Encore .22 Hornet

Aloysius · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 7:34 am Post subject: Encore .22 Hornet

Yesterday I fell in love with an Encore in .22 Hornet with a 15" barrel. My 'Jagd-Match' Anschutz in .22 Hornet is rather heavy to carry arround. Compared to the Anschutz this Encore is almost a handgun...

Knowing myself I will look for an extra barrel in 30/30 Win or in 45/70 real soon, so now my question: what can be exchanged? Will a Contender barrel fit an Encore? Will an Encore pistol barrel fit an Encore rifle? Any secrets you like to share with me about this lovely Encore with this baby barrel in this sweet caliber?

PaulS · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 4:27 pm Post subject: Re: Encore .22 Hornet

Contender and encore parts will not interchange. If you put a pistol barrel on the rifle version of encore you can't use the rifle stock. (not without a tax stamp for a short barreled rifle)

If you contact Thompson they can tell you if it is legal to change your encore rifle to an encore pistol and what you will need.

slimjim · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 8:47 pm Post subject: Re: Encore .22 Hornet

Aloys, a 15" barrel isn't legal over here. Are you saying you finally found a situation where you can do something and we can't?

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 10:40 pm Post subject: Re: Encore .22 Hornet

My Encore .22 Hornet is a handgun, which I have yet to shoot.

My Encore rifle shoots very well: about 1.5" groups with the .50 muzzle loader barrel and about 0.25" groups with the .223 barrel.

Aloysius · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:58 am Post subject: Re: Encore .22 Hornet

slimjim wrote:

Aloys, a 15" barrel isn't legal over here. Are you saying you finally found a situation where you can do something and we can't?

Yep

Hier a rifle should have a minimum barrellength of 30 cm, that's about 12".
And I'm not allowed to change the nature of the gun. Alltough stocks are free, I'm not allowed to make a handgun out of a rifle. Maybe one day I'll make a pliable stock for it, that would bring some fights in the chickenhouse Smile

But I was hoping that a Contender barrel could also be used on an Encore. There is more Contendor stuff available than Encore's.

And when you want to do good business it will take time. So I can wait till for the opportunity as I'm having new stuff to play with. Yesterday I only did 5 shots in my garden, just the check optics. And it was raining.
I hope to reload a little and get some time to the range next Sunday...

In my opinion this barrel has a rather fast twist, so I should try some reloads with the heavier bullets.

That tiny thing makes me feel young again. Have to get it ready for next hunting season. It's allowed here on geese, rabbits, dove and foxes... and ducks/geese open on August 15th...

Pumpkin: your handgun is about the same, only mine has wood stock and I already replaced the back sight with a rail and optics (a chinese one with a lot of extra rail to carry lots of -here forbiden- stuff and a bleu cross-light).

Nobody tried to put a Contendor barrel on an Encore?

Ominivision1 · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 2:49 pm Post subject: Re: Encore .22 Hornet

Aloys

Try some reading here.

www.thefirearmsforum.c...der.52790/

Aloysius · Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 3:47 pm Post subject: Re: Encore .22 Hornet

Thanks Omini, that's saying a lot in a very short way.

Aloysius · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 1:19 pm Post subject: Re: Encore .22 Hornet

I know I should put it under reloading, but next question is related to this Encore in .22 Hornet with its 15" barrel:

I'm thinking about a reduced startload using 2,5 grain Trailboss behind a 61,5 grs FMJ BT. Since most data for the .22 Hornet stop at a 55 grs bullet and Trailboss is not mentioned in Quickload...

1. your opinion? Shoot or don't shoot?
2. your opinion when I should put that bullet upside-down?

and I know that 1 stupid nut can ask more questions than 10 wise men can answer...
but because here it's forbiden to use a .22 LR for hunting I was thinking on a copy-.22 LR in a .22 Hornet-case and I have plenty of these 62 grs FMJ BT in stock (which actually weigh 61,5 grs)

slimjim · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 6:31 pm Post subject: Re: Encore .22 Hornet

Aloys, from what I have read and experienced, you can not get enough Trailboss in a case to cause an overpressure situation. I stuff and compress TB into my 270 cases and they do fine. My biggest issue with TB is getting consistent velocities.

