The DIY Hunter

Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter with EGW Rail and 1x20 Nikon Scope

Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter with EGW Rail, one-inch medium height Weaver 4 screw tactical bases and 1x20 Nikon scope.


Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 100 yard group

Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 100 yard group with a 1x20 Nikon Scope, Hornady 250 Gr SST bullets and two Triple Se7en pellets.


200 yard shots with a 1x20 Nikon Scope, Hornady 250 Gr SST bullets and two Triple Se7en pellets

Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 200 yard shots with a 1x20 Nikon Scope, Hornady 250 Gr SST bullets and two Triple Se7en pellets.

I always loved the muzzleloader season in Utah back in the day when you could hunt in November. Since they moved the season to the end of September I haven't been as fond of it.

This year I didn't draw my first choice of hunting with a rifle for mule deer here in Utah. So hunting with a muzzleloader was my second option. Knowing how hard I work to get into areas to hunt I decided it was time to step up from my CVA muzzleloader to something better. After mulling over all the different muzzleloaders on the market I finally decided the Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter was what I felt would best fit my needs, within the price range I could come up with the funds for.

Sportsman's Warehouse had both camo and black stainless version in the rack and I walked out with the black one for $680.

Trying to decide on what powder, the charge, and bullets has been a challenge. There are a lot of options... To start with I tried going with two Triple Seven pellets of powder behind a 250 Gr Hornady SST sabot bullet. This had pretty decent accuracy considering I am restricted to a one power scope in Utah.

Deciding optics has been an interesting challenge. There are very few options in the one power range, especially when it comes to a turret that you can dial in the shot. Yes, I would like to range the deer at 185 yards, dial in the scope and take the shot.

I ultimately chose the Nikon 1x20 scope but the other two options were a Vortex 1x scope and a Night Force 1x scope that is custom-built for Gun Werks. The Night Force would be the best but not for $1700. Not a chance for me to get.

I went back and forth between the Vortex and Nikon. Ultimately I went with the Nikon because I already had one from my old CVA and I felt the optics were a little clearer. Neither scope is exactly what I would like. I feel that both scopes have way to heavy of cross hairs. The cross hairs cover up a six inch circle at 100 yards. I wish they would make the cross hairs ultra fine with an illumination option for low light conditions like on the Vortex Viper PST scopes.

After getting an EGW rail and Weaver four screw tactical rings for my X-Bolt last year and loving them I decided to get some from SWFA.com for my new muzzleloader.

After doing some more research I am going to try Triple Seven FFG loose powder with these bullets. I think I will start with this powder in a 100 grain charge on my next trip to the range.

In July of 2014 I was back out to Spirit Ridge Rifle Golf course. I have learned a few things from shooting the course in 2013 and was ready to have fun and learn some more.

As I did in 2013 with a 243 WSSM Model 1885, I shot the Masters course which has most targets in the 500 to 1000 yard range.

This time out I shot my Winchester Model 1885 in 270 WSM. I had recently worked up a very accurate load with 150 Gr Berger VLD Hunting bullets and was ready to shoot the Master's Course.

The highlight of the day was when I hit the small plate at 1000 yards. This was pretty cool. I just missed the target on my first shot and was able to catch the point of impact in my scope so I then held for the slight adjustment and smacked the steel on my next shot at 1000 yards. Way fun!

Shooting the course was fun as usual. I was shooting a little high all day long and after some investigation into the reason I found it to be the barometric pressure. I learned a very important lesson from this trip. Using a default barometric pressure in my Strelok ballistics app will not give me accurate results on the amount of adjustment I needed to dial in the shot with my Vortex Viper HS LR 4-16x50 rifle scope.

I had no idea the barometric pressure made such a difference and I found that it really does when you start shooting out past 500 yards.

I'll be better prepared for next time.

270 WSM Berger VLD Hunting Bullet

My very accurate  hand loaded 270 WSM Berger VLD Hunting Bullets.

 

Model 1885 in 270 WSM at Spirit Ridge

My Winchester Model 1885 in 270 WSM sporting a Vortex Viper HS LR 4-16x50 scope with the 1000 yard club cap I received for hitting the 1000 yard target.

 

The DIY Hunter with my 270 WSM Winchester Model 1885.

Me with one of my favorite rifles, a Model 1885 chambered in 270 WSM at Spirit Ridge Rifle Golf course.

270 Caliber 150 Gr. Accubond Long Range Compared to 140 Gr. Accubond

270 Caliber 150 Gr. Accubond Long Range (left) next to 140 Gr. Accubond (right).

 

270 Caliber 150 Gr. Accubond Long Range BC 0.625

With a BC of 0.625 this bullet should make for an awesome combination for my long range X-Bolt and Viper HS LR rifle scope.

 

270 Caliber 150 Gr. Accubond Long Range and 140 Gr. Accubond

Another view of the 140 Gr. Accubond and the 150 Gr. Accubond LR 270 caliber bullets.

 

Early in 2013 Nosler announced the introduction of their new bullet, the Accubond LR (Long Range). After a look through their 2013 catalog the specs on the 150 Gr. for the 270 caliber looked just amazing. A 0.625 ballistic coefficient for a bullet designed to perform on big game is just amazing.

Since the announcement I have been on the lookout to get some of these bullets as soon as I could get my hands on them. Mid July Midwayusa.com came through on getting some of these bullets for me.

The bullet has a very streamlined tangent ogive similar to a Berger VLD bullet. I suspect much like a Berger these bullets may require as long of a overall length as possible to shoot well. My X-Bolt 270 WSM may be the trickiest to get this to shoot as I am constrained by the magazine to a 2.86 overall length. Now for my Model 1885 in 270 WSM I can seat the bullet as long as I need with no magazine constraint. One of the things I love about the Model 1885.

I have been working on the loads for the 150 Gr. Accubond LR in my rifles. Looks like IMR 4350 is the powder (that I have on hand) that give me the best results.

Recovered from elk 150 Gr. Accubond LR
29 grains left from a recovered 150 Gr. Accubond Long Range bullet taken from Dallen's 2013 Utah bull elk. Isn't the lead supposed to be bonded to the copper?

Dec. 2013: The short answer to the "My new go to bullet?" question is No.  Although having a very high ballistic coefficient that would benefit holding accuracy and energy at long range the bullet is just far too fragile. These bullets appear to be more fragile than Ballistic Tips. If all the deer and elk I shoot were always showing up at 500 plus yards this would be the bullet, unfortunately often the critters show up at 200 yards. I like bullets that dump energy and fragment but this bullet is a little extra soft. I can't even use a lightly compressed load with it as it crushes a ring into the bullet's ogive with the seating die. They are the most fragile bullet I have ever seen and a bullet that took a lot of time to get a load to shoot accurately. My go to bullet is the 150 Gr Hornady SST with awesome accuracy and performance on the deer and elk our family has taken. 

For more on the 150 Gr. Accubond LR and it being used on mule deer and elk see:

  • Working up 270 WSM handloads for the 150 Gr. Accubond Long Range
  • 270 WSM Handloads and Ballistics
  • See how the bullet performs or should I say disintegrates when Dallen takes a six point bull elk with the 150 Gr. Accubond Long Range in 2013
  • Dallen takes a nice mule deer with the 150 Gr. Accubond LR in 2013