Thompson Center Black Diamond XR Black Powder Rifle 50 Caliber #209 Primer Black Synthetic Stock 1 in 28" Twist 26" Barrel Blue

I have owned this gun for the last 5 years and it has performed perfectly. I have killed several nice bucks in this time. Most recently my 10 yr. old son killed a nice 8 pt. from 90yds for his first deer. Very accurate and reliable.

I have owned one for 5 yrs. after trial & error I found that 90 grs. of 777 with a 300 gr. full lead bullet was 1 1/2 in at 100 yrds., have worked with many bullets, but this honey seems to love this combo.

I love my Black Diamond. When loaded with a 340 grain Dead Center sabot, and loaded with 120 grains of Triple Seven, I get near minute of angle accuracy at 100 Yards. That is with iron sights.

I had to add another star to my previous product rating. After some trial and error I found that my Black Diamond XR shoots Nosler sabots very consistently. I just shot a 1-3/4" 3 shot group at 115 yds using 100grs 777, 250gr XTP and the Nosler sabot. There were no fliers like I had with the T/C sabots. This will my deer load for the upcoming muzzleloader season here in Illinois. The Black Diamond had lived up to its accuracy reputation its just particular to what it ingests.

Excellent fit and finish, well made. 3" 100yd groups w/ 250gr XTP's and 777. But it always throws the first shot high before it settles into a group. Expected better, my other muzzleloaders do not exhibit this trait.

It's a good-looking rifle that seems to be well made, but it's definitely no longer on the cutting edge of technology. It's a pain to clean, and you might find breech plug removal a real challenge if you shoot more than about 20 rounds before cleaning. You may need a vise to get adequate leverage to remove the plug (contrast that with TC's latest breech removal technology). I've also found the gun to be very much the fair weather piece. If it's even misting outside, you'll either need overhead cover (like a shooting shed) or chances are your powder will get very wet. On a clear day, it's a fine shooter. I'd recommend going for a more modern in-line, one with a sealed breech that allows a person to hunt in wet weather. In my experience, the Black Diamond just won't support anything but dry weather, but if you hunt only when it's nice, this might be a perfect fit.

This was my first muzzleloader. It certainly has the fine fit and finish that Thompson is known for. I could never really get this rifle to shoot real well even using some of the combinations others have mentioned here. It definately has "Hunting Accuracy" out of the box, but not much better. It does come with a great set of sights and is easy to point and shoot. It does have plenty of "blow back" in the nipple area when firing, so don't forget the shooting glasses. A lot of people say that these guns are hard on a scopes finish due to the open access to the nipple area and the blow back, and I can see why. This Rifle is also not real easy to clean, and if you do no dissassemble the bolt area for cleaning, it will not function a month later as it will be siezed up. To make a long story short, I bought a break action muzzleloader that was $160 cheaper than this one that I like much better, but that is just my personal preference.