Muzzleloaders Knight Rifle report .45 Caliber Thompson Center Contender .45 caliber The ODHA loves muzzleloaders.  Mr. President says they are the "very berries". Deer hunting with a modern high powered rifle is great, but the black powder season always brings the members of the ODHA together for the first big game season of the year.  Mr. President calls the meeting to order a few days before season and all the vice-presidents have to be there.  Things have to be done- new products tested, new smoke poles sighted in, stands to be hung, and great food to be shared, from Mr. President's garden and also the wine tasting and stories told of seasons past. This year, like many before, I am thinking about the purchase of a new muzzleloading rifle.  The new .45 caliber magnums have become the topic of discussion and I have so far put the purchase off, but may not be able to suffer through the desire to own one of the beauties much longer. The inline rifles have made black powder hunting a lot more enjoyable for me.  I had a traditional black powder rifle for years and liked it a lot, even though I never bagged a buck with it.  I know a lot of traditional hunters detest the new rifles, but I am not one of them. I enjoy all types of hunting and I think it is more important for hunters to stand together and support each other than to let the anti-hunting crowd have the pleasure of watching hunters argue among themselves. So, I like the old muzzleloaders and the new ones and support which ever you choose. I prefer the the inlines and I am impressed with the new selection available today.  I have a list of things I look for in any rifle and I am even more picky when it comes to the black powder variety.  1. My muzzleloader does not have to be stainless steel. The new black powder substitutes like Pyrodex or Tripple Seven make rifles easier to keep clean. 2. It has to have a good trigger and fast lock time. 3. It has to be a .45 or .50 caliber magnum (rated for 150 gn Pyrodex). 4. It has to have 209 primer ignition system. 5. It has to be engineered well. After looking at several brands of rifles, shooting several of them and talking to many owners of different brands of rifles, I have put the Knight disc rifles and the Thompson Center rifles at the head of the list.  These are also some of the most expensive ($450-800) of the inlines, but they are probably worth it. There is an added benefit for the TC Encore model. It has interchangeable shotgun and modern caliber center fire barrels that can be purchased in calibers like .223, .243, .3006 and others. When modern gun season rolls around, just change barrels and keep hunting.  Extra barrels are about $250.     Both of these guns have the features I like. Great triggers, 209 ignitions  that are sealed from the rain, accurate, strong, and reliable.  The Knight's design directs primer gases away from the shooters face and the TC contains it completely. After purchasing both the Knight and the TC Contender, I liked them both but prefer the handling and ignition system of the TC best.  Now I only have one Muzzleloader and it is a TC.  I only wish I had gotten the .50 cal because there is a much better selection of bullets and other accessories available in .50 cal. Click on the pictures of the guns to visit their web sites and get more information. Chester