I emailed Prophet River about getting a new TC Encore receiver. $625 and 6 to 9 weeks.

I will be ordering it tomorrow.

I will be ordering a 24 inch 6.5 Grendel barrel from MGM as well. I want to get the larger frame, should I decide to get a higher pressure cartridge.

Ugly as sin but, at least for me, amazing ergonomics. You'll want lightweight hammer spur extension if you put a scope on it.

Hey evnin Steve Bill here. This is crazy, I'm in the process of making a deal on an encore. It's a blued version, 50cal BP. There going to give me a credit for the BP bbl. as I don't need another hobby. So it's working out that I get the action & the wood butt stock for $3.50. Hoping to order a 17 fireball bbl. Says there available??? Not sure? I can't find them anywhere ? Didn't look at MGM though, we'll see. Hopefully I don't end up with an action & a bbl. in some caliber I don't want. Want a fast, low noise, truck gun for long range black birds, & other stuff to. Good luck on your order!!! It's a pain ordering stuff up here in Cunukastan. I'm out. 🐾👣🇨🇦

Bill, talk with Ron at nine35.ca. He imports Encore and Contender barrels and has some used barrels on his site. You can get a 17 FB. Match Grade Machine offers that chambering.

I just got the invoice from Prophet River. I will fire off some money in the morning. I have a 4.5x14 Burris scope on the shelf. It might be a bit too much, but I already have it.

I went with a G2 because the cartridges I'm eyeballing are small ones. Goodness knows I already have enough deer rifles for someone at this "stage" in life. My new Grendel is a Howa, so no worries there on strength. The G2 frame is about a pound lighter, I believe.

The .17 Hornet is currently in the lead, especially after re-discovering MuleDeer's piece on reduced loads. He lists a couple that turn it into a Mach 2, with better accuracy in his rifle than I'm getting with my real one and current ammo. The CF will give me some control over that, and lots of speed in reserve. MGM also has a nifty .45 caliber ML barrel that should come in at a lot less weight than most. I'm also considering a .357 Max, a pretty versatile number for around here.

I also am signed up for one of the new First Generation Contenders by Lehigh Defense. The arrival date for that project has slipped a couple of times, though. Currently it's June.

Best of luck with your project. I know you've had some trials lately.

I was looking for a Ruger American or a Howa in 6.5 Grendel, but Canada is a wasteland for Grendels and other things. I have said this before, but we are like the poor cousins, living in the hills.

The best price I could get for a Ruger American Predator was $689 CDN. Now, by the time I pay for the barrel, the TC Pro Hunter will end up costing about $1350 CDN - double what the Predator or the Howa would cost, but if I decide to get another chambering in the future, I have the frame.

Yes, the issues I have had are strictly because I am in Canada. Parts and repairs have to be handled differently. I could switch into old guy mode and wish for the good old days, but there are a lot of things now that are miles ahead of what we once had. That said, it still torques me that I can't just pick up the phone and call TC, MGM or Bullberry. That's a PITA.

I will be interested in seeing your Lehigh Contender. That's just the barrel, right?

Gen 1 frame, type (rifle or pistol) unspecified, so I can do either or both.

I'm hoping it doesn't turn out to be vaporware.

I hope not either. You see something that interests you. They tease you. They yank the carpet out from under you. 🤔

Update:

The Pro Hunter frame is now ordered from Prophet River. 6.5 Grendel brass received from Prophet River as well. 6 to 9 weeks away for the frame.

1. Redding 6.5 Grendel Type S Bushing 3 die set on the way from Midsouth Shooter's Supply. This is the body die, seating die and neck sizer bushing die.

2. Game Reaper scope rings/mount order from Canada Brass.

...



6.5 Grendel (left) 7.62x39mm (right)

Steve :
Have you ever tried the Redding carbide size button, I use them in my Redding 6.5 Grendel dies. Sure helps to cut down on drag when expanding the neck. Redding part # 48263, Midsouth has them as a stock item.

Hi. No, I never have. That would have been a viable option. I should have described the die set better. It's a Type S NS bushing die set. I amended my previous post.

Update on the Grendel.

I am still waiting on the frame and barrel for the Grendel. Barring something COVID related that slows down delivery, the frame should be here within the next two weeks. The barrel very shortly thereafter. I am putting this 1980s vintage Leupold 4x33 scope in it. I bought this from a Campfire member for a great price. I sent it into Korth in Okotoks for a once over. One new erector assy later, it's ready to be used.

This model has the older friction type adjustments and a duplex reticle. A simple, fixed.power scope with nice glass.

P.S. Don't tell anyone on the Hunting Scopes section of the board!

Perish the thought!

