The only way to go if you are going muzzle loader is Thompson Centerfire.
The Encore is the Top of the line and the last name in muzzleloaders. TC stands behind their prodocts 100% and they guarentee them for life period no matter how many owners it has. Find me another Co. that does that. Now they are not cheap!!! You may look into the price of a barrel for it and you may want to get another gun. But the one shot one kill hunt is the only way to go. Check them out at their shop at www.foxridgeoutfitters.com this is the sight for T.C.'s they get guns that no one else can special made. The shop is in the T.C. parking lot. Good Luck You getting the best of the best. Mike

I bought a stainless used frame in like new conditon with black synthetic forearm and buttstock for 255.00. Once you have that all you need to do is to buy a new barrel to have a different rifle. The stainless .50 muzzleloader barrel runs about 269.00 at most places then you need the forearm and that will be about 19.00 to 27.00. You can find the barrel cheaper at some places though. You can buy them from wholesalers and save alot of moolah. Here is a link to some good prices on barrels if you desire what they have in stock. http://pages.prodigy.net/mktcdyksman/ I have a .375 H&H Magnum barrel with a custom shop muzzle tamer installed. This as well with the sims recoil pad makes my 225 gr. max hanloads kick like a short barreled .308 winchester. This barrel is real accurate and Ive had no problems. The trigger pull is excellent and Im glad I bought the frame. I can have just about any rifle caliber you can imagne, if you are into single shots. The first shot should be the one that counts anyhow. With practice you can reload amost as fast as a bolt rifle. I saw the encore against a bolt rifle on american rifleman. With off hand steady shots the guy with the encore was actually faster on his shots when shooting at defined targets than the bolt shooter was. I think the encore is a very versatile rifle capable of handling any game on the planet and highly recommend it. They even have the .416 Rigby chambered in one of their barrels. Check out this link if you want to see some idea of the calibers you can have. http://www.matchgrademachine.com/gunshop/pages.php?pageid=21

I have a T/C encore .50 caliber.Blued barrel,composite stock.Some trigger attention and a nice simms vibration recoil pad and I have a great set up.I really like mine!

you won't gp wrong with the encore. i love mine (300 win mag,209x50,and a 15" 45/70). last year i killed a deer at 209 yards (laser rangefinder) with a shot through the heart. i would recommend you try the tc shockwave sabots, its what i shoot and i am very pleased with accuracy,energy and performance of both gun and ammo.

I own 2 Encore muzzleloader, and the above statement is stretching it a bit. I also own 2 Knights and an Ultimate, and to say my Encores are thebest of the best, well,not even close. Encores are fine weapons, but like someone else said, they are not cheap. I personally hate their triggers and have hadMike Bellm fix all ofmine. I also tried 3 factory centerfire barrels and 2 muzzleloader barrelsand could not get an "acceptable" group. I ended up buying a Virgin Valleycenterfire barrel for the accuracy that I desired. If you do the math on what Ihave inmy Encore, I could easily justify 2 different guns. I wouldpersonally shop around and try to get two guns.

I have 2 Encores. I haven't shot any other brands and I NEVER will!!!!!!!!!! Are they perfect, maybe not. Are they the most versatile gun on the market? ABSOLUTELY!

Mike

You haven't shot any other brands, but you have formed the opinion that its the most versitile????

Ditto

I must say I have shot Knight,TC and CVA's and while decent muzzleloaders were nowhere near my White Super 91. As far as results with a rifled barrel I have heard mixed results enough that I don't want to deal with one and they don't exactly give them away to boot.

There is nothing wrong with inexperience, but when it is coupled with narrow mindedness, itmakes a person appear ignorant.

I have an Encore and in my opinion, I will never own another M/L!