My wife get me a new Omega SS w/camo thumbhole for Christmas. she said she got it for $389 including salas tax. I have a couple of questions. Do I need to saeson the barrel? If so how? As far as bullets go for deer size gameI was thinking 250 Gr. Or do I use some sabots and pistol bullets any recommendations as far as diam, weightand brand? For some reason when I do a search on here it comes back as no matches found.

oldwun

This discusion might help one question.... I do not think you can season a modern steel barrel - I do think you can condition one.

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1884685

You will get answers both ways and it will be anindividual decision for you ...

In my Omega I am shooting a 100 grains of T7-2f loose powder and a 250/60 grain bullet in a MMP HPH-24 sabot for whitetail. You will learn your barrel is probably a tight barrel and often you can not use Hornady packaged bullets and sabots....

Are you just getting started with aML? if you are Cayugad can provide you with all the iniatial information... he is a much better spokesman/writer than I...

Have Fun

$389 for a SS Thumbhole is a good deal, you have a wonderful wife to get you a gift like that. I have an Omega, it likes 100g T7 loose with a 300g Hornady XTP or Nosler Partition with a Harvester Crush rib sabot. I use the XTPs for plinking and thePartitions for hunting (they about about $1 each, butthe XTPs are only .10 each). I bought a bunch of different bullets and sabot and found what loaded good and what shot good out of my Knight and my Omega, I believe that is the best thing to do for both learning and finding out the sweet spot for your bullet/load combo. I clean after every shot, even in the field, with 2 swabs of bore butter. You will not have a loading problem if you do that, you also won't have a 2nd shot, but honestly I have never needed one, and you won't either with that rifle. Get a good 3x9 scope. REad www.hpmuzzleloading.com or chuckhawks.com for some good scope info. I have a Bushnell Firefly elite 3200 3x9x50.

If you don't have a friend into muzzies, buy this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Successful-Muzzleloader-Hunting-Peter-Schoonmaker/dp/0873497465/sr=8-1/qid=1167186072/ref=sr_1_1/105-2464496-0735609?ie=UTF8&s=books

and read it. You will learn a lot. Shoot it a lot in off season to get familiar with it and most of all have fun with it. I think that muzzies are a lot like modern compound bow hunting---real real fun and challenging.
Best wishes for learning your new rifle.
Chap Gleason Va

Thanks for the info I already have a Luepold 2 x 7 Muzzle loader scope. I had it on a Knight BK 92. I have hunted with a bow for the last 10 years or so. I just didn't do any blackpowder hunting. My sons are into the blackpowder thing so it gives me more time with them. I am 69 so I take every opportunity I can to play with them. They are the ones that had momma buy the Omega.

oldwun

Excellent... glad to have you aboard.... enjoy and have fun..

I have had really good luck with powerbelts.
If you load 100 grains of 777 pyrodex pelletsuse 245 grain powerbelts aerotips.
If you load 150 grains of 777 pyrodex pellets use 295 grain aerotip powerbelts.
This combination has worked great for just about every muzzleloader I have tried it in. I own a TC Omega, TC Encore, and a TC Firehawk, and have a CVA Wolf on the way that I just bought to try.

I have the omega. Shooting 250 gr sabots. Great Gun ! love mine. Rosewood thumbhole stock - stainless steel barrel.

My BF just got his Encore pro hunter HD stock with fluted barrel.

You won't be sorry with your Omega. Good Luck.