First off, I want to say that I have read posts on this board pretty extensively as a guest for the past month and I am very impressed by the knowledge and hospitality by those of you who participate in the discussions.

Now for my story. Up until this Christmas I have been somewhat intrigued by muzzleloading but have never taken the initiative to buy a muzzleloader. Well, thanks to an awesome wife, I now have not one but two of these beauties. First one is the Rem. Genesis that I couldn't pass up on from Cabelas. I bought that one for myself. The second one is a "not new, but never fired" Winchester Apex that the wife bought for me. Another deal that couldn't be passed up. Both are 50 Cal. Because of travel during Christmas I have not had a chance to fire either gun but plan on it tomorrow if the wind cooperates.

Since I'm new to this I have a few questions. First off, I have Hornady XTP (240 &300 gr.), TC Shockwaves, Knight hollow points, and Hornady SSTs to experiment with. To start out with I will push the bullets with pyrodex pellets to find the most accurate round and then maybe get loose powder to adjust the charge to fit the bullet. I will not shoot more than 110 gr of pellets, at least to start with. Is this a good method for finding the right load or am I going about it all wrong?

Which of these two guns would you guys consider the "best"? I understand that they are not Knights or TC's but I was just wondering what you opinions are. Are there any quirks or issues with either of these two guns that any of you know of?

Is it feasible/smart to mount a scope with see-thru mounts and have the Iron Sights sighted in @ 50 yds and the scope sighted in around 125 to 150?

Any specific loads that I should definitely try? I would like to try buffalo sabots but have not been able to locate them yet. I have heard mixed reviews on powerbelts.

Have any of you used your ML to shoot prarie dogs or similar rodents? This is something I would like to do to keep in practice once I get it dialed in.

Finally, With a 2-7 power scope, what is a REALISTIC range that I should feel comfortable shooting a whitetail or mule deer at? My shots will normally be 150 yds or less. Is this unreasonable?

Thank you guys tremendously for sharing your expertise. I believe in listening to experience and I am a novice so please don't feel like you are insulting or offending me if you have information that you consider valuable.