unioncountyslayer Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 Hey guys, I'm looking to do some hunting this coming season with a pistol. I've got my mind set on a T/C but unsure of whether to go with the Encore or Contender. Just curious which one you guys have and which caliber. I'm thinking maybe the 460 in the Encore, but I'm open to personal experience/preferences from y'all. Thanks, -union Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTbowman Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 Re: T/C Pistol Owners Question I prefer the Encore and its all I have. To me there seemed to be more choices in factory calibers offered and it is a bit beefier farme-wise. As far as what cal you should get? It depends on what your hunting and where. 7mm08 is real good on deer/elk sized game and shoots pretty flat with not a ton of recoil. The 460 is a big gun, especially if it does not have a break on the front end. I What are you planning on hunting? I mainly hunt VT deer but shoot the .300 Win Mag and now a 7mm Rem Mag that are both braked and scoped. Also have the 209x50 ML pistil which is way to fun to hunt with! I prefer the lower recoil over the higher noice factor. I wear ear protection anyways. LOL I go with those so I can hunt bear and moose if the chance ever arrises. Puts them Vermont deer down pretty good too. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowana Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 Re: T/C Pistol Owners Question If you can legally use them, I would opt for the rifle calibers. If you do not handload, the 7mm-08 or the 308 Win are your best choices. Ballistically these two rounds are almost identical. One uses a .284 bullet, the other a 308. If you handload, a 300WSM with a brake would be my choice. I own a Savage Super Stryker in 308 and a Smith 460. I use the 460 in Michigan where you cannot use bottleneck cases (must be straight walled). I use the 308 in Indiana, where you can't use a rifle, but you can use a pistol in rifle calibers. The 308 is far superior (ballistically) than the 460. I have shot 2 140 class whitetails at over 250 yards with the Stryker. If you practice, use a rest (learn to shoot with extended sticks) and posess good optics, you can reach out to 275 yards on a deer sized target on a repetative basis. I handload 165 gr Nosler Ballistic tips using BLC-2 powder. I use to use the 150 gr bullet, but for some reason the 165 gr bullets are more accurate out of my pistol. On a good day I can average just under 1" from the bench using a Sinclar rest. The pistol is capable of shooting better than I can. Hope this helps. Also, go with the Encore for all of the forementioned reasons. Nice set up VTbowman! Why are you not a member of the OTPG? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unioncountyslayer Posted February 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2007 Re: T/C Pistol Owners Question Thanks for the feedback guys, looks like you both agree on the 7mm-08. Probably 95% of it's use will be on deer, with an ocasional Bear hunt. I'm going to a gun show tomorrow, maybe they'll have some there that I can look at. What will I expect to pay for the Encore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowana Posted February 17, 2007 Report Share Posted February 17, 2007 Re: T/C Pistol Owners Question Because of the Smith and Wesson transition, prices are running high. Expect to pay $550+. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTbowman Posted February 17, 2007 Report Share Posted February 17, 2007 Re: T/C Pistol Owners Question I started with the 7mm08 and it does nicely. Like Bowana said, the 308 and the 7mm08 are basically the same round. They use the same shell casing just different bullets. The 7-08 shoots a bit flatter since its smaller/lighter is all. For deer you cant go wrong with the 7-08 out of an Encore. Especially is your not installing a brake. The 308 can be a hand full with no brake. Remember they are mostly rifle cartridges so they pack a wallop. As for pricing; they aint cheap. I built mine piece by piece so I can not say exactly how much. Heck I would hate to calculate how much I spent on my set ups with all the extra customizing I have done. LOL I can say that I bought my Encore 15" 209x50 ML pistol as a complete gun, used, and it was around $400. Buying a new frame by itself is around $280 to $300 if you shop around. A bbl is around $180 for factory with no brake and up to $600-$800 for custom bbls. Then there is grips and forend, scopes, etc.. It can be a pricey thing to buy when its all set and done. Thats why I did it piece by piece. Saved up some $$$ a bit at a time and bought what I could. Ebay is a good place to find the bbls and scopes but they can not sell the frames. Best thing to do is buy one (frame) new from a dealer and then build it. Just a note too with the T/C platforms.. It is illegal to buy a T/C rifle or ML long bbl gun and then turn it into a pistol even though it totally possible to swap out the bbls and wood/stock. It IS legal to go the other way. Pistol to rifle. In short, make sure the serial number on the frame is listed as a pistol not a rifle or ML when it left the factory. This has been a heated debate so dont let anyone try to tell you differently. If they (a gun shop) insists you can do this walk away. I would hate to have my name listed with a serial number for a rifle and have it sold and set up as a pistol. JMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowana Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 Re: T/C Pistol Owners Question I'm an FFL dealer and will say A-men to that! Pistol receiver only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.