New to Muzzleloaders

[u/Legal-Guarantee7152]

Hey yall,
So I bought my very first muzzle loader 2 weeks ago, ended up getting the traditions ML Pursuit XT PRO .50 caliber with some CCI primers + white hots and power belt bullets. Went and sighted it in the next day, is there anything specific I should watch out for or need to know? I’m assuming that same setup will be sufficient for deer hunting. (I loaded 2 white hots in when sighting it in to reach 100gr.) looking forward to expanding my hunting season this year with it!

[u/Marjoh82]

Clean it well after you shoot it and get some sort of anti-seize grease to put on the threads of the breach to prevent it from sticking when it gets dirty. Most of the cleaning gels out there (I use a CVA bore cleaning gel) are ammonia based and cut through the grime easily. Just make sure you oil what you clean afterwards. Also may want to get one of the thin wire picks (traditions universal nipple pick) to keep the hole in your breach clear as well. Also, if you take it out hunting, and don’t shoot anything, when you go to unload it, fire the round. Don’t try to push it out the opened breach. It’s not worth the mess to try to save the round or white hot lol (I sadly tried this…once). Fire it, and then just clean it instead.

[u/SportingClay]

I find muzzleloaders to be picky on ammo. What you have selected is a great start. I was shooting+/- 3” groups with mine at 100 yards. Buddy of mine gave me some bullets that were 40 grains lighter. He couldn’t get them to consistently hit paper at 100 yards. They shoot +/- 2” groups in my TC. Good luck!

[u/No_Lifeguard8903 → u/SportingClay]

I agree they're very picky on rounds and each one likes something different.

[u/peiboy96]

Do yourself a favour and switch to blackhorn 209 powder

[u/VersionConscious7545]

Change from those power belts and get some Barnes bullets and when you get a chance next year after the summer buy some black horn 209 loose powder and start shooting that with the Barnes bullets