7MM-08 Encore Question, what can I do with this barrel?

AJ Peacock

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Oct 7, 2005
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I have a 16" 7mm-08 Encore barrel. I haven't shot it too much and I've been able to get around 1moa out of it. The issue is that the throat is too long to get the bullet near the lands. The longest I've tried is the 162gr A-max.

My question, could I ream it to 7mm-08 AI and is that round a any longer? If so, it might shorten the throat enough to let me get nearer the lands.

I don't have the Cartridge length info for the AI, so I didn't know if improving it made it longer or not.

If not, anyone have any ideas?

Thanks,
AJ
 
An Ackley conversion wouldn't do anything to lengthen the chamber and isn't done too often on Encore barrels because you can't turn the barrel in a thread as is normally done with bolt guns when a barrel is rechambered to the Ackley version.

I would assume that the barrel could be rechambered to 280 Rem or 284 Win which should resolve the problem and maybe add some horsepower at the same time.

One of the smiths will have to jump in here.
 
As already mentioned, to correctly rechamber an existing barrel to an AI chambering, the barrel needs to be set back slightly because the shoulder.neck junction on an AI chambering is actually around 4 to 5 thou shorter then a standard chamber would be. That is not possible to do in the Encore as you know.

What I would recommend has already been mentioned. Kind of, go with either the 280 or 280 AI. This would move your chamber out roughly 1/2" farther and should help to clean up alot of your old throat.

Just for your information, I once had an encore barrel in the same chambering. I had to punch it out to 7mm STW to get the bullets to touch the lands!!!!

I do not recommend the STW in the Encore, just not a good fit for that design. The 280 and 280 AI however are great choices and give you another 100 fps of velocity potential at least.

Kirby Allen(50)
 
I have a 18 inch 280 AI Fox Ridge barrel, it is a very good round and very accurate even when fireforming loads. I have been using RE-22 in my barrel with the 160 gr. Sierra SPBT, Fed 210 primer. Don't know the velocity.

Good Shootin
 
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