Just like my doctor checking all my vital signs, looking in the nooks and crannies in a physical exam, I am doing the same but with a new rifle and detailing my findings.

The T/C Encore® Pro-Hunter™ Complete Rifle has a history of success. It is such a well thought out firearm that can be a muzzle loader, today, a Rifle or Shotgun tomorrow or even a Pistol if you purchase the grips and barrel.

https://www.tcarms.com/firearms/interchangeable-platforms/encore-pro-hunter/t-c-encore-pro-hunter-complete-centerfire-firearms

The work horse of the gun is the core trigger/hammer and its Encore housing. In early rifles this was called the lock mechanism as in Flintlock or Caplock and mates to a single shot rifle, a shotgun or a pistol with stock or grip and forearm. The lower tang on the trigger housing is a lever you must pull to open the breech. This trigger breaks at 7 lb 8 oz.

The muzzle loader 28 inch barrel is called the Endeavor 209×50 cal Magnum and sports an innovative, state of the art metallic looking Weather Shield® exterior coating that is nearly impervious to rust and patented Speed Breech XT® . It is a visual work of fine engineering and machinist art with the breech plug that removes simply with a 90 degree twist for easy cleaning. Note: Ambidextrous Swing Hammer®.

I fired a bench rest shot yesterday at 100 yards with open sights and hit a 4 inch target on the first shot. I opened the breech and pulled the speed breech plug with a twist of my hand to clean the barrel with no effort. Below is the grip side of the speed breech.

You pull the black decapping arm rearward about 1/4 inch and it can be rotated to the right and out of the way so the plug can be rotated to its removal align marks and pulled out of the barrel. Marvelous!

Note the hammer above can be adjusted right or left. Another great feature!

Loading powder and bullet is accomplished by placing a powder charge in the barrel then a bullet and using the ramrod and extended threaded loading/cleaning jag to drive the bullet down to seat firmly on the powder or a cleaning patch.

For ease of loading in the field or at the range, the muzzle has no initial rifling for the first inch (see barrel below without rifling at the muzzle) so that it can cradle and align the bullet as it is placed in the muzzle with your fingers. Nice! No more fumbling for a faster reload and proper bullet alignment.

The Jag (below) is not part of the ramrod it must be carried separately. Without this Jag the rifle cannot be loaded so don’t lose it! I would order another spare Jag just in case. I ordered a Hoppe’s 410 shotgun bore snake with embedded bore brush for fast cleaning. The 410 shotgun bore is 45 caliber in size.

The loading ramrod below has a swivel T handle to aid in seating the bullet.

At the range, I put a 300 grain Hornady bullet through my chronograph with 100 grains of Black Powder substitute and it registered 1655 fps. That equates to over 1840 ft-lb at the  muzzle and deer killing energy to 200 yards with that load.

The rifle instruction manual for the muzzle loader has recipes for both powder pellets and for loose powder that go up to 150 grains of powder equivalent and bullets up to 400 grains. Wow!

The stock has a recoil tamer built in to it called Flex Tech where recoil on the stock is absorbed by the recoil pad which extends up the grey radial marks on the stock.

If you like a lighter trigger that is the only thing an owner might do is to have a gunsmith tune the trigger to your liking. I have two TC scope mount bases (not part of the rifle) coming and a 30-06 barrel so we can really see the accuracy of the rifle and its versatility.

The muzzle loader is balanced at 8.25 lbs. much more than I I would have thought with a 28 inch barrel and not overly front heavy as some muzzle loaders can be.

The excellent attributes of this rifle are many as we can see above. Minor weaknesses in this Muzzle Loader Rifle are the heavy trigger and the unattached non storing Jag. Both can be remedied with a trigger job and a butt stock storage pouch.

To date I have just completed mounting a Leupold Scope using a 7429 T/C Encore mount base to use with weaver rings and added a Fox Tactical ™ butt stock cheek rest and storage pouch.

I am going to the range today to see what accuracy I can obtain for the upcoming accuracy test report.

Shoot Straight and Shoot Often!

© 2016

The TC Encore Pro-Hunter Rifle with 50 cal. muzzle loader barrel arrived at my local FFL dealer fully assembled and ready to shoot. This Pro-Hunter model can also change barrels to center-fire ammo. I have a 30-06 barrel on its way for testing with it. The TC brand, as you know, is part of Smith and Wesson.

Out of the Box – Shots with fiber optic sights

The Pro Hunter does not come with a scope mount but is set up with fiber optic sights. Accessories include a flat wrench to open the breech and a Allen wrench to adjust the hammer angle to accommodate a scope.

I measured trigger pull at 7 lb 8 oz.with my Lyman Electronic Trigger Pull Gauge, very heavy indeed.  I set up at target at 25 yards and stoked it with 100 grains of black powder substitute and a 300 grain Hornady saboted bullet to the target at 25 yards and later at 50 yards. I bench rested the rifle.  See below. The first shot hit 3 inches low at 25 yards so I raised the rear sight 4 clicks and hit 1 inch low. Then moved to 50 yards and shot again and hit 3 inches low but on center and made an adjustment and hit the same spot low again. Recoil was very manageable. So I adjusted up another three clicks up on the rear sight and twinned the one inch low shot. Though the trigger pull is heavy it was smooth and broke clean.

What I discovered is that to fire each shot, I had to pull the ramrod and screw in the brass extention Jag from my pocket. Unfortunately there is no place to store the Jag on the rifle where it could otherwise be misplaced or lost. The good part is that there is no rifling for the first inch or so of the bore so the bullet and sabot could be inserted into the barrel tip easily.

Below the user end of the rifle is handsome indeed. Out of the box accuracy is very good with the fiber optic sights. Much More soon…

© 2016

Today’s hunter wants it all in a great rifle. Custom shops hummed in years past to make your trigger crisp and adjustable, your barrel float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. The custom shop or you the shooter swaps out your hard buttplate for a state of the art recoil absorbing rubber pad. All of this for say, $2400 in wood. But you can’t afford that…so… .

So along comes Ruger who with American know-how, engineers a rifle from the ground up with all of the same Custom shop attributes for under $500 dollars. Yes, you heard that right!!  Custom attributes are already there. Like the…

Ruger Marksman Adjustable Trigger

Four shot Magazine

Power Bedding Block System

Crafted soft buttpad for Maximum Recoil Reduction

Even a threaded barrel for future devices such as flash or noise suppressors.

Easy to Actuate Tang Safety (shown in the Fire position)

as above in an ergonomically designed synthetic stock and more with Patent Pending Power Bedding, Integral bedding block system which “positively locates the receiver and free-floats the barrel for outstanding accuracy.

The bolt is a one piece, three lug bolt with a 70° throw is part of the new Ruger American design and provides easy cycling from the shoulder. Even the bolt has a serial #.

I have shot rapid fire with my .243 Winchester version.  The rotary magazine is a synthetic and fits flush with the stock. I would opt to buy a second magazine as a backup if you misplace it.

All for under $500 dollars.

The rifle has exceptional balance and at 6.6 pounds a dream to carry all day long in the back woods as it has swivel studs for a sling.

Who is this rifle made for? It is made for young and old, expert and beginner. This Rifle was made for you and me! And its affordable!!

Ok so is there a downside to the rifle? Yes… If you don’t own one! That is the only downside.

Good Hunting!

© 2016