Why the Encore?

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ricebasher302

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I've watched Outdoor Channel programming periodically for some time now. I have a question regarding the use of the TC Encore rifle. I understand that Thompson/Center sponsors many of these shows, but so do many other brands. Why does the Encore dominate the scene on so many hunting shows. I see it so much that I'm almost sick of looking at it. I know that sounds dumb, but crap, I wouldn't mind seeing someone using a different product once in a while. Is it just me?
 
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I agree with you, especially in light of the fact that I've owned 2 and neither of them shot that great. So why all the positive press for a gun that shoots 1.5 moa? esp. when I spent $800 on the pro hunter and sent it for trigger and forearm floating work for another $170. Sure 1.5 moa is plenty accurate to kill a deer, but my m700 adl puts 3 shots into .75moa and cost me $299 brand new and I adjusted the trigger myself to 3lbs.
 
What, haven't you seen all the Encores at the range and in the field? Seems like nobody hunts with anything else.;)
 
Send me one for free, and fund my hunt into Alaska for brown bear, and I'll gush about it for an hour on camera just like the rest of them.:D
 
TC

Ricebasher, glad to hear someone else wonders about all those TC's on TV. sometimes I wonder how much they get paid to shoot them things,gotta be why they shoot them. Have had several chances to buy 'em from people who unhappy with theirs. Only know one person who likes his enough to carry all the time, it's chambered in 25 06 and is deadly accurite 1/2 inch at 100yrds. Good and God Bless HAPPY HOLIDAYS
 
Ahhhh. It wasn't just me. I've only shot one once. It was okay, but the reason so many of us are here is because we like many different kinds of guns. I love my AR-15 the same way I love my .45-70. The Encore, as versitile as it may be, frankly, just boring. No offence to anyone who hunts with one, I just think it's over-hyped a lot.
 
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I hate single shot rifles - Until I shot the prohunter!!

I now have one with a 45/70 18" bb, 26in 223, 12ga rifled and a custon 308 bbl that shoots under an 1nch @ 100yds.

Knowing I had one shot made me a better shot - taught me to relax and focus - hunt with it all the time
 
Charlie505, I doubt anyone here would disagree with you on the merits of single-shot rifles, and the Encore is one of the best on the market. And for many, there is a definate appeal in the ability to have a do-all gun with multiple barels. My point is that I just get bored seeing it all the time on TV and wish they'd use something else occasionally.
 
Have shot a few and been around/involved with quite a few of them being shot.
As far as muzzleloaders go, they're quite good. ( I do prefer their Triumph though....better trigger IMO)
As far as centerfire goes, not impressive if you're wanting top notch accuracy ,even have some experience with a custom bbl maker in .22 PPC that has a hard time holding its own with most ARs & good bolts.
 
RiceBasher - I agree
I would like to see a show with low budget guns normal people can afford!!
 
I would like to see a show with low budget guns normal people can afford!!
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Those low budget guns would likely shoot better. Honestly if you bought 10 new encore's and 10 new stevens 200's and didn't modify either one, I bet the stevens would shoot better on average.
 
talk about a dumb PH, on sunday night i watched a man shoot a lepord,that was not killed right off and ran into some heavy brush, the great PH had a pump shotgun that he fired into the brush to get it to move, after the first shot he could not get the shotgun to work, he never did,but took a rifle that he had trouble getting a shell into the chamber, if the cat had charged him he would have been mauled or killed. lucky for him it was already down. he did then shot it again to make sure it was dead. than they back slapped each other and thanked each other on a fine job. what a fricken joke. eastbank.
 
I'm just happy to live in a country where we have television firearm shows, even if it's not my favorite make and model. It beats the alternative. I'd like to see more Weatherby Mark Vs, more Win and Rem varmint models. Here's an idea, how about some .22LRs?! Hmmm. I guess I agree with the OP. :D

Geno
 
I know. I like my T/Cs, but yes, they are on TV a lot. We're getting spoiled perhaps.
 
If it ain't a falling block, it's just an expensive Handi-Rifle.:evil:

(No, "falling block" doesn't mean that the barrel and scope fall off as a block.:p)

We don't need no farqin' Encores.

Engraved_14.jpg
 
I used to have a TC Encore in 270 winchester. I took out a wild pig and javelinas with it. It shot very straight and true. It was also very light and short making it great for stalking.

Shooting single shot, break open rifles, gives you a different mindset. It makes you more carfeul and sure of your shot, not that we don't already. Many people think it takes more time reloading these guns compard to bolt action rifles. The time difference is actually very comparable.

It's funny, I ordered the Thompson Center Encore rifle through sportsmanguide about 7 years ago. I noted that they did nor require it to be shipped to an FFL. I called them up and asked if that was legal. They said they could ship is straight to the house. So they did. I kept the rifle for abuot a year after taking a few animals with it. Then after a year, they sent me a letter asking me to return it since it was an illegal sale. For the trouble they sent me a check for $650, 7 years ago!! I glady returned to them the rifle. I haven't bought once since.
 
i had an encore in 30-06 ........2.5 moa was the best it ever did i'll never go that route again
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I got into the Encore gig when about five years ago-well after I was old enough to know better. Bought a .50 M/L and several center fire barrels along with quality scopes for all. The very first centerfire barrel I put on was the .30-06. Put on a hammer extension and took it to the FT. Sill range. A regular there told me I would have misfires because of the hammer extension: He was right.

After buying a stronger hammer spring, an oversized hinge pin, stronger lockup springs and guruing the trigger; that gun still had side play when the action was closed. The .22 Hornet, .50 M/L and .35 Whelen barrels did not have nearly as much play as the other barrels. Kept those three barrels and sold the rest. The only good thing from this experience was the fact that some of my bolt guns got very good scopes when the barrels were sold.


In my gun safe is an old Winchester model 37 "Steelbilt" shotgun that was made about 1950. That gun has no side play in the barrel-none. With all the CNC machines in the world; the little elves at TC are unable to to duplicate what a machinist on an old lathe did at Winchester in 1950.

IMO: TC is all about hype and little about quality control.
 
I have an encore I hunt with. They definitely have some QC problems. sent a muzzleloader barrel back to them that wasn't shooting right. changed the breach plug and sent it back with a 'load' that shot 1.5 inches or some such at 100 yards. Took em a few months, and i'll bet my bottom dollar they never mounted that barrel or shot it. I eventually found a load that did work (nothing near what they recommended, that load tumbled EVERY TIME) but hey- it happens

I do like hunting with their guns as pistols, but I may just use a 44 revolver next year and stop with the encore business entirely. They work, they shoot okay, they are over hyped.
 
Ive said this before on this subject

One word HYPE

I went through my encore phase with a couple frames and close to a dozen factory and custom barrels. I learned rather quickly that the accuracy of these rifles is grossly overrated. To put it bluntly they ALL shot like crap with the exclusion of ONE 30-06 Begara bbl that shot OK. I got into encores after being so disappointed by the accuracy of my Handi rifles only to learn that if anything your average encore barrel is even less accurate. It's been my experience that the break action rifle simply doesn't lend itself to knife edge accuracy. It's one thing when your $220 handi shoots 3" groups but it's quite another when a $800 Pro hunter does no better

Couple that with the fact that for the price of a single encore rifle barrel you can buy a COMPLETE entry level bolt gun that'll shoot circles around even the most worked over encore and for the price of ONE shotgun bbl you could have a diffrent single shot chambered in ALL the common gauges.

Armedbear you're closer to the mark than you realize
 
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