First Muzzleloader
 

I bought my first muzzleloader today :) and I cannot wait to get out and shoot it. I bought the CVA Wolf and will be using it for whitetail hunting. I am not sure yet what I am going to use for powder/bullets/overall load so any tips are welcome. Any suggestions you guys have for a newbie would be greatly appreciated.

The most widely available powder is Pyrodex and you will most likely use RS for rifles this powder is very corrosive so be sure to clean after shooting. The most commonly available bullets that are easy to get reasonable accuracy with are Shock Waves the 250 or 300 grain are good to start with. Dish soap and very hot water to clean with. I use Win 209 because they are the longest and so seal better against blowback.
I would recommend starting with 100 grains and if it does not group well the start going 10 grain increments in both directions.
Be sure you have a jag and patches to clean with and it is best to have a bushing that seats on the muzzle to protect your barrel.
Check your laws for hunting with a muzzleloader before you buy some states have weird laws like not using a scope or not using a sabot if you run in to this try the FPB 350 or 300 grain as they do not need a sabot.
Good shooting and if you have problem some one here will probably be able to help.

i would use 777 and barnes sabots you can't go wrong you will have to work on your loads before you hunt so shoot as much as you can afford. good luck !

A lot of the powder and projectile will depend on what's in your area. If your a big city person with lots of stores, the sky is the limit. If you live where I do, you're kind of limited to whats on the shelf.

If you find some XTP's or shockwaves that's a good start with about 90 grains of 2f powder, like a Pyrodex RS.

Good luck and have fun. Remember, safety first!

I also new to inline shooting and have a new Wolf. I also have a Optima which I started learning with, it is very similar to the Wolf. I found that it was much easier to buy some pellets instead of measuring powder. I have used Pyrodex RS in other guns, I do not like to mess with the measuring, etc with an inline. I use Triple Seven pellets, one to target shoot with, two to hunt. Have a way of swabing the bore after each shot with a very slightly damp patch. If you do not, the next sabot may not get past a crud ring that builds up. Swab with the slightly damp patch, then with a dry one to make sure the bore is not damp. Mark your ramrod on the first loading while the end is on the fully seated bullet so you will know when a sabot is not fully seated. You do not have to pound the sabot and crush the pellets, just make sure that there is no space between them--that can lead to a very bad outcome. Primers leave a buildup in the breech plug fire channel. You will need a 3MM or very slightly smaller drill bit to clean it out every third shot or so. You do this by hand, of course. Wrap some tape around the shank end so you can grip it better.
I use the cheapest saboted bullets that I can find to target shoot with and Hornady SST's in 250 grains to hunt with. You can find T/C Sure Fires at Wally World for around $7 for 20, that is about as cheap as I can find. Besides being cheap, they shoot very well too. I would not hesitate using them on a deer.
As said above, have fun and be safe.

My new wolf likes 2 whit hots pellets and 350gr horandy FPB

Wolf
 

Here is how i set mine up. Nikon 2 x 7 x 32 scope. Loads, 100 grns of 777, 250 grn hornady sst. 3 shot, 1" group at 100 yds. Dead doe 1st day MD bp season.

for the new kid that doesn't like the mess of powder just keep in mind loose powder sometimes shoots better groups and it's easy as loading a bunch of pre measured loads in some tubes with caps just for your info.

Thank you guys for all the information. Is there some type of guide out there with suggested bullet/powder combinations to start with? I am not even sure where to begin as far as bullet weight/powder charge. I think I am going to start with the powder pellets and go from there. Hoping to get out this weekend and see what is available in my area for bullets/powder/primer. The shop I bought my rifle at was all out of powder and primers so I didn't buy anything. They did have bullets, but they only had two types: hornandy xtp's and I believe powerbelts. Thanks again!