Cowgirl Corner: Keeper Encore barrels

[North Country Gal]

Back to the range, today, with a variety of single shots, including the newly acquired 1885 Low Wall 22 LR with the tang peep. Surprisingly, though, our usually not crowded range was quite busy, so the only range to shoot was the 100/200 yard range. Figured I'd save the 1885 for another time when I could shoot at the 50 yard range.

Not a wasted trip, though, because I brought two Encore rifles with new barrels that needed to be sighted in and accuracy checked. Here they are.


Top gun is an old Encore frame from back in the days when Thompson Center ran a custom shop via their Fox Ridge Outfitters. Engraving was a special edition. Stock was also a custom thumbhole stock via Van Horn. The gun wears a brand new 24" 223 barrel. Scope is a Nikon Prostaff 3-9x with a BDC reticle.




Bottom gun is a stainless Encore frame with a synthetic TC stock. Not as pretty a gun, but darn near weatherproof. It wears a lightly used 24" stainless 25-06 barrel, a recent purchase. Scope is an old Simmons Aetech 3.8-12x AO.


I really enjoy these TC Encores and Contenders. Love the way you can mix and match frames and barrels within the system, either within the Encore system (the larger frame that can handle more powerful cartridges) or within the Contender system (smaller frame and lighter cartridges). Also like these TCs because the rifles, regardless of barrel, are all very nice to carry. They're nowhere near as heavy as some of the classic single shots. That also makes these TCs nice guns for offhand work.

What I especially like about these TC break open single shots, however, is their accuracy. I don't keep any barrel, either rifle or handgun, that can't do an inch or less for 5 shots at 100 yards with decent factory ammo. Very rarely have I had a barrel that wouldn't meet this standard, but you never know till you shoot. Would these two pass?

The 223 sure did. Here's a sight in group with the Hornady V Max.


Mostly, though, we like to shoot the 223 cartridge for the sake of shooting cheap 223 bulk ammo. Makes for a nice change of pace from the rimfires. This level of factory ammo usually runs about an inch to an inch and half, plenty good enough for plinking. Here's a nice target that Bill shot with the cheap stuff.


Happy to report that the 25-06 passed, too. This is my first experience with the 25-06 and, have to say, I like it. I've been a long time fan of the 257 Roberts, which shoots the same bullets, but the 25-06 is a slight step up in power. The standard 25-06 load is like a hot 257 Roberts reload. Lot easier to find 25-06 factory ammo, though. 25-06 recoil in the light synthetic stocked Encore when shooting at the bench is noticeable, but not severe enough to bruise (and I do bruise, easily.) I can live with it for accuracy like this.



May try to get back to the range for another try with the High Wall 22LR, over the weekend, but in the meantime, looks like we have a couple more "keeper" Encore barrels.

[ditto1958]

NCG, those are nice guns. Is that Selena Gomez in the middle there?

[North Country Gal]

Darn spammers, anyway.

[BigAl52]

Thompson Center was one of my favorite companies. I at one time had alot of there TC barrels and frames. I even had some custom calibers made from some of there barrels. I in fact shot seveeral deer with a contender. Ive always liked there lineup and you have some nice singles here NCG. I wish they could have hung on but maybe there sales just werent there. Al

[North Country Gal]

Al, I know some folks who lived just down the road from the old TC plant in Rochester, N.H. and they just rave about what great folks they were. Really hit the community hard when S&W bought them out and moved TC to N.Y.

My take on the demise of the original TC company was that they got squeezed by the same changing gun market that also caught other gun makers. TC relied, heavily, on two markets for the bulk of their sales. One was hunting and one was the sport of silhouette. Very few outfits can stay afloat with hunting as their primary market, now. Those that do, such as the current TC, now owned by S&W, are part of a larger, more diverse outfit. As for the sport of silhouette, it is now a ghost of its former self. Action shooting is much more popular, now, and can be done on a much smaller facility.

That said, I do have TCs made in the S&W paint in Springfield, Mass and have no complaints. In fact, I'm grateful that S&W hasn't dropped the TC line. After all, it must surely be a very small part of S&W sales.