Back in June, I wrote about an ongoing project where I was
attempting to build the modern equivalent to the British Rook Rifle.
Since then, I have had the opportunity to finish the product and spend some
time with it afield. This project report will give some initial impressions on
the rifle and the effectiveness of the .22 K-Hornet cartridge on small game.
Assembled Rifle
After waiting quite some time to receive my SSK Industries
barrel (UPS lost it in transit) it took only a few minutes to assemble the
complete Encore rifle. With the shortest legal barrel not requiring an ATF tax
stamp (16”) the gun’s handiness was extremely impressive. In fact, I would go
so far as to say that it carries better than any rifle I have ever owned.
Although I am no sheep hunter (my pockets aren’t deep enough), this quality is
still critically important when venturing over hill and dale in search of small
game. I’m not too proud to admit that I also have a fetish for rifles that are
carry-friendly. In this instance, the Encore performs exceptionally. In fact, I
have found it to be the perfect weapon to accompany me on mushroom
hunts—offering comparable burden to a large revolver and considerably better
range.
Packability is fine, but accuracy is final. At this point I
haven’t done hardcore accuracy testing with the rifle. Rather, I have opted to
establish a solid zero and spend time with the gun in the field. However,
informal target practice without a range-quality rest revealed that the rifle
was capable to producing 3” groups at 130 yards using factory ammunition and
the equipped iron sights. Undoubtedly, the rifle is capable of much better
accuracy than this—I just haven’t taken the time to prove it. Despite what it
is written about improving the Encore’s accuracy using oversized hinge pins,
action jobs, and trigger jobs, I have found these to be unnecessary for my
purposes. Moreover, the trigger on this rifle is excellent from the factory.
Aesthetically, the rifle is quite eye-catching. The matte
stainless frame and barrel contrast with the black synthetic furniture quite
well. As previously mentioned, I might consider wood furniture in the future to
enhance the aesthetics and trimness of the rifle but I haven’t made this
commitment yet. The factory furniture is functional, but the fit and finish are
not great. Quality wood furniture would be certain to improve the warmth and
elegance of the rifle.
The SSK Industries barrel in the standard Pro Hunter contour
is beefy and is a bit of an oddball considering its brevity. However, the
heavy, stubby barrel should be extremely stiff and therefore will likely
contribute greatly to the arm’s overall accuracy. Furthermore, the finish of this barrel is excellent, as
would be expected when you dish out considerable money for a custom piece.
Ammunition Preferences
I have been using two factory .22 Hornet loadings for small
game hunting and for fireforming brass to the .22 K-Hornet chamber. These are
the Prvi Partizan (PPU) 45 gr. Soft Point and the Hornady 35 gr. VMAX.
While effective on game and economical to shoot, the PPU ammunition has been
disappointing from the reloading perspective. I have been able to retain
virtually no brass from these factory loadings due to a 90%+ failure rate via
neck-splitting. Conversely, I have yet to lose a single casing from the Hornady
loadings. Both of these loads
shoot to similar POIs, with the Hornady tending slightly higher. For hunting
purposes, the vertical deviation between the two loads has been
inconsequential.
Field Performance
To date, eight cottontails and three squirrels have fallen to the Rook Rifle. Through these harvest I have learned that both of the aforementioned factory loads are highly frangible. Despite this, head shots and well-placed shots in behind the shoulder (as with deer) have not ruined meat excessively. The VMAX is more dramatic than the PPU soft point and thus the PPU ammunition (despite its shortcomings) has been my preferred load for hunting. However, my original intent still holds true: once enough fireformed brass has been obtained I will be loading the 50 gr. Hornady SP to moderate velocities in order to extenuate brass life, minimize reloading cost, and reduce meat damage.
In all cases game has been killed quickly and ethically. As
expected, no quarry has required a follow-up shot. The .22 Hornet is orders of
magnitude more lethal on small game than either the .22 LR or the .22 WMR. I
have also found that by hunting with the Rook Rifle I am able to more
efficiently clean and process small game when compared to my hunts with a
shotgun.
Two weeks ago I managed to add a number of cottontails to
the pot and found that even when I “edged” the rabbits with a portion of my 12
gauge’s shot pattern I would still put a couple of pellets into the intestines
or stomach. This has the potential to taint meat and makes processing quite
unpleasant. Conversely, accurate headshots neither taint nor ruin meat and have
proven easily achievable with the Skinner aperture sight on my Rook Rifle. This
is very important to me as a meat hunter—especially when Brunswick Stew is on
tomorrow’s menu.
I’m still learning about this Rook Rifle, but the more time
I spend with it the more I like it. The rifle appears to fit the Rook Rifle
niche well. It is handy, accurate, cheap to shoot, mild of report, and performs
well on small game. Since building this rifle I’ve been conflicted. I’ve always
been a shotgunner, but now I find myself grabbing this little rifle more often
as I go out the door. This choice may reduce the number of game birds in the
larder, but I believe that it will substantially increase my pleasure afield and
the number of furred game in the freezer.
