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I just acquired a 20" .460 S & W Katahdin barrel for my Encore. I had called T/C and asked if the pro hunter forend would fit...they said yes. Well, it did but only after a certain amount of fitting. The forend rocked and it was extremely difficult to get the forend screws to catch the barrel thread.

I mounted a Leupold 2 x 7 using an aluminum Leupold weaver style base and steel 4 screw Warne rings. Collimated the scope. First shots hit the ground several feet in front of the 25 yd. target. Not enough reticle travel to hit near the point of aim. Tx'd Leupold who advised shimming but no more than .025". Apparently .001" shim changes POI one inch at 100yds.

.020 shims under the back of the base behind the rear screws resulted in a bend in the scope base and not much reticle movement in the collimator. Fixed both issues with a .010 shim just in front of the rear screw. That raised the rear of the scope enough to adjust elevation to hit POA 2" high at 50 yards.

Fouling was evident in the barrel before I shot it and the 200gr lead free Hornadys are copper fouling as well. Barrel at muzzle did not look rough. Chamber is scored about 2/3 of the way in.

Anyone else have similar experiences with the 20" Katahdin .460 barrel?


Last edited by Aagaardsporter; 11/11/20. Reason: spell
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Was this a new barrel? Be Well, RZ.


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RZ: Yes. Arrived in the T/C display bubble pack and wrapped in factory plastic film. Trying to clean out the copper fouling to see if it's a break in issue. 6 rounds down the barrel so far. Plan on shooting for groups and 100 yard POI this afternoon.

If you (or anyone else on the 'fire) are aware of a history of issues with T/C .460 S&W barrels, I would like to hear. The thought of returning to vendor(not Ed's fault) or shipping it back to T/C has crossed my mind, but I'll shoot it a bit before thinking about crossing that bridge.

I found a user post and a magazine reviewer post each of which described a .460 Katahdin barrel shooting low, beyond reticle adjustment range, with standard scope bases and mounts.

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Mine shot to normal POI without any shims. I used a Leupold Dual Dovetail Base and medium rings. Ditch the flimsy weaver style base and get something solid (made of steel) that can handle the recoil. Bore sight straight down the barrel with the action open. Collimeter? On a barrel you can see straight through? I would never do that. Ditch the shims too. You may need a third ring to keep your scope from slipping due to the recoil. The 460 is a monster.


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The rest of the .460 story(so far): I finally got the fouling cleaned up and found asymmetrical tool marks in the bore near the muzzle. heavy reamer marks on part of the bore and light marks 180 degrees around the bore. The chamber scoring was marking low pressure brass. Sent it back to TC/Smith and Wesson.

SAW provided a new barrel which came a week ago. This barrel had minor chamber scoring but tolerable. Breech OD was .999" at the face and .994" in front of the front base screw holes but still required .020" rear shim. Muzzle showed fouling from test firing. Tight fit on the previously opened up fore arm.

Collimated scope and then checked with bore sighting on target at 80 yards. On Paper with the first shot. Second and third shots at same elevation but several inches lateral distribution. Tightened base and scope ring screws.

Cleaning and close examination of bore at muzzle found HEAVY reamer marks in the grooves and faint marks on top of the lands. Deeper than the first barrel marks. Bronze brush and tight patches sing when pushed down the bore. But the reamer marks appear to be about the same in all the grooves....not asymmetrical.
So, currently shooting one round and cleaning for several break-in cycles with moderate handloads to see what happens. The reamer marks look really bad but if cleaning continues to become easier and if it shoot acceptable groups perhaps the appearance is moot. I'll try to post pictures later.

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What ammo are you shooting? The Hornady 200 gr ftx ammo is erratic. Handloads with heavier bullets work much better as does. 454 Casull ammo.


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Handloads with 300 gr Hornady HP/XTP jacketed hollow pt. 2.5 cc dipper(?33 gr) of imr 4227 or 46 gr CFE BLK. Large rifle primers.

I have some 200 gr Hornady monoflex monolithics with a large hollow point filled with resin. I've only shot one with this barrel....pulverized a small pumpkin offhand at 100 yds. I'm saving these for shooting groups after I do some more break-in/clean shots.

