Originally Posted by
ronlaughlin
My Omega(s), have 'perfect' triggers. They shoulder nicely, and carry nicely. Not having a 'break action', they will never wear at the pivot. With a scope mounted, it is harder to insert, and remove a primer, than with a break open rifle.
I have never owned a break action ML. I picked the Omega Z5 that I currently own based on 1) Price ($250 on sale, was on a tight budget) and 2) T/C‘s reputation. What I really wanted was a break open…like the Triumph, but the $$ wasn’t there at the time. After some newb adjustments (my first ML) and some break-in time, I can honestly say that I have no desire for another model of in-line muzzleloader (except for maybe the Savage, but ONLY because it can handle smokeless powder). I do not find that the primer is difficult to remove or insert while the Omega is scoped (I never hunt with thick gloves, I use a handwarmer muff instead), though I can see how a break-action would make it even easier. The potential trade-off is not worth it to me, though. The Omega is inherently more stable, thus, over time I believe that it will remain more accurate, and there are no extra parts to wear or break. Now that she is broken in, I can consistently shoot 1” groups at 100 yards, and I haven’t even fooled around with working up loads all that much, especially compared to some of the (less sane) gurus around here.
Two complaints about the Omega Z5:
The comb on the Omega standard stock is TOO LOW for use with a scope. Seems the gun was designed to be used with iron sights, as, once you mount the scope, you have to make a “chin weld” instead of a proper cheek weld. There are a couple of things you can do (if that kind of thing even bothers you…it DOES me). One, you could forget the standard stock and go with a thumbhole model. The thumbhole stocks have a higher comb (comparable to the Triumph), which allow a proper cheek weld when scoped. I personally do not like the feel of a thumbhole stock, but obviously a lot of people love it. The second thing you could do is to buy a comb riser, which is what I did. Blackhawk makes one for around $25, and I am completely happy with it. Though it ties onto the stock, it is very, very sturdy and is easy to remove if I want to go back to using iron sights. Here is a pic:
The other thing I don’t like about the Omega Z5 is that the blued barrel seems incredibly susceptible to rust, MUCH more than any other blued firearm I own. In fact, I have never had any of my guns show rust exteriorly at any point, and the Z5 is my newest gun. I am not going to sell it because of this, but after the season I will apply Ultra Gun Shield to all exterior parts, and this should alleviate the problem. Although I do not know, I would assume that the stainless or “weatherguard” barrels do not have the same issues with rust.
Sorry for the long reply…didn’t mean for it to go this long. And yes, I know you asked about break actions.
