Safe for Encore ?

[luvs2fish2]

I'm not getting the accuracy i expected from my Encore-a friend suggested this load-45 grains of IMR 4227 behind a 245 grain Power Belt bullet-is this a safe load for this gun--50 X 209 mag

 

[Omnivore]

The "rules" say never use smokeless in a charcoal burner. Besides; there's no reason on Earth why you shouldn't be able to get good accuracy using black powder or Pyrodex. It ain't the powder-- it's the rifle and the operator (the loading procedure, the consistency of the load, the hold, the trigger control, etc.) that make for good accuracy.

What sort of accuracy did you expect, anyway?

 

[Coltdriver]

It would be utter madness to run smokeless powder in any blackpowder rifle.

You could easily blow up the rifle and kill or injure yourself and anyone near you.

Go over to www.eabco.com and read his article on how to get an accurate load for your bp rifle. There are a few tricks to it and they work quite well. Very few bp shooters get cloverleaf class accuracy. Anyone can get perfectly acceptable accuracy for hunting or fieldwork.

I saw a fellow make a 278 yard shot with an Encore and a bp barrel on TV. That is extreme but he actually took out a goat that was no larger than a german shepard at that distance.

Half of the fun is working your way up to a good accurate load.

 

[Wildfire]

Best find new freind.

Hey There.
#1 Be a good idea to here what these two have already said. That is a BLACK
POWDER gun. Read your manual. Your freind has no idea what he is talking about.
#2 I have used the Encore for years now and have many post in here on the accuracy of these rifles. Mine is a for real Hole ragger.
#3 if by some stupid chance someone does post that the load your freind sugested is safe, he is wrong also. AND not to be trusted.
I have heard many different concocktions on this forum. For the most part all were safe. But this is not. PSI curve. This happens in the first few inches of your barrel. Just in front of your face. What if by some weird mistake you put a double charge of that in there ? The barrel splits wide open , the scope flys apart and peices hit you and any one near you in the face and other maybe important places. Play with fire and you will get burned.

I'm going to risk some arguement here. Get rid of the freind, get rid of the power belts. The 300 gr. bullets always seem to be the most accurate in these rifels. My load is 80 gr, of Pyrodex "P" SAFE........
70 to 100 grains of BP will be the zone you need. Your gun may need cleaning between shots. Maybe not. That part is up to the gun , Not you.
If the bore is on the loose side , you may not have to clean between shots. If the bore is on the tight side , you will have to clean between shots.
Proper testing is the only way you will determine this. Keep the flash hole clean. I have heard things like this before. The Encore is one of the most accurate rifles made. PERIOD. Many on here and else where report 1/2" groups at 100 yards. The power belts have proved not to be target grade.
The T/C shock waves are . The Hornady SST/ML 300s are. Get picky.
If "YOU" can shoot. There is no reason this rifle will not throw 1" or less at 100. Things must be right, scope tight, loads right, etc. Test it right and it will perform. Have fun. But Be much safer then your freind is.

 

[alsaqr]

First, chuck the Powerbelts and get some saboted 240 grain or 300 grain XTP bullets. The 250 and 300 grain SST bullets are also very good. Start with 80 grains of Pyrodex or 70 grains of 777 and slowly work up to a hunting load. If the gun shoots really well with 80-90 grains of 777 or 90-100 grains of Pyrodex stop there. You do not need a load more powerful that that.

Your Encore will probably have to be swabbed or cleaned between shots when using Pyrodex or 777: Mine does.