I'm trying to get into ML hunting and was offered a two year old TC Black Diamond for $150. Is this a good deal and a good gun for a beginner?

I did not see that you were looking at a used "black powder". Be darn careful. Properly done after shot cleaning is an absolute must when using any of the black powders.

Take a really careful look at the rifling, breach plug fire hole, barrel crown area, etc. ... looking for signs of corrosion and/or rust damage. Ask to demo the rifle to see if it groups well. Corrosion damage to these areas will definitely show up as poor grouping.

Thanks for the info! I would have never known.

I had a BD and it was real nice.If there are no problems with the gun jump on it.

my plain jane black diamond has accounted for 4-5 elk without any problems. while they are not the top of the line for a ml, they are perfectly adequate for hunting. mine is far more accurate than the rem 700 ml i had previously. as mentioned, look the gun over good. i know people who leave their gun loaded throughout the year because there too lazy to clean it after the season ends. 150.00 is a good price, but i'd offer the guy 125.00 (and show himthe cash in my hand when i made the offer).