In rereading this post I am amazed at the excellent information provided. I have been shooting muzzle loaders since the 70's and wish I had such a rich source of information as provided in this forum when I first started. Whenever I had a problem I just figured it out with the help of a buddy - trial and error.
I have one more suggestion: after you have read everything on Mike Belem's and finished tuning up. I would suggest that you practice at least once every month. My routine is to set up round targets on tomato stakes at 50, 100, 125, 150, 200, 250, and three hundred yards. Shoot from field potions and not off the bench. I shoot from all positions with extra attention to the use of shooting sticks because both on the farm and in the mountains I like to find vantage points and shoot from the ground. I also do a lot of hunting from tree stands. You will quickly learn to use stands that provide good rests.
I use a Leopold ultimate slam scope in conjunction with a range finder that takes a lot of the guess work out of range estimation. Any scope will work and as you practice you will find that your range estimation gets very good as well as learning the hold over for different ranges. Tune your rifle, shoot a whole lot as I have suggested and I guarantee that you will have a very good year. I only expect to get one shot at a trophy deer per year. Sometimes I am lucky and get more then one but I do not want to miss the rare opportunity that pops up. Again just my opinions and suggestions. But poor shot placement is (my opinion) is the real problem with killing deer as we have many fine muzzle loaders on the market. If you still need convincing - stop by a game check-in station next year and observe the deer brought in but be prepared for the strong smell of guts. Good luck
