Im trying to decide between the TC Omega with Stainless barel or the CVA Optima with stainless barrel and QRB. I like both guns and while the QRB is a nice feature it doesnt take long to unscrew the Optimas breech plug. Both can be had for the same price. Im just trying to decide but I am leaning toward the Optima.

Omega for sure.

OPTIMA easily. Better trigger, much easier to prime, better stock material and a finger removable plug.

Depending on what style you want they can run anywhere from $225 for the black non thumbhole. I can get you a deal on a camo/ss thumbhole for $290 shipped if you're interested.

Hands down the Omega.

Omega hands down

because it's safe to shoot.

swampman dumbs himself down again.

Im pretty sure the newer CVAs are safe. Im just trying to decide which is has the better feel and easier to maintain and clean etc...and of course accuracy is nice.

Go with the CVA

accuracy wise, both are equal. The CVA however will do the best out of the group when it comes to shooting conicals.

Open sights on the Optima are also another thumbs up. My omega i had to squish my face down on the stock. Still ended up shooting 8" high at 50 yards with the sight bottomed out. Figured for the price of the gun i shouldnt have to spend another $40-$50 for open sights that offered more adjustment.

How is that? How would the design of the Omega be any safer?

You shot both of them or are you just using your expertise and guessing?

just being a turd. Thankfully the original poster has been here long enough to know the craps going to hit the fan.

Yeah I already anticipated this. No need to argue guys, I asked for opinions so everyone is entitled to post theirs. Im sure there was a safety problem with CVA at one time but Im confident that they have corrected any problems by now. Im just wondering which gun handles better and is more durable and easier to clean and maintain etc... Like I said Im leaning toward the Optima because of the Quick release breech plug but thats isnt all that matters in a muzzleloader.

i honestly think you'll like the optima better. Heck someone on my forum had the omega, thought it was everything he needed. He sold it later because he thought he wanted traditional only. He came with with a cva wolf and preferred it over the omega LOL. When he told me this i just couldnt believe it.

Go with the Omega, very reliable. I bought the weather shield and love it!

Knight kp1 just my .02

kp1? now thats a REAL odd ball right there lol.

I mentioned the Omega earlier, but I will go into more detail of why I like the Omega. I thought seriously about buying a Optima in thumbhole stock with the stainless barrel just like Big Block has posted photo's of. Our local Walmart had one of the Optima's on clearance after muzzle loading season ended. To my surprise they actually still had it last time I was in there and it's been 8 months or so since ML season ended. I'm not sure why it hasn't sold. It seems like a decent deal at the $200 they are asking. I've picked it up several times and looked at it, and I just can't get used to how it feels. It feels horrible in my hands. I've had other thumb hole stocks, and while they aren't my favorite, they have felt pretty good, but this one I just couldn't get comfortable with. I also felt it felt a little cheap. The stock that is, but that was just my opinion. I put it back every time I picked it up. It just seems like such a good deal and that's why I've looked at it as many times as I have, but I know if I don't like how it feels in the store that I wont shoot it that well. I also have a little experience with a friends Optima with the regular stock, and it doesn't fit me all that well either, but I do like it better. Overall, I just am not really that impressed with the gun.

On the other hand, I really like the older T/C Black Diamonds and other than being hard to clean, I think they are some of the best guns out there. I love them.

Then over the past couple of years some hunting buddies bought a T/C Omega Z5's from Walmart. One of them didn't shoot so well, but the other one shot great. I'm not sure if the one that didn't shoot so well was just his bullet/powder combo, or the gun or what. It shot well enough to hunt with though, it just wasn't shooting under an inch like I expected after his brothers shot so well. They feel great in my hands, and just feel like quality. IMO it's no comparison between the Optima and the Omega. The Omega to me is the hands down winner. The Omega is also very easy to take down and clean, and imo just an all around great gun. Our Walmart sold out of them as soon as the clearance started on them, as I'd have bought one. That should have been a hint I guess since they still have the CVA, and sold the T/C's right away before I could get my hands on one. I'm still considering an Omega and if I ever come across a decent deal on one, that will probably be my next muzzle loader. I really want the one with the stainless barrel though so it may have worked out best that I didn't get the Z5 from Walmart.


With BigBlock, I really value his opinions and he posts a lot of great information, but at the same time, he also gets a lot free stuff from CVA which is why he pushes their stuff so hard. So you kind of have to take that into consideration when listening to his recommendations.

Bottom one, no oddball there! It has my 204 barrel on it now.

my opinion of the Optima has nothing to do with me getting free stuff from cva to test and try out.

Ive owned both the omega and now 2 optimas. Optima hands down in my book is the winner for me.

Omega down falls:
Open sights wouldnt adjust no where near enough for me to make use of them.
Hard to prime with my scope on, and even a pain in the butt with the scope off i felt. One reason i got rid of my winchester apex " that's a cva for the record" as well.
Tiny trigger guard which makes shooting with gloves a chore, a safety issue IMO.
Poor reputation of shooting conicals " conicals only in my state"
Trigger pull of around 3.5lbs
Stock comb set up for scopes rather than open sight.

Been shooting cva's since 1999 " late 99" and a great majority of other brands from knight, lyman, traditions, heck even an ol belgium flintlock. The CVA Suited me the best. Could i get by with other brands? Yes, but why change when something has been working for the past 12-13 years.

That certainly is a nice KP1 with that stock, very cherry in fact. I read a review though that the muzzle loader set up is a dirty set up though. Knight still hasnt figured out when they are going to start selling guns, especially the Mountaineer.

I think it's really a personal preference as it seems like different guns fit different people.

