I' d encourage you, or your dad, step up to a higher quality gun that you' ll be satisfied with from the start, rather than a gun you' ll hunt with one year and then decide you really like it and want something nicer. This is advice I wish I' d heeded when I started muzzleloading.

I' m not trying to say that the cheap ML' s aren' t good enough to hunt with. The first ML I hunted with was (is) a Traditions Buckhunter Pro inline .50cal. It shot pretty well, and like every .50cal ML it was more than enough to kill a deer, but it seriously lacks the refinement and nice features of a more mid to upper class gun.

After one year with it I decided I wanted a nicer gun and bought my Knight DISC, which is leagues ahead of the Traditions in most respects.

My recommendation you be to check out the T/C Omega .50. The blued/black version can be had for $350 and it is a very high quality gun. T/C has a fine reputation for great ML' s and their customer service is A1. If I were to buy a new gun right now, the T/C Omega would be it. The only gun I prefer more would be the T/C Encore with the .50cal ML barrel, but it' s a bit pricey.

Mike