cayugad

Pyrodex will work just fine. I prefer the Pyrodex Select but the Pyrodex RS works great too. I am guessing that this is a .50 caliber you are getting so I would start out at around 60 grains of powder and work up from there in 5 grain steps until you find the load your rifle likes. The load might be different depending on if you are shooting roundball or conicals. My rifle is different.

For instance my .50 caliber likes 70 grains. My .54 caliber likes 80 grains with roundball. I need 90 grains for the conicals in the .54 to hit in the same spot.

You can buy pre-cut patches for roundball, but if you want to save money and shoot better, while at Wal-Mart go to the fabric section and get a yard of 100% cotton pillow tick cloth. It is around .015 thickness. This will make a great patch. You can cut the material into 2" strips and lube it as you need it, or I soak the strip in 4-1 mixture of water soluable oil and let it dry on a piece of screen outside, laying flat. After you dump in your powder, just lay that over the barrel, set your roundball under the muzzle edge and cut the patch off. This make a more uniform patch and will give you better accuracy in my opinion. Then set the ball as normal.

Getting back to powders, I have been shooting some stuff called Clean Shot. I use it the same a Pyrodex. I have been very pleased with the results of it, and the way it cleans up. In fact I was out knocking pop cans off the fence at 50 yards today with it.

Be sure and swab between shots when sighting in, and in no time at all you will have one excellent hunting rifle. After I got into shooting mine, I got to where I hunted all the time with the smoke pole because it made the hunting that much more fun. Good luck with your new rifle. I will be looking forward for the pictures.