sabotloader

I was bound and detirmined to shoot this gun this no matter what the weather - the weather was cold an windy with really cold air coming from Montana - it is always cold air when it comes from the east - down out of Canada and across from the Big Sky Country.

Well any way here is my first target after sighting in - not a great target but my first one... I was really a little leary of the trigger, actually the trigger mechanism, it looks a little fake-aroo, but it is really smooth and easy and smooth to pull but for me it will take a more time to get use to.

I had several concerns about shooting the gun, one was the breech plug because I use t7 and I don't use grease and I do snug the plug up against the face of the plug. After 10 shoots I did try to loosen the plug to make sure it was not froze up. Turned away from the barrel very easily. I did go on to shoot another 25 shots and now that I am home the first thing I wanted to do was to try the plug again - put the socket on and turned it right out. One more thing I do not need to worry about.

Another concern was the UC's "crud ring" - I normally do not fight this battle with my guns, but any time you talk about an Omega and T7 you are talking about the "crud ring." Well I would estimate the first 10 shots I was building up a pretty decent "crud ring" but it seemed after those first ten shots it just quit happening - not really sure why yet. I will clean the barrel to night and do my thing and check this again next time I shoot it.

Another concern was getting 209 in and out of the breech, not a problem my regular capper worked easy enough and I did not have to pick the spent primer out. Just point the muzzle in the air tap the side of the stock and out it fell - that i thought was handy as heck. No real mess in the breech area also and none outside the breech.

The trigger and trigger guard were absolutely not a problem with the bare hand. No recoil problems at all - I am also happy about that.

I did finnally get the gun sighted in, after stopping to remember which was my right hand and which was my left hand, didn't seem I could remember from one adjustment to the next - but it all worked out.

After getting it sighted in I started shooting what ever I could find that was shootable. Some one had set up some clay pigeons at 60 yards and even a couple of golf balls sitting in gator aid cups at abot 50 yards. All of thos targets quickly disappearedit was great shooting.

This is not an indication of what the gun can do yet but for me at this time this is going to be a good gun.

I let you know about cleaning later, but right now with tha action sitting in my lap it really looks like a peice of cake - even cleaning and oilingthe trigger assembly...

It was fun...

One last report no trouble loading the .458's or the .452 XTP's that i used to sight the gun in with. They slid down very easily - still not sure I like the QLA though.

Pittsburghunter

Interesting. I have not shot bullets with A diameter bigger than .451 out of my Encore and perfer the .44cal (.429-.430) for most of my shooting. That Target was shot at what range?

Pittsburghunter

Does laser mean you used a range finder to determan how far the shot was?

sabotloader

Pittsburghunter

Yes, a laser range finder...

I use to shoot a lot of 44's because of the BC advantage, but I have much better success with the 45's and the .458's. I like being a little closer to bore diameter. The 458's are not he best target shooter for sure but I use a .458 Nosler Partition for elk hunting. I know the .458 partition does the work I need doneto stop an elk even in less than favorable conditions and without the best shot in the world. When I am deer hunting I drop back to a 260 Nosler - but I am really considering the .452 - 250 grain Speer Gold Dot for next season.

Another advantage of the .451/.452 is the availability of the many different sized sabots so nobody needs to struggle to load a sabot in the field while hunting.

cayugad

It sounds like the rifle is going to work out real good for you and the accuracy looks real good. It will only get better with time. Although really, for 75 yards, that is some good shooting.

Chasam60

Good shooting-I just knew you would like the Omega.If you get a Sims recoil pad,you will like it even more.The recoil dosn't bother me until the next day,when I find a purple shoulder.Sims cured that for me.

Charlie

sabotloader

cayugad

At this point the barrel feels really smooth and I have no trouble putting down sabot/bullet combinations - once started one hand on the range rod and a steady push. I was going to run JB's in it tonight, but at this point I think I'll pass. Do you see any benefits of running JB's at this point?

cayugad

Nope.. if it is loading smooth there is no need for the J-B Paste. Although that stuff works great to take out plastic, copper, and lead fowling if you need to do that. I use it about every six months just to make sure the solvents have not missed anything.

I have a feeling that once you find your right load you are going to have a real shooter on your hands... I will be watching your upcoming posts..

ENCOREMAN

sabotloader,
It sounds like despite the weather conditions you had a pretty good day at the range with your new Omega I'm sure that the more you shoot this rifle the better it'll get. My Omega is the most accurate of all my ML's and even though I love shootingmy sidelocks when it comes time to hunt I'll take the Omega or Encore any day.
The crud ring was probably slowly going away, because the hole in the breech plug was slowlyclosing up with fouling.....just my guesss. Isn't that suppose to be one of the advantages of shooting the small rifle primers with T7?
Looking forward to your next trip to the range with the Omega.....good reading, Thank You.

AQUATECH

Yep......it looks like a keeper to me the target
groups were really very good considering the weather.
I didn't have a problem with the crud-ring on my
Omega either. But as I posted earlier, I'm looking
at the Pinnacle E-Z loads to maybe do away with
any "crud ring". Curious, have you ever shot the
Barnes 300gr. expanders? A friend of mine used them
on a wild pig, and they really worked as advertised.
Any-who another day shooting......keep us posted.
Danny