Thompson Center Encore 243 Handgun w/ Kerry Mackey (Man Up Outdoors)

[@peterkolovos3079]

I've shot 18 head of big game with various Contender pistols and big-bore revolvers. I have never needed more than a 2X scope. I took my Elk at 125 yards, a Bison at 90 yards, and a Fallow Deer at 95-100 yards. I would never want my eye that close to the scope. It limits you to the positions you can shoot from. Sometimes you must shoot fast with no support so 2X is perfect, and the eye relief is quite generous.

[@kerrymackey]

Congratulations on your big game success. As I have several handgun setups for several different missions this particular setup serves me well on varmints beyond 400 yards in a variety of positions. As for "must shoot fast", I choose not to. If I ever feel rushed on a shot, I will just choose not to take the shot and wait for another opportunity.

[@randyjohnson6845]

I got 4 encore pistols...two are 15" 209x50 muzzle loader pistols..maximum charge by Thompson is 110 grains of fff 777..I have encore rifles and 3 muzzle loader rifles...what you got here is a phenomenon that's difficult to explain and almost impossible to cure...there is no reason what so ever to put a rifle scope on a pistol..I have a 2x a 4x a Burris 2x6 and the max Leopold 2.5x8...at the range I probably never went past 4x and in my tree lounge it's 2x....it's incredible how he quickly tries to justify his decision ...it's like a stubborn situation or maybe he signed a contract to pimp that scope...I'm not getting my eye near my muzzle loader pistol or my 7mm08....if I made a video and did this in reverse..a pistol scope on a rifle..you would text me and say what are doing? 2x is about perfect like you commented..you shoot my muzzle loader pistol with a rifle scope your going to the ER

[@stevencrawford7409]

Nicely done Kerry! Good looking rig.

[@kerrymackey]

Thanks Steven !

[@ronaldcossin4525]

I pick one up today a Thompson Center Encore 7.62 X 39... and a Gov 45/70 Thomson Center single-shot rifle... I'm just going to use the iron sights on it... .. .

[@bodesmcbodeson686]

Cool video and great to see you're politely responding to some salty comments all these years later. I'm curious to know what kind of muzzle energy/velocity you get from that barrel length compared to a more typical 20 inch barrel.

[@postban]

Nice video, I have a similar setup, threaded 243 Encore pistol. I have a brake like yours for it but prefer to shoot it suppressed with my SDN-6. Seems about the same recoil abatement as you show. Can't hunt with the can here so I will give the brake a range session or two. I'm glad you put your eye pro on too.

[@kerrymackey]

+postban - Thank you for the comment ... I've recently thought about a suppressor for it; as well as, for my .308 pistol.

[@chrishancock333]

Awesome pistol, performs incredibly well, but why wouldn’t you use an extended eye relief scope to hold the pistol more naturally out in front of you?

[@kerrymackey]

Specifically designed it for the bdc reticle rifle scope for distance shooting.

[@randyjohnson6845]

The Leopold 2.5x8x32 is plenty good enough for a pistol. If your that tight with Leopold they should have made you something special and engineered your scope with a 12" to 15" eye relief. I know they could have done it.it would have taken a very special effort but they can do it. I sure am not seeing how your going to shoot varmints at very long range with a 2" eye relief.

[@kerrymackey]

@@randyjohnson6845 Not tight with Leupold, just enjoyed this particular scope and their Customer Service has always been good to me. I run @HawkeOptics on all my other rigs. I had a blast shooting varmints at 200 yards with it. No problem... After 66K views, someone even liked the setup more than I did, so I sold it to them.

[@bullseye1.77]

nice pistol I would have liked to have it for my farm

[@ledwin8770]

What a Sweet ass short barrel that would be

[@donnstambaugh1506]

Thanks.,.

[@Rippinsmallies]

My 243 pistol barrel has lefthand rifling. Counterclockwise. Shoots great but my other barrels are righthand twist. Hummmmm

[@tallen4520]

European barrels are usually Lft twist.

[@chriscosby2459]

243 Win pistol -- What is not to like?

[@frontsightblade]

wow. that muzzle break really tames the recoil

[@kerrymackey]

Yes it does

[@hausofguns]

Is that a 30mm tube on the Leupold?

[@kerrymackey]

Yes'r... Pay Mundy & Dave Domin sent it to us. Sweet rig.

[@hausofguns]

I can see that. Was a little worried when I saw you scooting your eye up that close to a .243 pistol. Is there a benefit to pistol shooting this way other than it being more compact?

[@kerrymackey]

Haus of Guns I think the rifle scope will give me the ability to reach distances I never thought possible before with a handgun. The VX3 4.5-14x30 with Varmint Reticle allows me to reach out to 600 yards without CDS turrets w/ a 200 yard zero. Once I begin hand loading I'll add CDS turrets which I think will allow me to take it out to 1000 yards. (So the Long Range Handgun Hunter Experts tell me.) Using the Leupold Ballistic Calculator for the VX3 Varmint Hunter Reticle, I can use factory loaded Hornady 58gr VMAX pushing 3925 fps at the muzzle and 2007 fps at 500 yards.

[@hausofguns]

You sure that's the muzzle speed on the 58 Grain VMAX on a pistol length barrel? I loaded the 58 grainers in my Savage Axis 243 and was getting just over 3900 fps from its 22" barrel.

[@kerrymackey]

Haus of Guns good point... I'm sure it will be less out of my 15" with 2" of muzzle brake, but still smoking !!

