LIAF

Last spring I received a new omega ss as a gift andI added a leupold varxll 1-4x which i had laying around. I then bought rings/bases for about $30.00 and got a free boresight at the store where the gun was bought. I was feeling pretty good that I had a fully equipped top of the line ML which wound up costing me the price of the rings and the bases. Wellthe omega is finally sighted in and I just totaled up my cost to get the omega to shoot decentlyand it cost me $400.00trying different bullets, pellets and range time. My first two outings I used T-7 pellets with T/C 240 XTP bullets. I quickly found out about the so called dreaded crud ring and how difficult it was to seat those sabots. I shot around 40 rounds on those 2 outings and decided that T-7 pellets and those sabots don't work in my omega. I gave away my remaining xtp bullets and a full box of T-7 pellets w/ the leftovers from the first box.I couldn't get back up to my friends place,its 5 hrs away from me which is where I hunt during ML season.I had to go to an indoor range as I live outside of NYC and outdoor ranges are few and far between. Well its 22.50 per hour at the indoor range plus I needed to rent a rifle rest for sighting in the omega. It was like 50.00 each time I went as it takes me about 5 mins to shoot clean and load my omega when I am sighting it in. I went 4 times 2 hrs apiece each session equals $200.00 in range time.I firsttried some easy loading maxi-hunters 275gr and 295gr. HPpowerbeltswith pyrodex pellets. It shot pretty good with the power belts about and inch at 50 yards, 1.5 inches at 75 yards but 100 yards just seemed to really open up. The maxi's did not shoot that well and I wonder why T/C recommends them for the omega.I figured I was getting tired so I would come back another day. I went back the next time used PB and 2 pyro. pellets and the gun shot all over the place i couldn't figure out what was going on. i found out later that my knob screws on the scope loosened up and that was the problem. Well had to go back again to re-sight it in andgot the same results as the first time. I couldn't figure why it did so well up to 75 yards until I read on this forum that others had experienced the same problem. I decided to go one last time. I took my time on this outing and really cleaned the gun between shots wet patched twice w/solventthen used clean patches 2-3 times running them up and down. The more consistent I was with my loading technique the smaller the groups got my best group at 75 yards was about 3/4 of an inch but my 100 yard groups were 3-5 inches. Well I figured I spent enoughmoney and where I hunt its rare to get a shot past 100 yards. Next year I will be going with loose powder(pyro or APP)and try a different weight/ styleon the PB. I may even try a sabot again but it will be the .44 cal bullets with the green sabots and I can't wait to get my hands on those kleenbore primers. I knowthat each gun is different and it takes time to find a good shooting load. I guess I will have my work cut out for me next year. I knew this would be different then shooting with a centerfire rifle . I figuredthe only difference would be that I get only one shot and could not shoot as farbut I have found out it doesn't work that way.

m.t.hands

wooohooo i bet you were popular at the indoor range[:-]

cayugad

I guess I never realize how lucky I am to be able to walk out the back door, and sit down at the shooting bench in my back yard and blast away. WOW! indoor range time. That's a kick. Ithink I take a portable bench rest and go camping somewhere near a gravel pit every weekend...

Good luck with your rifle. Have you tried some of the 250 grain Shockwaves out of your rifle? Perhaps give them a try on your next time out...

lonewolf5347

living in a fog: Man that a lot of money to spend for shooting time,why not take a trip out on long island exit 49 on the LIE the Hunnington town range has 100 yard points cost to non-residents is $17.00 shoot all day
I would try Goex black powder 3f and some Buffalo SSB 375 grain in hat omega.I have a t/c inline Thunderhawk in 54 cal. loves the XTP mag: 240 grainer with 115 grains of pyrodex select ,will also shoot excellent with 100 grain of 3f BP. I can say the thunderhawk will not shoot a conical bullet to save it life .

Rebel Hog

Glad I was'nt there!

Birdrider

Don't Omegas retail for about $400.00

cayugad

Omega Z5 is selling for $299.00 which is a heck of a deal for a Omega.

nchawkeye

Makes me glad I live in the South... LOL
It doesn't usually take that long to sight in...too bad you didn't have
an experienced bp shooter to help you...I sighted in a new Omega
for a buddy a couple of weeks ago...Took maybe a couple of hours..
We leave on Saturday for a week...can't wait...Glad you are ready for
this season...Good Luck

cayugad

some guns, no matter what make or model just sight in faster then others. My new Disc rifle, I had a load that shot excellent groups an on the bull in under an hour. That was the fastest tuning rifle I ever shot. I am still trying different loads mind you, but I have one to fall back on should the need arise to hunt with it.

LIAF

I will give that one some serious consideration next year. A friend of mine has some property around an hour north of me and the portable bench ideathat cayugad suggested sounds like a viable suggestion too. Was i popular at the range well i went during the week when hardly anyone was there so i don't think I was really bothering anyone. There was another BP shooter there and he was shooting Goex BP and I will admit that stuff was a lot of smoke. I have to admit I was real popular with the owner of the range/sports shop where I also purchased those pellets and PB. As I saidI was fortunate that the omega was a gift and i had the leupold just lying around the house otherwise I would have been really annoyed not just a little annoyed. Thanks for the suggestions. BTW I hunted last year and killed a doe with my buddy's omega at about 100 yards offhand which is what got me interested inmuzzleloading.