With the Pennsylvania Legislature and Game Commission making significant changes to the bear hunting seasons I figured it was time to pull the trigger on a new gun. I’ve had an in-line muzzleloader on my wish list for a while and felt that now was the time to cross it off. I headed up to Edinboro Outdoors and was immediately greeted with a friendly and knowledgeable sales staff. I have shot a flintlock for years, but I was new to the in-line.
First and foremost, I wanted a quality gun and if I could get one that was made in the USA that would be a bonus. I also didn’t want to break the bank since this was such a specialized gun for muzzleloader bear. I was also looking for something my wife could shoot. She isn’t tall and shoots left-handed (I shoot right). I was also looking for a gun with a removable breech plug. In the end I settled on a Thompson Center Impact! SB.
This 50 caliber in-line checked all of my boxes. The sliding hood to break the gun open to expose the breech is easily pulled with one thumb. Since it is symmetrical across the top of the breech it can be opened by both left- and right-hand shooters. This sliding hood also acts as a rain guard to keep moisture out. While it is not completely sealed it is better than nothing. Once open the breech accepts standard 209 primers. The breech plug is removable as well which aids in cleaning and maintenance. The gun also comes equipped with an aluminum ramrod that has a “T” feature you can flip out to save your hand when inserting a round into the barrel.
While the gun comes equipped with a single green fiber optic front sight and double red rear sights, I opted for a 3-9 Crossfire II scope. If I have any complaints it would be that once the scope is mounted it makes the hammer a little difficult to reach. I am going to look for a hammer spur extension to solve that problem. The second complaint is that the stock is a touch short for me. It comes with a one-inch extension but even with that in place it is still a little short. With a price point just under $300 I can live with a few not so perfect things though. At this point I am completely satisfied with it and I cannot wait to give it a try on the range. Once I have a chance to shoot this gun I will let you know how it performed.
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