RE: Muzzle loaders?
I'll also strongly suggest Thompson Center as the preferred BRAND...lifetime warranty service is second to none, and it truly is a no questions asked lifetime warranty...been using several TC muzzleloaders for almost 15 years now, had a few expensive repairs made at no charge at all.
As far as the TYPE muzzleloader, you really have to think about what your interest is in getting one:
If all you want to do is take advantage of the special hunting seasons that were originally established for primitive weapons such as side lock precussions and flintlocks, then any plastic stocked thing will probably do.
If however, you have an interest in starting to learn about muzzleloaders, get some insight into the sort of rifles that the early settlers survived on, using black powder, (or Pyrodex, etc) patched round balls, etc, etc...then something like a .50cal TC Hawken would be an excellent starting point, either percussion or flintlock...if it's your first time into muzzleloading, the percussion model might be a little more straight-forward to start out with.
It's an outstanding hobby and you'll probably find that you become consumed by it once you get started and shoot a rifle that is somewhat reminesent of those carried by settlers 150-200 years ago.
Hunted all my life with .30-30's, .30-06's, etc, etc...and then got into muzzleloading...found there's no better sense of accomplishment than to lay a flintlock back down across my lap with smoke curling out of it and a nice buck laying in the leaves 50yds away.
Enjoy!