Have fun with it beagle...........we went out today and made sure that our smokepole was still on.........it was! I've owned a 50 cal H&R for the past 7 years and love shooting them.......90% of my deer hunting is with a bow now-a-days, most of the remainder is with the muzzleloader, they are a blast. I shoot the 250 gr powerbelt titaniums over 100 gr of pellets and have been able to get good accuracy.........I shoot open sights and that combo has worked well for me. Best of luck in your first deer hunt with the new rifle....hope it goes well!