T/C Rifle

[viking499]

What do you guys think of the Thompson rifles? Thinking about buying one because I don't have one. Most people I have talked to like them, other than the prices. Just looking at the rifle or shotgun end, not muzzleloaders.

Is there a big advantage or disadvantage to a single shot vs bolt action? Don't want to compare them to a semi-auto.

What is the difference between the contender, encore and hunter?

 

[db_tanker]

Contender is low pressure chamberings only...rimfire, up to like 444 Marlin (VERY ragged edge, but just work with me here)

Encore is the high-pressure chambering platform...up to like 458 Lott, 300 WinMag, 375 H&H (I have seen and shot these....nice!)


The hunter is a package available on the Encore.


All in all, I prefer the Contender series as they are smaller and easier to tweak the trigger. I have a 16" 45-70 with a muzzle tamer and a 21" 17 HMR that are both a hoot to shoot....with a 25-35 WCF on the near horizon.

Advantages are that some say the bolt is more accurate...you have a quick follow-up round....

I think that you take more care to make that one shot count...the TC motto IS "One Good Shot"


D

 

[MCgunner]

Easier to get 1 MOA level or better accuracy with a bolt gun. But, my contender pistol shoots 1.5 MOA with a .30-30 12 hunter barrel on it. I mean, just how accurate does it have to be to hunt with? The encore and contender platforms have versatility going for 'em, that's for sure! Change calibers in a few minutes, rimfire to elephant calibers, even muzzleloaders.

I don't have a rifle, but my Contender is my favorite handgun hunting platform and embarrasses a lot of rifles at the range. I've never felt the need for more than one shot while hunting, either. Oh, I'd rather have a pump or auto shotgun, but in a hunting rifle, if you don't do it in one shot, you ain't gonna do it most times. There are exceptions, but that's generally true and even more true with a handgun.

 

[Charles S]

What do you guys think of the Thompson rifles? Thinking about buying one because I don't have one. Most people I have talked to like them, other than the prices. Just looking at the rifle or shotgun end, not muzzleloaders.

Is there a big advantage or disadvantage to a single shot vs bolt action? Don't want to compare them to a semi-auto.

What is the difference between the contender, encore and hunter?

I think they are great. I have a Thompson Center Encore in a number of calibers and I really love it. My Encore is very accurate, short, light, and handles well.

As previously stated the Contender is for low pressure and/or smaller cartridges. The Encore is for any round you want to load. The Hunter was one of their first single shots and is a great rifle, they are a little harder to find as are the barrels for the Hunter.

The advantages of a single shot is that you can have a full sized barrel in a short easy to maneuver package. Accuracy is fine and will be on par with the better bolt actions, but not as good is the best bolt guns.

The Thompson Center Icon sure looks like one of the finest bolts on the market now. I really like the innovations Thompson has used the wood they use on the Icon. The Icon I handled was very impressive!

Here is my Encore.

 

[Sniper4Life]

How much is a used encore going for? I have a chance to buy one, 25-06, walnut stock. He is asking $600, is that fair?

 

[Charles S]

How much is a used encore going for?

Sounds high to me unless he has really great optics on it.

You purchase a frame for Blue/Walnut Rifle frame for $347 new and a 25-06 barrel for $266 new.

http://www.eabco.com/encore.html

 

[pdh]

Gents....I have the encore with two custom barrels. An eabco accuracy barrel in 30-06AI and a Bullberry Barrel in 243AI.
I believe...in my opinion that you can tune and tweak these rifles to shoot with just about anything.....Bullberry has many customers that send in their one holed groups.....My 243AI has printed clover leaf groups at 100yds.....
I am in load development on the 30-06AI....Had only one outing with test loads on it and she shot consistant 1" groups with all three test loads...I am confident that I can get the groups under an inch. I had my fireforming load (30-06 Spring) print 1" at 200yds...........

30-06AI........



200yd group with fire-forming load.....



5 shot fireforming load at 100yds.....



30-06AI test loads.........









With the 243AI Bullberry barrel.....

 

[Coltdriver]

I have a stainless encore.

The best thing about these, in my opinion, is that you can have any rifle chambering you want for the cost of the barrel.

You can go with the stock barrels (all of which have held their value for me by the way) or you can go with a high end barrel like the bulberry or others on the market.

If you like to reload you can get these to shoot as well as anything.

The triggers can be tuned to anything you like and they are easy to work on.

The possibilities are endless between camo, wood, laminate, synthetic and the various barrel, sight and scope combinations. I know I will never get rid of my encore.

 

[Geno]

Good firearms. If you are buying the 209X50 check the muzzle before you buy it. My Pro Hunter was seriously messed up and so they gave me a new barrel. In fairness, of the around 6 TCs I have owned, this was the first-ever problem.

All TCs are guaranteed to fire MOA or better.

Doc2005

 

[beaniescott]

I recently purchased a T/C Arms’ Pro Hunter .50 X 209 muzzle loader. The T handle ramrod will not fit in the ramrod holder with a sabot jag on it you can not turn it around with the T handle going in first. T C told me in the field I would have to remove the ramrod and install the jag everytime I reload. is there any way around this? It seems to me this fancy ramrod takes the speed out of speed loading. Any ideas or help would really be appreciated.

 

[KI.W.]

I have only T/C Contender and G2 with 10" barrels: 22RL, 22 Horn and 9mm Luger. 14"- 357 Rem max. 21"- 223 Rem. Pistol and carbin stocks. Maybe I need 30-30 or 7,62x39 (308) barrel too.

 

[Buckwacker]

The Encore platform allows me to travel with 50 cal muzzle loader and 2 extra scoped and ready to go rifle barrels in one case with no problem. I might even have space to switch to pistol if needed.