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April 25, 2008
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For silhouette shooters, single-shot guns are more common than anything else you see on the firing line. I really enjoy my Dan Wessons, and other revolvers, but an accurate single-shot is hard to beat. Although the XP-100 is king, a good break-action is a joy to shoot. I own quite a few of them, but these are some special ones.
Since I have all 4 of the Dan Wesson SuperMags, it has been a quest to have matching SuperMags in the Thompson/Center format. Last week, the final one arrived.
OTT Custom 14" Encore in .375 SuperMag, with custom Georgia Jim furniture in brown/brown laminate.
Part of a Pac-Nor Super-Match blank with 1:14 twist, it wears a spare set of factory sights, until I can get the Bomar/Lansing setup. OTT is On Target Technologies, owner Mike Sirois. He makes barrels for the Contender, Encore. The neat thing about his barrels, other than the outstanding craftsmanship and accuracy, is the chambers are done with an EDM machine. Send him 2 dummies loaded with the bullet of your choice, at the seating depth you prefer, and the chamber is cut to match YOUR ammo, not a sloppy SAAMI chamber. Better accuracy and longer lasting brass, as it fits perfectly and doesn't get those nasty bulges around the web after firing.
The Savantist
January 22, 2008
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Very cool looking setup! I've always wanted a Contender or Encore but have never gotten around to picking one up.
To many cool toys not enough money!
April 25, 2008
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I had met Mike at the silhouette Internationals in 2002, when they debuted in Ohio. A very fine gentleman, he had just started making barrels. It was 3 years later before I got around to trying one of them. Since my Dan Wesson .414 SuperMag was one of my favorite revolvers, I thought it would be neat to have one in a single-shot. I chose the Encore for the platform.
Mike made me a 15" fluted barrel with black oxide finish. A Stratton Custom Weaver mount and Leupold rings hold the Leupold 2.5-8x scope.
Man, does this thing shoot! I started with my favorite .41 Magnum bullet, the Sierra 220 grain FPJ Silhouette. Lil Gun powder proved to be extremely accurate with this bullet. I shot a perfect 40x40 with this barrel the first time out. Playing with it one day at silhouette practice, I tried it on some Half-Scale rams at 200 meters. It took them down one after the other…very impressive. A little adjusting and I got good sight settings for all the Half-Scale targets. This thing will knock them over like it was a bolt gun, it just doesn't miss. I keep having to remind myself it is a REVOLVER round, not some bottleneck rifle case.
The Savantist
DWF Supporters
Dans Club
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November 17, 2008
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You have done it again IHMSA. Verry cool toys!!!
Wisdom is merely the realization of how little one knows, therefore I am wise.
April 25, 2008
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The .357 SuperMag is the most common of all the SuperMag family on the silhouette range. The "Max", as some call it, makes a superb round for the Contender…no barrel/cylinder gap, no flame-cutting of the topstrap, and you can use lighter bullets with no worries about accelerated wear. In the Production category, it is a popular silhouette round. Some even use it as a Standing competition round.
It seems everyone has a .357 SuperMag, so I had to find one for myself.
Nothing special here, a 10" Contender barrel with factory sights. My favorite loads in this barrel are the Hornady 200 grain SP rifle bullet and W-296…laser accurate out to 200 meters and beyond. Muzzle flip is a bit harsh in the Contender, much more than the .414SM in my Encore. Of course, that one weighs about 5.8 pounds, compared to the 3.8 pounds in the Contender.
The Savantist
April 25, 2008
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Remember the .414SM barrel from OTT? I now have two of them. When the first one was nearly complete, I got a call from Mike. He had made an error. Mike told me he was setting up his EDM machine to cut my chamber, and accidentally left the case length dimension at the previous barrel he had done, a .460 Smith & Wesson Magnum. That meant the chamber was cut 1.75" instead of the 1.6" of the SuperMag. He was very sorry and told me he would build me another barrel, and send me the one he made in error…for FREE. I could do what I wanted with it. I tried to tell him I was OK with it as is, since I didn't think the 0.15" difference in chamber lengths would even be noticeable. After all, this was a revolver round, not some benchrest cartridge.
Mike insisted, he screwed up and he wasn't happy with it. He sent the free barrel and started over again. Remember how that "mistake" barrel shoots? During the building of the new barrel, I got an idea and called him up…that's how I ended up with this.
I thought an octagon barrel would be kinda cool. This one shoots as well as the other. Two barrels for the price of one. That is customer service you can't beat.
The Savantist
April 25, 2008
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I hadn't thought of getting a complete set of SuperMag barrels until I had the opportunity to get the next one at a great price. It was a factory 12" Encore barrel in .44 Magnum that had been sent to OTT for rechambering to .445 SuperMag. A removable muzzle brake was installed at the same time.
This is Mike's custom Shark Gill brake, and is very effective at taming recoil. The gun feels like a .38 Special. A Bushnell Elite 3200 2-6x scope tops it off. Another very accurate barrel, especially with 300 grain bullets. Truly fun to shoot, and without the brake, it isn't all that bad either.
The Savantist
April 25, 2008
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After I got the .445 barrel, I thought it would be neat to have ALL the SuperMags. That is when I ordered the above .375 barrel. Today, I broke it in and was ready to do some testing with my DW loads, but the rain put an end to that. I did get a family picture, minus the octagon barrel, which I forgot to bring.
The Savantist
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January 24, 2009
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Contenders & Encores are neat looking guns, I've always thought so. The coolest part is that you just have to buy another barrel, when you're ready to shoot another caliber.
Thanks for the great stories & 
of some KEWL GUNS!
Range Officer
Range Officers
Dans Club
February 9, 2009
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IHMSA, Very Cool. I am missing the .375 in my quest for the Supermags for the contender as well. I have not actually shot any yet, Too little time to "do it all" This report makes me eager to change all that. Thanks for another outstanding report. and very COOL Pics!
A man cannot have too many SuperMags
Range Officers
February 25, 2009
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I had the use of an Encore 12" 445 Super Mag barrel that OTT rechambered from a 44 barrel and his Sharkgill break added. I was pushing the 240gr pills at 2,000 FPS. It was a great charlie hammer.
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
~Thomas Jefferson~
April 25, 2008
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Dale, is that the same one I have now? I got this from magman on SP. Somehow I believe it is. Nice shooter, it is.
The Savantist
Range Officers
February 25, 2009
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Well Dean, If it was the barrel OTT offered up for the auction for me, and I belive magman did buy it. So if you got it from him I think it might be.
When I had it, it was the factory finish with the break instaled. Seems like Mike put the matte finish on the barrel and break.
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
~Thomas Jefferson~
April 25, 2008
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Yep, that is the one Dale...got it from magman. Mike refinished it after you shot it.
The Savantist
July 31, 2009
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You might ask him about some of the colors of his XP stocks?
April 25, 2008
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They are nice colors. 
The Savantist
And even "that" one is a good time when you're behind that trigger!
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