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Traditions Muzzleloader

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I've owned and hunted with only two Traditions MLs in the past 27 years and have had ZERO complaints. I've only owned and hunted with one CVA and it was an old one built from a kit. But that old CVA would really shoot! Either are worthy choices.
 
While I can't say if it's better or worse than a CVA, my wife has a Traditions Pennsylvania 50 caliber percussion I bought her 15 years ago. It shoots extremely well. No complaints. It is slow-twist and shoots a PRB or a Ball-et type conical with equal accuracy.

It has a TON of extra wood on it...not sleek like a handmade rifle would be...but it shoots. I did have to install taller sights on it as it has very little drop at the nose of the comb. Sight did not come up nicely in line when shouldered with the original sights. Was looking over the top of them.
 
I have had 4 Traditions and all have been very good. I think Traditions has made improvement's as time goes by. Those same guns have been made for many years. They are not 1500 dollar guns. I have a TVM Fowler and people have said they were junk. It is a great gun. CVA and Traditions are the same gun. Mark
 
I have both. Both are like a car or a chainsaw. They work.

Every once in a wile ya get a car that runs on any gas and never breaks down and gets way better mileage than advertised. Every once in a while ya get a chain saw that hardly ever need sharpening and starts on the first pull every time. Every once in awhile ya get a CVA or Traditions that shoots a 2" group at 90-100 yds all day long (most will do 5-6 with NO problem).

Get one of each and a Bic mac and just be happy! :)
 
A friend bought a Traditions Hawken .50 flint by mail order. It arrived and the touch hole was burried below the pan so far it was not visible. Took a die grinder to it to expose.
I handled a .50 Traditions Hawken caplock in a store one time. Hammer was so out of alignment the nipple would contant just the edge of the cup.
Another friend go a Traditions .50 Hawken cap and loves it. My advice, look it over carefully before buying and if all good, you got a great gun.
 
Walkingeagle said:
My advice, look it over carefully before buying and if all good, you got a great gun.
Good advice....
A friend of mine went to Cabela's one day, to buy a I_____line muzzleloader (against my advice)...The guy behind the counter brought out 7 rifles before my friend found one that wasn't rusted so badly that the breech wouldn't open....He spent 4 hours cleaning rust off the one he did buy. :shake:

Every gun manufacturer produces some crap....But not all crap is their fault.
 
The muzzleloaders of CVA and Traditions are manufactured in Spain in the same region: Vasque Country. CVA is manufactured by Dikar and Traditions by Ardesa. Dikar is in Bergara and Ardesa in Zamudio (Bilbao). They are towns that are less than 70 milles away. The quality of the flint locks it has improved in Ardesa (Traditions) with respect to those of Dikar (CVA). In general Ardesa's rifles and pistols (Traditions) have a very good price-quality ratio and in Europe they cost half the price of a Pedersoli muzzleloaders. I have had and have weapons of both brands. Ardesa make a single shot muzzleloading shotgun, 12 bore, very good. Greetings from Spain. ¡Y feliz 2018!
 
The Tradition Deerhunter is a great little gun to start with in creating a piece to suit your particular needs. That's smoothbore barrel on this one and maybe it'd be nice nice have a smallbore rifle set up the same way.

1UPc6ML.jpg
 
I owned ad killed deer with a Traditions DeerHunter for over 20 years. Mine was a percussion and I never had anything but complete reliability with it. Never had any complaints. It was quite accurate and the 24" barrel made it a light and handy carry in the bush.
 
Around 1990, Traditions offered a Hawken style that I would not mind owning with two barrel wedges and a long tang. I've seen almost the identical gun, less patch box, come up on auction and listed simply as Ardesa. Actually looked pretty decent for a modernized, Hawkenesque version.
 
Those "DeerHunters" are really very nice little rifles. I actually messed up the stock on mine and traded it along with a little cash to a very good builder for very similar style rifle he builds. The new one was maple stocked and brass mounted with the traditional architecture and percussion lock. The barrel was a .45 and heavier (15/16") than the DeerHunter; it was also 25". The style was for a kid and had my lop - I'm a little guy - and it fits me. It's also very accurate, handy and short. But I still wouldn't mind having a couple more of those DeerHunters.
Top: my .45 "kid's" rifle
Mid/Bottom: two photos of my DeerHunter



 
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