Encore/Pro Hunters owners/users Lend me your Experience

[Brad5192]

I would like to know your general views of this firearm?

Do you like the flex stock if you have one?

Do you use a thumbhole stock with flex? I have heard that heavy calibers can break your thumb.

Do you have any problems with using just one round or as it made you a better hunter?

What is the biggest caliber would you shoot given different stocks you can use?

What caliber or ML do you use or have?



Thank you all

 

[jbkebert]

I own two encore pro-hunter rifles.

I do not personally care for the thumb hole stock version of this setup. I have tried one. The shape of the stock and the pistol type grip makes the thumbhole unneeded.

My current list of barrels
.375 H&H
.300 Win Mag
.308 Win pistol
.308 Win Rifle
.270 Win
.22-250
.50 cal ML
.243 Win

I use Leupold QR rings and bases on everything.

First off these are not bench guns. They are more than accurate enough for hunting purposes and plinking. For folks searching for the sub-grain of rice rifles look elsewhere. They are more than accurate for me.

I really like the way that you can change barrels. Everything else stays the same. same length of pull, same scope height, same trigger pull, everything else remains the same. I have used the same scope on 5 diffrent barrels since the QR rings give the same eye relief no matter what. Then back to the original barrel and it remains dead on. In fact at 100 yards. Between my .300 win, .308 win, .270 win, and .243 win. There is less than 1 1/2" diffrence greatest deviation in point of impact. So in theroy I could put that scope on any of those 4 barrels without resighting and be with 1 1/2 MOA at 100 yards which is more than whitetail accurate.

I am pretty picky about shots so the single shot aspect has never messed with me. However a 2nd follow up shot with practice can be amazingly fast.

I really like my rifles and they can earned their place in my gun safe and in the feild.

 

[Brad5192]

How fare of a shot would you take jbkebert ?

How is the recoil i know the guns can be light in weight?

 

[jbkebert]

I shoot 300 yards at the range pretty often. all centerfire

Furthest practice shooting 8" gong at 600 yards. .308 win and .300 win mag

Average shot on deer around 150 .270 win

Furthest shot on a deer 247 .300 win

Longest kill shot prarie dog 468yards .22-250

Recoil my two boys ages 10 and 12 shoot the .270 .243 or .308 barrels. Both can shoot a couple boxes of shells without a problem in a short period of time.

I shoot the .300 win in heavy practice 3 boxes a shells a day without discomfort until towards end of the day.

.375 H&H around a box of shells before I start getting a little sore.

 

[Brad5192]

I would like to know your general views of this firearm?

Do you like the flex stock if you have one?

Do you use a thumbhole stock with flex? I have heard that heavy calibers can break your thumb.

Do you have any problems with using just one round or as it made you a better hunter?

What is the biggest caliber would you shoot given different stocks you can use?

What caliber or ML do you use or have?

How fare of a shot would you take?

How is the recoil i know the guns can be light in weight?

 

[Grumulkin]

I've done the majority of my big game hunting with an Encore or Contender. If you take the animal out with one shot, it doesn't matter how fast you can reload. This crow was taken at a range of 161 yards with an Encore in 270 Winchester. I have thumbhole and regular Encore stocks and prefer the thumbhole ones.



A raccoon tagged at 270 yards with my Encore wearing it's 300 Winchester Magnum barrel.



A 100 yard target shot with the above 300 Winchester Magnum.



A deer taken with a neck shot at 280 yards with the Encore rifle in 270 Winchester used for the above crow.



This is the very best 3 shot group I've ever made and probably ever will make; 0.042 inches from center to center. Don't get too excited though. I've never come close to duplicating this result with that barrel. The usual 5 shot groups run in the 1 to 1.5 inch range depending on the load. I know it's good enough for deer but not good enough for me so I'll probably sell that barrel.



A 200 yard target shot with an Encore Pro Hunter handgun chambered in 375 H&H Magnum. I used to have an Encore rifle barrel chambered for the same cartridge but it was less pleasant to shoot than the handgun version. I would strongly advise a brake for this cartridge in an Encore.



A Klipspringer I took from about 180 yards using an Encore handgun chambered in 460 S&W Magnum.

 

[Skyshot]

I have An Encore, not a flex stock or thumbhole as I shoot left handed, I have a 35 wheelin, a 6.5 x55 swede and a 209x50 muzzleloader. I did install a Sims recoil pad. Recoil is robust on the .50 cal ML and the wheelin, the swede is sweet! I have also installed a trigger kit and it now has a about 2 lb. pull. I am very comfortable taking a 200 yard shot with the .50 muzzleloader as it shoots as good at 200 yards as the wheelin does. I can usually put three of the 250 shockwave or Barnes 250 expander bullets inside of 3 or 4 inches at 200 yards. Just having one shot should be a mind set that every hunter should be practicing. I always take a one shot kill mentality no matter what firearm I use.

 

[TexasRifleman]

This was posted in Rifles and Hunting. Both threads had replies so they are now merged into one.

