Wow can't believe this thread is as old as it is. That barrel shot everything well and the 300 gr. Nosler bullet seemed a bit tough but still can't fault it in any way. I stayed with Shockey's Gold but this barrel is going to have to burn up some old stock Black and Pyrodex P. A while back my computer died and I guess I lost my way to this forum and just today by accident I found this thread. I traded off the old blued barrel and have been wanting another ever since. My new barrel which I just bought off another forum is Stainless but otherwise like the old one. The new frame is blue not weathershield and it has had new springs put in it. The 270 barrel this frame came with is a true tackdriver. I am going to top it with a 2-7 Leupold and really hope this barrel shoots as good as the first one I had. I did trade the old Encore off on a very nice model 29 Smith which was too pretty to hunt with and it also got traded off.

Well the new stainless barrel shot the first loading I put together for it right at an inch for three shots. A bit mild 80 grains by volume Jim Shockey's 3F gold under a Harvester crush rib sabot holding a Speer 240 grain Unicor, After some hunting I was able to trade some large rifle primers for shotshell primers so I will be good for a while. One of the screw holes in the base is stripped out so I am going to have it tapped for a 6 hole base so testing heavy loads won't be an issue.

Rick did you try retapping the stripped hole? Just a thought. Glad you got it shooting well. I was able to get some BH209 at Sportsman's Warehouse. I just put an order in and they notified me when it was ready to pick up. My problem is that I'm running low on 209 primers. I have several hundred shotshells loaded and I can't remember the last time I shot a shotgun. I just may have to start disassembling them and get the primers out! Just have to figure out how to do it safely without damaging them.

I'm going to have the gunsmith that will tap the two extra holes see if he can fix the stripped out one. As for using primers out of loaded shotshells I had the same idea but I do shoot shotgun some, generally for squirrels. Heck I have some shotshells still made from paper I could surely take apart and not miss. As for primers I figure they will be back before hunting season. The hoarders can only buy so many.

Scope mount holes done, the loose one was due to a wore out screw. Mounted a different scope and got it rough sighted in, didn't finish because company showed up. The "new" scope is a 4 power Leupold made in the 60's. Need the rain to stop long enough to shoot some.

Got it sighted in no problem shooting 80 grains of Shooters World Multi Purpose Black under a green crush rib sabot filled with a 44 caliber 270 grain Speer Deep Curl. Winchester primers fit perfectly with little getting into the breach area. 1 1/2 inch groups so I am good for now.