Encores, Contenders, and barrels!!!!

I know I can't be the only T/C nut. My, well for a better word, "addiction" is for the handguns. The handcannons are my weakness. I have had tons of barrels but I have cut back to just these for I think they are the best at what they do.
I have a Contender frame (just one! I like having just one grip and one trigger to know inside and out) and one Encore. I have 4 'tender barrels a 14" .223 with a break (and a .223/.22lr adapter), a 14" .35rem, a 10" .44 mag with a homemade break and my big baby a SSK 14" 45-70 with mag-na-port (I got this when SSk was a little add in the back of Guns & Ammo saying "45-70 the best 15 yard sledge hammer ever made"). And for my 50th I got an Encore 15" .308 with a 4X scope and ordered a MGM 500 S&W mag 12" with MGM's break and a 30mm red-dot. And custom camo layered wood grips. Which is my new baby.
Tell us what you have, handgun or rifle, 'tender or Encore. Or if you don't even like them at all. But let me tell you if you get one they mate like rabbits, it's an addiction MAN.

i want an Encore pistol in 444 Marlin so bad i can TASTE IT!!!

got one ya wanna sell?

Joe S. wrote:i want an Encore pistol in 444 Marlin so bad i can TASTE IT!!!

got one ya wanna sell?

Had one. Seeing if it was better than my 45-70 and there was no comparison. The 45-70 would out shoot it and you have more bullets to pick from. Now I will say the 45-70 kicks a lot more but has more down range. If I was going with a 44 cal I would get a 445 supper mag. You get a full burn of your powder. and you can shoot 44mags in it. But that is just me. I am thinking of getting a 454 8" for my encore or rechambering my 10" 'tender barrel. But if you get one go to MGM to get it they make the best barrels out there for the T/C's.
But hay let me say this if that is your longing go for it. It is a great round. Tons of power.

I just like that round. Something about it...

Joe S. wrote:I just like that round. Something about it...

Go for it. Hay we all have our loves. Man it's a great round in a 'tender it's a powerhouse too. lot of boom, big bata boom. what length barrel? Some say it's to much in a 'tender but I never had a bit of trouble out of it. And I gave it a work out too. Now days you can get some big bullets for it. But with a 180gr. it makes things go byby. I love doing that. I hope you get one soon. If you do let me know how you like it.

Should I ever get around to it I'd say a 14 or 15" bbl

I'm a encore guy! And a SSK fan to

But Joe... you gave up on the DW and the 445.. which BTW there are several for sale on GB right now. You know you want that 445 hunters pack!

and without pics.... it didnt happen:









Oh PS Joe: That 15-2 you sold me... yeah its the bottom.. its my test monkey for the Beladran 180gr

Looks good!

Got me a prohunter in 35 whelen to try out this year

Its pretty stout in that lightweight a package. i can't imagine a 444 marlin hand gun

Ya'll aint right...?

Of Course I did get the "hots' for a S&W 500 the other day.....totally useless weapon...want one anyway....

msredneck wrote:Got me a prohunter in 35 whelen to try out this year

Its pretty stout in that lightweight a package. i can't imagine a 444 marlin hand gun

Ya'll aint right...?

Of Course I did get the "hots' for a S&W 500 the other day.....totally useless weapon...want one anyway....

what length whelen? and the 500 in a 12 is soooooo much fun a gallon water jug leaves the base and the lid and lots of little confetti every where!!! haven't froze one yet but I will.......if a 45-70 will make one go away I know the 500 will.

I have Prohunter receiver with a Bergara barrel...Think it 24 inches...short light mutha....much pain

Hey ButcheN...you are so right about them multiplyin'...I started two years ago with the 209X50 G2 muzzleloader...liked that so much I got a 6.8 SPC barrel for it....the 6.8 was such a great deer rifle I decided to try it in the handgun version...now I have two frames (one for the rifle, one for the handgun...gotta stay legal!) and have added a 14" 30-30 and 44 mag...gonna try for my first whitetail with a handgun this year, just can't decide which to carry so I'm practicing with all three. The 6.8 is a sweet shooter, accurate, light kicking, deadly terminal effect, but it is such a hoot to pull the trigger on the 44 mag. Now that feels like a handgun, and the 30-30 ain't far behind. Both recoil about the same (perceived) although the 30 is a little sharper and the 44 more of a push. Anyway, I'm hooked and not even looking for the cure.

