BigSarge

So how are you liking that new Optima? This muzzleloading thing will "git ya" if you are not careful.

When you start feeling comfortable handling and shooting that gun you also might want to start trying new components... you do not mention whether you are using pellets or loose powder, but loose powder will save you a lot of money + allow you to develope loads that give you the best accuracy.

Same for Power Belts, they are an excellent starter bullet because they are easy to load anddo shoot well, but if you are not locked into conicals by your state game laws - then their is a wide range of bullets that will serve you perhaps better. If you can shoot a sabot/projectile combination then you might want to expreriment with some Speer Gold Dots. The big thing is to find the correct sabot to go down your barrel. Probably the better beginning choice here is the Harvester "crush rib" and a.452/300 grain Speer Gold, they are not as expensive as PB's and make it more affordable to shoot paper and are abosolutely devastating on deer. Therehave been several accounts recorded on this site by various members.

I guess that is one of the real benefits of a ML, all the experimenting you can do without costing an arm and a leg.

Have fun....