As the title states, I'm new to muzzleloading. I've done a ton of reading and research. So, hopefully, my learning curve will be shorter than normal. I've been both a bowhunter and riflehunter and want to take advantage of some of the muzzleloader hunts that are available. So, I'd like to get into this with minimal expense - at least to start with.

I recently bought a used CVA Wolf for $75. It's in fair shape - a few scratches on the fore end and stock with a clean, rust free bore. I have a Weaver K6 - fixed 6x scope I'm going to mount on it also.

I'm trying to decide what load to start with (I understand I can only find a good load through experimentation, but I need to start somewhere). From my reading here, I think I'll try the Gold Dots 250g with 100g 777 loose powder and Winchester 209 primers for 777.

Now come the questions. What sabot should I use? I read the bore is a bit tight on the Wolf. So, I thought I might need a crushed rib sabot. Also, I read that there is a velocity difference between the MMP and Harvester sabot. So, with the Wolf, should I go MMP or Harvester, crushed rib or not?