# T/C Encore & Contender - accuracy tips



## jmoser (Sep 11, 2002)

If anyone shoots a T/C Encore you should benefit from a few tips I just learned. I bought the 209 x 50 muzzleloader, shoots great. Then I tried a factory .223 Varmint bbl with the factory camo synthetic forearm and was less than pleased  with initial accuracy using quality factory ammo. After some internet research I learned a few key points:

- You need to sand the forend to remove tight spots that hit the bbl/frame (I called T/C and a tech told me to lay the forearm over the mounting holes, put thumbs on the holes and if it 'rocks' back and forth then there is a high spot that must be removed - this is the first thing to check. Mine rocked a LOT.) I used a 3/4" wood dowel wrapped with sandpaper, now my forend is free floating everywhere except the 2 mounting screw pillars.

- You need to measure the bbl to frame gap with a feeler gauge to determine optimum headspace (a piece of paper or aluminum foil works well but you need calipers to measure the .001" - .004" thickness.)

- You must handload using full length resizing to match measured headspace (neck sizing only results in overlength cases - they stick out too far and stress against the frame - vertical stringing is a sure sign of this.)

- You can get oversized hinge pins to take out 'slop' in lockup (If you can push out the pin without a hammer then you have some slop.)

- You can get stronger bbl lug springs to further improve lockup

- You can get lighter trigger/sear springs for improved trigger pull

Check out Mike Bellm's great site at Bellmtcs.com - Mike sells the springs / pins and his site links to forums where there is a wealth of great info from dedicated Encore / Contender shooters. I am not a paid endorser - just a VERY satisfied customer. For $50 in parts (could have spent $25 but ordered some extras) I got a priceless improvement in accuracy. Last night I shot a 5/8" 8-shot group at 100 Meters (109 Yards) with my first batch of handloads, optimized loads will probably get even better.  This is a factory T/C bbl - not an expensive custom job.

Never would have gotten there without the info from Mike's site and the forums. Bellm's site has a lot of in-depth articles about how to measure the headspace and you can download (free) his excellent trigger job 'how-to' guide. (With a new spring and some light stoning of the sear I have a benchrest trigger [not for hunting] that breaks crisply at ~ 12 Oz.) Just changing the spring can get you a great improvement over the factory trigger - I found that even a little stoning of the sear takes a lot off of the pull.

Good Luck, hope this info helps out.


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