I shot the new X7 for the first time Monday. The session was not problem free, but nothing that can't be fixed.

I figured I should start with my favorite hunting bullet - the 300 grain Speer Gold Dot Hollow Point - thinking that if the gun shoots that bullet well I will be a happy camper.

I setthe Williams peep sightat mid-point of the adjustments for both windage and elevation. Loaded up the squeaky clean barrel with the Gold Dot in a Harvester short sabot over 80 grains Pyrodex RS and shot at 25 yards from the bench using a 6 o'clock hold on the bull. That shot clipped the very top edge of the target.

So I adjusted the rear sight to a point halfway between the mid-point and lowest point of the elevation scale and took three more shots with the same load - still at only 25 yards. Those three shots hit four inches above where I wanted them.

So I adjusted the rear signt as far down as it would go and reduced the charge to 70 grains, and took shot #5. It still hit two inches higher than I wanted.

Here's the target with all five shots.





Considering that I can't shoot for squat with fiber optic sights, I though the accuracy potential looked real good. But that front sight needs to be higher, and it needs to be a nice square blade(or maybe I'll put a scope onthe rifle and be done with it.)

Figuring a lighter bullet ought to shoot lower, I pulled out some .40 caliber 200 grain XTPs and some Harvester 50/40 crush rib sabots. Loaded those over 70 grains Pyrodex RS and shot them on a new target, still at 25 yards. I've got to say - that load just "felt right" for this gun. It had a sharp crack to it, and light recoil. I wish I had had time to pull out the chronograph to see what those bullets were doing, but it was getting late and time to head for a stand for the evening hunt.

Anyway, here's the target. Not great for only 25 yards, but you can see the potential.




Thoughts on the Omega X7: What a nice little gun this is. I was a little worred about some of the QLA horror stories, but don't see a problem there so far. I suspect this gun will shoot real tight groups with a little load experimentation. I was amazed at how CLEAN the breech area remained after the ten shots I took. Absolutly no blow-back. Even with CCI 209s, it's ten time cleaner than the Mustang's breech would be with that much shooting. No need for a .25 ACP breech plug with this one- though I may give one a try somewhere down the road just for the heck of it. As noted on the targets, I was wiping with one alcohol patch between shots. Loading with both bullet/sabot combinations was tight but not difficult. When I finished shooting I cleaned the bore with three very wet alcohol patches. The third one came out clean, as did a follow-up dry patch. I don't know why TC doesn't put a higher front sight on the X7, but I will be asking them for a new front sight.

Thoughts on the fiber optic sight: Actually, the front sight on this gun would be just right for quick shots at moving animals at woods distances. But my hunting situation almost always gives me time for well aimed shots atdeer that haven't been spooked. I'ts a rare situation where I can't wait for the perfect shot at a still animal. So, Ilike a precise sight picture and FOs just don't do it for me.