I played with a Thompson Center Z5 Omega - 50 cal - was a couple other guys who used muzzle loaders to hunt - from them, and with my range time - I discovered there is significant thickness difference one brand sabot to another - to the extent that the third shot could NOT be rammed down the barrel using the TC sabots that came with the rifle in the kit. I think at the end I was using "Harvester" brand sabots and the bullets made for those - I might be incorrect about the brand - they were the thinnest wall sabots that I could find - at the time, I could order them from Lawry's.
So, that bore needed a scrub - after only two shots, in order to load it a third time - I doubt you could have fired a new sabot in there, for third shot, without a good scrub to remove fouling. At the time, I discovered there was no agreement among muzzle loader makers what diameter is a 50 caliber - so T/C was reputed to be on the tighter side - I think mine was 0.495" groove to groove - a buddy used another brand - I think his rifle was made by "Knight" - his was 0.505" groove to groove. He had suggested to walk around with a patch in your mouth - wet with "spit" - for swabbing/scrubbing the bore after a shot - you needed to have a jag for that - or the inside end of your ramrod shaped/sized for that purpose.
As above - a lot of the places that you will sit for deer are near creek bush, etc. - usually tall grass - shots can be as close as 15 yards. In my experience around Saskatoon and similar - you will SEE deer out circa 600 yards or more - does not mean that you have a kill shot, though. I never got a deer with one, but from time and shots on the shooting range, standing beside shooting table with my stuff laid out - it would take up to a minute to get off the second shot - I am sure standing in field and fishing stuff out of pockets and bags, could easily take twice that long - so, if you have fired, should have thought you had a kill shot - so re-load, BEFORE you go looking.
Was old time thinking - like archery - how far away can you hit an 8" paper plate? Every time - anywhere on the paper plate - that is your maximum range - does not matter what the load or bullet or rifle can do - is most often the shooter and his aiming / trigger break that is going to be the limiting factor. What you can do seated at shooting table and shooting from sand bags, means not much compared to standing on your hind legs and trying to get off a shot - or, in my case, hauling my fat butt up and down a coulee or two and then trying to shoot.
A local guy who took many, many white tail deer with his 50 calibre muzzle loader - circa 85 or 90 grain powder load - usually dressed in blue jeans, T-shirt and ball cap - sat in an aluminum frame folding lawn chair in tall grass - told me he had many does and fawns within 10 yards or less. He gave me a handful of Hornady XTP pistol bullets that he most commonly used - maybe 245 grain or so?? Watch your wind - you want it in your face, or perhaps from one side or other, not on your back. Is my thought is what muzzle loading and archery hunting might be - an ambush - so you will discover whether "camo" clothing is for hiding you from game or hiding you from other people - I do know that deer are SUPER aware of movement - even to see your eyes moving - not convinced they are much about colour or shape, at least not like we are, or birds.
I do not know how much was due to marketing, or how much was truly needed, but my impression was that one carried a whole pile more gizmo's to muzzle load, versus other systems - need a way to get in there - so ramrod and short starter rod. Need a way to seat that bullet without messing it up - so a tip for those rods that matched to the bullet. Then a threaded screw thing to put on that rod and get hold of the bullet that you loaded without powder first. A wrench to undo that breech plug - some grease for the threads of that breech plug; a spare breech plug. A way to carry, and then to insert, the primers. Something to meter out or measure the powder - and the powder itself - and sabots and bullets. Usually a bunch of pockets or a "possibles" bag - and then root through that to find what you need at the moment.
