My muzzleloading rack of around 20 ranges from a .25 caliber rifle to a 12 gauge fowler and are primarily flintlocks. Regardless of the caliber, most of my rifles increased their accuracy when I put a lightly lubed wool/felt wad between the powder and the patched round ball. My experience with a round ball is that a blood trail is often lacking and it's necessary to search for the downed deer in the direction of its travel, often not that far away.