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?

the crushed ribs should do the job. MMP-12 and 24's should also be ordered to experiment with.

X 2 on MD's advice, always good to buy several different types of sabots.although i doubt if you will need the mmp-12's.i would also start with a little lower powder charge and work up to try and find the sweet spot.you made a good choice on bullets.. Ray

HuntingKS, don't give a lot of thought to any velocity differences between different sabots. It won't make that much of a difference.

That load is going to give you something like 1700 fps or more with any sabot. With a 125 yard zero you will be no more than three inches high or low at any point between the muzzle and a 150 yard target. If you don't need to shoot that far, and sight in with a 100 yard zero, you'll be about an inch high at 75 yards and about two inches low at 125.

You have a gun and a good bullet, the thing to remember about sabots is the they come in different petal thickness, having the right petal thickness is one of the keys to accuracy to loose is dangerous as the circumstance can arise where the bullet can slide out of the sabot. You should need both hands to push it down the bore but you should not need to pound on it or even feel like you want to. Each gun is an individual because the tolerance is fairly large for muzzle loaders in general particularly in certain brands. You once find the right thickness of sabot and you could set up a few targets and run the powder ladder. I suggest starting at 80 gr. and going to the recommended max. If you don't have an operators manual go to CVA web page and ask for one most brands supply them free.

Good luck with your muzzleloading experience. Here is the manual for your rifle:

http://www.cva.com/pdfs/Optima-Wolf%...n%20Manual.pdf

Be carefull. I wasn't sure if my Wolf was a magnum or not. After contacting CVA I was told that all Wolf's produced from 2010 on were capable of firing magnum "150 grains" loads of powder. That leads me to believe that some produced prior to 2010 are not capable of handling magnum loads.
Just a warning.
As a reference, I was also told that Wolf's produced with a Quick Release Breach Plug were made starting in 2010. So if your's has one it should be a Magnum rifle.
But please, don't take my word on it. Double check with CVA to be sure if your Wolf is capable of holding Magnum loads.

All wolfs are magnum rated. Dont bother with the magnum loads though, they normally dont shoot for chit.

Thought that was 150 grain of Pellet Powder, BP, or Pyro which is not 150 grains of loose T7 or BH...

thats right, 150gr is for pellet powder only due to the cleaner burn. Never 150gr loose powder.