easy and hit well with it. Next time I reload some jacketed rounds I will find out what the factory specs are first. Yet these reloads showed no pressure signs at all so they were safe but two hot for a Encore pistol as far as managability goes. Might have been ok in a rifle but too much recoil for the pistol and I can handle a lot of recoil before it gets to me. These were just two darn stout. The Encore shoots the cast well and they are moderate in recoil and pleasant to shoot.  Jim

[KYODE]

congratulations
i woulda worried about expansion also. especially with the small .308 diameter bullet. most people that use cast bullets for hunting, use them in big bore stuff....don't they? :?

just got a OTT fish gill muzzle brake on my 16.5" 300 win mag. it is great so far!  2 shots....2 dead deer, and recoil  with 180gr bullets is no longer a concern. :grin: .....of course a man needs hearing protection ANYTIME, especially with a brake.

[haroldclark]

Hey 45guin,  I was pleased to hear your cast bullet story in the 308 Encore.  I have a 308 in a 15" Encore that I ultimately had a Holland Muzzle brake installed.  Originally, I traded for the barrel to shoot only cast bullets.  So far, I have shot 937 rounds through mine and it is just a kick in that pants to shoot.  I know that a lot of the ole boys poo poo muzzle brakes, but I don't mind 'cause when my gun goes off, I will shoot it all day long and not get the flinches.  I have had the flinches very bad several times.

I shoot a Saeco #315 flat nose bullet of 173 grains.  I use two different loads for that bullet.  One is 13 grains of IMR 7625 with no fillers.  It sill shoot 2" groups at 200 yards and the recoil is minimal.  The other is a more serious, but modest load of 27.5 grains of Reloader 7 and no fillers.

The second load velocity is 1680 fps from tthe 15" barrel.  I don't know what the other load produces.

Keep shooting those cast bullets.

Kyode, glad to hear you kept your 300 Win Mag.  Great shooting this winter.

Harold