What needs to be done to a encore or contender g2 for it to shoot it's best? I have read all kinds of things from tuned actions, trigger jobs, action jobs, oversized hinge pins, locker hinge pins, hanger bars. What have you done or had done to your encore or g2 contender to get the best results. Did you do it your self or send it to someone to have it done? I can tell mine definately needs the trigger lightened up and I'm going to order all my pistol barrels from MGM. But what else do I need to look at, do or get done to get the most out of my encore or g2 contender?

The one thing I did to mine was to order a Bellm trigger spring and install it. That dropped my trigger pull from 3.5 pounds to about 1.5. Let me tell you, that made all the difference in the world.

Trigger job and float the forend as much as possible, whether its by using stainless washers at screw attachment points, hanger bar, or pillars added to forend. Any of the above helps me immensely.
Then experiment to find a load the gun likes!

I had an Encore Pro Hunter with an MGM barrel in 460S&W. Never touched the trigger, action, or anything.... except the hinge pin. Shot sub MOA very easily. Trick it out as much as ya want, just be sure ya still do your part! Otherwise, groups get really big no matter what is done to the gun.

+1

You never said what you consider its best or what you want it to do. A good trigger pull,a load the gun likes,grips that fit your hand,good sights or scope. LOTS OF TIME BEHIND THE GRIPS LEARNING THE GUN AND ITS QUIRKS. Learn to be consistant with grip pressure, trigger press, breath control and how you set the gun up for each shot.. There is no substitute for good practice and learning the gun. . After you have a good trigger a good load and sights THE REST IS ALL ON YOU.

I was just referring to the gun itself. I understand the practice and finding a load the gun likes. I was just reading about action jobs, trigger jobs, head space shims, oversized hinge pins, locker pins, hanger bars. I was just wondering how much is really needed and how much was them trying to sell you stuff.

X2

Get a good trigger job on it ,grips that fit your hands, a good sighting system,and a proven load. Most of us mortals will be very hard pressed to ever shoot up to the guns potential. There are very few who can shoot above the guns potential or know when they do.They are a rare breed. The accuracy potential with YOUR gun is what YOU can do with it holding it in your hand.The bigger the hole and the more powder they burn the harder they are to shoot well.I have Contenders that shoot under a dime on a regular basis .I also have a Contender in 45-70 that I am tickled to death with if I shoot under 2 1/2 in. @ a hundred.

I have several barrels both pistol and rifle. Some will shoot right off the bat and some wont. I had a barrel that was shooting 2" at 100 yards which I considered unacceptable. Mike Belm helped me sort it out. I had to do the hing pin to stop sided to side play. Hanger bar for-end then did the chamber test as he prescribed. Ended up sizing the brass .006" longer. End result .25" groups. Kerry is a great source for encore barrels. Nice guy too.

I've been following this thread closely with plans to implement some of the suggestions on my encore. (new forend, barrel hanger, trigger spring and some polishing) I was also heartened to see the comment 45-70 comment from Junebug. After trying 3 handload flavors and some factory hornady rounds last Saturday, the best I found was a ~4" group at 100 yards, albeit my loads had 5 and 10 grain powder jumps between them (first time to the range with it). I was feeling pretty rusty and crabby until I shot a nice 1" group with my contender and a personal best of 0.82" at 200m with a rifle, both of which i've shot extensively already this year. As they say, practice is key. I might end up looking for a cheaper barrel to shoot in the encore platform.

Tune Up the Trigger.
Get a Forend from Tonys Forends and Grips. I would go with a 12" Standard with Bipod Stud and Pillars. TC should have been putting a forend like that on them from the factory from day one.
Do some thinking about Optics. I went with 2.5 - 7 Burris glass 20 some years ago. With the Burris Forever Warranty, I would more than likely go with Burris on a Scope today. With that said, I am converting to 30mm MatchDot II Red Dot Sights one at a time. The MatchDot has a selection of Dot Sizes, one of the choices being 2 MOA. Mine stays on 2 MOA Dot Size. It helps with Bloom Early and Late. I am a Woods Hunter, and the MatchDot works better than a scope for me.
Get a good cleaning set up. A SS rod with Ball Bearing Handle. Hi Quality Brushes and Jag, and Patches from someone like Sinclair.
Good cleaning habits will keep it shooting. I have not done this yet, but having a Case drilled out for a Chamber Guide should protect the chamber from Rod wear.
Reloading components and good practices will have an effect on accuracy.
If you are working with custom barrels send in a Dummy Round and have the chamber cut for it. Do your reloading research before ordering a barrel. In 2016 for anything Exotic getting your brass before getting the barrel is not a bad plan at all. On my last build I rounded up my Dies, Brass, and the Bullet I planned to use before ordering the barrel. I sent in a Dummy Round with my order.

One last thing. If you go with a G2 Contender get a 22 LR barrel. I use mine a lot for Trigger Time. A K2 Hornet would not be bad either.

Bob

What ever you decide to get a 22 is never a bad idea.[ CLEAN AND SHOOT IT FIRST BEFORE YOU MAKE ANY CHANGES] to the gun. You may find that you take a 1/2 inch shooter and turn it into a 4 in shooter,NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.I have all factory Contender barrels and have never done anything to them but trigger work.My 10 in 30-30 will shoot under a dime with 130 gr speer hp's and has done so since day one [late 70's] Try what you have before you make any changes.