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Post by beehunter on Mar 11, 2014 19:17:58 GMT -5
I am considering buying an Encore pistol frame with a 15 inch 30 - 06 barrel. Does anyone here have any experience or thoughts on this combination? I mainly want to hunt deer with it here in Indiana.
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Post by deadeer on Mar 12, 2014 0:01:12 GMT -5
I am an Encore man since 98. Have had many calibers in handguns, rifles, shotgun, and muzzleloader. Definitely my favorite gun platform ever by far. As for the 30-06, I had one for several years and it rocks. I can absolutely recommend the 125gr Nosler Ballistic Tip. I load it for my bud in 308 also, and it performs way better than the numbers show. We both have killed deer at over 300yds. It has ALWAYS exited, while expanding and dropping most deer on the spot from the shock, yet still has broke shoulders. I loaded it with max charges of H4895 or Varget and it was super accurate. MOA if you can hold steady enough. Hopefully you are an experienced pistol shooter, because it is not a caliber to start out with as you can imagine, but not as bad as the 454 Casull or 460s&w for recoil. As for a scope, we only use Burris 3X12. I have them on my 260 and 243, my buds on 270, 7-08, and 308. We are all very happy. Ask away if you have any questions.
Jay
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Post by dbd870 on Mar 12, 2014 4:41:33 GMT -5
Here is a doe I took with mine.  I use the 165gr GameKings. I have since changed the forearm and grip - MAY have swapped scopes around on it, not sure there. It is one of my best shooting barrels, and that includes those I have made by MGM, Bullberry etc. There certainly is some recoil, but you can get on to it with practice. Definitely holding on to mine. Plenty of good options for glass; and I have a bunch of different ones. I like the Burris 3-12 until you get to about 10 power, but below that very nice glass. |
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Post by single_shooter on Mar 21, 2014 22:13:36 GMT -5
As you can see from Dave's photo....NO MUZZLE BRAKE!! I have had both the 308 and 30-06 pistols and with a brake they are severely abusive to the ears!!
I prefer the 308 - good out to 300 yards easily with some practice and less recoil. Just saying....your call....but the 30-06 is a great shooter for me and it lays claim to my longest handgun deer to date - big doe at 278 yards - she dropped on the spot. 165 grain Nosler BT with full pass thru both shoulder blades.
Once you get one you will want nothing else to shoot. Just get a good trigger job on it and you are set for life with all of the caliber choices.
Just remember....Dave was normal until he shot my Encore 308 and 243...and my wife's 7-30 Waters Contender....and now look at him and all the barrels he talks about buying....it's like he can't get enough of them....it's like a mental disorder!! You have been warned!!! Like the chip commercial says...once you try them...you can't have just one.
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Post by dbd870 on Mar 22, 2014 3:27:42 GMT -5
Yeah, I must have around 20 barrels by now. I have maybe 8 Encore frames but only 1 Contender frame. Single Shooter brought up the 6.5x55 in another thread; a friend has a 15" heavy barrel for his Encore and that is one fine shooting barrel - that would make a great IN deer gun. I have a XP in 260 or I would have to pick one up for myself.
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Post by steve46511 on Mar 22, 2014 3:59:32 GMT -5
Yeah, I must have around 20 barrels by now. I have maybe 8 Encore frames but only 1 Contender frame. Single Shooter brought up the 6.5x55 in another thread; a friend has a 15" heavy barrel for his Encore and that is one fine shooting barrel - that would make a great IN deer gun. I have a XP in 260 or I would have to pick one up for myself. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....man. 6.5x55 Swede I've always thought I "needed" one of those.  You guys are messing up my plans for hopefully building another wildcat when able by throwing other thoughts at me!! While in MY hands, and even though covering 99 percent of any shots I would get, handguns are "shorter range that require a WHOLE bunch of time to shoot" deer guns. They are a whole buncha fun if you don't go overboard like I did with that 6.5-284 monster I had. Still fun but wow....that would have been one to sit on the hood of the truck where I park and not even go TO the woods LOL. Didn't sound very sporting (but probably would have worked). One of the biggest "pluses" I did find (embarrassingly) wonderful is that the size and sometimes weight of MOST deer handguns is their ability to be a WHOLE BUNCH easier to "motor-vate" in and out of the woods carrying them, for this ol bird. As I have aged, "lighter and easier" have moved up the proverbial "must have" list. I remember when I had my Smith 29 strapped to my hip. I told my son I had this dying urge to buy a camo Stetson. He thought I was kidding.  I just found a small ring mauser bolt action semi custom rifle in 35 Rem for IN deer. Cheap. Unable to buy it myself I showed it to a friend that would be able to and he bought it. (He only has 8 or so "deer guns" so knew he was in desperate need  ) Fairly sure once we check it all out for safety and work loads it will end up in his 15 year old grandson's hands. "HAPPY ENDING"  Not on topic but I don't think I had ever thought such was built very often. I just dumbed into it. Pretty cool!! Now I have to go have coffee and get handguns out of my head!! God Bless! |
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Post by dbd870 on Mar 22, 2014 7:26:47 GMT -5
I hear you Steve. It is a sort of liberating feeling to strap on a handgun and not have to mess around carrying a long gun, even if it has a sling. I don't know why, it just does. Now I'm in the mood to take my 15" 6mm Rem out and play
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Post by single_shooter on Apr 22, 2014 22:09:40 GMT -5
Dave....did I tell you I got a side-folder AR-15 pistol?? Now THAT is a fun hunting pistol!!! Sooooo want one suppressed in 300 Blackout now.....maybe someday.
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Post by dbd870 on Apr 23, 2014 6:54:25 GMT -5
That is the place the Blackout makes sense to me; yeah, either in pistol or rifle form a suppressed Blackout has a large grin factor!
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Post by beehunter on May 19, 2014 6:40:37 GMT -5
I actually bought a used .243 Encore pistol yesterday. I am not a handloader yet so does anyone have any advice on factory ammo I should start with?
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Post by jajwrigh on Nov 24, 2014 13:20:56 GMT -5
Reading this makes me miss my Encore pistols, severely. I took a deer with the .243 win barrel and with the 7mm-08, both had plenty of power when coupled with my surgical shot placement. I think I will add a stainless pistol frame back into the collection because hunting deer this way is among my favorites.
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Post by squirrelhunter on Nov 24, 2014 18:11:55 GMT -5
I'm a T/C fan too but I have the G2 Contender instead of the Encore. I've taken several deer with my 35 Remington barrel aand lots of squirrels with my .22lr match barrel. I love the Contender.
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Post by jajwrigh on Nov 24, 2014 22:47:22 GMT -5
Tonight I fumbled around with both the .243 and the 7mm-08 handloads and the reloading components. Hmm...
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) Fairly sure once we check it all out for safety and work loads it will end up in his 15 year old grandson's hands. "HAPPY ENDING" 
