I have the 209x50 Thompson Center Encore and just love it!

I shoot only 777 pellets in mine. Ease of loading I guess. They even make reload tubes that hold up to 3 pellets, the bullet, and a primer. I am currently sighted in using two pellets, winchester 209 primers, and Hornady SST, 250 grain sabots. This is one accurate load at a 100 yards. While I believe you can shoot loose powder in this rifle, it was made for the pellet shooter. You'll like it either way.[:-]