Guys, I'm new to the Encore world. I have a new SS frame here to start with. I am looking for the best, for the money, components to complete the pistol. It will be used mostly for WT deer hunting. Shots will be in the 25-100 yard range in situations from tree stand hunting to box blinds. I already load for 308, 7-08, 260, 243 and 223AI. I'd like to stick with ones of these rounds.

Please point me in the right direction for purchasing the right stuff from good guys. Looking for:

grip/forend
scope for described purpose
scope mounting hardware
barell
and...????

Thanks guys.

Chris

It is tough to outdo the good ole .308 for all-purpose at the ranges you hunt. Set a Burris 2-7 with A/O in Burris Signature Zee rings on a Stratton or Warne base on a Match Grade Machine (MGM) custom barrel and go kill something.

Maybe something like this very close the the described above.

http://www.handgunhunt.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=1559

http://www.handgunhunt.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=1546

The only thing I would add is that the 308 will not be enough you will have to get someting a little bigger to shoot those 180-200gr bullets and then you will need something to shoot those 70-80 grain pills. So go ahead and get another 2-7 to put on the 338 Federal Barrel and a 3-12 Burris to go on the .243 barrel.

Well then comes the real problems ---You begin looking at the wheel guns and next thing you know you have a Super Blackhawk Hunter in 45 Colt.

Well you get the point

This is a bad place to hang out

X2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And, get yourself some nice Georgia Jim, or Otter, or Tony, or........custom furniture to make it your own. The Encore (factory) grips are pretty fat and the reach to the trigger a bit long for my hands. Most of these guys can make the grip geometry tailored for your hand.

For whitetail I would choose the 260 rem or the 7-08 any day over the 308, but that is just my personal preference.

Lower recoil and more than enough horsepower to do the job extremely well.

For a hunting gun I'm not a big fan of fancy wood.

Also...a custom barrel is NOT needed. Some of my factory barrels shoot as well as my customs. Really now...you are shooting deer at under 100yds, not gnats at 400yds. What kind of practical field difference will a .5" versus .75" group at 100yds really make? None.........

I'm a big fan of the 7-08.....a factory 15" barrel, Weaver base, Burris Signature rings, 2-7X Burris (or Bushnell 2-6X if funds are tight), and Pachmyer grip/forearm would be my Encore combo.

I could not agree more. This place has cost me plenty of money but I love it!!!!!!! Good Luck!

Ditto on what Dan said.
I would go even further to say that with a factory new or used barrel, that even if it would only group 2 inches @ 100 yards, it is more than sufficient for your goal of 100 yard whitetails. That animal cannot tell the difference between a 2MOA handgun @ 100 yards from a .25 MOA @ 100 YARDS.
I believe you will get better accuracy than that from a factory barrel, but there is no sense in spending money where you don't need it.

Now that is comming from a guy who just shot a Mule Deer and a Speed Goat in Southern California from a Wyoming zip code. (OK maybe not that far but it was a long long way!)

Just a note on the T/C vs the custom tube. New T/C barrel is about $225 and you get no scope hardware. You can get a Custom MGM in Stainless for about $285 with a steel MGM base TYD for the extra $60 I will take the better blank and the custom finish.

Now if you can find a used T/C barrel for $150-$175 you are getting in the $100 range and that will buy lots of bullets and powder or a full tank of Gas for your Hybrid in D.C.

a custom barrel is definately not needed, and like dan, i've got factory barrels that shoot as well as a custom........but then again, i've got custom tubes that didn't cost $20 more than a factory barrel, and can be had in mere weeks.

given a reasonable choice....custom it is.

a .243, 260, or 7-08 are excellent deer guns. i have a factory 15" 7-08, and it is a keeper.

ditto to dan's suggested 2x7 burris scope, and 2x6 bushnell trophy on a budget.
for a base and rings, i prefer a weaver base with 3 leupold vertical split rings(3 not 100% necessary, but hold n look good).

I wondered if someone would nab me on that

IF, I was buying a Encore barrel, it would have different parameters than someone who wants a barrel for deer @ 100 yards and under.
MGM would be one of my go to company's too.
I wanted to emphasize that depending on what was needed, you don't have to break the piggy bank, to be successful in the field.

Now if I wanted precision, horsepower, and accuracy all in one for the best price, I would go with a MOA Maximum.

Thanks guys for all the feedback so far. Learning a lot.

308 would be my choice because it will handle larger game on future hunts. It dosent matter where you start, once you get the bug you can't stop anyway.