Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

Shot the T/C Encore today for the first time. Just wanted to get an idea of how much powder and what bullets people use. I shot today 100gr of Triple 7 with a 245gr Powerbelt Bullets. I was dead on at 50 yards and2 inches high at a 100.....

Question #1 - What do you think of that load for deer ? I was thinking of 150gr with the same bullet, but not sure so I thought I would check here.Also, whatare your thoughts if this were a load used for Mule Deer,I would think that the 150 gr of powder would be needed?

Question #2 - For elk, I thought 295 gr bullet with the 150gr of Triple 7..am I on the right track

Now I do know that every gun will shoot a different load combination different and to fine tune it, I will need to play around. Just for know, I am trying to establish a starting point and get various opinions.

Thanks

RE: Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

[ol][*]wrong load for that 245g powerbelt.[/ol]
Use the 300g platinum if you are going to waste money on that extra 50 grain pellet.

295 150g for elk again, Wrong.

150 grain loads is way over rated and most of it doesnt even burn. What you're doing is buying into a scam to use up more powder, therefore, you will be buying more.

Switch to loose powder and if you use the 245g powerbelt for Mule deer, use a maximum of 80 grains. Remember that t7 is 15% hotter so it will work to being equal of 93 grains BL/Pyrodex.

For elk, 338 platinum with 90-100 grains, 348 aerotip with 90, 405 aerotip with everything from 80-90 and 100 grains, I prefer 80 grains pyrodex select as it mushrooms nicely and leaves a stem. I dont see any need for more powder. The 444g flat point powerbelt is also a huge winner.

RE: Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

405 gr. powerbelt in front of 70 gr. 2F or Pyrodex.
This is the original load for the 45-70 US Gov't.
No one ever said that this is not enough for deer or elk.
If theanimal is too far, get closer.

RE: Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

If you can shoot another bullet other than PB, do so, they fragment at high speed. If you live in CO, then follow Frontier Gander's advice. Best Wishes, Chap

RE: Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

Check outCabela's 375 grainBuffalo Sabot
and be sure toread the 5 star reviews.
At $18.99 for 36 of them, the price is great too.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20712-cat200005&id=0020974214556a&navCount=1&amp ;podId=0020974214556&parentId=cat200005&ma sterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IJ& amp;rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20000 5

Oh, are you hunting Colorado? [:@]

RE: Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

If you live in a State that does not allow sabots, then the powerbelts might be your only choice. Pushing them fast, our test expert Frontier Gander discovered they splatter and that a moderate load makes them deadly... Sometimes more is not better, but shoot what is most accurate.

If your state does allow sabots, pick up some 250 grain Shockwaves and try them with 100 and 150 grains of pellets. I think you will be happy with the accuracy and the down range energy. Also be sure to swab between shots.

Good luck with your rifle.

RE: Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

Ditto some of the other posts. 150 grains of powder is WAY too much for the 245 or 295 grain Powerbelt. If you want to stick with the powerbelts, use loose powder and 60 - 80 grains of 777.

If you want a more powerful load, use sabots (if legal where you hunt) such as XTP's, SST's, many selections from Precision rifle, and many, many more. Use up to 110 grains or so of 777 loose, though 80-100 grains is usually plenty.

RE: Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

Everyone is telling you the same thing, and what they are saying is:

If you push powerbelts (or any pure lead conical for that matter) too hard, it will come apart at the first big sign of resistance and you will NOT be pleased with the result.

I know, it is hard to believe, because we are used to shooting new generation bullets that will hold together at high speeds. Powerbelts WILL NOT

Fact: 90-100 grains of any blackpowder equivalent will kill quicker with a pure lead conical than 150 grain with the same conical up to and including elk.

AND, if you are like me, you will shoot more accurately at 100 grains than at 150 grains due to the reduced recoil.

And in my experience with my Omega, powerbelts won't shoot very accurately above 100 grains of powder, at least not in my gun.

My two elk loads with my Omega have been a 405 powerbelt with 90 grains of ffg 777 and a 338 grain platinum with 95 grains of ffg 777. Another one that worked was 100-105 grains of pryodex select with both of those bullets.

RE: Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

txhunter58
My Omega loves those 245 gr power belts it has shot good groups at 90 100 and 150 gr RS I shot a coyote in the ribs with 150 gr it blew bits of coyote all over the hill side but nothing broke the hide on the far side the coyote was only 20 yds away so I know exactly where I hit him had a hole the size of a coffee cup where it hit him.
If you can not use a good saboted bullet there are a number of options, I like real bullets, there are a number of good conicals available like Bull shops and No Excuses, and the ones that shoot best in my TC guns[ Omega and Triumph and System One] are the Sabortooth and if you want you can make the PB's work by lowering the load as Gander said or by filling the hollow point with solder or copper will allow you to use more powder.
I would suggest 300+ gr as minium I would not use less than 350 myself they say [I have not gotten any myself yet] on some of the forums that the new hollow base Hornady is well liked by some.

RE: Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

I got lucky today when i was sighting in my omega. I caught a couple 370g maxiballs. Now these i would have figured that you could drive them easily with 100 grains because they were a solid bullet.
Well with 80 grains pyro P, the base pushed up and pushed out of the lead a pretty good deal around the bullet.
Just goes to show ya that all pure lead conicals have their limits.