After 7 rounds or so copper fouling seems to be cleaning easier, but I'm also using more Sweets 7.62 on the patches and leaving a wet patch in the muzzle for an hour or so.

I recall seeing a Picatinny rail scope base that had a .020 taper which might be a better choice than the shimmed Leupold base. Also waiting for some 275 gr Barnes spire point monolithics to become available. I have a line on a trade for some large rifle magnum primers after the first of the year.

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I have heard of numerous problems with the TC Katahdin bbl's in 460. Much of what I have heard is that the things are too light to start, and this causes horrendous recoil resulting in flinching among other problems. I am not suggesting that your flinching; however, the recoil does cause problems with mounts and scopes.

I have had several contenders and encores and had an encore rifle in 460 to hunt in the limited zone in Michigan. I no longer hunt in the limited zone. However, I came to the conclusion that weight is your friend if your going to go with the 460 in a rifle. Yes, as the above poster said, the 460 in a rifle is a monster, especially a light one. Especially if you shoot hot loads. I have seen where heavy hitters in the contender and encore snap screws in mounts and rings and forearms, the screws better be tight. The 460 likes to wreck scopes also (even after a few shots). I would recommend as stated above, get a steel base, ditch the shims. I like Warne rings, but if I was going with a stock encore (plastic stocks), I would get Badger Ordnance Rings, those are beasts, heavy and solid. If nothing else get a six screw mount from MGM, or I think Larry Kelly's outfit in Illinois used to sell them and/or mount them for you.

If still enamored with the 460 after messing around with the above, I would order a new bbl from MGM and get the full bull contour at 22 or 24'', then match it with laminated stocks from Boyds that also weigh a ton, put a big heavy scope on it of good quality, then you will have a beast, but you will thank me latter. That is the route I took after much horsing around, similar to your story. Yes you won't be stalking with such as gun, but if your sitting in a blind or stand all day, the weight won't matter. Recoil will be tolerable and you can wring out all that you want from the 460.

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Originally Posted by prarie_creek_station
I have heard of numerous problems with the TC Katahdin bbl's in 460. Much of what I have heard is that the things are too light to start, and this causes horrendous recoil resulting in flinching among other problems. I am not suggesting that your flinching; however, the recoil does cause problems with mounts and scopes.

I have had several contenders and encores and had an encore rifle in 460 to hunt in the limited zone in Michigan. I no longer hunt in the limited zone. However, I came to the conclusion that weight is your friend if your going to go with the 460 in a rifle. Yes, as the above poster said, the 460 in a rifle is a monster, especially a light one. Especially if you shoot hot loads. I have seen where heavy hitters in the contender and encore snap screws in mounts and rings and forearms, the screws better be tight. The 460 likes to wreck scopes also (even after a few shots). I would recommend as stated above, get a steel base, ditch the shims. I like Warne rings, but if I was going with a stock encore (plastic stocks), I would get Badger Ordnance Rings, those are beasts, heavy and solid. If nothing else get a six screw mount from MGM, or I think Larry Kelly's outfit in Illinois used to sell them and/or mount them for you.

If still enamored with the 460 after messing around with the above, I would order a new bbl from MGM and get the full bull contour at 22 or 24'', then match it with laminated stocks from Boyds that also weigh a ton, put a big heavy scope on it of good quality, then you will have a beast, but you will thank me latter. That is the route I took after much horsing around, similar to your story. Yes you won't be stalking with such as gun, but if your sitting in a blind or stand all day, the weight won't matter. Recoil will be tolerable and you can wring out all that you want from the 460.


The above is why I go with 44mag for my light, SS rifle......

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Appreciate all the input.

I ordered an EGW 20 MOA picatinny scope base to replace the shimmed Weave base.
MGM barrels were not available when I set out on this venture.
Encore stock has a factory Limbsaver pad which takes some of the bite out of recoil. Only moderate loads to this point.
Sighted in CFE BLK handloads at 100yards with 3-4 inch 5 shot groups and two pairs touching. The 200 gr Hornady Monoflex was off paper.

Found my small cache of large rifle magnum primers today so will proceed in hope of smaller groups. Now just waiting for Barnes 275 gr monolithics to become available.

