A hunter takes aim with a Traditions NitroFire muzzleloader. (Bill Buckley/)
Probably the first great leap forward in muzzleloader technology occurred in the 1700s, when Pennsylvania gunmaker Martin Meylin added rifling to his barrels, creating the first long rifles (known as Pennsylvania or Kentucky long rifles). Those spiral grooves stabilized projectiles and extended their effective range. This was a major leap forward from smoothbore muskets, which could shoot accurately to only 50 yards or so. Since then, muzzleloaders have continued to evolve, with improved ignitions, propellants, projectiles, and design.
In 2020, Federal Premium Ammunition introduced the FireStick, an encapsulated propellant that is easy to load and impervious to the elements, and that allows a break-action muzzleloader to be charged or uncharged within seconds. The FireStick uses a new Hodgdon blackpowder substitute called Triple Eight. The extruded propellant is cut to maximize surface area, so it ignites and burns rapidly and efficiently. The FireStick is recessed on the back to allow you to insert a 209 primer for ignition before charging the rifle.
Traditions Performance Firearms was the first company to produce a muzzleloader for the FireStick system, calling it the NitroFire. As with other muzzleloaders, you load the rifle by ramming a bullet down the barrel. A small raised shelf on the inside of the bore controls how deep the bullet goes. The encapsulated powder loads through the breech and sits directly under the projectile. The design provides a fast, safe, accurate, and consistent shooting system that is easy to maintain (because it’s cleaner). Having shot close to 100 FireSticks during my initial field tests, I found it simplified the muzzleloading process by eliminating the accessories conventionally needed for dealing with propellant. Normally when a company brings something new to market, it’s bigger, stronger, and faster. The benefit of the FireStick is simplicity and convenience while retaining the same velocity and energy of existing blackpowder replacements, and delivering repeatable results.
The FireStick system encapsulates pre-measured Hodgdon Triple Eight powder. The shooter only needs to insert a 209 primer before sliding it into the muzzleloader’s breech. (Bill Buckley/)
In-Line Revolution
Back in 1985, Tony Knight developed the first modern mass-produced in-line muzzleloader, the MK-85. It was the first production rifle to offer consistent ignition, accuracy, and safety with a No. 11 percussion cap. Since then, muzzleloader manufacturers have raced to design better systems and components to improve accuracy and consistency.