Talk to me...Knight Mountainer or TC pro hunter
 

Been out of the muzzleloader game for a long time and looking to get one here really soon. The new Knight Mountainer and the TC pro hunter are the ones im considering. Any opinions on these guns??

I am A T/C fan myself, but wouldn't ever pay what they want for the pro hunter. the mountaineer is a much better option for a rifle in that price range. they scream quality! Ray

they are both great products from great companies. They are made in America to boot. I don't think you could go wrong either way.

I have used Knights for years. I love them and am glad that they are back in business.

Making the choice is half the fun!

Good luck.

I would pick Knight.

Since you are considering a Knight mountaineer you don't care if it's strictly a Muzzleloader. First off, the Triumph is a way better choice over the Pro hunter. Better made, more accurate, better trigger right out of the box.

The Mountaineer is a bolt gun and very accurate like the triumph. The Mountaineer does have better stock. It seems like a much better coating then weathershield. The Mountaineer does have a better trigger and adjustable. The Mountaineer is also Bh209 compatible with out having to do anything special.

The Mountaineer really wins in about every category except length. Knight chose a 27" barrel. The Triumph or pro-hunter is more compact of a gun. Of course they are break actions as well. The Mountaineer is a lot cheaper then a Pro-hunter and a little more then a Triumph.

Both guns will last a Life time, i would buy the one you like best. I own all three and the Mountaineer would easily be at the top. Pretty hard to ask anyone who does not have a Mountaineer. Maybe you should wait till more guys get them this month.

Well I have to agree with Grouse on the Triumph being the best pure muzzleloader, I have the Endeavor and while I love it and shoot it a lot dollar for dollar and considering everything the Triumph is better unless you want to be able to change barrels that that Pro Hunter and Endeavor excel in. Of course there are a few who are hung up on bolts and if you must have a bolt then Knight is the one to get.

I have all the muzzleloaders mentioned above, I believe.. The Triumph is a shooter however I do not care for the stock, maybe the Triumph Bone Collector feels better?

TC Encore Pro Hunter: Bought two frames and barrels seperately, one .50 Bergara Encore barrel, one .50 Bergara Encore barrel and a .45 Encore barrel. The Bergara's in my book are top notch barrels that just take minor tweeking. The Pro Hunters have a very heavy trigger where the standard Encores I have shot have very nice triggers. For the Pro Hunters its an easy trigger fix with a Bellm #3 spring and you have a nice 2.75-3lb pull. The Pro Hunters are also nice because you have the option to buy a rifle, shotgun or rimfire barrel.

One muzzleloader that was not mentioned that I feel needs mentioned is the TC Omega. I have the .45 and did have the .50, both with laminated thumbhole stocks. They both are/were excellent shooters and very easy to clean. I handled the Omega Dream Season and it shouldered great, never shot one though.

I have/had Knights which required Lehigh plugs for ignition with Blackhorn 209 but are/were great shooters. The Mountaineer comes with a Lehigh plug already and Grouses groups show it's a great shooter.

Here is the best thing I can tell you to do.............hit Bass Pro or Cabelas and handle a few. See which one you like the best, fits you best and is in your price range. They will not have the Mountaineer though.

After handling a few and narrowing it down check the classifieds on the various forums. Great deals can be found from time to time. :D

Had a pro hunter and got rid of it...shoot an Apex now...The Encore shot good for a couple of years but then it was all all over the place...Apex has a better lockup. I think the Knights are all all too long because of the bolt action. Have you looked at a Vortek?

That's a tough decision. I'm a Knight fan and was planning to get the Mountaineer but found a stainless (not weather shield)Pro Hunter on clearance for about $100 less than a Mountaineer and couldn't help myself. So far I'm really happy with with my choice. I don't think either would be bad though.
There's still a few ss Pro Hunters around here for sale for about the same as a Mountaineer.
The Mountaineer will be more accurate from a bench but I don't think significantly so and I doubt you would notice any difference in a hunting situation.

My first choice is KNIGHT, 2nd choice is KNIGHT, 3rd choice is KNIGHTTTTTTTTTT.

I really like both rifles. I have a few Knights and even more Encores. However most of my Encores are CF rifles. Not MZ's. I have owned 3 different Encore MZ barrels. So I have experience with them.

Here are my thoughts when comparing the two firearms.

IMO the Knight has a better trigger. And more easily adjustable. But I am not positive if the new Mountainer has a trigger as good as the ones on my Knight's.

One of the problems I had with the Encore was that they weren't easy to load. You had to beat down the second or third shot. I have not experienced these problems with my Knight rifles. Now I know guys say you need to buy this certain sabot or that certain sabot. But when I pay that kind of money for something, I do not want to be told the rifle is finicky and I must only use this or that projectile.

Probably what I like most about my Knight's is that they just seem to shoot(accurately) any projectile I stuff down the barrel. It can be a PRB, or a 525 grain cast bullet, or a 250 grain saboted bullet. The Knight's have shot them all for me. And I like that.

In my experience with Knight and Encore rifles. Which probably comes to about 25 or 30 Knight's, and a dozen or more Encore MZ's. IMO the Knight rifles have been in general more accurate than the Encore MZ's. And definitly less finicky. Tom.

I own a PH and love it. BUt having said that they are way over priced. As for the new Knight Mountainers they also carry a heavy price tag. If money is no object you could do no wrong with either. If money is a concern my Triumph is for the dollar the best gun i own. Not sure how the new Knight Discs are rated but the older ones sure are shooters.

There seems to be one thing most of us agree on and that's the price tag of the Pro Hunter and the Knight Mountaineers is to high. I really can not understand why either should be that high. I also agree with several who have said that dollar for dollar the best buy is the Triumph. Of all my TC guns the Triumph stands out for being consistent with the widest range of load and for consistent accuracy. And while I have never been a fan of CVA guns or company I would have to rate the Accura as next in line for best for the dollar.

What can I say. I have a Encore PH and you couldn't beg it away from me. Shoots sub moa @ 100yds, easy to load (all I use if BH 209 though) never hang fires or misfires. Factory trigger actually was pretty good but still sent it off and had a custom 2lb trigger job done on it. If someone stole this one I would go buy another one.

im pretty much an echo of sj, got an encore ph and i love it. I shoot it for ml, put a 7mm08 barrel on for rifle season, and a 22lr barrel on for small game. I got a steal on mine, 2nd owner after 1 season of use, came with the original box and all for 550. Just picked up a 20g barrel and i cant wait to try it out. Really other than a few of my rimfire rifles that i like to shoot, none of my other long guns even leave the house now.

tc pro hunter
 

I shoot the pro hunter and love it,accurate and easy to clean and i like the break open barrel as another way to be safe around my hunting buddies!