Help with T/C Encore 209X50

[tparring]

Can anyone give me any thoughts on this rifle. Have shot it with 100 grns. of Jim Shockeys Gold and Triple 7 (both loose powders); with Barnes HP 250 grns, Barnes Boattail Ballistic Tip 250's and T/C Superglide Shockwave 250's. This rifle will not but a bullet in the same place two times in a row with any of the above combinations.

By noting marks on the ramrod, it appears to me that it is nearly impossible to get the load seated to the same depth consistently. After the first shot, you literally have to hammer on the end of the ramrod to seat to the same depth every time.

Don't know if I should go up or down in charge weight, change bullets (again) or scrap the whole mess and go back to shooting my Austin and Halleck.

Any thoughts?

 

[saddlebum]

i had two tc encore muzzle loaders , neither would shoot worth a crap.switched to a knight and all is well in my world

i don't think the action locks up the same every time

 

[tparring]

UGGHH, I was afraid of that. I am starting to develope the same opinion, but was hoping for a miraculous cure that I haven't thought of yet!!

 

[Hog Shooter]

I have had good luck using winchester 209 3 50 gr triple seven pellets and a 240 gr sabot, shoots within 1.5" at 100yds. I have also used the pyrodex pellets with the same primer and bullet with simular results as far as accuracy. My uncle has the same rifle and uses 100gr. of triple seven (2 50gr. pellets) and a 200 gr sabot. My rifle is tight getting the sabot to seat against the powder. I weigh 215lbs and use a thick piece of leather to keep the ramrod from digging into my palm but I am able to push it tight against the powder (consistantly the same on a mark on the ram rod). My uncle throws the ram rod down the bore and crushes the bullet into the powder, but I think he is messing up the bullet big time but his rifle is pretty accurate at 100yds. Keep after it the rifle wants to go eat.

 

[RMA1]

A buddy of mine pulled a thompson out of the trash after a disgusted shooter chunked it because of the same problem. He said it would shoot perfect if he ran a patch after each shot. It was an omega but still a thompson barrel. My pro hunter will shoot 3 shot groups just fine if I shoot a fouler first but after that i cant seat a bullet. You might try running a patch after each shot and if it helps call thompson for advise. I have been wandering about muzzle loaders that never shoot anything but sabots if they ever actually get broke in. Maybe hand lapping a barrel would help with the fouling.

 

[DORR]

What's your cleaning routine in between shots? And I'll give five dollars more than the lowest lowball offer you're sure to get for your defective encore

 

[bigcountryok]

What's your cleaning routine in between shots? And I'll give five dollars more than the lowest lowball offer you're sure to get for your defective encore

I'll make it $5.25 more... LOL

Seriously if you're having that much trouble reloading it sounds like you're not cleaning your barrel properly after each shot. That will have a negative impact on your grouping. Use your cleaning jag and swab the barrel out at least twice with a good black powder solvent between each shot.

I would then suggest working your way up with a load starting around 85grs of powder (yes its true you can kill a deer with less than 150gr of powder) and start working your way up in 5gr increments. You will find a sweet spot.

I know my Knight Rifle does not like 777. I've also found that 300gr and heavier bullets seem to shoot better out of my rifle.

Last but not least, you may want to go through all the screws on your scope bases and rings. If you're not using a quality scope, that could be it too. I've seen more than one scope trashed by a muzzelloader.

I'm also curious to know what distances you're shooting and what you calling not the same spot. While many modern muzzelloaders can shoot sub moa at 100yrds, its ussually requires either stumbling across the right load by accident, or hours and hours and hundredsof $$ spent trying different combinations.

Good luck stick with it. It does get frustrating. I've been there more than once.

 

[MDT]

I have a T/C Encore. It took me a while to work up a load that it liked. I can put 3 shots in a 3" diameter area at 50 yds with mine (I never took it out to 100 yds b/c the area I hunt, I'm lucky to get 50 yds). I had worked up with loose powder to 95 grains of loose powder and Barnes 250 gr HP bullet with one wet patch and one dry patch between each shot. Now that I know what my recipe is, I have complete confidence in my load.

The Thompson Encore is a very good rifle. Just experiment with it and find the right load.

 

[Grumulkin]

I have a special deal with T/C handguns and rifles. No matter where or who I buy them from they all shoot well and if they don't (has happened once in 20 or 30 barrels), T/C fixes it for free.

My Encore 209X50 Magnum shoots just fine with Pioneer Powder's Jim Shockey's Gold powder sticks. I use 3 of them topped with a 44 caliber Nosler hollow point handgun bullet in a plastic sabot. The accuracy at 100 yards with iron sights is very usable for deer. Also, in 20 or 30 shots getting ready for deer season and for the shooting through deer season, I never cleaned the barrel once. I also never had to hammer the ramrod home.

Methinks you need to:

A. Use Pioneer Powder.
B. Try different bullets with the appropriate sabots.

Or sell your barrel really cheap to me.

 

[jmiller45]

I'm on my 3rd Encore. Just upgraded a couple of times. Now I have the Pro-Hunter Endeavor 209x50. I shoot 150gr (3 pellets) of 777 and use a 250gr T/C Shockwave with a Winchester 209 primer. I am shooting 3 shot groups @ 100 yards and grouping 1". My friend has the same rig and shooting the same load and has shot a 5/8" group.
You have to remember to get the same results for every shot you have to do the same thing every time. If your first shot is coming out of a clean barrel, then your second shot has to come out of a clean barrel. Otherwise your rifleing is fouled with powder and is not going to be as accurate.
After each shot I use a Damp patch I bottom it out, make about 3-4 passes through the barrel and repeat with a dry patch then load and shoot and repeat.

In my opinion you will not find a better or more accurate muzzle loader than the Encore line.