Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Encore barrel length

Hello folks, wading in on the Ruger #1 questions with this one:

Anyone have any comments on the balance and handling of an Encore with a standard weight barrel in an 18~20" length? 308/30-06.

I have a couple of Encores and I like them a lot. Just got a new stainless .280. They are ok to handle and they shoot very well. Mine are exceptional with the right loads. They are not as comfortable to carry, at least to me, as most rifles, especailly the Ruger #1 & #3. They balance ok but the receiver is kinda chunky and they do lay good and flat on your back when slung. They offer great versatility and used barrels are easy to find at good prices. IMHO, I think an 18" or 20" barrel would be a little whippy.

Personally I would go with a heavy taper for the 20". An 18", heavy or bull.

You can make a rough comparison between barrel length and contours by finding an online steel weight calculator and using TC's custom shop barrel dimensions. I subtract 5.75"(?) from the overall length of all the barrels I'm comparing to eliminate the chamber and initial taper (it'll make sense when you see TC's diagram).

So I happen to have a 24" 260 barrel that balances well and I wanted to figure out what contour with a 338 bore would be the closest match. Plug in the numbers and viola, a 20" in heavy taper with a .338 bore was just a smidge heavier so that's what I would choose.

I like 22-24" for my encore barrels.

I also highly recommend Match Grade Machine barrels. they shoot great.

Thanks guys, bbl length balances well with the 24" bbl (std contour) then.

The 26" sporter weight suits me just fine but only available from the T-C custom shop.

Doc