T/C Encore (prohunter) rifle-ML barrel switch; forearm question

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

OK, I'm new to encores. I just bought the entire rifle with a .50-209 barrel. It came with a forearm that houses the cleaning rod (has a little metal spring-loaded "clip" to push the rod up and hold it in place, and has holes in the 2 "forearm bedding blocks" screwed into the bottom of the barrel, for lack of a better phrase, to allow the ramrod to go through the "bedding blocks" and down to the base).

Now I want to put a regular centerfire rifle barrel on it.

My questions are:

On those two "forearm bedding blocks", MUST I use different ones for the rifle barrel (my rifle barrel came with NONE attached), or can I take off the ones with holes in them and use them on both, until I get a dedicated set of these for the rifle? What is the correct name for these two blocks?

Relatedly, MUST I use a different forearm altogether for the rifle barrel, or can I use this "muzzleloader" forearm for both?

Thanks.

 

[jbkebert]

Hey doc you use a diffrent forearm for rifle barrels and another one for shotgun barrels if you buy one. I am in love with my Encore and you bought yourself a fine rifle.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Thank you sir!

 

[jbkebert]

One more thing be careful taking the forearms on and off. The threads are pretty fine and the barrel will strip easily. Learned that the hard way. I just re-drilled and tapped myself but just take it easy and make sure things are lined up.

 

[Olympus]

Buy a rifle forend and it will work for pretty much any rifle barrel that you buy. Pay attention to the two forend screws when you go to put your muzzleloader forend back on. One of the screws is slightly longer than the other and the longer screw goes in the back hole, closest to your receiver. You'll know you've got them reversed when you go to put your ramrod back into the forend and it won't go all the way in. Took me a while to figure out that the rod was hitting the longer screw that I had put in the front hole. I loosened it to get the rod in and scraped some paint off the ramrod.

They are excellent guns. Easily my favorite muzzleloader. Took a nice Russian boar with the muzzleloader last March. Took a doe and a 6-point this year with a .300WM rifle barrel. And for Christmas this year, I got another barrel in .25-06 for it. I'll be using that next year. .25-06 is my personal favorite cartridge and I plan on putting a quality scope on this barrel and making it my dedicated hunting barrel.

 

[lopezni]

If your are thinking about a centerfire rifle barrel. Check out E Arthur Brown. They make custom barrels that are only about $25 more than what midwayusa sells the factory barrels for. Plus they have all kinds of great accessories and tools for the Encore.

 

[Olympus]

Doesn't look to me like E Arthur Brown actually makes a custom encore barrel. From what I read, it looks like they sell T/C custom barrels from the T/C Custom Shop, Bergara barrels, and Eabco barrels. Maybe I'm not seeing everything though. Their site is kind of a cluster...

Bullberry makes one of the best custom Encore barrels I've heard.