I started hunting with a ML several years ago ... Lyman Plainsman in 54 cal., cap-lock. Slow twist, so round ball only. Fun to shot. Not fun to clean. Rather limited range. A few years ago I won a CVA Optima "Pro" in 50 cal. in a raffle. This in-line style is a whole different animal. Took me only a short time to get the load and bullet selected that worked well. Though it groups well out to 150 yards, the drop is pretty dramatic. I am not concerned about out to about 125. I have taken many deer with this rifle, out to about 125 yards. Relatively easy to clean and very accurate. However, if all else was even, I'd go for a rifled "shot gun". I have a good friend that has never made the jump to center fire. He has one gun and 3 barrels ... and old Wingmaster in 12 ga. His Hastings rifled barrel and whatever round he is using is accurate at the range. I've been with him sighting in at 100 yards. He's always at about 2-2.5 MOA. He's taken probably 150 deer with this rifle over the past 10 or so years. Most well under 100 yards, but a few well over too. None that I know of have gone far !