My completely non-hunting uncle won a Thompson/Center Omega .50 cal Muzzleloader in some kind of drawing and gave me first dibs. I'm new to muzzleloading, but if I like the way this thing shoots I may make it my weapon of choice for firearm season in Illinois (we can't use rifles). I've heard you can get these things accurate out to 300 yards? My question really is this though, is the Omega all it's cracked up to be? I've seen tons of advertisements on TV and in magazines and never really payed close attention, but it sounded like they were trying to impress upon people that it was THE easiest to operate and clean black-powder firearm available. Is this true or even close to true? Will I be impressed enough with the accuracy and range of this muzzleloader to give up my multiple-shot abilities of a slug-gun for it?

 

You will like the the TC i have one. You will want to use triple 777 powder in pellets for easy loading i use 130 grain 2 50 and 1 30 pellet and a 250 Tc shockwave and i getting good groups at 250 yards . I use to use shotguns now their a thing of the past good luck with it

 

I've heard a lot of people talk about Pyrodex. Why the Triple 777? Is this gun really as easy to clean and operate as they make it sound?

 

Why can't you use rifles there for firearms season? That seams weird to me.

 

Pyrodex is not as powerfull as 777. With 777 you just pour water down the barell and run a cotten patch down it and you don't get that rotten egg smell. It might cost more. But you will like it alot better . It is easy to clean just pulll the breach plug and clean it take me about 10 minutes to clean and that just taking it easy.

 

Good question. You can do it right next door in Missouri. Does make it a lot more of a challenge though seeing as you usually have to get fairly close by gun standards unless you're one of those ballistic freaks that has a slug-gun capable of 200+ yards.

 

See, I'm not at all familiar with the process of preparing a muzzleloader to be fired or cleaning it. Does the Omega come with a good, detailed instruction or owner's manual explaining virtually everything about this black-powder rifle?

 

No offence RG...but the Thompson/Center Omega .50 cal Muzzleloade in my opinion is no where near a "muzzleloader"...it is a modern black-powder rifle.........The gun will be great for the illinois hunting........but if you want to get into blackpowder shooting for the "old aspect" of it...get a true muzzleloare in a good 54 cal. wood stock, mile long barrel, ect [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img].........I hear the TC omega is a good acurate rifle for what it is.....

 

The T/C should be an great weapon. They tend to be pricy and that's the reason more of my buddies don't use them. I personally don't think I would try an shot over 150-200 yards with a muzzleloader. That's my opinion. But you might try it at the range and see what you think. As for powder, I like 777 also. It's cleaner burning and not as much smoke as Pyrodex and doesn't have that egg smell and the pellets do make loading a snap. Indiana is like Illinois for rifles, can't use them for firemarms. The reasons that I have always heard is that the land is too flat (as a majority) and with so many hunters, the state feels it would be unsafe to use them for deer. We can only use muzzleloaders and shotguns with slugs. I'm not sure on the video coming with the gun, but I am sure that you can find someone that can help you get started. I live in southern Indiana and would be more than happy to help you get started if you are close to this area. Good luck and let us know how you like it!

 

NO. Make no mistake, I want the most technologically-advanced and simple-to-operate "muzzleloader" available. I am glad to hear it's all of these.