Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 338 ARC – Great Rifle

Description

The 338 ARC exists for one reason above all others, which is to throw a heavy subsonic bullet quietly out of a short barrel. Pairing it with a break open single shot is close to the ideal, and the Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 338 ARC is exactly that. A 16 inch threaded barrel on an action with no gas system and nothing to cycle.

• Why a break action is the best suppressor host
• Full specifications
• What 338 ARC is actually for
• Honest notes before you buy
• Ammunition supply, honestly
• The bottom line

Why a break action is the best suppressor host

Every noise a suppressed rifle makes that is not the muzzle blast comes from the action. Gas hissing back through the receiver, the bolt slamming, the case ejecting. A break open design has none of that, which means the Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 338 ARC with a can on it is genuinely quiet rather than merely quieter.

It also avoids the tuning problem. Subsonic ammunition rarely generates enough gas to cycle a semi automatic reliably, so those rifles need adjustable gas blocks and careful load selection. The Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 338 ARC will fire any 338 ARC load, subsonic or supersonic, without a single adjustment.

Full specifications

• Caliber: 338 ARC
• Action: single shot break open
• Barrel: 16 inches, threaded 11/16×24
• Capacity: 1 round
• Frame: stainless steel, matte black Cerakote
• Stock: black FlexTech
• Trigger: adjustable for overtravel
• Safety: hammer block
• Firing system: external hammer
• Suppressor ready: yes
• Drilled and tapped: yes
• Recoil pad: black rubber
• Included: cable trigger lock
• Davidson’s item 6323R, UPC 810180304382

Note the 11/16×24 muzzle thread rather than the more common 5/8×24. That is a larger thread sized for the bigger bore, and it means you need a suppressor or adapter that matches. Check what your can is threaded for before you order the Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 338 ARC, because this is not the thread most 30 caliber suppressors use.

What 338 ARC is actually for

Heavy subsonic bullets at close range. The cartridge was designed to feed 300 grain class projectiles from an AR-15 magazine, and the appeal is a big heavy bullet moving slowly and quietly. In the Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 338 ARC that translates to a short, handy, very quiet rifle for hogs, deer in thick cover and pest control where noise matters.

It will also shoot supersonic loads for more reach, which is where the 16 inch barrel and the single shot action earn their keep. The Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 338 ARC is a two purpose rifle depending on which box of ammunition you pick up, without changing anything on the gun.

Honest notes before you buy

One round at a time is the other limitation and it is worth naming. The Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 338 ARC enforces a deliberate first shot. On a hog at twenty yards in thick cover, that is a meaningful constraint. Most people who buy a rifle like this have made peace with it.

And it is not a long range rifle. Heavy subsonic bullets drop steeply and lose energy fast, so a hundred yards is a realistic working distance with a subsonic load. Supersonic ammunition extends that, but the Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 338 ARC is fundamentally a close cover and quiet work rifle rather than an open country one.

Ammunition supply, honestly

The 338 ARC is very new, and that is the practical catch. Factory ammunition is made by a short list of manufacturers and it is not on every shelf. If you buy the Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 338 ARC, plan on ordering ammunition deliberately rather than picking it up locally, and buy a few boxes when you find a load your rifle likes.

Handloading is a reasonable answer here and the single shot action makes it easier, because you are not constrained by magazine length. You can seat bullets out to suit the Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 338 ARC throat rather than to fit an AR magazine, which is a real advantage for accuracy with heavy subsonic projectiles.

The bottom line

For suppressed hunting and pest control where noise is the constraint, the Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 338 ARC is about as purpose built as a factory rifle gets. You can read more about the bullet design at swiftbullets.com, or browse the rest of our stock on the MAG5 Firearms ammunition page.

MAG5 Firearms keeps the Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 338 ARC in stock and moving, and we are glad to talk through bullet choice before you order. If you are working up a load for a new rifle, a single box of the Thompson Center Encore Pro Hunter 338 ARC is a sensible place to start.