Author Topic: What would you choose: Encore or H & R??? (Read 2196 times)

ohboy · « **on:** March 06, 2005, 06:56:15 AM »

Trying to make a decision on what to purchase an encore or H & R.
Not worried on price issue, just what a gun that will shoot great.
Would like some feedback.

MSP Ret · « **Reply #1 on:** March 06, 2005, 03:54:06 PM »

H&R/NEF Handi Rifle, no doubt about it!!!!....<><.... :grin:

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 07, 2005, 01:58:17 AM »

In my opinion the Encore is a better made and better quality gun.

Haywire Haywood · « **Reply #3 on:** March 07, 2005, 02:50:30 AM »

If you've got deep pockets get the T/C, custom chamberings are easily had, altho pricey. If your pockets are shallow like mine, the H&R/NEF is also a fine gun for the money, just not as fancy and the caliber offerings aren't as varied. I just had my H&R Buffalo Classic reamed to 45-90 and am having a hoot loading BP for it.

Ian

Sourdough · « **Reply #4 on:** March 07, 2005, 08:16:44 AM »

I have both, the Encore and Handis. I do not like the feel of the Encore, but it does shoot well. I have the .50 cal muzzleloading barrel that I like. I also have the 30-06 and a .300 Win Mag barrel and I do not like it with these barrels. Another thing I don't like is that the Encore has extractors not ejectors like the Handi. When I am out hunting Caribou there is always that chance of running into a Grizzly and I want to be able to reload fast, fractions of a second can really count in a situation like that.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #5 on:** March 07, 2005, 08:26:49 AM »

For the extraction vs ejection issue, all H&R rifles will sooner or later have extractors, so if you want an ejector, get it while you can, they are switching over to a new style underlug extractor system that eliminates the stuck case issues. When they run out of the old style underlugs, they are gone. If ordering a barrel now, you can request the ejector or extractor. The new extractor is a mechanical extractor nor a spring driven system like the old style.

PA-Joe · « **Reply #6 on:** March 07, 2005, 08:37:01 AM »

Go for a TC G2 it's much lighter than the encore and it uses regular contender barrels.

ohboy · « **Reply #7 on:** March 08, 2005, 02:52:05 AM »

Just read in another forum that : TC was just sold. Called customer service and they said this was true.

poncaguy · « **Reply #8 on:** March 08, 2005, 01:59:24 PM »

That's simple, I have both.....and 2 Rossi's :grin: too....

mrlizzzard · « **Reply #9 on:** March 09, 2005, 02:52:35 AM »

I'd say H&R because of feel and cost.Resale value means alot.Look at the classified sales in this forum,if you buy popular barrels and Handi's you can just about own them for nothing.TC is a great company with a great product but when I am shooting my Handi and someone notices it and asks how much,I get a kick out of saying $175.

lizzzard

armory414 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 09, 2005, 02:45:32 PM »

Depends on what caliber you want, and how much shooting you plan on doing with it. If you are going for .223 or .30-30, then the Handi rifle might be fine. If you are going for something with a little more umph, or plan on expending hundreds of rounds at prairie dogs, then go with the TC. Some guys I know who've shot the Handi rifles a good bit have been finding that the hinge pin hole starts to loosen up on some of the more powerful chamberings after a good bit of shooting. Only remedy is a new receiver.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #11 on:** March 09, 2005, 03:04:57 PM »

Quote from: armory414

Some guys I know who've shot the Handi rifles a good bit have been finding that the hinge pin hole starts to loosen up on some of the more powerful chamberings after a good bit of shooting. Only remedy is a new receiver.

I would like to chat with those guys, have em step into the NEF/H&R Centerfire forum and let us know about these loose hinge pins. Never heard of such a thing. Sounds like a tall story to me.....Frame stretching yes, but only with too hot of handloads in the high pressure calibers like .270-.280 remingtons...and one idiot that rechambered to 300 win mag. :eek:

James B · « **Reply #12 on:** March 09, 2005, 03:18:41 PM »

BUT MORE IS ALWAYS BETTER is it not? One of the main reasons that I reload is to build my ammo to meet the demand. I never hot load any rifle or handgun. If they can't kill an animal with a 284 diameter bullet at 2700 fps then they probably can't do it at 3000 fps either. The handi rifle with factory level loads or below will never give a person any trouble unless something else is wrong with the gun. Need more power, get a bigger rifle or a bigger bullet. Back off a bit and save on the equipment.

MSP Ret · « **Reply #13 on:** March 09, 2005, 03:53:23 PM »

:-D , Hinge pin hole loosening up? Thats a good one :-D !!! Never heard of it before and it has never happened to me. Of course there are a couple of hundred guys in the H&R forum you could ask about that also but it has never been mentioned there. There may have been problems when an unknowing gun owner put a 30-06 barrel on a shotgun frame and fired it for a long time that way and may have stretched the frame or did something else silly and dangerous, but the hinge pin hole loosening up, I think not, just a ficticous story, like bigfoot, it just dosen't exist...(I'm sure that will raise some eyebrows but it's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!)....<><.... :grin:

Leftoverdj · « **Reply #14 on:** March 09, 2005, 04:16:32 PM »

I got a couple of thousand rounds of full house .357 Max through one of the old H&R shotgun actions. That's operating at about 50,000 CUP. Ain't nothing stretched or loosened about it. Nothing worn, neither, and I have a good 10,000 rounds of .38 Special loads through it, too.

