i have an encore and i have been useing 3 50 gr. pellets of pyrodex and a 200 gr. shockwave. i am looking to change my setup. i am thinking about swithing to 777 pellets or trying loose powder. also can i run 120 grains of loose powder.i am also thinking of swithing bullets. i was looking at the hornady's that are suppose to load easier. or the MT bullets at cabelas in the 180 grain bullet. i dont want to go any heavier then 250 gr.

this setup will be deer hunting and i want to get the least bullet drop i can get with good consistance.

any help or suggestions and pros and con are appreciated

thank you

If you have good accuracy with the 200 grain Shockwave I am sure it would work just fine for deer. You could also boost the weight to a 250 grain Shockwave. Both of these would be excellent.

If you want to switch to Triple Se7en pellets, they have no more power then Pyrodex RS pellets unless you go with the new magnum pellets Triple Se7en/Hodgdon's came out with. I really have not read to much about them. Again, if you're getting good accuracy, why change? You still have to clean the rifle. Although if you are looking for a cleaner less fowling powder, then Triple Se7en or even Shockey Gold pellets might work for you. All you can do it try them.

If you wanted to use loose powder, start your TESTING at 100 grains of powder and work up, 5-10 grains at a time until the accuracy falls apart. You could easily handle a 120 grain load in your Encore.I shoot that in my Black Diamond XR with no problem.

Personally some Wisconsin deer can get large so I would not go to low in bullet weight. I still think the best weight for a sabot and white tail is a 250 grain. As for bullet drop, once the rifle is sighted in and you practice on the range, you adjust for the difference so you really are not going to benifit much.

You have a great rifle, that was made to shoot sabots with excellent accuracy. If you watch the hunting shows and read the articals where many ofthem are hunting with Encores... they usually have 150 grains of pellets and a 250 grain Shockwave. That should tell you that the load will work. That is where I would go in your case. Especially if I were hunting in a shotgun only area. In loose powder, I would be trying 110 grains and a 250 gr Shockwave.

In my encore I use 100grs., of SHKY Gold, loose with a 250 grain SW. My accuracy has been very good out to 175 yds. Haven,t shot past that distance. If using SG or APP, that powder tends to like a heavier bullet. Going to experiment with 300 grs. a bit later on. You will have good accuracy with the 180's, but careful on your long range shots as the FPKE drops rapidly. 110grs of SG is a good load also. Here in So. Illinois anything over a 100 yd shaot is rare unless you are hunting fields and food plots. The average MLshot is probably closer to 50-70 yds. I hunt with my encore like I do with my bow, (40yds & under) I like them up close and personal, just like to have the option to reach out and touch em if I want. Good Luck!!

120g T7FF with a T/C mag express sabot (made for .44cal bullets) and a Hornaday 265g Interlock FP/SP bullet. You can use the same powder loads with the 250g Shockwave bullets now that they have become more affordable.

I have only shot a few of the 200g Shockwaves but the groups look promising and I am sure that is more than plenty of bulletfor Whitetails.

Cayugad, Take a look at this:

http://dougva.proboards34.com/index.cgi?board=Savage&action=display&thre ad=1188171663

These are different bullets that were shot into taped together phone books, soaked in a creek. Look what the 250 SW did. Gives me pause. I think they would be fine on most deer but I am concerned onhuge deer hit in bad places like high shoulder hits. Ihave seen this other places on the250g, the 300g doesn't fragment that I haveseen/heard.
Regards, Chap