Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
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    Default Thompson Center 20 GA Encore Pro Hunter

    I know this will sound strange. I have a TC Encore Pro Hunter frame (and a couple of barrels including a 12 GA with screw in chokes). The only 20 GA with screw-in chokes is their turkey smooth-bore barrel with front fiber-optic sight and a rear sight. If I wanted to configure the 20 GA for trap shooting, is the rear sight removable?
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  2. #2
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    Default Re: Thompson Center 20 GA Encore Pro Hunter

    Ok, to answer my own question now that I bit the bullet (or shotshell so to speak), is that the front and rear sites are soldered in, not dovetailed, so not easy to remove for an amateur klutz like me.
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  3. #3
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    Default Re: Thompson Center 20 GA Encore Pro Hunter

    Why not use your 12ga. barrel for trap? If you really wanted to use the 20ga. I doubt a gunsmith would charge you much to remove the soldered sights and install a front bead.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Thompson Center 20 GA Encore Pro Hunter

    I have a 12 ga. on another T/C frame. My wife, on the other hand, has a weak left arm left over from a really nasty spiral fracture and needs a light shotty just to have a hope of busting a couple of birds. I do have some legit trap guns with not horrible recoil (20 ga Webley & Scott O/U) but it's still a bit heavy for her.
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  5. #5
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    Default Re: Thompson Center 20 GA Encore Pro Hunter

    So now that I've admitted to owning the 12 ga. vent rib barrel with 3 T/C chokes, after owning it for 12 years (got it at a Valley Forge Gun Show before the Casino days), I finally took it out for trap shooting today. I have never seen another one of these even used for sale. I suppose that the argument is that the barrel is too short (24") and the idea of closing the action, then cocking a hammer, and then calling "pull" was against this from the start. Now understand that in my best glory days, I shot 17s and 18s fairly regularly and only occasionally shot anything over 20 in a round. Then I had serious surgery on my right shoulder. After a 3-year hiatus, I started shooting trap again. I sucked. I did best with my S&W Super 1000 and a Modified choke - shooting roughly a 12 or so on my first three outings after the hiatus. Given the sucky performance, I decided to try a few of the other things I had lying around including the 12 GA T/C .So this week, I opened the long-stored vent-rib package removed the 30-06 barrel and fore end of the T/C Pro-hunter, and installed the 12 GA barrel and fore end. Patterned it with a modified choke, and went on the trap field. Got a 12 the first round. Thought about the short barrel compared the the long bang sticks everyone else was using, so I installed and improved modified and tried again. I had the prep routine down now - load:close:cock:aim - and found the sweet spot for the well-padded Pro-hunter stock. I ended up with a 15; most of the birds that I hit were creamed. So, I've progressed from suck to bad. I'll take it.
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  6. #6
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    Default Re: Thompson Center 20 GA Encore Pro Hunter

    OK, so I'm probably talking to myself on this thread. From time to time I cruise Gunbroker and eBay to see if there is another 26" (I got it wrong when I wrote 24") vent rib with chokes TC shotgun barrel. Two weeks ago, I found a 20 GA 26" used vent rib on Gunbroker and bought it. I'll give a range report when I get out there again. I've been recovering from ankle surgery (getting old is not for the faint hearted), so it may still be a couple of weeks before I can go.
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  7. #7
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    Default Re: Thompson Center 20 GA Encore Pro Hunter

    I like the encore. I own an original contender, octagon 22. Can you make your encore a pistol or did it have to be a pistol first like an AR?

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Thompson Center 20 GA Encore Pro Hunter

    Quote Originally Posted by Gunsnwater View Post
    I like the encore. I own an original contender, octagon 22. Can you make your encore a pistol or did it have to be a pistol first like an AR?
    I'm not dannyb but the Encores and Contenders do have to be pistols first. I also believe but am not sure that you can buy a bare frame and if you build it as a pistol first you can then go back and forth.
    The Lord Bless You


  9. #9
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    Default Re: Thompson Center 20 GA Encore Pro Hunter

    As far as I know, and I'll admit that's not very far, what you start with is what it stays. I don't know how they can track that, but I've basically kept my T/C stuff all in the long arms department. I always figure that just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean that they're not out to get me.
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  10. #10
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    Default Re: Thompson Center 20 GA Encore Pro Hunter

    Here goes dannyb with another T/C 12 GA vent rib range report. Now have gone out 4 times with this. I still get weird looks when I place it on the rack. On the other hand, a friendly onlooker gave me some advice to mount the gun higher on my shoulder when I shoot so that my head isn't as bent over. I was a bit skeevy about it because I was afraid that the higher mount would hurt my shoulder. Not only did it not hurt, my shooting improved. At the end of the day I was in an informal competition and shot an 18 to come in second. I would have shot a 19 but I rushed a few shots. OK, so this is a viable single shot shotgun for trap.

    Stay tuned for another dannyb can't resist oddball shotguns for trap range report; I picked up a Remington SPR100 Baikal at the last Oaks show. Will start a new thread when I have taken it to the range.
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    Last Post: September 23rd, 2008, 10:22 AM

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