That being said, I've never gotten to chance to shoot an Omega with open sights, nor has anyone I know. All of them have put scopes on it right away, and I guess I just assumed that's what the OP was going to do. So I can't comment on the open sights of the Omega. It does seem to be set up for a scope.

I've also never shot conicals out of either, as we don't have to shoot them here, so that may be something else to look into.

The only reason I would choose the Omega is:Made in the U.S.A.

i can put a turd in a box and mark it made in the USA. You still in the market to buy hawken?

+1000 but the sound effects on the TCARMS site are so much cooler and would make me decide on an Omega.

yeah i do like their effects. Almost fried my keyboard when i went there and a loud boom went off. A fried keyboard and clean underwear darn near.

But those effects also eat up my bandwidth! Traditions website is pretty darn nice as well.

TC Omega. This is a well built and proven muzzy. Mine has been great and most guys I know shoot them or another TC.

of those 2 i'd go with the cva ,easier to clean,easier to prime. nothing wrong with either gun except to me the design of the omega is alittle out dated compared to the break open guns.


forget both and buy a triumph,i know where you can buy a new in box triumph with weathershield for 325.00 plus shipping.

I can't speak to the Optima... no experience.
But I have been very happy with my Omega, and would buy it again without hesitation.

I compared my Omega to an Optima on the range and the Omega was much more accurate. The Optima sort of looked cheap in comparison as well. Small sample size, but I'd go Omega again over the CVA any day.

or you didnt take the time to develop a load the optima liked..

250gr Powerbelt Aerolite, 100gr blackhorn209 3 shots @ 100 yards.

Bigblock. You are right about the trigger guard on the Omega..it is "too" small. I want to see someone beat the group you shot with that Optima. My Apex does those groups on occasion as well. I think I will hunt with it this year and then sell it the barrel is about to explode anyday. I will shoot it sparingly.

as does our Apex. Except it prefers the 295gr powerbelts. Have to try the 250 thors in it later on.

Took enough time for me to know it was a dud MLer. The thing wouldn't even shoot PBs worth a hoot with t7 or Bh209. My Omega shoots damn near everything I've stuffed in it quite well.

One is hardly a sample size, but the cheap look of the rifle was enough to turn me away. Everyone has their opinions.

Comparing a CVA to a TC is sort of like comparing a Savage to a M70 IMO.

campairing a savage to a m70. in most cases the savage wins

oh the Optima's will shoot. Just gotta know what you are doing

Dont git yer finger stuck in that tiny omega trigger guard.

Not quite my friend. I will put the fit and finish and design of my Apex against any Encore Endeavor/Prohunter made right now. I know I sold an Endeavor and bought the Apex. Both shoot equally well which is exceptional but the only gripe I can find on the Apex is the weight and that is about it. I have owned exactly 2 CVA's and 2 TC rifles and all of them shot and shoot well.

That is a huge design failure and that drop block is cheap as well.

I have bought a couple CVA's over the years, and have had ignition problems with both. One used #11 caps and the other used 209 primers. I'm not a CVA fan. In my opinion, quality is just not there.

My wife bought me an Omega several years ago, when they first came out. It is still as accurate as ever, and has NEVER failed to fire. Not even once, even after a full day of hunting in constant rain. I scoped it with a Nikon Prostaff in Leupold QR rings. Scope returns to zero when reinstalled every time, making it easy to use the stock irons quickly if needed, and I have. The load I use is a 295 grain plated Powerbelt HP over three 50 grain Pyrodex pellets. I use the T/C 209 tool, so primimng is easy and fumble free with or without the scope. It will shoot cloverleafs all day. Accurate and 100% reliable. I can recommend it highly,

Whoops sorry guys! The last target i pictured wasn't from my Optima, that was a CVA Wolf @ 100 yards.

This is the Optima's target with 100gr Blackhorn209, CCI 209M primers and the 250gr Powerbelt Aerolite.

Can't speak for an Omega but currently own 2 Optima's2 Optima Elites,and an Apex and they all shoot fantastic and a real bargain for the money.I was able to pick up a new Optima with thumbhole stock,mounts.and a Bushnell 3-9x40 scope on Gunbroker a couple months ago for $150.

I like the Omega system far better than the Optima, including the trigger gaurd and trigger itself. I have an Optima sitting in my loading room right now. I just love the flimsy plastic open sights on it, you can wiggle the front sight around with your finger. It's a real shooter too, my 100yd groups with PBs and FPBs with Win 209s, CCI 209Ms, various charges of bh209 and 3f T7 were all in the 8-14" range(No joke, they were horrible).

The Omega shoots less than an inch with sabots and right around 2" at 200yds. Here's the Omega with 350 FPBs and open sights(Metal BTW):



I have multiple inlines including two CVAs and neither will hang with my Omega, Savage, or Knight rifles.

"Just gotta know what your doing" Ha ha, I suppose I just can't shoot. Here's a few groups from last week at 100 and 200, I have shot several others less than 1/2moa the past couple weeks as well:



Maybe I just need to practice more and this Optima will magically shoot one holers

You like CVAs, I like others. We'll just have to agree to disagree.

Have a good one,

loder

Which stock on the OPTIMA do you guys prefer. Ive never had a thumbhole stock so I dont know how they would feel when carrying them around. Also, the camo looks good but the stocks in camo look slicker. Which do you guys have and like?

i use the thumbhole stock with a scope as the new optimas are set up strictly for scopes when you order the thumbhole stock.

I also have a non thumbhole for my colorado open sight hunts.

I've owned both but now have just one and its the CVA OPTIMA. Its more accurate plus I like the stock ergonomics. Lastly, TC Omega plastic trigger assembly and plastic break open parts are a big turn off.

Sherwood

I've only owned the Omega. No need for me to buy another.