Thanks for all of the replies and suggestions. I now have much to think about and a better idea of what I'm going to need.

Sabotloader- I'm in Eugene, OR right now, but am relocating to the Seattle area for a new job right after the new year. It's more money and I need to get away from all of the hippies down here ;)

Maybe sometime when I get my BP shooting skills and move all squared away we can hook up for a hunt. Some beautiful country over there in Idaho...

Scott

may also want to check out a Winchester X-150 on an online gun site. Awesome shooters!

SDK

If you are not in a hurry to get a ML wait a bit, when the 2010 ML's come out - you might have a better selection to choose from.

Oregon's rules are the most restrictive of the three PacNorWest states, when you get to WA state you will see they have been relaxed a bit.

My daughter live in the Kennewick area, and if you wanted to set up a meeting down there (closer for both of us) I could bring a couple of ML's over and we could run out and do some shooting.

If you need to purchase now - really look hard at the White, Remington, Knight Wolverine or Bighorn, or even the TC Black Diamond. I would not suggest any of the older style CVA's including the Winchester X-150 - it was not made by Winchester.

http://www.knightrifles.com/catalog.aspx?catid=bighorn

see my post on the tc encore .50. this is illegal in the nw, but i have good info that there is a guy in eugene oregon that will mill your encore to make it legal during muzzle loader season. if this stands to be true the encore is by far the choice in my mind. just too many options to pass up. there is the northwest edition out there now by tc also.

OregonHunter5

If you wait for the 2010 TC muzzleloaders you might find they are going to make a PacNorWest legal ML... Hopefully they will offer something other than on Encore base.

Thanks again to all of you.

I actually found a Muzzleloading specialty shop right around the corner in Springfield that has great pricing on new and used guns and supplies. I'm going to grab a decent .50 Hawken percussion rifle just to have fun with and get out shooting in the next few weeks.

Sabotloader- I'm going to take your advice, start practicing with the Hawken, and wait to see what comes out in 2010 for some serious deer and elk hunting. Hell, for the price of a decent scope I can get two rifles and all of the accessories. Once I get settled up in Washington, I'll send you a PM about getting together for a shoot.

I'll post a pic with specs when I pick up the Hawken. I'll probably have questions on getting started with a good practice load anyway.

Thanks,
Scott

SDK if your in springfield oregon, go to gun works. they have that new NW edition. i didnt get one cause my primary use of the encore was for the centerfire options. sportsman in bend has them also i believe just in case gun works is too expensive.

OH5- Do you recall what gun works was getting for it?

Bi-Mart in Eugene has it for $269 out the door with all of the attachments to make it legal in Oregon, Washington and Idaho...