By Scott Smith | Contributing Editor
With hunting season around the corner it got me to remembering my youth. I grew up in the sixties in the country and could literally hunt for most animals across the street from my house. I never took a whitetail deer as a kid, but many have fallen in my adulthood, and they have all been taken with a bow. These deer have like the rabbits were taken in the suburbs of Southwest Pennsylvania where it is legal to use a bow.
Once you zero the scope, your Traditions G4 Ultralight is ready for the field right out of the box. I found the 3-9 scope to be one of the best OEM branded optics I have used. It should serve you for years.
When I was growing up we hunted the mountains of Pennsylvania. After seeing the movie “Jeremiah Johnston” my dad was hooked on .50 caliber cap and ball Hawken rifles. My godfather was hooked on muzzle loaders also but he preferred original flintlock Pennsylvania Long Rifles he inherited from his father in-law. Both used patch and ball, the PA rifles each had their own mold because they were 32ish, 38ish caliber. While the Hawken would shoot patch and ball okay it was most accurate with the then modern version of the Minié ball. While the Hawken was more accurate, I preferred shooting the Long Rifles. How many folks can say they fired original 1800s muzzle loading rifles? At 25 to 50 yards these were incredibly accurate rifles.
The drawback to my dad’s reproduction Hawken or the antique long rifles was cleaning them. Back 50 years ago there was no such thing as Pyrodex and blackpowder was downright filthy to shoot. Cleaning them required hot soapy water, the laundry room sink and a healthy supply of patches, elbow grease and both Hoppe’s No. 9 and oil. The hot soapy water cleaned the powder residue, the oil was used to swab the interior of the barrel, the nipple of cap and ball guns, the locking wedge and once excess oil was removed from both the interior and exterior of the barrel a coating of Hoppe’s to protect the metal.
All the controls are handy on the G4 Ultralight; the barrel latch and safety are located on the trigger group.
All in all it was a couple hour process just to shoot a dozen or less rounds. To a kid this was not a very good use of time. I know lots of folks who still shoot traditional muzzleloaders, but they are just too slow for me. Today modern muzzle loaders have replaced black power with Pyrodex pellets and sabot-type bullets have replaced the Minié ball. We also have cleaning solutions that allow you to give the rifle a quick cleaning at the range or a thorough cleaning when you are done for the day.
If I had to pick the most popular manufacturer of modern muzzle loaders it would be Traditions (Phone: 860-388-4656; Online: traditionsfirearms.com). They offer flintlock, traditional percussion cap or modern in-line muzzle loaders that are fired with 209 primers, which are hotter and more reliable that the No. 10 percussion cap. This ensures consistent ignition of flake Pyrodex or pellets. You can use traditional blackpowder as well, but why would you? Besides still being dirty, there are too many government regulations to follow when purchasing and storing it. In some jurisdictions black powder is nearly illegal to purchase; you can use it to make pipe bombs you know? I do not know of any legal hunter who has built pipe bombs, but, never fear, nanny big government will make sure you will not; ugh!
Close-up of the Accelerator Breech Plug, you can see the holes for the supplied plug wrench. I never used the wrench during testing.
Anyhow, back to Traditions muzzle loaders in 2018. It was not all that long ago that Tradition’s catalog was just a few pages; now it is a few dozen pages with everything you could possibly need for your muzzle loading firearms, save for black powder or Pyrodex. In the catalog you will also find untold options when it comes to camouflage pattern, caliber, optics, bullet style and etc. I chose to look at the Pursuit G4 Ultralight Package. The package in this case was the 50 caliber Ultralight G4 in Kryptek Highlander with a 3-6X40 scope and rings (there are no iron sights) for $461 MSRP. A quick perusal of the internet and should be able to find it for under $400.
The most important feature of the G4 is the breach plug. In days past you had to use a tool that looked like a cheap spark plug wrench. Traditions new Accelerator Breech Plug can be removed by hand, supplied plug wrench or with a pair of pliers if it gets too tight from shooting or fouling. I know many folks who broke them because they forgot or did not apply enough lubricant to the threads of the plug. I suggest using choke tube grease or any firearms grease that is dispensed with a syringe tube. Once the plug and firearm are cleaned and dry apply some to threads of the barrel and the plug.
This is where the starter “T” is stored on the ramrod.
Most shooters will notice the camouflage pattern of this G4 Ultralight Kryptek Highlander. This pattern blends well with most leafy fall and desert conditions. It will work well in more “green” settings too. Kryptek did their homework when developing Highlander and other patterns.
With the barrel being black nitride and hardware being matte black Cerakote it is easy to overlook the fluting of the 26-inch barrel. This serves to dramatically reduce weight. Over the years I have grown to appreciate any reduction in weight you can get. The G4 Ultralight with scope tips the scale at less than 5½ pounds. Those who stalk their game will greatly appreciate this, especially when you need to drag out your trophy.
