Looking at black power and saw a Thompson kit at walmart for 248 bucks. Is that a decent price and gun for getting into black power?

What you were looking at was the Thompson Center Black Diamond. I am not sure if the XR comes in those kits. If the rifle had a 22 inch barrel it is the standard Black Diamond...

They are a great shooting rifle and the warranty is second to none. With the kit it does get you shooting much faster. Get a little powder and some projectiles and your ready to make smoke.

I have a Black Diamond XR and it is a fine shooting rifle....

You can go to their site and read about the rifles..T/C Arms

Langshan, another consideration for the same money is that you can usually find mint condition TC Hawkens on auctions most any time...

Langshan

Much better buys are RIGHT HERE.

or some more traditional ones RIGHT HERE.

I have a cva hunterbolt magnum, I traded my TC black diamond straight up for I cant believe TC would put their name on such a hunk of Cr@p. The CVA is decent but 10 times better then the black diamond.

Not wishing to argue with you HighDesertWolf but I disagree with you. I have a Thompson Center Black Diamond XR, a Knight Wolverine II LK-93 and a CVA Staghorn Magnum. Of all my inlines, the Black Diamond without doubt is the most accurate of them. In terms of projectiles, the Black Diamond will shoot the largest selection of projectiles more accurate then the other two. Further more the Black Diamond XR with the two locking lugs and floating barrel seems much stronger in stock position then the other two.

Perhaps you could comment on what you disliked about the Black Diamond you owned. I will admit of the three it is the worst to clean, but that is not something I would have ever traded it off for.

This is one of the few times I have ever saw a review of a Black Diamond where someone said they disliked it. Other then cleaning the rifle there is very little that I can find fault with in the rifle.....