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My goal with the .460 is an accurate 150 yard rifle with enough energy at 150yd to knock a deer down and keep it there. Southern Michigan hunting between farm fields and rural residential lots.

My 77/44 shoots ok but the .44 mag starts to piddle out at 100 yards. Sixty yd quartering shot at a doe last year was through and through and knocked her down, but a 100 yd rib cage shoot on a buck this fall only made one hole. He ran close to 80 yd but not in a straight line and stayed on my side of the creek. Moderate .460 loads and similar/heavier bullet weights should be moving along at 100 yds at the same speed as .44 mag muzzle velocity.

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My goal with the .460 is an accurate 150 yard rifle with enough energy at 150yd to knock a deer down and keep it there. Southern Michigan hunting between farm fields and rural residential lots.

My 77/44 shoots ok but the .44 mag starts to piddle out at 100 yards. Sixty yd quartering shot at a doe last year was through and through and knocked her down, but a 100 yd rib cage shoot on a buck this fall only made one hole. He ran close to 80 yd but not in a straight line and fortunately stayed on my side of the creek. Moderate .460 loads and similar/heavier bullet weights should be moving along at 100 yds at the same speed as .44 mag muzzle velocity.

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Birthday brought a Teslong borescope....rigid model. I haven't worked all the bugs out of it, but the first looks down the .460 bore were interesting. It looks like it either wasn't reamed after deep hole drilling or it was reamed with a sawtooth reamer. The grooves all have deep tooling marks at right angle to the axis of the bore. I checked an Encore .308 barrel and could barely make out tooling marks in the grooves, and an older Ruger barrel had none visible.

Regardless, I will try some loads with large rifle magnum primers, 300 gr Hornady XTP and 49 gr CFE BLK.

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So apparently the tooling marks at right angles to the bore axis are broach teeth chatter marks as someone may have noted earlier or on another post.

8/23/21 update. I was fortunate to find a box of Hornady 300 gr XTP MAG bullets earlier in the summer. Had been loading 300gr XTP (not MAG) bullets with disappointing accuracy. Loaded a few rounds with 49 gr CFE BLK and same COAL and shot them today. Three shot1 1/4 inch group at 100yards!!!.

Three shot group is not definitive but this certainly is progress!

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Sorry to hear about the issues with the barrel. I have one also, but haven’t shot it yet. I’m a bit concerned now. Perhaps hand lapping with some compound would help with the fouling? Hand lapping probably won’t completely remove deep tool marks, but it may be worth a try.


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I'd send it back if it's under warranty. Before I did any work on it.

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Back to the range a week later. Added two shots to the 8/23 three shot group and they were inside the 1 1/4" group.

BUT the next 5 rounds walked away from the POI significantly. The Leupold 2 x 7 now rattles when you shake it. I replaced it with a 1 3/4 x 5 Burris with a reticle locking screw. I have to load up some more XTP Mag loads and we'll see how the Burris holds up.

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Back to the range a week later. Added two shots to the 8/23 three shot group and they were inside the 1 1/4" group.

BUT the next 5 rounds walked away from the POI significantly. The Leupold 2 x 7 now rattles when you shake it. I replaced it with a 1 3/4 x 5 Burris with a reticle locking screw. I have to load up some more XTP Mag loads and we'll see how the Burris holds up.

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Hogeye, this is the replacement barrel.

cra1948 had postulated than the tooling marks were from the broach used the cut the rifling. He was right, the last tooth set in the broach chattered. T/C tech guy was not concerned so much about the broach marks as what air gauging might find. I decided not to send the second barrel back until I had a chance to shoot it some. XTP Mags over CFE BLK may provide sufficient accuracy for my needs and the CFE
BLK may keep fouling to a manageable level.

Now that S &W is trying to sell T/C sending this barrel back may not be prudent.

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Put it up for sale and buy a MGM barrel with muzzleloader diameter and stanchions . Buy a laminated stock set with muzzleloader front end , make sure both stocks are wood laminated.


That is if you want to stay with that cartridge, I think a 450 bushmaster would be a whole lot better for your needs.


Good luck with TC service , they haven't built a pro hunter frame since before Covid came on the scene.

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