After a grueling decision, I picked up an Endeavor barrel for my Encore, and did some testing with it.

I started off with 100gr. 777 pellets and had decent to marginal results, but the bullets I was shooting (250gr. EZ-Glide Shockwave) was not able to be seated after 3-4 shots.

Moved to 100gr. 777 FFFG lose powder, nice groups w/same bullets, and could shoot 5+ shots before fouling got too bad.

After a trip to Cabela's, the only place I could find BH powder, I picked up some 245gr. Barnes Expanders and BH209.
Great groups with 100gr. BH powder and Shockwaves as well as with Barnes bullets, and could shoot a lot before I needed to clean the barrel.
I got the pretty similar results with a clean barrel as I did with a fouled barrel...but I'll hunt with it fouled.

So it looks like 100gr BH w/Barnes bullets on opening day.


The one thing I did notice is the BH had a lot more kick to it than the FFFG 777, anyone care to elaborate???

Also I found 777 209 primers do not work well with the Endeavor barrel, and had to close the break action pretty hard or the hammer wouldn't click back.
I picked up some Remington 209 primers, which worked fine and seem to have better results with accuracy too.

Also the new style breech plug on the Endeavors are awesome!!!
The mess is decreased by at least 50% and is much easier to clean than the 209x50 mag barrels.

I'd give it 3 thumbs up, but I only have 2 thumbs...!!!

beast44k

With any T7 powder in most cases you just about have to run a moist patch after each shot or in your case after 3 shots to clear the build up of crude near the bottom of the barrel. I use plain old blue Windex for that procedure.

With BH you should not need to clean the barrel at all while shooting. That is the general recommended procedure.

That is odd, BH is a smokeless progessive burning powder and usually the kick is some what milder than T7 because it takes longer to burn.

It is not recommended to use 777 primers with BH, Western Powders suggests CCI-209M's of Fed-209A's.

The first I heard of this problem Win Primers in a Encore series gun was when FG reported that you could not use them in a TC later he specified the Encore series. When I polled the forum shooters most said they had no problem with Win Primers. Winchester Primers are the longest on the market, so moving to the shorter primer is an answer.

Question for you?
1. do you have a primer extractor installed? we found that the extractor does not always let the primer seat as far into the BP as a bare plug.
2. do you install the BP snug into the bore or do you finger tight or back it of snug when you install the BP?

Interesting.

I finally got out and shot 100 yards with my v1 accura. I was shooting off a solid rest with sandbags with windy conditions but my location was slightly protected. I started off shooting 2 standard 777 pellets and hornady 250 gr. sst-ml(black sabot). The gun was shooting less than m.o.a. I used a damp then a dry patch between shots. After 6 shots I switched to 90 gr. of blackhorn 209-and the point of impact was exactly the same along with less than m.o.a. accuracy. Shooting off the sandbags and seeing the results gives me great confidence! It was nice to know I can shoot either powder without having to adjust my sights.