Went to sight in my Encore today with Barnes 50 cal. TMZ 250 grains. First time trying to put down a clean barrel was really tight. Did manage to seat it. Second try was so tight I could not seat it. Finally brought it home and took the breach plug out and knocked it out the bottom. What was I doing wrong? Got one week before season opens.
Any comments/suggestions welcomed.

Thanks in advance
Steve

You might want to consider the TEZ instead. They load easier and TCs often have tight barrels. If you are using T7 powder, you need to swab between shots to remove the crud ring.

#1, waiting till the week before season to get your ML ready!

Sorry, was being a smartazz

What powder and sabot are you using? You probably will have to switch to a different sabot. Others here can suggest which one works best with that bullet in their T/C. If you're using something other than Blackhorn 209 then subsequent shots without swabbing between will get tighter.

Some T/C bores are just too tight. Your best bet is to buy a pack of bullets with easy load sabots. Both T/C and Hornady make them. The sabots reduce the amount of loading effort by about 50%. I normally buy a 50 pack of Harvester Crush Rib sabots and use Hornady XTP pistol bullets in them.

I could not load the Barnes in my rifle and when I replaced the factory sabot with a Crush Rib, it was not accurate because the bullets were boat tailed.

You need the Harvester Crushed Rib Sabots for the TMZ boat-tail bullets.

https://www.harvestermuzzleloading.com/index.php/products/crush-rib-sabots

Thanks guys, I'' try this as I have some of the sabots.

Steve

Barnes T-EZ and Blackhorn 209 will solve your problems. I have an Encore too and loading the TMZ was not fun at all with Blackhorn and nearly impossible with Triple 7 or Pyrodex.

shoot powerbelts.

I like the Harvester Scorpion PT Gold in 300gr


http://namlhunt.com/mlbullets14.html

Blackhorn and T/C 200gr shockwaves load easy and shoot super. played for sometime with powerbelts and other powder bullet combos. Tried the blackhown and shockwaves one hole groups no loading problems and easy clean up it don't get much better.

I had an Encore once that I could only get the TEZ down in warm weather easily. In cold weather it was nearly impossible. I lost a great buck when I failed to consider that my POI might change significantly as a result. I would make sure your bullets seat easily in the coldest weather you will hunt in. I would also sight it in in weather similar to which you will be hunting.

Easy-loading plastic sabots have been on the market for at least 14-15 years now. Even members here without computers 14-15 years ago could have sought help in solving their tight bore concerns.

In my early years of ML'ing (1992), I often sought-out ML shooters at local outdoor gun ranges and picked their brains on ways to improve my ML shooting, storage and cleaning concerns.

I'm still learning things about this sport, almost 23 years later. This year I studied hard on the benefits of having all-copper sabot/bullets and Blackhorn 209 powder. I am grateful to all the ML messageboard members at various websites for all that valuable information.

Surely, at some point in 2016, I will be shooting Lehigh Defense copper bullets, which are already drawing rave reviews from early harvest reports this year. So study-up on plastic sabots and where to buy them. I have 7-8 different plastic sabot containers, stuffed in an empty 8" high-tops work-boot shoebox in my basement. Part of this Ml'ing business is having all kinds of supplies to tweak our accuracy and ensure good ignition.

Link Lehigh Control Fracture and Penetrator bullets