Okay, I'm getting all geared up for my first season hunting with a muzzleloader. I bought a T/C Omega during the summer but have not shot it yet as I have been slowly acquiring all the ML accessories I need. Now I have everything I need, down to the scope and rings, and I'm getting excited to shoot my muzzy for the first time sometime this week.

I just finished cleaning the barrel of the Omega (as I do with ALL new firearms before I shoot them), and, to my dismay, there seems to be a problem with one of the rifling grooves. I cannot tell what it is, but there is some kind of junk clinging to the edge of the groove, no matter how many times I run a patch. It is more noticeable towards the breech but you can still see bits and pieces toward the muzzle. I use Otis, so I can get my patches to be very tight if I wish, so it's not an issue of me needing to clean it better.

My theory is that the edge of that one groove has some small jagged edges along it, and that it is tearing off small pieces of patch as it moves down the bore. In case I am wrong about this, I currently have the barrel soaking in cleaner and will run another patch through it later tonight to see if it clears the issue.

How much do you think this could affect the gun's accuracy? Or is this much ado about nothing...something a couple of dozen rounds will sort out?

I'm all for calling T/C and having them take care of it, BUT the season starts Oct 30, and I want to get the thing sighted in this week so I can start practicing with it, and I have no idea how long it will take T/C to get it back to me, especially this time of year.

I have thought about shooting it to see how it does on one hand, but on the other, if there is a problem, I want to be able to say that it's 100% a T/C issue and not a me-screwing-the-gun-up issue.