Im new to the handgun hunting but I went out last weekend with my S&W 629 and dropped a doe at 50yrds. It was a blast! My question is does anyone know the range for a 243 out of a 15" barrel and what kinda groups are you getting at 100yrds? Im looking at the 243 Encore pistol

GOOD gun thats a 200 yd gun easy put groups . will be good with good loads

Easily a 200yd gun.....with practice, practice, practice!! I've never even shot my XP-100 .243W on paper at 100yds. 200yd groups are normally in the .4" range and stays sub 1" groups to nearly 400yds.

yes very capable but like dan said pppppppppractice!!

Don't have an Encore but do have a Striker .243 with a 14" barrel and sighted 2" high @ 100 hits zero right around 200 and should be 8" low @ 300 but haven't checked that. With a good bullet you can take deer out to 300 and some if you do your part. I'm not a big fan of the .243 for deer but the gun came that way, a 7mm may be better IMO.

The 243 Encore is a good all around gun and cartridge. Mine is very accurate. If I do my part 5 shots will be at 1" at 100 yards. I use it mostly for charlies. Nothing is safe within 200 yards. I have taken it deer hunting but nothing presented when I had it in the woods.


Encore 243 with 75gr V-Max.

 Originally Posted By: asquires2

Im new to the handgun hunting but I went out last weekend with my S&W 629 and dropped a doe at 50yrds. It was a blast! My question is does anyone know the range for a 243 out of a 15" barrel and what kinda groups are you getting at 100yrds? Im looking at the 243 Encore pistol

Welcome to the forum & CONGRATS on your 1st handgun deer!!!

Way cool!!!

And to top it off you killed it with a real handgun, not one of them "handrifles". You don't need no stinkin' 243! Now take your .44 & go harvest more as you know you can!!

Just kidding about the handrifle thing although after a few years of playing with both all I have left is the revolvers. Just a personal preference thing.
The 243 is a great cartridge although I never had one in a pistol. I had a 6mm Remington (very similiar ballistics) in a Ruger #1 rifle that made more of a mess of the chest cavity of a deer than anything else I ever shot one with. It was like melted jello mixed with raw hamburger in there. She sloshed when we picked her up.
One that I did have & is really hard to beat in an Encore pistol for deer in my mind is a 7mm-08.
Again, congrats on your doe!! Got any pics? We like pics

Ive heard alot about this 7m.08 round , whats it compared to as far as caliber and recoil? I dont have any pics yet cause I dont have the gun yet but I do have the scope base. Ive had it for about a year and didnt even know what it was until toda







If anyone could tell me what else would need to make this work on my gun once I get it .It came in a box marked Quick Release Mount/ Dou Ring Mount

I'm not familiar with that particular base/mount combo.

The 7mm-08 used to be a wildcat but was made a factory cartridge years ago. It is the 308 Winchester case necked down to 7mm (.284) where the 243 is a 308 case necked down to 6mm (.243).
The original .308 is 7.62mm, so the 7mm-08 kinda splits the gap between the 243 & 308 with them all using the same parent case.
Recoil is fairly mild & in the hands of the right person will cleanly take deer/mtn. goat sized critters at several hundred yds. I personaly know of folks who have taken caribou & mtn goats with them in an Encore pistol at 400ish yds.

that is a duo ring mount made by TC. a few people may like them, but i personally do not. it would bring a fair price, and i'd get my prefered weaver base with leupold rifleman vertical split rings with the funds.

all rounds made off the .308 case are good ones.