Watch us Blow up a 300 PRC Encore Rifle!

We Blew Up a 300PRC Encore Rifle! Safety Tips for TC Rifles

Yes, it is true, we blew up our 300 PRC TC Encore barrel.

As a follow up to our recent video where we describe the problems we found when using the 300 PRC in the Thompson Center rifles, we wanted to share why we will not be offering the chambering. In our testing, brass life was found to be unacceptable, growing with each firing and even causing permanent damage to the frame we used for testing, stretching the barrel-to-frame gap out of spec. Our trip to the desert resulted in two barrels’ lives coming to an end.

• As a send off, we used explosive targets to launch a 55 gallon drum well into the air before crashing back down.
• Afterward, we intentionally destroyed our prototype 300 PRC barrel under controlled, remote-fire conditions.
• Ultimate destruction was our goal, and we feel we successfully met that goal.

The barrel was mounted in a vise and remotely triggered as we sat behind a mountain of safety far, far away. We left a steel scope base, one-piece scope mount, and scope attached to the barrel to further emphasize the power and destruction. We’ve got a request into Vortex to verify whether their lifetime warranty applies, and we’ll let you know how they respond.

In the video, we go over some tips so that a detonation like this does not happen, as it would surely be lethal if held by someone when the barrel comes apart. We cover some reloading information and safe practices for field use. We hope you enjoy the footage and pictures of this destruction, which we hope serves as a reminder to just how powerful firearms are.