Traditions Black Powder Rifles Serial Number
Lovie Berlinghof
After reading everything I could find (this was years before the internet) and talking with a few older fellows that had been shooting muzzleloading rifles for years, I carefully poured some FFG black powder from my powder horn into the powder measure and then poured it down the barrel. I took the piece of pillow ticking out of my mouth placed it over the muzzle. I then centered the bullet and using the starter ball pushed it into the bore. With a handmade patch knife, I cut off the excess patch material and using the ramrod pushed the bullet home. After placing a cap on the nipple of the ancient rifle I was ready to touch off my first round from a muzzleloading rifle.
No more measuring or pouring, no worries about keeping your powder dry, no fumbling with the little metal can of caps. It has been nearly 45 years since that first shot and the number of improvements made since then are mind-numbing to say the least:
Traditions Firearms, working with Federal Premium, has developed the newest system out there. My 50-caliber test rifle came in Mossy Oak Break-Up Country with a Cerakote finished 26-inch tapered and fluted barrel topped with a Traditions 3-9x40 scope. Loading is as simple as pushing the bullet down the bore, dropping the Federal FireStick into the breech, priming, closing the action, cocking, and firing.
Using the 250-grain Carnivore bullets and the 80-grain FireStick, I was able to achieve a 3-shot group of just under an inch at 100 yds. I shot groups with the 350-grain Federal bullets and had 2 shots touching at 100 yds but always had a flyer that went outside the one-inch mark when using both the 100-gr and 120-gr charges. The Smackdown Carnivore bullets are available in weights of 170, 200, and 305 grains in addition to the 250-grain bullets that I had to work with. The Federal bullets are available in 270-grain versions also. The Traditions website lists muzzle velocities ranging from 1899 feet per second to 2217 feet per second depending on the bullet weight and FireStick used.
Cleanup is absolutely the easiest that I have ever encountered in over 45 years of muzzleloading experience! No breech plug to remove and clean. This along with the clean burning Triple 8 powder made cleanup an absolute breeze. After three of Traditions Breakout 209 pre-saturated cleaning patches, I was pulling a clean patch! One of the biggest advantages to the FireStick system is unloading the rifle without firing it. If you want to unload the rifle, you can simply remove the FireStick, or to completely unload just push the bullet out from the breech.
New hunters are learning that blackpowder firearms can expand their hunting opportunities, and FireStick makes it even more appealing for rifle and bowhunters to make room in the gun safe for a muzzleloader. In my home state of Ohio, for example, deer hunters can use a muzzleloader during both the regular firearms season and blackpowder season, effectively doubling time in the field.
Overall length measured 411/2 inches, which is short enough to be manageable in the tight confines of a blind or stand. The stock and Cerakote finish will serve you well against the rigors of hunting season, and the grime associated with blackpowder shooting.
The firearms industry faced many challenges in 2020, but products like the NitroFire rifle and FireStick offer hope. These mark an evolutionary turning point in muzzleloader design and offer increased participation in hunting.
Blending the speed and simplicity of a red-dot optic with the reliability and small footprint of iron sights, the new FastDot H3 from HIVIZ might be the best all-purpose handgun sighting system designed to date.
Eric Poole meets up with Adam Wainio, founder and president of Ballistic Advantage. His company is a premier barrel maker and provides top-quality pipes to both major gun manufacturers and small-shop gunsmiths. Ballistic Advantage has been a pioneer for profiled barrel blanks and experimenting with a barrel's mass and contours to wring out the best performance. Looking forward, Ballistic Advantage is working on its take on weight-saving carbon fiber barrels and is keeping ahead of new chamberings with interesting offerings like the 8.6 Blackout.
If Winchester is known for one thing in firearms, it's lever guns. Both the historic examples and modern renditions are held in high regard, and the centerfire models can command a premium price due to desirability. New for 2024, Winchester is lowering the barrier to entry and raising the fun factor with the return of the Ranger. Now, though, the iconic lever action is chambered for .22 Long Rifle. What's more fun than a rimfire rifle? Probably nothing, that's why Winchester has invested in the recent Wildcat semiauto, Xpert bolt action, and now the Range, all in .22. Eric Poole and Winchester's Rafe Neilson discuss the latest lever addition.
