txrookie

I can not say I exactly know what you gun is, but a 1/32 twist will shoot sabots, but I am thinking it will do better with the heavier and longer bullet. I know my 1/48's will do OK with 45/250 grain bullets but do amazingly well with 45/300 grain bullets. I really not fond of expensive bullets, and I do consider the PB an expensive bullet. I shoot a ton of XTP's at paper, rocks, snow, just about anything. I can afford to do that and I can shoot alot. I also shoot t7 in both my sidelocks and my inlines. I really like the performance of this powder and i do not consider it a bad fouling powder or a problem to clean, a lot easier than some of the others. It certainly is not as corrosive as others also. I use to shoot a lot of Pyro but really like the t7 better.

If you do choose try sabots, make sure you choose a sabot that is not a bear to load. They are out there it is just a matter of finding the right one. And as you stated I think it is a "matter of try it and see if it works"

The bullet I am using right now is showing me a lot of promise - the Speer Gold Dots both the 250 and the 300 grain bullets. They are bonded and they seem to be really tough and they are accurate. I gotta tell you though I do hunt elk with one of those exspensive bullets that I was telling you about - I do use Nosler partitions.

Scopes - it is a matter of how much money you want to spend... the one thing I would recommend is really look hard at a scope with a Mil-Dot reticle - this is a great tool when you learn how to use the dots an the various ranges that you shoot a muzzleloader across. The Bushnells are good scopes as a lot of others, but if you are planning on retaining this ML and hunting with it a lot I would step up to a bit better quality of lens than are offered in the lower end bushnells. Where I hunt here in Idaho you really have to hunt, you do not have a lot ofopportunity for food plots and tree stands - so I need a scope that will work in a variety of conditions - so with that in mind I have opted to get a mid ranged priced and quality scope. Certainly not the Leupold II's or III's that are on on my centerfires and I do not know why I consider my ML's a lesser quality gun than the centerfire - but I also know I will not be shooting across canyons or big clearcuts with the ML's.

Good luck in your off season seaching and shooting...