rcgerchow
Sharing some thoughts...
A friend of mine just bought the omega, hasn't shot it yet, I was looking over the posts about barrel problems (washboard) and kinda moved right past the omega.
I would really like to think that the "washboard" barrel is the norm. On other boards the Omega is thought of very highly. Another thing to consider is the Encore barrel and the Omega barrel are the same barrels.
Seems the long range shooting is being done with 45 cal. and that was the reasoning for 45 cal. I shoot a 50 cal, in-line now and it's marginal out to 100yds
Long range shooting is being done with the 45 cal, usually the claims of great accuracy center around the 10mm (40 cal) 200 grain SST/Shockwave. This is an extremly accurate bullet with great ballistics, but that same bullet can be shot from a 50 cal with the same accuracy, anyway I was impressed with it last weekend.
100 grains of Pyro, probably is not the best powder charge for a 200 yard shot for most ML projectiles. Do not get me wrong it will work and it can be accurate but a bullet propelled by 100 grains of equivalent BP @ 200 yards can have a lot of varibles react on it on its way to the target. The biggest effect on that bullet is probably cross-winds and shooting 200 yards you are allowing those cross winds to be even a bigger effect on the bullet.
I would echo who ever offered the thought that what you can do with a 45 you can do with a 50. But if I already had a couple of 50's I to would be tempted to get a 45, fortunately for me the State of Idaho has solved that problem for me, they are not legal for big game hunting.
Good luck in your search, but I really believe you would be happier with the Omega the Optima -
EXCEPT the Optima gives you the ability to have different barrels.
I am shooting 100 grains of loose t7 in a 50 cal, which could be equivelent to 115 grains of Pyro/BP. I am quite confident to 150 yards, but at 200 the conditions would need to be near perfect.
really, just my 2 cents and probably worth about that much...