I been gun shopping would appreciate any nudges in the right direction. Here is my current wish list. I may be missing something too.

Legal most places with a small ignition conversion.

Uses pellets and 209s and is rated for 150 grain charge or can be converted.
Good feel to the gun while holding it, working the action, aiming and pulling the trigger

Takes a scope nicely.

A SS barrel is very appealing.

It needs to shoot straight. I have been using power belts and would like to start using shockwaves too. I was at the range with the 24” lightning bolt shooting 100 yards into a 1- 1.5 inch group and I feel like I could improve. I had a marlin 30 30 and I was shooting the same group with it. I have heard of some brands shooting a 4” group at a 100 yards. That would be no fun at the range.

Reasonable cleaning

Reliability
Have heard some stories of the Traditions bolt action cock on close rifles shooting when closing the bolt.

MSRP of about $350 (find a sale $200-$250)
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I am attracted to the Evolution Premier SS .50 Caliber. I am concerned that don’t see very many people recommending it.
I would appreciate any help or adjustment to my wish list.

You need to buy what appeals to you. Guns are no fun if you own them and hate the looks of them so much you don't even want to shoot it. It sounds like you have a Tradition's that shoots real well. Have you tried Shockwaves out of it. It might surprise you how well it shoots them.

You never really know what projectile a rifle will like. It seems most of them shoot the XTP's and Shockwaves well. The Stainless Steel is where the money comes in. Have you considered a NEF Sidekick? Also there are some good deals showing up so keep your eyes open.

Don't overlook the Knights that RW is selling http://members.aol.com/randymagic/savage0.htmabout 40% down that page. Some OUTSTANDING buys. Get the Extreme if you want irons, the Elite if you want to only use a scope. Some few places will not allow the Knight ignition system so check rules where you are planning to hunt before buying anything. http://www.huntinfo.org/

WOW that looks like some good deals. Is the Knight disk the 209 in the plastic disk? I can use anything to get deer here in KY. There is almost a plague of white tail here. My brother lives in Alaska and I would like a gun that will also take big game at long range. I would also like to hunt hog in states with strict laws. That’s why ignition options and open breach is a must. If anyone has tips about other muzzleloader codes I would appreciate it.
Thanks
Skyler

Yes the knight disc elite rifles use the red primers. Some people claim they get over five shots out of each disc. You migh want to check with Randy Wakeman if the rifle you are looking for needs sights. Some of the Elites or was it the Extremes came without sights but are all set to mount a scope on.

Quote:

My brother lives in Alaska and I would like a gun that will also take big game at long range.

Sports writer Jim Shocky used Knight rifles like the Disc Elite for year to take large and dangerous game. They are excellent long range shooters for the most part. They come with a video. If you saw some of the shots they are making with Knight Disc & Elite rifles in that video on game it would amaze you.

Quote:

I would also like to hunt hog in states with strict laws. That’s why ignition options and open breach is a must.

I do not think they classify the Knight Disc Elite as an open breech rifle. For that you have to look at some of the Wolverines. They are open breech. And they are more then up to the task of taking a hog.

Some other excellent open breech mussleloaders are the Knight Bighorn, Wolverine, Thompson Center Black Diamond, and there are some open breech models in the CVA and Tradition's line.

I personally think those discs are a waste of time. You will have enough stuff to carry out and mess with when you hunt with you muzzleloader. Get a nice break open gun like an Encore or one like the Omega with the opening breach that makes the breech plug very excessible. CVA and Traditions also make nice M-loaders that have these same features.

A big secret is that all of the new style muzzleloaders shoot pretty good. A 700$ Knight isnt going to shoot that much better then a 200$ CVA. With the amount of bullet choices and powder choices you'll find something thatll shoot out of pretty much all of these guns.

I try not to put to much faith in any of the professional hunters and what they use because most of it is given to them, alot of which arent just the normal right of the shelf gun anyway. If Remington sponsered your TV show or magazine and gave you rifles. Im sure you couldnt write enough or say enough good things about them.

I'm pretty much in agreement on the discs - but I had to buy two such rifleslately because they were incredibly priced and therefor I needed them.

skyler4321, did you check out that huntinfo.org link in my first post?

Another rifle you might want to consider (open action and 209 primers might not be as appealing as lesser powered ignition and loose powder is about 1/3 the cost of pellets) are the Whites. Should be legal in most every state that allows inlines at all. Check out Doc's site at http://www.whitemuzzleloading.com/ One of his kits might make you a great winter project that would result in a fine rifle.

I really do not find the discs all that much of a pain to carry. This season when I hunted two days with the Knight Disc I just primed a few of them and put them in an old used #11 tin and carried that in my pocket with about five in there. I loaded the rifle at the truck and put a disc in without messing around with cappers and de-cappers. I never saw anything and so removing the disc was as easy as it was putting it in the rifle.

Well when it comes to open breach rifles its had to beat a System One with 2 barrels I use a 50 cal. for deer with a 230gr XTP and 150rs or APP; For elk, boar hog, and bear i use the 54 barrel with 140 grs and a widner 50 cal. 300 gr soft point in my gun this load groups in 4 to 5 inch at 200 yd and has droped a 600 pound bear at 196 yd according to my laser range finder. This gun has the old 1 in 38 twist which I like it seems to be much more forgiving for a wide range of bullet choices. I have different breach plugs for it to use a #11 or musket and one for a 209 primer.I like my Omega [a walmart sale this fall $160 couldn't resist it] for real wet weather but the only good grouping 200 yd load I have for it so far is Shock Wave 50 / 40 200 gr and 150 of APP.
Look them all over there are lots of excellant muzzle loaders out there its actully awful hard to beat a 54 cal round ball Hawken with a long barrel[my homemade has a 35 inch]and it will down a big bear I have done it.

Cayugad, agree they are not difficult to use but it seems just an extra 7-10 cents per shot expensethat really isn't needed to fire off a muzzleloader. I guess that can be cut down considerably by washing them in a sock or similar and reusing. Just an added component that Knight brilliantly introduced in order to sell a dime's worth of plastic for $7 plus.