Question about TC Encore .243

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OneInTheBoiler

New member
My friend has a .243 for his encore and tried sighting it in using 90gr. Needless to say it was all over.His barrel is 1/10 twist. When I tried telling him about rifle twist he looked at me like I was crazy. I called TC and they recommended nothing heavier than 50gr.

Can someone chime in and tell whats the heaviest, that can be used ?


Thanks
 
Actually the 1 in 10 should be fine for most 243 stuff including the 90 grainers youve already tried. I think youd be OK in a more reputable gun. Your buddies results arent uncommon. I gave up blatantly knocking the encores, but I think the money could have been spent wiser.
 
Odds are your friend got a bad barrel, it's not uncommon with Encores. Some examples I've seen look like they were chambered with a chain saw file. I would send the barrel back to TC and make them replace it. For more info you can check out Mike Bellm's web site Bellm TCs
 
Be more specific what do you mean by all over? have you checked your scope and mounts? I have seen many rifles that were all over the target and suroundings that went ti 1" or less with just a slight tightning on the scope rings or mount screws some times only one loose one will cause all the problems. And with the TC you have the forearm and the
pin between the frame and barrel. Check every thing else then suspect the barrel a 1-10 should give pretty good groups if the shooter is doing his part and there is nothing else to cause wandering impacts. Personally I would suspect the scope mounting and check that out carefully. Then bedding. Then the barrel.
The Encores i have seen and I have a friend who has one in 243 are tack drivers.
 
o.t.b. i don't own a encore "however" i do have a handi...my suspicion is your buddy's gun does not ride the bags well...plus he may need to try other ammo...i assume he doesn't reload??he also may be quick to make scope adjustments you need a minimum 3 shot group before any adjustments are made...as blindog mentioned make sure everything is tight...unless i may be missing something tell him to be patient...it may take a few trips to the range to get sighted...let the barell cool down...use the tip of your finger to pull the trigger...i'm not a benchrest guy just passing along my thought's....(edited to say the 50 grain is the heaviest the gun will shoot is wrong...)
 
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Measure the diameter of the fired brass. If it is larger than .470" then you have an oversize chamber and need to send it back to T/C. Oversized chambers are not uncommon in T/C barrels.
 
15" .243 encore handgun picture


a 87gr hornady v-max over AA2015 shoots super in this factory 15" .243.
a 1:10" twist should easily handle bullets up to this weight n possibly up to 100gr under some circumstances with some experimentation with different powders n bullets......even in the short barrels.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif i don't know why TC would recommend nothing heavier than 50gr in a .243 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif sounds like they misunderstood the question /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif


n i'd shoot this thing against a wiser choice anytime /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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hey bronco-where did you find that info?? is there a certain manual?? i have a 25-06 i suspect it has a "large" chamber...i need to learn this info...if you don't mind...
 
What I mean by all over is the groups are all over. Checked mounts and all, everything tight. Could not get it to group any smaller than 5-6in at 100 yards.

The scope holds a zero on his other rifle fine.
 
oitb, i watch this thread because i went thru the same thing with my handi...it took a box of factory ammo to get on paper...had no idea what the groups were...i was using a borrowed scope to test the rifle...anyway decided to scope it up always can use a good scope anyway...i bought another box of ammo "but" they were out of what i used the 1st time...bought what they had went thru another box & got back on paper...as near as i can tell i was shooting around six inch groups...decided i'm this far in & started reloading for it...my 1st reload sample produced a 4" group...i have thru the course of a month or so tested seven loads...5 of them are producing 1 1/2" groups or close slightly one way or the other...the other two are 3"-4" groupers...i am basically done i believe this is about as good as it gets...without more time & money invested...what i am trying to tell you & your buddy is some guns don't shoot well if you reload i think it helps...if you don't you have to keep buying ammo & hopefully something works??? if you do a search on encore's & even handi's or check other boards & spend some time to look around you will see people who own these rifle's either love or hate them ??? i cannot explain why ??? that was a long winded story & still didn"t answer your question...unfortunately if good shooting was easy everyone would do it !!!
 
Dave: From my personal journey with an Encore barrel of mine, also in .243. I was hard pressed to find a factory load that would shoot 3 shots under 2" consistently. Spoke w/ T/C and after they assured me that anything under 4" with factory ammo is a good shooting barrel they had me check fired case sizes as they "occasionaly" see problems with oversize chambers. Apparently it only happens so infrequently it was the first check they had me look at.

Part of the problem with the T/C design is that the extractor pushes the rear of the casing up against the top of the chamber, which does nothing to improve the alignment of the bullet to bore axis. This also explains why expanded cases have a noticeable lopsided shape above the web of the case. And also why it is important to full length re-size your brass.

T/C also informed me to shoot flat based bullets, as that's what their barrels prefer. *sigh*

When I called back to T/C to let them know of 20 fired factory Winchester cases I had, they all measured .470, with one at .471" They stated that because calipers have a +/- .001 accuracy, that the .471 could very well be .470". I think I confused him though when I asked if it was then possible the .470" cases could be .471" and the .471 was a .472." He paused for a second, put me on hold and then came back and said that since all but one was .470" that the one that measured .471" was probably just a piece of bad brass. It was like I was talking to "Raj" in India, but without the accent.

The overall impression I took away was that while T/C was more than happy to sell me a barrel they don't want anything more to do with it after it leaves the store.

I've got some more loads to work up and try sending down the barrel. If it doesn't behave I may try rechambering to a 6mm-284.
 
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