Shorten barrel?

[dontgetcrabs]

I definitely wouldn't go shorter than 18" and probably not less than 20". To me a 7lbs rifle is a lite weight gun, compared to the 14lbs I sometimes pack around. 

Here's a link to a test on loss of velocity with shorter barrel lengths. It's not a 280, but still kinda interesting, and might give some in-site.
http://www.accuratereloading.com/223sb.html

[JackOfAllTrades]

How much does each inch of barrel weigh?  Is it really worth it to cut it down? Four+ inches shorther, and I'm thinking you're going to need to redevelope your loads. Not that accuracy is the issue, but you're likely going to need a slightly faster burning powder to get the same velocities you have with the longer barrel. The 280 is a screemin little round. Why slow it down? That said, there are plenty of bolt action rifles with 20" barrels in 280 or 30-06 that do just fine. The thing about the Encore, is even with that barrel length, I don't think they're any longer than a bolt action rifle with a 20" barrel so how it handles in the woods is moot.  I think I would look into fluting the barrel and or hollowing much of the stock to shave a pound at most. A lighter scope and rings are possibilities too.
 
-Steve

[jackelope]

I shoot factory ammo so no load developing going on here.

The Encore, even with the 28" .300 barrel+the brake is a lot shorter than my Remington 700 with a 26" barrel. Like probably 6" shorter total.  A 20" barrel'd Encore would be ridiculously compact. That's the appeal.  It would be ultra compact. If I have a chance I'll stand the Encore up next to the 700 and take a pic.

Again, at this point this is all a day dream. It might play out I guess, we'll see.

[huntnphool]

But my Encore frame is already tricked out and a barrel mod is a lot cheaper than a whole rifle. With the current barrel as is, with the small stock, its still quite light at around 7#. It only gets heavy with the thumb hole stock and the heavy barrels.

Just giving you a excuse to make another purchase

[jackelope]

From the article in the link posted above...

http://www.bellmtcs.com/store/index.php?cid=580

Here is a list of each caliber used in the test, along with the ammo and group size before/after. I will also point out that there were 2 3-shot groups fired from the bench at 100 yards before the test and 2 3-shot groups fired after the test with the average group size listed for a ruler reading of group size measured center to center...

1) 22-250 / 55 gr. Federal Premium, before - 1 3/4" / AFTER - 3/4"...

2) 25/06 / 117 gr. Hornady Spire Point, before - 2" / AFTER - 1"...

3) 7mm Rem. Mag. / 140 gr. Nosler Partition, before - 2 1/2" / AFTER - 7/8"...

4) 308 / 150 gr. Remington Core-Lokt, before - 1 1/2" / AFTER - 3/4"...

5) 300 Win. Mag. / 180 gr. Ballistic Silver Tip, before - 2" / AFTER - 1"...

 

 
Okay, what was the ONLY thing done to these guns to cut their group size in half?

I cut 5" off the barrel and recrowned the muzzle!
Well, that may actually be two things but, it stands to reason that if you cut a barrel back, it automatically gets recrowned...

 
So why did these guns start shooting more like what they were supposed to with a 23" barrel instead of a 28" barrel?
Excessive "whip" and "vibration" as well as a total change in "harmonics"...

 

The .280 barrel I have is the tapered one he's talking about.

These Encore barrels also have what is referred to as a "step taper" and this too is a big cause of barrel flex. This is why that, when I build a barrel by barrel stubbing, I only use barrels that have a "straight taper" as this is what can be referred to as a self supporting structure. It does NOT whip around or flex like what the step tapered barrels do and with the vibrations lessened and harmonics dampened, accuracy potential of the barrel goes way up...

Will cutting 5" off of every barrel automatically make your barrel a better shooter? I cannot say 100% that it will but, I have yet to see one that it did not help at least to a certain degree and some more than others...

Velocity loss from going from a 28" barrel down to 23"? I did get to shoot the 25-06 and 308 over the chronograph and total velocity loss for both was less than 60 fps.. I was expecting more but, and this is only my opinion, I feel the oversize bore closer to the muzzle end of the barrel was the culprit. If the bore was uniform from end to end or the muzzle end of the bore had a slight constriction to it, I would have expected a greater velocity loss. The 25-06 really suprised me as this cartridge performs admirably in a long barrel and shows it's true velocity potential. Not so in the last couple of Encore barrels I tested...

[jackelope]

But my Encore frame is already tricked out and a barrel mod is a lot cheaper than a whole rifle. With the current barrel as is, with the small stock, its still quite light at around 7#. It only gets heavy with the thumb hole stock and the heavy barrels.

Just giving you a excuse to make another purchase

That would work under normal circumstances, but once you have an Encore, the next new barrel affliction gets in your blood.

