It's that time again when I get the itch to buy a new barrel for my Encore. I am really thinking about a 12-inch .480 Ruger barrel with a peep rear and a fireglow front sight. I was also thinking about a 12-inch .375 JDJ or a 12-inch .338 Federal. Does anyone have any thoughts or experiences to share? What is the recoil like on a 12-inch .375 JDJ without a muzzle brake? I have a .308 barrel and a .350 rem mag barrel w/ a muzzle brake. Thanks for the input.

i have a 12"480 bbl and i think the recoil is not that bad as long as you load to the same speed of the factory ammo ,i have some 325 xtp's loaded to top book load that i'll only shoot one or two rounds and call it a day....

460 s&w...that way you have 3 different guns,the 460,plus it will shoot 454 casull and 45 colt ammo...jim257

I think the 375JDJ, 460 or even a 500S&W would add to your collection nicely. The 375 without a brake can be managed with the right load, but can be hurtful when loaded for Bear. Are you looking for a up-close and personal or a 200yd Elk killer? BTW-what is a 338 Federal?

338 Federal. Well Federal took a 308, necked it up to 338 caliber and put thier name on the bottom of the case. Ruger and S&W have cartridges with thier names on so I guess federal wanted a piece of the action too.

I have a 15" 375 jdj w/o a brake I traded for here, shot it with TC factory 220gr ammo and some 270gr commercial reloads. The recoil is slightly more than my 444 15" with a brake, sharp straight back push. It lets you know you just fired a real gun. Looking forward to trying it on some large ferral pigs.