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Opinions on t/c Encores

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Kicking around the idea of getting one. Mostly because I think it would grow up well with the kids since you basically have unlimited barrel options, plus maybe a couple custom rifle/muzzleloader barrels for me.I've already read some other forums and basically everybody either loves them or hates them. I putting it up here since I feel like we make our guns work a little harder than most. Accuracy, safety, and reliability are what I'm most curious about.

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I started my hunting career with a break open H&R 20 ga.  Dangerous little devils for a new hunter.  I’ve never understood why we start new hunters with guns without safeties that need to have the hammer let down on a live round.  
 

As far as the guns themselves the barrels are quite expensive so you really aren’t getting multiple guns in one.  You can buy a nice .22 for $250 which is about what an encore barrel will run you.  Same for a shotgun.  
 

I have a contender pistol that I really don’t do anything with, and I had an encore muzzy.  It was fine.  There was some play in the junction of the barrel to receiver that I think cost it some accuracy.  I am always looking for an excuse to buy a new gun and would rather have 3 different entry level guns with a $1000 investment then an encore and three barrels.  

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Not sure how much I can help with the Encore having not owned one but the few that I have shot did shoot good, just needed better triggers. All TC single shots can use a better trigger and some may require an oversized pin to tighten them up. This is just my opinion but I think it is true for the Encore and the Contender. Look up Bellm T/Cs, Mike can do anything you need on either.

With that said, and while I do agree with yotebuster about guns w/o safeties for training new shooters, I started shooting Contenders in the early 80’s and love them. I can’t remember how many standard calibers I have shot thru them not to mention wildcats. 

I have a G2 Contender frame and a few barrels. This frame Is screaming for a better trigger but so far I have not taken the time to worry about it. Took the wife out shooting a while back and had the Contender set up as pictured below with a 14” .223 barrel topped with a Leupold 2.5 - 8 X scope. This was the first time she had shot it and was complaining how hard it was to keep steady and on and on. The second picture is her 3 shot group at 100 yards (my hand loads). Grid and black square is 1” x 1”. 

Again I agree with yotebuster about the barrel cost BUT there are usually good deals to be had on used barrels and it’s fun finding a deal on what you want, just takes some patience. Only new barrel I ever bought was a .45 muzzy barrel. I do need to warn you though, if you buy an Encore and like it you may end up spending more on used barrels and scopes than you would spend on 4 “entry level” guns.

Even if I didn’t help you I got to show off a toy and kind of brag on the wife’s paper killing ability... 😁

B19C9D7D-B6B1-41EC-8E35-A98C91A076F1.jpeg

56BCC34C-E739-4690-9F87-E4625BA309EA.jpeg

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58 minutes ago, Bucks&bulls said:

Not sure how much I can help with the Encore having not owned one but the few that I have shot did shoot good, just needed better triggers. All TC single shots can use a better trigger and some may require an oversized pin to tighten them up. This is just my opinion but I think it is true for the Encore and the Contender. Look up Bellm T/Cs, Mike can do anything you need on either.

With that said, and while I do agree with yotebuster about guns w/o safeties for training new shooters, I started shooting Contenders in the early 80’s and love them. I can’t remember how many standard calibers I have shot thru them not to mention wildcats. 

I have a G2 Contender frame and a few barrels. This frame Is screaming for a better trigger but so far I have not taken the time to worry about it. Took the wife out shooting a while back and had the Contender set up as pictured below with a 14” .223 barrel topped with a Leupold 2.5 - 8 X scope. This was the first time she had shot it and was complaining how hard it was to keep steady and on and on. The second picture is her 3 shot group at 100 yards (my hand loads). Grid and black square is 1” x 1”. 

Again I agree with yotebuster about the barrel cost BUT there are usually good deals to be had on used barrels and it’s fun finding a deal on what you want, just takes some patience. Only new barrel I ever bought was a .45 muzzy barrel. I do need to warn you though, if you buy an Encore and like it you may end up spending more on used barrels and scopes than you would spend on 4 “entry level” guns.

Even if I didn’t help you I got to show off a toy and kind of brag on the wife’s paper killing ability... 😁

 

56BCC34C-E739-4690-9F87-E4625BA309EA.jpeg

 

I agree with everything you said. I had a first gen Contender and put the same barrel on it back in the 80's and with the 1.5X TC scope it would shoot dime sized 100 yard groups, after Dave Van Horn put in a new bushing, using H322, which was about $6 a pound back then.

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Very good point about the hammers yotebuster. I grew up with lever actions and single shot shotguns and never gave it a second thought. But now that you mention it, it is nerve racking watching someone try to lower a hammer when they're not used to one. So definitely not getting one for the kids. So it kind of sounds like they are like most guns around this price range, in that they have the potential to be very accurate but usually need some tinkering.

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