 

[huntnphool]

But my Encore frame is already tricked out and a barrel mod is a lot cheaper than a whole rifle. With the current barrel as is, with the small stock, its still quite light at around 7#. It only gets heavy with the thumb hole stock and the heavy barrels.

Just giving you a excuse to make another purchase

That would work under normal circumstances, but once you have an Encore, the next new barrel affliction gets in your blood.

 

then why waste time debating a modification of your existing barrel, can't you just buy a new barrel the length you want it and have both?

[huntnphool]

http://www.eabco.com/encor01.html

[jackelope]

http://www.eabco.com/encor01.html

Blocked by work firewall.
What's it say?

[JackOfAllTrades]

Thompson Center Arms Custom Shop - Custom Made Barrels for TC Encore, Pro  Hunter, Contender, and G2 from EABCO

Thompson Center Arms Main Menu * Custom  Encore/PH Barrels * Custom Contender/G2 Barrels Action Job - Trigger Tune Up * Custom Encore Gun Stocks* EABCO Home Page * Scope Mounts[/t][/t][/t]

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©2002-2012 E. Arthur Brown Co., sales@eabco.com, 4088 County Road 40 NW, Garfield, MN 56332
ph. 320-834-3000, FAX 320-834-3002 , Orders Only Toll Free 1-800-950-9088  New!  Customer Reviews
Thompson Center Custom Shop (aka Fox Ridge Outfitters) is Gone!No Worries! EABCO will Fill the Void with Custom Encore and      Contender       Accuracy Barrels

As part of it's move into the S&W factory production             system, Thompson Center Arms has closed its Fox Ridge Outfitters             TC Custom Shop and retail store. It's not such a big deal as we             see it here at E. Arthur Brown Company. But since we took             orders for and sold so many of the TC Custom Shop produced             barrels, I expect quite a number of customers to be disappointed             and wonder where they'll go to get custom chambers, contours,             lengths, and finishes.   Custom Chambers,             Contours, Lengths, Finishes, and Twists... From EABCO             - Thank you so much for making our Custom TC Encore and Contender Accuracy Barrels             such a huge success.             These are premium, high precision rifle barrels... Designed              and produced for the highest accuracy potential and available in             Made-to-Order as well as standard configurations. If             you liked TC Custom Shop barrels, you will LOVE our EABCO Encore             and Contender             Accuracy Barrels...   Contender and G2 Contender Customers             - We now offer Custom Made             as well as             Standard Accuracy Barrels that fit your gun. The             first two Standard models are 6mm BRM and 6.5mm BRM. These are cartridges that give big game             hunting performance to small frame rifles like the G2 and             Contender -             Thank You for Your Consideration, Eben Brown

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[Huntboy]

Josh,

Check out Bellm's website, they might even be willing to answer questions.

http://www.bellmtcs.com/store/index.php?cid=543

[mazama]

My timber rifle is a19'' 338win mag,deer rifle 284win with 20inch barrel with long throat 3250 with 120 Barnes,350Rem mag 18inch barrel shoots great.

[yorketransport]

Chop the barrel and be happy. I love an 18-20" barrel on my hunting rifles. Heck, I run 18-20" barrels on my handguns. The short barrel will shoot just as well, the noise really won't be significantly worse, and the velocity loss isn't going to make an difference.

There are a lot of 17-19" specialty pistols in 284 Winchester which preform beautifully. In fact I think it's one of the best cases to run out of the long barreled pistols. I don't see why the 280 (with very similar case capacity) wouldn't work just as well.

Andrew

[Heredoggydoggy]

Chop the barrel and be happy. I love an 18-20" barrel on my hunting rifles. Heck, I run 18-20" barrels on my handguns. The short barrel will shoot just as well, the noise really won't be significantly worse, and the velocity loss isn't going to make an difference.

There are a lot of 17-19" specialty pistols in 284 Winchester which preform beautifully. In fact I think it's one of the best cases to run out of the long barreled pistols. I don't see why the 280 (with very similar case capacity) wouldn't work just as well.

Andrew

Could your short barrels have a different twist rate? 

[yorketransport]

Could your short barrels have a different twist rate? 

I've never had a problem using standard twist rates. I've run the following twists in barrels from 14-19":
204 Ruger 1-10"
6mm BR, 243 Win 1-8"
6.5/284 1-8"
7mm/08, 284 Win 1-9"
308, 300 wsm, 300 RUM 1-10"
338/375 Ruger 1-10"

All have given .5 MOA or better accuracy using standard rifle load data. I got better and more consistent velocities by using slightly faster powders in the really short (14") barrels.

Andrew