I have been hunting deer with a traditional sidelock muzzleloader with roundball for going on 40 years. I started off with a .50 caliber but had several deer run off after the shot even when hit in the vitals. I then moved up to a .54 and started dropping deer usually within 100 yards. Let me say this, I hunt in some very thick Laurel where shots are rarely more than 60 yards, and sometimes at point blank range. Any deer that runs off after the shot, even if only 100 yards, requires hours of trailing on hands and knees. I am now shooting a .58, and so far the last 8 deer I have taken have dropped pretty much in their tracks, which is what I want.
Sooo, what are you fellow traditional muzzleloader shooters using for deer hunting, and why?