is 100 grains of powder and a 295 grain aerotip powerbelt enough to down a deer at 100-120 yards?

Not Cayugad but: 100grains of almost any muzzleloading powder with the mentioned bullet will kill deer at the specified distance and likely pass completely through. You did not mention which powder you are using as the performance varies some with different powders but like I said 100grains of almost any will do the job at that range if you do your job and put the bullet in the right spot.

thanks keith i asked for cayugad cause hes here alot and is a genuis in black powder. thanks for the info. i will be using hodgdon pyrodex pellets

I shot a fair sized cow elk with the same bullet but was using 90gr. of Black Mag'3 for powder. In my stainless .50 Omega the bullet passed completely through the chest cavity of the elk. I could not recover the bullet so I have no idea how much it opened up. I suspect from the hole in and the hole out it had opened a little but the exit hole was not huge. Bullet did not hit major bone. Shot was at about 90 yards with cow running left to right uphill.

I'm not Cayugad either & I'm not a ML genius. Your 100 gr load with a typical 250 grain sabot/bullet in a typical 1-28' twist rifle with a typical 22-28" barrel with a typical 209 primers will typically be fine out to 175 yards shooting a typical white-tail deer with typically good practicesthat typically enhances anyone'saccuracy... sooner or later... lol

Signed
Triple Se7en
non-typical

I am cayugad, but no muzzleloading genius. Reference your question, my pet load for my CVA Staghorn Magnum is 90 grains of Goex and a 245 grain Powerbelt. With this combination accuracy is exceptional. I have the rifle topped with a Bushnell Trophy RED DOT because scopes are forbidden in Wisconsin during muzzleloading season. Yet the rifle with that load and RED DOT will keep a 4" group or betterat 100 yards all day long. I think I could shoot further then that but just to get that kind of distance in this country, I have to shoot all the way across my front yard, between two buildings, and then across the back yard to the target out into the woods. Most shots are around 60 yards and under here with 35-45 yards being much more common.

I personally would not worry about that load out to 125 yards and further. With the load your talking,if you can place your shot, you better know how to butcher. You could take deer a long distance with it.

I wonder if Cayugad and Triple 7 would accept the title of "Muzzleloading Guru"? Either way, both of you are very knowlegeable andexceptionally helpful to shooters of all levels who visit this board. I sure do appreciate all the insights I have gleaned from your posts . . . .

me too roskoe, we/huntingNet should send them a M.M.V.P. Muzzleloading Most Valuable Player. lol