Thompson Center Encore in 280 Ackley Improved

If my posts or online presence seems scarce this week it’s because I’m hunting with a good friend in west-central Nebraska. NO I won’t tell you the spot! This will be the first chance I’ve had to give my TC Encore Rifle in 280 Ackley Improved (in my opinion one of Parker O. Ackley’s greatest wildcat rounds) a shot at a whitetail and I wanted to give you a quick hunting rifle review. That is assuming I’ll get a shot. I’ve been working for a few months trying to get the load right actually with some difficulty. More on that in a few…

The barrel straight from Mike Bellm isn't the sexiest thing to look at, but it's rugged, accurate and super lightweight.

The barrel on this rifle is a Bergara barrels “seconds” barrel originally chambered in 7mm-08 (which is essentially a .308 in 7mm or .284 caliber just a shade smaller than 7.62mm or .30 cal the .308 originally comes in) and was rechambered with a new barrel lug added for better lockup to the frame and recrowned by Mike Bellm at Bellm TC. Mike is essentially the aftermarket accurizing genius of the Thompson Center single shot world not just limited to Encore rifles and pistols as he specializes in Contenders and pistols too. The barrel is a standard taper with a nice matte blue finish that looks rugged and even matches my stainless Encore frame boasting a crispy 2.5 pound trigger job (kit also from Mike Bellm).

I’ve topped the rifle with a Leupold VX-1 (not pictured) pretty standard 3-9x40mm powered scope resting on a one piece Talley mount (rings/base combo = SUPER rigid) and fitted it with a Pro Hunter/Endeavor flex tech style stock (believe the hype, it DESTROYS recoil) . Overall weight of the rifle even with a scope is under 7 pounds, which is pretty remarkable for ANY rifle chambered in a big game sized caliber.

So back to the load issues we mentioned before. My pops over at HausofArms.com originally was the one who got us started into the light 7mm game when he fell in love with a 280 Remington barrel from the TC Custom Shop (which incidentally is no longer open for business). That barrel, I might add, was an absolute tack driver stacking shot after shot nearly touching at 100 yards with a little effort. From there the 280 AI found it’s way into our collection and its potential was clear from the start. It hits just a little less than a 7mm Remington Mag with far less recoil and less powder. Which means it’s cheaper to reload and more enjoyable to shoot.

Dad taking a turn on the trigger. Trying to help me get to the bottom of our 162 grain "accuracy issues."

Initially I wanted to go with the heavier bullet, a 162 grain Hornady SST because of its high ballistic coefficient and downrange energy. The frustration was the group appeared to be erratic. I replaced the Nikon Pro Staff scope I had on the setup originally with the Leupold, then on Dad’s recommendation, went to a Hornady 139 grain SST instead of the 162. The results in the picture below show the first 3 shots with the 139 grain round with a cold barrel having just boresighted the scope before I zeroed it. Looks like we found a winner. The only thing we could guess on the barrel issues with the 162 grain bullets (same issue had in 3 different barrels: 2 Bellm barrels, and an MGM heavy barrel) was the barrel just didn’t like the 162s. Sounds weird to say I know, but sometimes it happens. Hopefully shortly after you read this I’ll be posting a pic of the nice buck I took with the 280 AI, my first with the round.

Not centered 1" above the bulls eye yet I know. The point was a cold bore 3-shot accuracy check for the 139 grainers. This group attained from an old card table with a CTK Precision Compact Shooting Rest sitting on it. My ultimate rest and shooting table were loaned out to a friend.

By the way, if you’re interested in knowing what the specifics of my 280 Ackley Improved round is I’ll be happy to share with this disclaimer. THIS LOAD IS TAKEN FROM THE SIERRA RELOADING MANUAL AND IS A RECOMMENDED LOAD. HOWEVER, HAUS OF GUNS TAKES ZERO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY CARELESSNESS OR ACCIDENTS THAT ARE INCURRED AS A RESULT OF POOR LOADING TECHNIQUE, SAFETY PRECAUTIONS, ETC. With that said, here’s the scoop:

Overall Length – 3.280″ | Hornady 139 grain SST bullet | 51.5 grains Reloader 19 by Alliant Powders | Winchester Large Rifle Primer

The Reloader 19 powder proved to be more accurate than Ramshot – Big Game, IMR-5831, and IMR 4350. Not sure why, just the best recipe for this overall makeup.

For more details feel free to EMAIL US DIRECTLY.