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[bnow0707]

I am new to muzzleloding but since my state has several ML seasons on public land I'm going to try it. I thought about buying the Optima 209 Magnum with break action & 26" barrel. Has anybody shot one of these or own one? Also what caliber should i choose? any other suggestion on good muzzleloders for less than $300?

[donmillion]

First thing you need to do is get a good handle on the laws in your state concerning muzzleloaders. For instance, I live in Colorado. Can't use optical sights, sabots, or pelletized powder here. For that reason, it would have been a foolish waste of money for me to buy a modern inline with a super-fast twist barrel.

Don't have to shoot roundballs, but conical lead bullets cannot be more than twice as long as their diameter. As such, anything with a twist faster than about 1:30 would force me to reduce the load in order to get decent precision.

And, of course, any rifle with no sights but just a place to mount a scope would have been silly.

So, what does your state allow? That's the place to start when picking a muzzleloader.

[bnow0707]

"Muzzle-loaders and Black Powder Handguns - 40 caliber or larger, provided however, that during special muzzleloader deer season, muzzleloaders shall be limited to those with open sights only (no scopes) and persons while participating in special muzzleloader deer season shall not possess any type of firearm other than a legal muzzle-loader" As stated in the regulation book for alabama under the firearms for deer section>

[donmillion]

That's pretty wide open, with the only real restriction being no scopes. Having looked at the CVA 209, though, it looks like it is intended to be fired with a scope. The rear site is set way out on the barrel, in front of where a scope would mount.

Have you handled one and used the sights? Do you feel like you could sight in well with that arrangement? With my old eyes I like a peep sight with the rear set back about as close to my eye as I can get it without hurting myself when the gun recoils.

Personally, I wouldn't want a gun with the rear sight set so far forward, but you may feel differently.

[bnow0707]

I went to a gun store and looked at the Optima and it seemed to me that I was forced to raise my head up from the stock to get the three dots to line up in the sight. It was some what un comfortable. But i pcked up a T/C break-action(not sure of it's name) and it felt the same way. I like for my upper cheekbone to rest on or near the top of the stock? That way i look straight down the barrel. What kind do you shoot? do you have any other suggestions for a good starter gun?

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[ This Message was edited by: bnow0707 on 2003-09-11 17:55 ]

[donmillion]

Mine is a Lyman Great Plains Hunter--.54 caliber. It's a traditional looking caplock with a 1:32 twist that works well with conical bullets. I put a Lyman peep sight on the back and it sights beautifully.

The problem is that most of the modern in-line muzzleloaders are intended to be shot with a scope, so their provisions for open sights are kind of minimal.

[propredator]

Some one told me that when you break open the optima to check how loose the barrel is attached,so i did on 5 different ones in a couple of stores,one wasnt bad just a little loose,the other 4 were very loose.
Dont know how it effects the accuracy when their closed and shot but if its loose when its new it can only get worse over the years.
How deep is the rifling on the gph 1in32?
I have a gpr round baller that i may put the fast twist barrel on some day.