[@BigDawg76773]

What's the barrel length?

[@jasonrogers143]

That's crazy did it even move 2 inches? Always want a tc but never bought one but now I'm thinking 243 mmm

[@kerrymackey]

Contact Haus of Arms in Colorado and tell Marty that you heard about him from my KZbin channel. He is the best.

[@reddog1617]

Hey Kerry what kind of hardware do you have the scope on ? Very sweet gun , I am building one now . Thanks ...

[@kerrymackey]

These are a pair of Vortex rings a buddy had.

[@allonehitman]

Heck yeah!!!!!'

[@deldom174]

superbe video . Delphdom

[@russellbrower5910]

Is that a t/c factory barrel?

[@kerrymackey]

yes it is ...

[@kerrymackey]

and I’m trying to find it a new home. 😉 ... I have another project I’d like to start on.

[@russellbrower5910]

How much are you asking?

[@kerrymackey]

@@russellbrower5910 Russell ... if you can pm me through our Facebook page on "Texas Handgun Hunters", I can follow up with you there.

[@IdahoIsaiah67]

Looks like somthin out of starwars, yall Definitely otta thank starwars on that one!

[@kerrymackey]

No star wars... but it is a little bit of a specialty pistol for sure.

[@TheM2heavy]

How much would something like that cost?

[@kerrymackey]

Prices vary depending on the depth of modifications, but you can expect something North of $2,000

[@Sandylowlead-x7r]

For that kind of cash, one could order a freedom arm single shot pistol in 243, or a host of small bore rifle calibers. I do like that set up. Have several custom encore barrels. With the right hand loads , very accurate

[@Fivegunner]

Please get a handgun scope with longer eye relief :)

[@kerrymackey]

and why is that... we custom built this particular handgun. for a rifle scope intentionally... sub half MOA at 100 and very little recoil & muzzle flip.

[@Fivegunner]

@@kerrymackey so you can hold it as handgun is held.

[@Fivegunner]

@@kerrymackey I use all my handguns for hunting and rifle scope set up would be very unpractical for any rest that isn't a bench. Gun looks great tho.

[@kerrymackey]

@@Fivegunner not so... shoot it off sticks all the time. Have taken several animals off sticks with it as I have my revolvers & semi autos

[@kerrymackey]

@@Fivegunner I do hold it as a handgun is held.

[@shawndean8358]

Why not just assemble the rifle to go with that rifle scope.

[@kerrymackey]

I'm a handgun hunter... but it would go great on a rifle as well.

[@shawndean8358]

Kerry Mackey I know but getting all scrunched down behind a short eye relief scope to me was way uncomfortable. I've been a hand gun hunter since the late Bob Milek started us off on that journey. Xp100r 7mmbr and 30-30 super 14 as well the .223 for yodel dogs.

[@kerrymackey]

My journey began back 8-10 years ago when I began connecting with Ernie Bishop... I've been pleased with this particular setup, especially when shooting beyond 150-200 yards. Ernie's page is kzbin.info He also has been hosting the WY-SHOT event each year for the past few. I'm hoping to make that trip one of these years... They stretch out long range handgun shooting and hunting.

[@mikewalk7648]

You are a handgun hunter but you had it set up to shoot like a rifle??? You will have to put that Contender on a rest of some sort to shoot it no matter if you are shooting at targets or game. Should have just put a buttstock on it and be done with it. You are not fooling anyone but yourself. A real hand Gunner will shoot a real hand gun. You might as well have bought a Remington 700 and took a hacksaw to the pistol grip and cut the stock off. That way you would be even way more ahead of your so called handgun game. At least you would have quicker follow up shots. I think you are confused as to what a real hand gun hunter really is. Nice scope though. I put one just like it on my CZ 527 .221 Fireball (rifle).

[@kerrymackey]

@@shawndean8358 It's not a problem at all... I thoroughly enjoy it the way I have it setup.

[@jerryhudnall1844]

With a short eye relief like that you will have to change your shooting all together, bad thing about this, but first yea you can shoot like that, but who wants to? Leupold knew you should have longer eye relief to get your gun at arms length, but it is problem finding good pistol scopes any more, all companies are worried about making red dots. Myself never would a rifle scope go on hand gun, it creates problems hunting, but if shooting from table and bag and that 's what you enjoy it be fine, is a very fine gun got great finish for me I'd get longer eye relief, if no other reason, teaching a young boy to shoot, handguns are arms out not arms in and head in, young boy going from that 243 no recoil to a 308 with recoil using same hold going to get hit and could be life changing. JUST SAYING

[@kerrymackey]

With 40+ years of shooting & hunting experience I've observed that every hunter has a different style & preference of how he / she holds their weapon of choice. As for short and long eye relief scopes on handguns... I have both for a variety of choices in hunting positions. As for a rifle scope on a handgun for hunting, to each his / her own preference. I have 4 boys and they have all shot my scoped handguns and non scoped handguns with no issues, including my scoped .308 from the age of 10 ... they are now 12, 15, 16 &. 21. Handgun hunting is not always, "arms out not arms in and head in"... hunting doesn't always give you that position. But to each his / her own.

[@deldom174]

A QUAND LES CONTENDERS EN FRANCE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. delphdom.

[@ddaattrroonn]

Feels way too much like a paid promotion, and thus, puts the opinions/ review into question.

[@kerrymackey]

Not a paid promotion... I have never been paid for any review I've done in the past 20 years.