Aero Precision is a go-to source for rifle-building components including receivers, handguards, and all the necessaries. New this year is the M4E1 Pro kit, which offers ambidextrous controls: bolt catch/release, radial selector, and even the magazine release. Besides being lefty friendly, the M4E1 Pro also sports the new overbuilt Mod4 handguard designed specifically for professional users and shooters that are just plain hard on their gear. Stepping away from rifle parts, the company is also expanding its suppressor offerings with the new Tephra-22 rimfire can. Finally, the company is teasing the most talked about firearm at SHOT Show 2024: The Aero Precision Lever Action. Kirk Foreman of Aero Precision joins Eric Poole to talk shop from the show floor.
SAKO's new 90-series bolt-action rifles have finally hit the U.S. market. Guns & Ammo's Joe Kurtenbach was one of the first American sportsmen to take these guns afield. In pursuit of Colorado elk and mule deer, Kurtenbach takes a break from climbing mountains to describe the SAKO 90 Quest, a lightweight hunter that benefits from modern construction and precision-inspired features.
Warne Scope Mounts has unveiled several new red-dot sight riser mounts at the 2024 SHOT Show. One of the challenges of mounting a red dot to a long gun is getting the optimal height setting. These mounts feature included spacers to adjust the height setting to fit individual preference. Warne has also introduced a universal rib mount to easily attach red dots to shotgun ribs. Many turkey shotguns don't have a Pic rail, so this mount gives you access to the entire rib on a shotgun to mount a red dot. If you've never turkey hunted with a red-dot sight, it's a game changer!
Warne Scope Mounts has upgraded its popular line of Skyline bipods to the new Skyline lite, with three different options for ARCA, Pic rail and QD pic rail mounting options. The Skyline Lite bipods feature 13 micro adjustments to fine-tune rifle height, 0-, 45-, and 90-degree leg positions, and the universal-style head accepts multiple mounting configurations. Built from premium aluminum and steel, the Skyline Lite bipods have all the modern features we expect while keeping weight low.
Smith & Wesson's John Myles has been a regular on the New Product Premier, and he joins Joe Kurtenbach to run it back again at SHOT Show 2024. Last year the company introduced the Response pistol caliber carbine (PCC), an AR-styled platform designed to run off commonly available semiautomatic pistol magazines. A direct-blowback action powers the Response, but what sets the gun apart is its interchangeable magazine well. Mag wells are easy to swap for owners, and the Response comes with both an M&P mag option, as well as a mag well for Glock-pattern 9mm magazines. New for 2024 is a magazine well for SIG Sauer P320 mags. No matter what pistol platform you choose to shoot, Smith & Wesson wants you to rely on the Response for your PCC needs.
John Snodgrass from Leupold joins Joe Kurtenbach to discuss the latest edition to the company's tactical line of magnified optics: The Mark 4HD riflescope family. The new series utilizes a 4X zoom ratio across five magnification ranges: 1-4.5X, 2.5-10X, 4.5-18X, 6-24X, and 8-32X. Each magnification will include multiple scope variants offering first- or second-focal-plane reticles, as well as different reticle designs and illumination options. Like the Mark 5HD series, there is a Mark 4HD riflescope for nearly any ballistic pursuit, all build to Leupold's rigorous standard for reliability, durability, and optical performance.
Live from the show floor, Joe Kurtenbach visits Grant Dubuc at the Smith & Wesson booth to talk lever guns. The new Model 1854 in .44 Rem. Mag. was an absolute stunner at SHOT Show 2024, and Guns & Ammo was on hand to get all the details. Drawing inspiration from Horace Smith and Dan Wesson's Volcanic lever-action firearms, the Model 1854 combines classic lines with modern materials and design. To maximize utility, the gun's polymer furniture and stainless finish offer all-weather durability while the optics rail and flat-faced trigger account for modern tastes. The new platform from Smith & Wesson is going to fun to watch this year!
The rising sun sent shards of orange, violet, and red pastel light across the eastern sky on a morning muzzleloader deer hunt in the Sandhills of Nebraska. A big buck, his nose to the ground, was oblivious to our pursuit. We hurried to a rise where we last saw him, and as we crested the hill, tall white antlers came into view at 156 yards. The buck caught up to the hot doe he was trailing, whom another suitor was already courting. While the deer were busy posturing and trying to determine dominance, I leveled my scope on the big boy, cocked the hammer, and gently squeezed the trigger. He ran about 30 yards and crashed. The other buck rounded up his lady and headed for safer country while I went to grasp the tines of a buck I just harvested with the newest technology to hit the market.
Current muzzleloader options are nothing short of outstanding. Your main decision comes down to whether you want convenience or performance beyond traditional inline muzzleloaders. Some models are known for their reliability, while others break new ground in terms of design and performance. Here is a list of the best muzzleloaders available today.
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