Just recently got a barrel and never shot one. What powder, etc would you recommend for deer hunting?

You've got more options than you could ever try. For a new guy my standard recommendation is the 240 grain .44 caliber XTP bullet in Harvester 50/44 sabots, over 80 to 90 grains of either Triple Seven or Pyrodex, with Winchester 209 primers (although any 209 primer will do). The virtue of this load is that it shoots well in most guns and is deadly on deer. I recommend you try both the smooth side sabot and the crush rib sabots. Some guns prefer one over the other.

The Bullet: http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/6530

The Sabot (smooth side): http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/5479

The Sabot (crush rib): http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/5464

Gonna buy a 209 x 45 as well

For the 45 you should try some 200 grain .40 caliber XTPs with Harvester sabots, with the same load of 80 to 90 grains of powder.

The bullet: http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/6514

The sabots:
Smooth - http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/5478
Crush Ribs - http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/20902

Thanks Bayouguy

Tons of good bullets & powders...everyone has an opinion...so here is mine

I stand by the Barnes 250 grain sabot bullets (see link below)...as for the powder charge everyone typically recommend starting with 90gr but I'd go right to the 100gr of Triple 7 or the WhiteHots to start ...never look back....and would not be afraid to use the pellets vs loose powder. The convenience is worth what minimal accuracy/consistency some claim you get with the powder.

My personal load from my TC ProHunter is a 250g Barnes Spite-Fire T-EZ and 150 gr of WhiteHots...accuracy is great and I've killed several Iowa Whitetails that have pushed 300 pounds live weight....and most dropped in their tracks.

http://www.midwayusa.com/Product/1250154...r-tip-flat-base

No doubt the Barnes bullets are top notch. But they are damned expensive unless you get the gun sighted in and then only use it for hunting. I recommend XTPs to new muzzle loader shooters because in addition to being effective on game, they are priced low enough that the average Joe can spend a good bit of time getting familiar with his gun without breaking the bank.

That said, if you plan to do a lot a recreational shooting XTP's are a good way to go. You can stick with them for game or switch to a premium bullet like the Barnes for the hunt. If you plan to get the gun sighted in and from then on use it only for hunting, premium bullets are a good option. Either way, understand that both bullets kill deer pretty dead.

As for pellets. I'm not a fan because I do a lot of shooting and typically burn in excess of 20 lbs. of power a year. I don't fault those who like them pellets. But be advised that pellets have a reputation for degrading over time once the package is opened, resulting in erratic performance with old pellets. If you go with pellets and sight the gun in this Spring, I'd advise purchasing fresh pellets for a hunt in the Fall.

BayouGuy,

The 250gr Hornadys and TC Shockwaves (which are made by Hornady) shoot almost to the exact point of aim on my TC ProHunter as the Barnes 250 gr bullets. The Hornadys are pretty cheap and readily available. So what I do is sight the gun in using the Hornady bullets.....print a few 3 shot groups with the Barnes to verify point of impact ..and then practice/shoot with the Hornadys and hunt with the Barnes.

As for the pellets, everyone has an opinion. The WhiteHots come in sealed tubes (6 50gr pellets a tube) and I have never had an issue with inconsistency....even from some that were leftover from last season. I use to hear stories about Pyrodex pellets years ago.....but to be honest I have never experienced any issues. What I have seen is people who store a loaded gun after a day of hunting ..they bring that gun from an outside temperature of below 30 degrees into a house that is 70 degrees...and they get issues due to condensation. When I hunt Iowa I leave my muzzleloader loaded (but no primer) outside in the locked truck or on the outfitters screened porch so there is not a large temperature swing.

BTW, I may not shoot the equivalent of 20 pounds of WhiteHots per year but I do probably shoot more than most people.

Got both in sst & blued, which one should I use the most? I assume sst is easier to clean

Cleaning the barrel is the same...Stainless Steel will handle the elements better. YOU MAY find that one barrel may shoot better than another. So find out which barrel shoots better...and that's the one I'd use/hunt with.

BTW, some people swear that lapping a barrel is the way to get maximum accuracy. While I have not lapped any of my muzzleloader barrels (because I have been fortunate in that they all have shot well), I believe that if you are doing everything right and you have a barrel that is not grouping well ...lapping it may solve that problem.

Cannot wait til some good weather comes this way so I can set it up.
thanks for the help