I want to take my son this year for the youth hunt. I and my father (his) grandfather both killed our first deer with black powder but I’m thinking 30 grains and a 250 grain sat
With mine I had a first gen 50 cal Knight ML. You could buy 50 cal sabots that held 44 or 45 caliber pistol bullets. I started them with 45 cal 185 grain HP's being pushed with one or two 30 grain Pryodex pistol pellets. It was soft on them.
Real blackpowder or pyrodex? 90 grains of pyrodex isn't hard to handle and shooting at a deer he'd never notice if you upped it to 100 gr or a couple pellets. I'd want it close too so a miss is unlikely. Want him to experience success, not have a finishing shot be necessary. Bawling thrashing deer is tough to experience on a first. I like starting them on squirrels first. Starlings and english sparrows if the opportunity is present. Small targets mean good aim is developed.
I'm just stating my preference and not assuming you've never had him hunt anything before. No insult or disrespect intended.
Started both of my boys with a Thomson Center Cherakee, 45 caliber round ball, 45 grains of black powder. Lot less recoil than a sabot. and did the trick for both of them. they both where 10.