What you will not see on the G4 Ultralight is its most important feature: the safety. Traditions calls their safety the Dual Safety System. When engaged, the safety has an internal hammer block and a trigger block. Unless there is a catastrophic failure, this muzzle loader will only fire when you disengage the safety and pull the trigger. Even with the safety engaged you can still open the action, reducing the odds of a mishap when loading.
You will notice the lands and grooves end about an inch in the barrel; this is to make loading a sabot or any projectile easier. This does not affect accuracy.
Loading the G4 is easy. Simply drop two 50 grain Pyrodex pellets down the barrel. Next set the sabot and bullet into the muzzle and push it down the barrel with the supplied ramrod. Next push the barrel/action release that is just ahead of the trigger and this will pivot forward. Insert one 209 primer in the breach; ensure the safety is on and hammer is not cocked. Close the barrel and it will lock: now it is ready to shoot. Push off the safety, cock the hammer, ensure you have a safe backstop, and squeeze the trigger. If you do your part, I assure the G4 will do its part to give you an accurate shot.
Once you are loaded and the safety is disengaged, the trigger pull will shock you. It is just a hair over three pounds out of the box. This aids dramatically in the accuracy of the G4; that is once you learn inline muzzle loaders do not go bang as soon as the hammer falls. There is a delay, not as bad as with a flintlock, but there is plenty of time for a major flinch. Once I learned this I was able to get sub-two inch groups for four shots at 50 yards. I have no doubt this can be improved upon the more you get used to the rifle. Testing the G4 Ultralight Package was done with Traditions 250-grain Smackdown Sabot bullets. Two 50-grain Pyrodex pellets were ignited with a 209 shotgun primer.
While researching the G4 Ultralight, it is referred to by my shooting resources as a mid-range stalking rifle. Thanks to its 5.75 pound weight you can carry it all day. Weight is reduced with the polymer hardware and LT1 alloy receiver. This muzzleloader was built to be accurate with a 1 in 28” twist rate out to two hundred yards, while not weighing so much it wears you out stalking with it. With the 3-9 scope this rifle will deliver in the brush or across an open field.
I am not sure who makes the scope for Traditions but they do a good job. The magnification is smooth, the impact adjustments hold zero and the second focal plane reticle is clear and sharp. The ocular lens adjusts so you can match your eyes to the reticle so it is sharp and clear. The two-piece mounts are solid and hold zero. Truth be told, I cannot find a thing wrong with the optics; the entire set-up is ready for the hunter to take to the field.
Traditions did not overlook the ramrod either. It is solid aluminum, designed to act as both a bullet starter and full length ramrod. You simply unscrew the bullet end of the rod and use the “T” handle to start the bullet. Then thread the ramrod back together and ram the bullet home. I purchased a bullet starter; it was only a few bucks and having one is much easier on the range.
Author shooting the G4 Ultralight. This lightweight inline is accurate, easy to handle and fun to shoot.
The other item I purchased to maintain the G4 Ultralight is Traditions Bore Solvent. Cleaning the barrel and breach plug on the range quickly cuts fouling so you can shoot longer than a handful of shots. Using it after your range session will reduce the chances of corrosion. I still cleaned the barrel with hot soapy water after the solvent and finished with whatever firearms lubricant I had at home. When cleaning the barrel, you will notice it cleans easily, thanks to the handsome-looking black nitride coating. It also prevents interior barrel wear and corrosion.
One thing you will want to do when you clean the barrel is remove the entire forearm/barrel assembly. It is easy and will keep the crud off your buttstock. Simply unscrew the hex head screw in the forearm and push out the pivot pin. To reassemble, simply reverse the process. After a couple of days I reapplied lubricant to further reduce the odds of corrosion, even synthetic black powder like Pyrodex will leave that nasty greenish blue corrosion on your barrel and breach plug if you do not clean and apply the initial and second round of “gun oil”.
I have made several trips to the range with the G4; it is fun to shoot. It must be addicting because every time I have it at the range one of the folks there ends up wanting to shoot it. The black nitride barrel and Cerakoted receiver with the Kryptek Highlander camouflage catches their attention, the accuracy makes them want to shoot again. Accuracy after all is what makes the firearm; the G4 Ultralight is no exception.
Overall I cannot find one thing to complain about. The fit and finish are excellent. The trigger is by far the best I have shot on any muzzleloader. Aesthetically the matte black Cerakote and Kryptek Highlander creates a strikingly good looking rifle. I like the scope and I like the ease of operation. The G4 Ultralight is an amazing modern inline muzzle loader. Check out the website you can see all the options. When you head to the field this year; be safe, shoot straight and have fun.
