American Pioneer powder is another black-powder substitute with reduced fouling and easy clean-up. It's available in granular form that is measured by volume. American Pioneer is also offered in a pre-measured solid the company call "sticks." Goex Pinnacle powder is yet another, similar propellant offered in loose or stick form.

Modern black-powder substitutes are measured by volume, not actual physical weight.

Finally, there is another black-powder substitute called Black Mag3. This citrus-based powder is sold in loose granules only and is measured by volume. Like the others, it produces less fouling and is easy to clean.

Any loose black-powder substitute or black-powder works best with some compression. So, when loading a muzzleloader with loose powder, always apply lots of pressure to the ramrod to push the bullet tight against the powder charge. Never bounce or slam the rod, but apply hard, even pressure.

Pellets and "sticks" do not require compression. When loading with pellets, always seat the bullet firmly on top of the pellets, but not hard enough to crush them.

Priming
With a flintlock, the "priming" is a small charge of powder in the "pan" on the side of the breech end of the barrel, which is showered with sparks when the flint strikes the metal frizzen. We've progressed from there. For many years muzzleloader hunters and manufacturers searched for a better priming system. No. 11 percussion caps were the standard with hunting rifles for a long time. Then we switched to musket caps for a hotter flame. Today, the standard for in-line guns is the No. 209 shotgun primer. These are easy to find in any sporting goods store that sells reloading products and they provide a very hot flame. There are some 209s that are designated as "muzzleloader primers" and they feature reduced "brisance" or power. These primers were developed because of a perceived problem with the very popular Triple Seven propellant. One characteristic of Triple Seven is that it leaves a distinct fouling ring at the back of the barrel or breech end after it is burned. This can make fully seating the next bullet on the powder charge difficult. With sabot bullets, it's not a problem as you should clean after each shot, which removes this ring. With bullets designed to be used in a fouled bore it can induce inconsistant powder burning. Lower-power primers help alleviate this fouling ring. When shooting sabot bullets, these primers work fine, but I prefer the full-power 209 primers for the added insurance.

This should arm you with enough basic knowledge to help pick out what you need to get started in muzzleloader hunting. I warn you though, it's addicting and it won't be long before you will catch yourself exclaiming to your hunting buddies, "I love the smell of white smoke in the morning."