I'll see if i can find the other one. I put it down and then forgot about it.

RE: Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

Ditto on the PB's.
No need to push the 245's that hard.
I killed two deer with them last year using 100grns (2 pelletts) and that was pushing it.
I will use 80 - 90 this year with the 270 platinums. (loose powder)
I have a Encore also

RE: Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

Thanks for the comments, I did notice thatit seems likeeveryone uses loose powder rather than the pellets ? It is because the loose gives you more load options ?

If I were to use the pellets, I would maybe start around 80grains with the 245 AT Powerbelt up to and not exceeding 100gr. ?

RE: Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

Yes, your gun might like 95 or 105 grains of powder better than 100. And it is quite a bit cheaper than pellets

I would try 3 shot each from 80 to 100 grains in 5 grain increments, and go with the one that is the most accurate. However, if most of your shots would be at 20 to 30 yards, the lower end would probably work better as far as performance on game.

RE: Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

FG since that chunk of lead did not come apart... you can almost picture the wound channel that round disc of lead would have made... Nice expansion.

RE: Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

With the 245 AT, i recommend that you do NOT go over 80 grains with it! If you'd like to use 100+ grains, the 300 grain powerbelt platinum would be an excellent choice.

RE: Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

I agree with FG on the 245 powder charge. 100grn is to much go with about 80 and it will be deadly.
I killed 2 deer last season with the 245 with 100grn and it was to much and I shot and Encore also.

Here is that story
This is the story of a hunt I went on 1/15/08 in Anniston Alabama at Fort McCllean with a friend I met on another forum,He is handicapped and since my Kidney Transplant he has been a source of insperation and motivation for me and I am proud to call him friend.I left Sunday evening after church and drove the four hours to My friend Jay,s house. I arrived to late to hunt so I just hung out with Jay and his friend (and now mine) David.Jay was a very gracious host and treated me like a king.This guy does more in one day than I do all week needless to say I was very impressed and inspired to realize that while I had a kidney transplant it is just a bump in the road compaired to what some people deal with everyday.
The next day we left for our Alabama hunt.
We were all in the woods a little to late so the morning was unproductive and cold @ 24 so we met up and had some lunch and went bact to it after a little warm up and rest. I went back to my same spot which was two opposing ridges with a nice hardwood bottom I hunted high in the AM but decided to set up lower off the ridge this time.I was just set up on the ground turkey hunting style.
About an hour after I got set up I heard something walking up the other side of the ridge behind me,it came over but didn't hang around and I couldnt get turned around to see what it was (lots of yotes out there)
So I made another move to remedy that situation and still keep the wind in my favor (it was swirling around in that bottom)About an hour before last light I hear movement and this time it is to my left (bad for a leftie)I waited what seemed like an hour and slowly turned my head to see what it was,it was a four point so I started my move to get my body around.
Now,one lesson I learned real quick is to move the dead leaves from your set up before sitting down.well,guess what happened?BUSTED!!!!!!!!!
The buck ran from fourty yards to 85 yards and still to my left,interestingly enough Jay and I were talking the night before about him having to take off handed shots so it came to me (SHOOT RIGHT HANDED DUMB @$$) So I pulled up the T?C Encore in 50 cal waited for him to calm down and move another foot,when he did I finaly found the scope with my eye,got comfortable and fired,BOOM,white smoke everywhere so I waited till I could see and there was his tail sticking straight up and it slowly went down to the ground.HE WAS DOWN.
I reloaded and gathered my gear to get my deer.I got to him and thought (Jay wont be here till after dark so I'll keep hunting)Smart move on my part.I took some pictures while it was still light enough.
So I'm sitting there right beside my buck and low and behold across the bottom and part way up the opposing ridge is a nice fat doe that has no idea that I'm in the world.This time I get to shoot lefthanded.
The light in the scope is very dim but I could see good enough so I fired and then it went dark.
The boy's came about a half hour later and we got the buck to the truck and then I went and found the doe.Two deer in two hours,when it rains it pours.Ok,now to the part you want,the pictures.


And here is the doe

I was pretty cold so we came back to Jay's place and he and I did the cleaning.
And here is david

I would like to thank Jay for opening his home to me and making me feel welcome.
I have learned allot from him and not just about deer hunting.
Thanks my friend.
Here are some of his bucks.
The largest one was number two in the state a couple years ago.

And here is Jay (flbuckmaster)



I forgot to list vital stats.
Weapon - TC Encore 209x 50 cal Muzzloader
Scope - Simmons Blazer 3 x 9 x 50
Bullet - Powerbelt 245 grn (full bore no sabot)
Powder - 2 50grn Pyrodex pellets (100grn)
Primer - 777/ 209
First shot - about 85 yards (off hand & right handed)
Second shot - ranged @ 89 yards (off hand)

RE: Sighted in the new T/C Encore !! Your thoughts
 

Thanks, I always enjoy hearing& seeingthe details of a successful hunt.
You don't suppose that the deer knew that you were loaded with
100 grains so he created some space for your PB to work better do you?
Naw, he probably figuredthatyou wereonlya squirrel rustling some leaves! :D