 

[atomchaser]

I have one with the flex stock (no thumbhole). It a 300 Whisper so the flex stock hasn't gotten mucn a chance to prove itself under heavy recoil. I really like the rifle. It's very well made. I find that with an elastic ammunition mounted on the side of the rifle, reloads are surprising fast with a bit of practice. If you go to Mike Bellm's site, there are number of worthwhile upgrades you can do to improve the rifle. I did a trigger job on mine and that made a big difference. I'll probably buy a wooden stock set for mine and cut it down for my son to use when he starts hunting. The system being so modular makes this easy to do.

 

[Big20]

Flex stock is great. In 45-70 I find it virtually impossible to hold on to the fore-end with anything hotter than Trapdoor loads. My 223 Bergera barrel is a tack driver, my 20 gauge slug barrel sends Remington Flex-tips into 3 inches at 100 yds. my 12 gauge turkey barrel shoots 2 feet high at 40 yards with the iron sights cranked low as they go and my 270 Win. has given me fits (see earlier post) but this may have been narrowed down to scope problems. In all cases I found a locking hinge pin helps accuracy as does thin nylon washers between the fore-end and barrel.

 

[uncle jay]

I would recommend the encore with the flextech stock it takes a lot of recoil out. I had the original encore but the pro hunter is a improvement, mine is a endeavor and the stock trigger is fantastic. I have a 50 cal muzzle loader, a 375h&h, a 30-06, and a 7mm mag, all great shooters. I own about twenty rifles but the encore is the most natural to carry.

 

[P.B.Walsh]

How about the pistol ones, are they worth it (thinking .223 or .308 here)?

Does anyone know if H&R makes single shot pistols?

 

[jbkebert]

Here is a pic of my pro-hunter in .308 win. It is more accurate than I am. It has taken some practice but I can consitantly hit a cantalope at 250 yards with it. At 100 yards it will print one inch groups with handloads. Around 1 1/4 with factory. I just don't devote the time to shooting it to realize its full potential. Recoil is non-existant.

 

[daorhgih]

Found you fellows just at the right time.

While I am not the garage-sale type, the glint of the early sun off of shiny
metal caught my eye. I asked to begin looking before everything was out,
and the lady says, "Sure!" That glint was from "an old shotgun barrel" (she
says.) And on the same table was a "single-shot long-pistol" her late husband
used to hunt with. First customer; $50 for them both; "cash-n-carry." The "shotgun barrel" said, "Katahdin PRO HUNTER," hmmmmm? Caliber "460S&W?" 2xHmmmm. It is the Encore 20-in. fluted barrel. The long-pistol is the one-
screw fore-end, .44M with removable choke, and gold-flashed trigger and hammer. The grip and fore-stock are not checkered. And now that I have
found you fellows, I feel like king-of-the-hill. Happy seller / happy buyer ...
that's all that matters, right? Questions: Why is this .44M choked? Where can I get a manual on the pistol, and this Barrel?

 

[jbkebert]

^^^^^

So you got a complete Encore pistol. A frame everything with a .44 mag barrel and a 20" .460 S&W barrel for $50 bucks.

You should be ashamed of the theft and as pentance send them to me for proper cleansing of your soul.

I have no idea why a .44m which I take to mean .44 magnum would be choked. Post a pic of the barrel so we can figure out what's going on.

So lets break this down. A encore pistol frame with the .44 mag barrel your looking at $550-575 new with the .44 mag barrel. The 20" .460 barrel is another $275 give or take. So you got new money $825 bucks worth of goods for $50. I bet the husband is doing cartwheels in his grave. We need pics

T/C will send you a owners manual for free. Just give them a call. Manuals can also be downloaded on a PDF file.

 

[Brad5192]

Went to the local g.s. today pro hunter $829 and thumb hole stock $869 is that average price.

 

[jbkebert]

That is pretty high.

Should be around $775 and $799 around here.

 

[Brad5192]

How is the recoil in the 300 win do you use hot load or light and would you use it on anything down to coyote.

 

[NCdrummer]

I have an Encore Pro Hunter and three barrels. I have the thumbhole shock-absorbing stock and like it a lot. .243 Bergara is excellent and accurate. Kicks like a .22. .50 muzzleloader is the same, but it KICKS. 12 gauge turkey gun will KICK YOUR TEETH OUT but I still like it. Hold her tightly, install a Bellm trigger spring and oversized hinge pin, and shoot a lot. Be sure to make the first shot count! Great setup.

 

[jbkebert]

In my .300 win mag I am using RL-22 73.2 grains behind a 180grain Nossler Accubond WLRM primers seated .015 off lands. Real world velocity from a 28" barrel is 3086 fps average. I would take anything from feild mouse to brown bear with this load.

Average 5 shot group .896 after one fouling shot and approx 2 minutes between shots. Quick shooting results in 1 5/16" 5 shot groups with 4th and 5th shots becoming erratic to open group. First three rounds are nice and tight.

 

[Brad5192]

Hunting with a single shot is like hunting with a bow you have to wait for a good shot just farther away.

 

[Grumulkin]

Hunting with a single shot is like hunting with a bow you have to wait for a good shot just farther away.

Like "hunting with a bow" and "just farther away"?

Have you been drinking?