If the old soft mallable iron frame will take that, the heat treated SB-2 frame will take far more. All you really have to do to discount the hinge pin loosening story, is to pull off a barrel and look. The hinge pin is fully supported across its entire front, not just at the ends.

DakotaElkSlayer · « **Reply #15 on:** March 09, 2005, 05:58:30 PM »

Here's what I would do if I was you... First off, go to the H&R/NEF website and look at the calibers that are offered. If those are of interest to you, buy one and then get a trigger job. These rifles are much more accurate than most shooters.
If money is truely not a consideration, buy yourself a Blaser R93 Attache!

Jim

Mac11700 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 09, 2005, 06:27:26 PM »

Quote from: armory414

Depends on what caliber you want, and how much shooting you plan on doing with it. If you are going for .223 or .30-30, then the Handi rifle might be fine. If you are going for something with a little more umph, or plan on expending hundreds of rounds at prairie dogs, then go with the TC. Some guys I know who've shot the Handi rifles a good bit have been finding that the hinge pin hole starts to loosen up on some of the more powerful chamberings after a good bit of shooting. Only remedy is a new receiver.

Yea Right :noway:

I sincerly doubt that anyone had a hinge pin lossen up from repeated firing of any loads...and if they did...it was a fluke...even on shooting hot handloads thru any centerfire barrel offered...including the highest pressure barrel the 270 I doubt it would happen...

Mac

300winman · « **Reply #17 on:** March 09, 2005, 11:48:16 PM »

I have never heard of a hinge pin loosening up. I have my great grandfather's H&R in 12 gauge that was made in the early 1900's and although the barrel is pitted from the inside(my guess from using black powder) the hinge pin is still tight fitting. And being a gun that put food on the table, I bet it got quite a bit of use.

armory414 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 10, 2005, 04:21:50 AM »

I can check back with the guy I know and get more details. He told me this about a year ago, that his Ultra .270 started loosening up around 1200 rounds. I know he handloads (maybe hot loads???), but I also know he builds custom Mausers as part of his living, so I don't think this is something he would make up. Could be an isolated incident, and I don't know whether he contacted Marlin about the receiver or not. He claimed to know of other cases of this happening--maybe.

Smokin Joe · « **Reply #19 on:** March 10, 2005, 05:22:28 AM »

Loose hinge pins?

http://home.bak.rr.com/jslayer/bsmeter.gif

Flash · « **Reply #20 on:** March 12, 2005, 10:04:42 PM »

You may need to dig deeper in your pocket for an Encore but you'll like the end result better for looks and accuracy.

Awf Hand · « **Reply #21 on:** March 15, 2005, 03:47:40 AM »

Loose hinge pins!? I'd better get rid of mine. approaching 3500 rounds and I still have to make sure the action is clean before it will give good lockup.

My grandpa never liked Yamaha's. He said they were too loud.
Do you follow that logic?

Both rifles have their advantages. The TC has bbls that are changeable with regular user effort. (I'm told) the NEF requires 'smithing, but I don't know how much. Owning both, I can say for certain that you are more limited in your caliber choices for the NEF, but you will also be able to hunt just about anything with the caliber offerings they list. You will also be able to afford to buy one complete NEF rifle for every bbl you would've purchased for your TC.

Check out the thread "What is your favorite NEF/H&R" in the NEF portion of this room. See that picture with all the rifles? Do some number crunching on that.

Accuracy should be a moot point in comparing the NEF to the TC.

v8r · « **Reply #22 on:** March 16, 2005, 04:50:36 PM »

I like all single shots,does that make me a bad person? :? I have both.I have a old style contender that I like,and have several NEF/H&R rifles,and I used to have a Encore.I like the H&R rifles,every one I have or have owned in the past shoots better than the more expensive rifles i have owned.I will always like the old TC contenders,They have the adjustable trigger which is a big plus.I don't know about the new G2,I bet it's a good firearm,just can't afford one.The Encore I used to have,wouldn't shoot much better than a Inch and a half no matter what ammo you fed it.I tried different scopes,and Checking scope base tightness(even though I locktite all scope bases) .My NEF handi I used to have would shoot half inch 5 shot groups at 100 yards.I guess I would recommend both,It's just what you can afford.Both companies I have dealt with on repairs,and both have excellent customer service.A H&R rifle is alot less expensive,so you can buy you a new rifle and still be able to afford groceries and pay the bills.

TNred · « **Reply #23 on:** March 21, 2005, 09:21:38 AM »

For the money, the NEF Handi-Rifle is hard to beat. Amazing what they can offer for so little money.

Datil · « **Reply #24 on:** June 24, 2005, 01:19:50 AM »

Smoking Joe 5150, Thats a good one :-D :-D :-D :-D
Thanks Marv.

dodd3 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 04, 2005, 04:53:25 AM »

loose hinge pin ha'''''''''''' probably a bit of slop in the for end spacer
bernie :-D

Tom W. · « **Reply #26 on:** July 04, 2005, 01:01:41 PM »

I have 2 NEF rifles, a 30/30 and a .270

They both are tackdrivers, and surprisingly, the .270 loves the cheapo Wal-Mart Remington coreloks, altho I insist upon feeding it a diet blended here at the house. :wink:

My son has an Encore, and likes it fairly well, although I don't think he's entirely comfortable with the concept of hunting with a Single shot rifle.

If you really want something nice, get a Ruger #1.