One question...Do you see an advantage in the 10" 44 mag over the 14", other than easier to carry? Seems like that would recoil more. Am I really gaining any performance with the 14" barrel?

granjack wrote:Hey ButcheN...One question...Do you see an advantage in the 10" 44 mag over the 14", other than easier to carry? Seems like that would recoil more. Am I really gaining any performance with the 14" barrel?

Had both and both were spot on out to 100m and shot both at Silhouette shooting out to 200m and could not tell a big advantage to the 14". The sight plane was a little better but not so much you could tell it. I won with both and lost with both. In performance you get about 100fps with the 14" till you get into the heavy stuff and then it drops to about 50fps or less. I am thinking of cutting down my 10" to an 8" and maybe putting a dot on it. Know anyone close that can do that for me? (The cutting part that is)
Now this is just me but the 44 mag was made for a 8 3/8 smith so in a 8" with no barrel cylinder gap I think it will do all I want.
Just a side note I have a Ruger SS SBH 10" And my youngest son has my old Ruger 44mag auto rifle he loves. But the SBH is about the same size as a 14" 'tender. So I hunt with a 45lc in a 4 5/8" at "bow shot" shots. Any longer and I go to my 15" 308win or my 35rem 'tender. But that 500 mag Encore is calling me to kill at least one deer with it. As the man said "I jus'ta know"
As you can tell all I hunt with is hand guns. I do have a 25-06 bull barrel H&R rifle I call my sniper gun, but I just play with it. But for the most part we handgun hunt.

I traded for a Tender a few years back.. It had the 223 super 14 on it.. I also bought a 10" 44 Mag for it... That thing was awesome.. I sold both of those barrels and now have a sweet 16 223 barrel on it with a youth walnut stock that is my son's deer rifle.

Also bought a Encore in 308 a few years back. Sold the 308 and bought the 35 Wheelen, then sold the Wheelen and bought a 358 Win for my primative MS weapon.

Sorry ButcheN...don't know any gunsmith here in Vicksburg that I'd recommend for cutting on your barrel...there are several 'smiths on here that get good reviews. Suggest you post in the gunsmithing section what you want done...bet you can find one there.
I shoot red dots on all my G2 pistols...can't seem to get the hang of a pistol scope and am limiting myself to 50 yards this year anyway...old eyes just not as good as they used to be. I shoot 2" groups from a bi-pod at 50, which should be close enough.

I have always wanted a Contender, but never have gotten one. Only one I have ever shot was in 30 Herrett.

butchn... seems you like punishment! perhaps i should let you shoot some JDJ pistol barrels i got lol

iv had a good many differnt barrles for my encore since i bought it. one of dads Nam buddies was avid machinest/classIII collector/TC fanatic! So bassicly we did a crap load of swapping barrels lol
i will try and list the ones i have had and currently still own
243win-15inch-burnt barrel out = (
240gibbs-24inch-burnt barrel out = (
264win mag-- burnt barrel out in less than 700 rounds = (
280jdj-15inch-- still have
30-30-12inch- sold it, muzzle blast was terrible
30carbine-14inch-sold it
308win-15inch-traded
30 alaskan-sold, brass is a PITA to make
30-06-15inch- still have it
338-06 15inch- think its at my dads
338-08 26inch- traded it
375jdj 15inch- still have it
375jdj 22inch-my baby still have it
375-338win mag--- WORST IDEA I EVER HAD!! SOLD IT FAST

granjack wrote:Sorry ButcheN...don't know any gunsmith here in Vicksburg that I'd recommend for cutting on your barrel...there are several 'smiths on here that get good reviews. Suggest you post in the gunsmithing section what you want done...bet you can find one there.
I shoot red dots on all my G2 pistols...can't seem to get the hang of a pistol scope and am limiting myself to 50 yards this year anyway...old eyes just not as good as they used to be. I shoot 2" groups from a bi-pod at 50, which should be close enough.

Found one in Tupelo will do it for $50 and put the sight back on. But thanks tons............