1. SHOOT!
2. you are going to loose significant case capacity shooting it upside down.

Vince · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 9:14 pm Post subject: Re: Encore .22 Hornet

Aloysius wrote:

I know I should put it under reloading, but next question is related to this Encore in .22 Hornet with its 15" barrel:

I'm thinking about a reduced startload using 2,5 grain Trailboss behind a 61,5 grs FMJ BT. Since most data for the .22 Hornet stop at a 55 grs bullet and Trailboss is not mentioned in Quickload...

1. your opinion? Shoot or don't shoot?
2. your opinion when I should put that bullet upside-down?

and I know that 1 stupid nut can ask more questions than 10 wise men can answer...
but because here it's forbiden to use a .22 LR for hunting I was thinking on a copy-.22 LR in a .22 Hornet-case and I have plenty of these 62 grs FMJ BT in stock (which actually weigh 61,5 grs)

Trail Boss is a good powder to load down mate, but I found I got better accuracy using Alliant Promo for my reduced loads in the 30.30 using 150gr and 170 gr bullets. Having said that, don't let that stop you from trying TB. Have a look at the instructions below to work out a starting load.

Aloysius · Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 12:19 am Post subject: Re: Encore .22 Hornet

Thanks. When I reduce a load, maybe I get some benefits with reduced capacity of the case. I know they make special cases for that when using H&N coated bullets.
And when you want something for very short distances and you have laws that forbid the use of a FMJ bullet for hunting... when you put such a FMJ upside down, you get a FN or a HP... Smile

and it sure will transfert its energy better than anything else.

SJ: when I translate your remark about Trailboss I only have to worry that the bullet will stick in the barrel. I'm beginning to get the feeling for this powder and I like it more and more.

Elvis · Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 1:03 am Post subject: Re: Encore .22 Hornet

I use trail boss for shhhh loads in 7.62x39mm piece of cake to use...hard to get head around the weight (or lack thereof)in a loaded round. 6-7 grains is all I use behind a 150 grn projectile.

slimjim · Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 4:36 am Post subject: Re: Encore .22 Hornet

Elvis wrote:

..hard to get head around the weight (or lack thereof)in a loaded round.

Good point, Elvis. Around 20.0 grains fills a .270 Win case which is 3x less than normal powders that would fill the same volume. I worked real hard to get 23.0 grains in last weekend. I would pour about 5 grains in and use a rod to compress it, then another 5, etc., then the bullet was still compressing it more when seated. If I didn't compress it in stages, I wouldn't be able to get the extra 3.0 grains in to begin with.

Aloysius · Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2014 10:26 am Post subject: Re: Encore .22 Hornet

SJ, you gave me enough faith and I'm still alive after the initial tests with 2,5 grs Trailboss behind a 61,5 grs FMJ-BT using SR CCI400 and SP S&B primers in an RWS case. Bullets seated normal and upside down! Now preparing some loads with small pistol and small pistol magnum primers and looking for accuracy on short distances, say upto 50-60 yards or so.
This TB-load sure cuts the noise and I get the feeling that an Encore in .22 Hornet likes the heavy bullets.
Feeling confident that I'll find a nice rabbit-round for a country that forbits the use of the .22 LR for hunting Smile

Pumpkin: the best groupe today was with 7,5 grs Vith N110 behind the 55 grs FMJ Sierra (#1355). I will sure try the 55grs Sierra #1365 for a hunting load in this little rifle.
And for your info: I was also very pleased with these factory rounds:
- Winchester .22 Hornet 46 grs HP (an excellent hunting round)
- the RWS 46 grs full jacket bullet
- the Sellier & Bellot 45 grs SP
I think I could use all 3 without any adjustments in aiming to shoot rabbitheads on the 100 m line.
The Encore seems to forgive more than Annie, whose favorit is also the Winchester round but with the S&B the only result is often only an empty case...

slimjim · Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2014 3:40 pm Post subject: Re: Encore .22 Hornet

Aloys, how was accuracy? Velocity dispersion was more than standard powders for me.