T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

Still in my shopping state of mind and I have found a Black Diamond with starter kit with realtree hardwoods stock, blued finish for $200, and I can get a T/C Omega thumbhole black/blue for $250. How does the Diamond stack up to the Omega?

RE: T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

I would guess, they are going to shoot equally about the same. Both are going to be great shooters. The difference will come in the cleaning of the rifles. The Black Diamond with an open breech, will fowl the scope if you use one. Not that you can not clean a Black Diamond but the Omega would clean much easier.

One advantage of the Black Diamond is there are three different ignition systems for the rifle, it is open breech if that is a required part of a State hunting law, and the stock and barrel is floated. So as long as you rest the rifle on the stock, the barrel is always in the same position. I do not think the Omega is free floated in the barrel.

I have a Black Diamond XR and it is a great rifle. If you don't mind spending an extra five minutes when you clean the rifle, it would be hard to beat this rifle....

RE: T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

The Omega is a newer style with longer barrel for the overall length of the rifle. If the choice were mine I would go for the Omega. Somewhat easier to clean also.

RE: T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

only thing i hate is its in the pack and i cant actually shoulder the diamond. if its the same stock as the regular omega then i'm good to go. I thought of the wolf too but honestly from experience with them i'm sold on T/C. My only thought about the Omega that I dont like is that it seems abit barrel heavy. And I believe it is the Z5 version or whatever. It has some kind ofZ something on it where it says omega on the barrel if that makes alot of difference.

RE: T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

Right the Omega Z5 is their generic line of Omega's. They have other Omega's with better sights, and stocks, but the Omega Z I am sure would be a good shooter. The Black Diamond on the other hand should be a real good shooter as well. I load 100 grains of Triple Se7en 2f and a 250 grain Shockwave. Also whether the BD you would purchase would be the same, mine will shoot conicals as well. It actually shoots about anything you want to put down it..

RE: T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

The Black Diamond is a great rifle, but it has a few problems. The open bolt design allows twigs and pine needles to fall into the ejection port if you carry the gun cocked, with the safety on, and a primer on the nipple. If this happens, the rifle will likely mis-fire. Notto mention the possiblity of the cap falling off the nipple with nothing much to hold it in there.

If you carry it "hot" with the bolt in the forward position, there is a possibility of bumping the little handle on the bolt - which could cause an accidental discharge. The only safe way to carry this rifle in the field, IMO, is to not put a cap on it until you are ready to shoot.

I have had two accidental discharges with mine. Neither were the result of carelesness. But, nonetheless, I still hunt with it. We mainly hunt from "stands" and this allows me to not cap the nipple until in position at the stand. But walking through the woods with this gun with a cap on the nipple scares me . . . .

Get the Omega.

RE: T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

I'm leaning alot towards the diamond right now, how much better is it that saya cva buckskin or one of the more budget oriented models? I originally went to look for a CVA wolf but they where sold out and would have to be ordered.

RE: T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

I think the biggest thing the Black Diamond has going for it is that the barrel is the same high quality T/C barrel you will find on an Omega or Encore. Stock is also pretty good, in terms of fit and recoil control. And both of mine have excellent triggers.

If mine didn't shoot so well, I would have sold both of them by now.

RE: T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

Roskoe - if you want to carry the Black Diamond primed but breech closed, all you need do is take a tire valve stem cap and put it over the primer, cap, what ever, and close the action. Leave the safety off. The cap will seal right under the lip of the hammer striker and also help water proof the breech for you. When you're ready to shoot, a simple pull back on the cocking lever and tip the rifle to the side, the valve cap will fall out and your ready to shoot.

In fact if you take fishing line and feed it through the cap side, you can tie that to the trigger guard. Then when you tip the rifle or flick the string to pull it,youdon't even loose the cap. I have a mechanic friend that saves all the old tire valve stem covers for me, so I have no need to save them. Give it a try sometime...

RE: T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

Good idea. Solves two problems at once. Thanks, Dave :)

RE: T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

I shoot the black diamond and it shoots great, I have a banner 3-9 scope on it.

RE: T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

Well I now have a Diamond sitting on the bed right now, with some walmart gift cards in my wallet it came to $143. I just have to rely now that the wife cant tell it apart from all the other guns that keep "appearing" that i "forgot" i had hidden. I'm gonna go to the range tomorrow and see what she'll do, I'll post a review on it probably sunday after I hunt with it. I know one thing that thing is amazingly light.

RE: T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

I think you will like the gun, mine shoots the best with 100 grains of triple-7 and 250 grain shockwave's.

RE: T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

I guess there's no sense in recommending anything else now. The Diamond shoots well& the warranty is fantastic. The only two issues my friend has is exposed ignition during hunting & scopescars from blowback. There would of been no scope scars, powder/primer blowback or exposed ignition with the Omega.

Perhaps I arrived here too late! :eek:

RE: T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

The only other thing, thatI should have mentioned earlier, is to watch for the bolt sticking back after firing a number of shots. There is so much powder residue coming back into the open bolt that the bolt will periodically hang up either on the way back or, more seriously, on the way forward. The use of Break Free or Rem Oil on the bolt will help some, but I would strongly recommend removing the bolt and wiping it off every ten or twelve rounds.

This little quirk accounted for one of the accidental discharges I had with mine. I lined up on the target from the benchrest and carefully squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened. Certain that I had put the safety "on" somewhere in the loading process, I took my face off the stock and leaned over to look at the position of the safety. Just as I notcied the safety was in the "fire" position, the gun suddenly discharged. It was pointed downrange and about the only consequence, other thanjolt of it all, was a fat lip.

RE: T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

well, good news is it looks like i'm gettin an omega too. on of my buddies makes about 30k a year and lives with his grandparents and likes to buy on impulse. he purchased a new omega non-thumbhole tried it a couple times claims 'i thought it'd be cool but muzzleloaders are too much work i hate that crap, you can have it for $150' to which i said 'sweeeeet!' i guess it'll be a T/C family for me, maybe next year when i get abit more involved in muzzleloading I will shoot for an Encore.

RE: T/C Black Diamond vs. Omega thumbhole
 

Ive never had any trouble with my black diamond XR i like 110 gr RSand a 240gr XTP