This is exactly what I am talking about. I hear a lot of people who praise the T/C, just like Encore's success, but I have just not seen it, and I don't understand why. I have spent major hours at the gun club, and seen a lot of them. I fully believe what Encore is saying, and just don't understand how so many others have such poor groups. Is the shooter, the rifle, the loads? I don't know.
Sabotloader is right about the Omega. A couple buddies have them and you'll have to pry them from their cold dead hands LOL
Its only my opinion, but I think knowing the Encore platform rifles weaknesses and fixing those, played a big part in their accuracy. Probably the most knowledgeable person in North America concerning Encore platform rifles is Mike Bellm, and he's had those "fixes" for decades. I've been away for years now, but for around $40 in the past, you could completely change an Encore to what one would think is a different rifle. With a little work and the ability to work with small parts, the changes were like daylight and dark.
Most all know about proper fitting hinge pins, but some don't know that the frame and barrel holes can be different sizes and one may need reaming. Then a proper tight fitting hinge pin. Actually I was the first MUZZLELOADER shooter, to bring to Mike's attention having locking lug issues. It had been known by CF shooters, but had never been brought up by a muzzleloader shooter. The simple fix for that, or rather the most common, was to utilize the heavy duty locking lug spring. In SEVERE cases, the locking lug required a weld, then some grinding to tighten it up. Its most noticeable with vertical strings at longer ranges.
Removing and replacing the stock 36# hammer spring with either the 44 or 50# springs helped. Replacing the light weight firing pin spring with a HD spring helped. Mike provided all the directions to replace trigger springs as desired and honing the sear smooth as silk. All these changes that could be made, at the time, were around $40 and 90 minutes when finished, it felt like a completely different rifle.
Then you have, for a lack of any other term, "THE AVERAGE HUNTER". They are the least likely to know of the "fixes". He or she may have mounted the scope correctly, maybe not. They get their muzzleloader out prior to the season and fire a few rounds and wonder why its not shooting any better. They put a 4x or maybe 2-7 variable on their rifle and expect to hit dime size groups at 100yds. Possibly with a spring boarding mount. The "AVERAGE" is going to have a tough time doing that.
So then you have the guys that come along stating that the rifle owner shouldn't have to do those things. Well, the only argument that can be made is, what other production rifle is there that you don't have to do something to, to fix an issue?
I had exceptional results with many different Encore platform rifles. Thus ENCORE50A...……..
I was told I'd miss that last Pro Hunter I sold and everyone that told me that, was right.
