Post by Bullshop on Mar 16, 2021 18:54:07 GMT -7
I haven't been spending much time here lately so will ramble on a bit about what I have been up to. A while back I mentioned that my heavy varmint rifles are getting to be too much for me to pack on coyote hunts so I was pondering some ideas on how to lighten the package but not give up any or at least not much range capability.
Since that time an auction came up on gun broker that seemed like a good opportunity to move forward with the idea. There was a large lot of Encore and Contender parts that I found interesting. There were a total of nine barrels seven contender and two encore plus a lot of misc. Several of the barrels were scoped and there was also a SS contender frame with Pachmayer grip and two Pachmayer fore ends.. After a little head scratching I bought the lot at $2,000.00
The idea was that if I sold off all I didnt want I could get back most of the money and get a heck of a good price on what I got to keep. I already had an encore frame but I had been wanting to add a contender. The only barrel I had for the encore was a 209x50 which I wanted to sell. The 209x50 is possibly the most overbuilt ML ever made and accurate too but for me I prefer a traditional cap lock ML.
So skipping through all the selling details what I got back from the $2,000.00 investment is $1,600.00 cash and what I retained is the original encore frame with two barrels. One is MGM 220 swift and one is TC custom shop heavy contour 250 Savage wit threaded break and both scoped with low end but decent varmint scopes.
I also now have a SS contender frame with three fore ends and two of the early light weight barrels one in 222 and one in 25-35. On the handgun barrels I only want iron sights, no scopes and both these barrels have original sights. Still have a couple TC padded gun cases as well. All in all I feel like its a good haul for my time investment and $400.00
Now here is the bonus that the 220 Swift barrel at 24" length has a 1/8" rifling twist rate so will handle the heavy high BC bullets for long range shooting. The encore now has the flex tech stock set instead of the much heavier laminate wood set it had.
This is about what I had in mind for a walkabout coyote rifle weight . I tried my 70gn swaged bullets made with Sierra jackets and it shot those really well. I also tried some of the Sierra 80gn bullets and they shot fair but not great but no real load development took place so that is likely to change and they may also shoot to satisfaction.
The 250 Savage barrel is just a blast to shoot and it is shooting cast very well. With the muzzle break I can spot my shots so no guess work after a miss.
As for the contender barrels they both required the front sight be raised substantially because with the rear sight adjusted as low as they would go they were both still hitting a good 15" high at 50 yards .
Mission accomplished on the front sight raising and they are now in the middle of the adjustment range for the rear sights and hitting dead on at 50 yards. What I did with those is what I did with my old 1869 TD in 50-70. I used a thick copper wire cut to the length of the sight top surface, filed the bottom flat and soldered them to the tops of the existing front sights. I then shaped the copper to an inverted V for a fine aiming point kind of like an original Mauser front sight. This is working very good and is a solid bond that holstering will not break. Gophers to 50 yards are in a world of hurt with either of those now
The 25-35 as I expected it might likes the heavier weight bullets from 100 to 117 but I have no real disappointment in that as I might someday want to point it at something larger than a gopher. The 222 is like all 222's it is not at all finicky shooting well with any bullets from 38 to about 60gn with adjusted loads.
All in all I am pleased and satisfied with the whole deal as is but now can also add calibers or chamberings at a not unreachable cost. Yes Sir I think this is exactly what I had in mind!
Since that time an auction came up on gun broker that seemed like a good opportunity to move forward with the idea. There was a large lot of Encore and Contender parts that I found interesting. There were a total of nine barrels seven contender and two encore plus a lot of misc. Several of the barrels were scoped and there was also a SS contender frame with Pachmayer grip and two Pachmayer fore ends.. After a little head scratching I bought the lot at $2,000.00
The idea was that if I sold off all I didnt want I could get back most of the money and get a heck of a good price on what I got to keep. I already had an encore frame but I had been wanting to add a contender. The only barrel I had for the encore was a 209x50 which I wanted to sell. The 209x50 is possibly the most overbuilt ML ever made and accurate too but for me I prefer a traditional cap lock ML.
So skipping through all the selling details what I got back from the $2,000.00 investment is $1,600.00 cash and what I retained is the original encore frame with two barrels. One is MGM 220 swift and one is TC custom shop heavy contour 250 Savage wit threaded break and both scoped with low end but decent varmint scopes.
I also now have a SS contender frame with three fore ends and two of the early light weight barrels one in 222 and one in 25-35. On the handgun barrels I only want iron sights, no scopes and both these barrels have original sights. Still have a couple TC padded gun cases as well. All in all I feel like its a good haul for my time investment and $400.00
Now here is the bonus that the 220 Swift barrel at 24" length has a 1/8" rifling twist rate so will handle the heavy high BC bullets for long range shooting. The encore now has the flex tech stock set instead of the much heavier laminate wood set it had.
This is about what I had in mind for a walkabout coyote rifle weight . I tried my 70gn swaged bullets made with Sierra jackets and it shot those really well. I also tried some of the Sierra 80gn bullets and they shot fair but not great but no real load development took place so that is likely to change and they may also shoot to satisfaction.
The 250 Savage barrel is just a blast to shoot and it is shooting cast very well. With the muzzle break I can spot my shots so no guess work after a miss.
As for the contender barrels they both required the front sight be raised substantially because with the rear sight adjusted as low as they would go they were both still hitting a good 15" high at 50 yards .
Mission accomplished on the front sight raising and they are now in the middle of the adjustment range for the rear sights and hitting dead on at 50 yards. What I did with those is what I did with my old 1869 TD in 50-70. I used a thick copper wire cut to the length of the sight top surface, filed the bottom flat and soldered them to the tops of the existing front sights. I then shaped the copper to an inverted V for a fine aiming point kind of like an original Mauser front sight. This is working very good and is a solid bond that holstering will not break. Gophers to 50 yards are in a world of hurt with either of those now
The 25-35 as I expected it might likes the heavier weight bullets from 100 to 117 but I have no real disappointment in that as I might someday want to point it at something larger than a gopher. The 222 is like all 222's it is not at all finicky shooting well with any bullets from 38 to about 60gn with adjusted loads.
All in all I am pleased and satisfied with the whole deal as is but now can also add calibers or chamberings at a not unreachable cost. Yes Sir I think this is exactly what I had in mind!