I don't have a lot of variety with scope brands, but Loopys are prominent. Mostly older fixed low power things. They are equaled in number by the El Paso Weaver K2.5 and 3X. I do have one Unertl 12x and a couple or three of those long tube old school target scopes. And peeps. Lotsa peeps.....

Dan;
Top of the morning to you sir - you too Steve!

I hope all is well you both of you esteemed members and your respective yours as well.

Now I know who the other guy buying all the K2.5 and K3 is!!!

For a good long while I'd buy every one I saw at the local gun shows. They were a perfect .22 scope and made wonderful gifts for deserving family and friends who '"needed" a better scope than they'd found at the Canadian Tire in the "made in China" blister pack.

Maybe it's the same guy, but one of the 3X went to a chap in Alberta when I picked it up to get a big old post reticle installed. It's mounted on one of the yard pest control units - all of which are .22 rimfire stoked with CCI Velocitors. I was so impressed with how Velocitors killed coyotes I emailed the factory and sent a tip of the battered Bailey to them. I want to say I'm up to 8 one shot kills on coyotes with Velocitors. One was the biggest Okanagan male I've personally killed, the rest average to small.

Oh, I guess the last one needed a second application come to think of it.. still an amazing record for a little rimfire round considering the coyotes I've hit with a .30-06 that went hill and dale prior to realizing they were well and truly dead.

Lastly on the older Leupolds with the friction adjustments, on rifles that are "set and forget" they're at the top of my list because of the generous eye box.

On my "bigger stuff" rifle - a Liberty Model Ruger 77 in .308 Norma, I installed a friction adjusting 6x42 Leupold. Last season while sighting in with my No 1 hunting partner and eldest daughter, she commented - "How many seasons since you've had to touch that scope Dad?" When we sat and chewed on that problem, it had to be a dozen seasons of being dragged around the local BC mountains in all conditions - so I'll admit that's satisfactory behavior in my estimation.

Anyway gentlemen, more or less I just wanted to bid you both a good day and say stay well to you all.

Dwayne

Well, one of the things we deal with down here is rather limited opportunity to shoot game as long distance unless one is staked out watching an ag field. I hunt the swamps and creek/river bottom country and seldom have need to shoot beyone 75 yards. Not to say I haven't mind you, it's just not that common. So......the low powered scopes and rainbow trajectories have a home in my world.

Example #1


It does OK, all things considered. The Sneezer version, pictured above:


The .22 Short version that has no muffler.



Well, I could go on and on, but this last one was done with the Contender .30-30 and a Weaver K2.5. Not much left to say...


Oh, wait a minute. One of my other scopes!

That's a great looking rifle, Dan. How does it shoot?

The frame is now on the way from Prophet River. It took a little longer than what they originally expected, but I suspect the mail delay is COVID related.

I just received the MGM barrel today. I have had the frame for about a month. Everything is now sitting in my "On deck" pile.

Steve, if ya see this let's hear all the new loads for the encor in 6.5 picks, weight, bbl length, assuracy, overall length, & anything else I've missed. My deal fell through. Thinking more about the contender now, have to get serious here soon. Let us know pleas, Bill out. 🐾👣🇨🇦

I will, but I haven't even assembled it yet. I have all the parts, including scope mounts, several scopes from which to choose, components, etc. I have a book that COVID slowed, so I have to keep pushing on it for a fall release.

The Grendel barrel is 24 inches long, SS, and has a 1 inch bull barrel. I will know sometime in the future how it shoots. I am probably going to shoot some Prvi 120 gr HPBTs to play with the rifle at first, but that won't be until the fall I think.

Ok Steve I'll look forward to hearing about it! Thanks Bill out. 🐾👣🇨🇦

There will be a slight delay, Bill. I have to order up a stock set from Boyds.

Steve, that ol’ caplock does well. 10 shot string measure at 200 yds runs about 16” with a 15-20 mph crosswind.

Good luck with your new shooter!

It sure looks nice, so it shoots as nice as it looks!

Thanks. I ordered a Boyds stock set. i wanted applejack, but they didn't have any, so I went with pepper. (Gray/black) Hopefully, it will look good with the stainless.

Looks like a good project. I got this 30-30 barrel and need to look at the chamber. Someone said they chambered some of them without any taper (lead) into the rifling. More details before getting the barrel threaded and shooting. Be Well, RZ.

Have fun with the barrel. Since it isn't threaded, you can get it throated easily, if needed.

No, you don't. That is why they redesigned the spur so that it can be rotated. Think about it, if the spur was fine with a hammer extension, don't you think T/C would have simply endorsed it?

I tried it on an original Encore frame & it broke my spur off in short order.