Traditions Pursuit Pro

marcseatac · October 13, 2006, 04:26 PM

It's getting to be that time of year again. Muzzle Loader deer season. If anyone is thinking of upgrading the rifle here is one fine gun.

Here is a review from Randy D. Smith who does all the good firearm reviews. I own one and totally agree with everything he says. The guns are hard to find, you won't see them in stores. I bought mine online from a place in Pennsylvania.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/traditions_pursuit.htm

marcseatac · October 20, 2006, 08:35 PM

I'm playing with the camera today. Here is my coveted collection of .50 cal rifles. Traditions Pursuit Pro on the right.

SINGLE SHOT · October 21, 2006, 11:51 AM

What a great website, I have been lurking here for awhile. I am new to muzzleloaders. I ordered a blue/synth Pursuit Pro .50 cal. from Walmart $233.18 should take a week before I recieve it. This is my first black powder gun. This thread helped me decide which rifle to purchase. I will be hanging around here more learning about muzzleloaders.

marcseatac · October 21, 2006, 12:54 PM

That price is a steal. Paid 265.00 for mine. Took a couple more pic's, better detail on the reciever, since you have one on the way.

SINGLE SHOT · October 21, 2006, 01:12 PM

Thanks for those pics. I can`t hardly wait to get my hands on mine. What are you loading with projectile, primer, powder, etc...

marcseatac · October 21, 2006, 01:33 PM

This one was my last purchase and I have been trying an experiment with it using the Pioneer Powder FFFg and their pellets also using the Remington Kleenbore ML 209 primers, because it has a sealing breech that stays clean, I got the cleanest stuff I could get.

When it was first new, I took it apart and rubbed the gun down with Cabelas muzzleloader lube. That's a white lube that reminds me of a waxy crisco. I have shot it 3 or 4 times and other than swab the bore I am not cleaning it at all.

It shoots the Buffalo bullet saboted hollow points and the Cabelas Deadcenter saboted projectiles into very tight groups with 85-100 grains of American Pioneer. I have shot 3 Pioneer pellets (150 grains) with some saboted 44 cal semiwadcutters.

I'm not allowed to hunt with this gun in Washington because of the 209 primers and sealed breech being illegal. I bought it just for the fun of shooting it at paper targets and I wanted something that wouldn't be a PITA to clean.

I would like to try the Triple 7 but I have 4 bottles of American Pioneer that I bought just to do this little test.

SINGLE SHOT · October 21, 2006, 02:21 PM

My reason for buying a muzzleloader is to get in on the early H.A.M. hunts. I hope to get drawn for elk next year and take one with this MZ. I`m still trying to figure out what I should shoot through it. At this point in time I am clueless

marcseatac · October 21, 2006, 02:53 PM

That's most of the fun, I went out when I was newbie and spent about 200.00 dollars and got one of everything they had. I got armloads of sabots and bullets and powders. Patches, cleaners, I got it all in 3 dry boxes. I wanted to do it right.

Last year was my first ML hunt. Here I get to hunt Nov. 22 till Dec. 15 and there is an earlier hunt in Oct. But the leaves are still on the trees and the deer rut late here only during the ML season.

The area I hunt is any deer which is nice because I just want one to make into pepperoni sticks anyway.

We actually have one area you can hunt Deer and Elk at the same time. 2 point min Deer or any ELK. Can't do that on the modern hunts.

I really like the Traditions rifle and wish I could hunt with it. My regular hunting rifle is a Ruger M77 Mark II 30-06 and it is a great handling gun, this Traditions rifle handles much the same way or maybe even better. I'm really impressed with it.

ENC · October 29, 2006, 04:45 PM

I have one and hate it. It will give groups of about 3-4 inches at fifty yards and they are always down and right (6-7 inches from POA) no matter how the sights are adjusted the POI is down and right of POA. Several different bullets and powder charges.

Four shooters duplicated this result.

Don't get me wrong I love the simplicity of the gun and the features but to me it is useless.

This year I bought an Encore first two shots this gun ever fired were touching at fifty yards.

Any advice because the people at traditions don't seem to care.

Evan

marcseatac · October 29, 2006, 05:47 PM

What did you pay for your Encore? The Omega also one fine rifle. I've never been able to touch group shots myself.

If you hold the gun straight up does it still shoot down 6 inches? Mine has plenty of sight adjustment range, while not grouping competition size groups the thing will answer to a change in windage or elevation. I'm assuming you have your rear sight pushed all the way up and all the way to the left? Strange.

Not trying to ruffle your feathers, but really, sounds like you may have gotten a bad one. Every BP gun shoots different.

You didn't mention what types of loads you have used. Try Cabelas Dead Center sabots and 85 grains of Triple 7. Whatever you get, that's what works best in all my BP rifles.

marcseatac · October 29, 2006, 08:17 PM

ENC thought I might mention that the rear sight on the Pursuit is a sliding dovetail. The set screws only lock the sight in place they are not click micrometer type screws like you see on some guns. You loosen the set screw and slide the sight assembly up or down same as the left and right (windage adjustment). You then tighten the screw to lock the adjustment.

The sight gives a generous range of adjustment. I would imagine that it would change POI anywhere within 4 feet or maybe more at 50 yds.

ENC · October 30, 2006, 04:44 PM

Yeah I was using the sights correctly, I had the thing barely hanging on and the POI was still not correcting itself. I used several different bullet/sabot combinations. The only powder I used was pyrodex but I varied it from 70 to 120 grains.

I actually discovered through trial and error that it would shoot POA if I removed the forend to shoot. so I took a Dremel and removed alot of the support from the inside ridges. When re installed bullets moved back over and down. I didn't remove any material from the rear of the forend or along the top sides though. I havent' given up yet.

BTW the Encore was a stainless/camo prohunter model for 750 out the door. It is freakin sweet.

marcseatac · November 3, 2006, 02:24 PM

I would love a stainless Encore. Just can't justify the price while we have no hunting w/209 primer restrictions here. That's why I went cheap with the Traditions rifle. I just wanted the ease of the break action type gun for range fun.

maine bucks · December 17, 2006, 10:03 AM

I have alway

s liked Traditions ML as well as TC but here in the Communist Republic of Mass. we can't use breakopen ML. That also includes the TC Prohunter. I can use them where I hunt in NH and ME but not here. Go figure
we have almost a three week ML season and they have these laws Oh Well!!
eight more years and I retire and build in NH!!!

October 13, 2006, 04:26 PM	#1
marcseatac Senior Member Join Date: October 7, 2006 Posts: 225	Traditions Pursuit Pro It's getting to be that time of year again. Muzzle Loader deer season. If anyone is thinking of upgrading the rifle here is one fine gun. Here is a review from Randy D. Smith who does all the good firearm reviews. I own one and totally agree with everything he says. The guns are hard to find, you won't see them in stores. I bought mine online from a place in Pennsylvania. http://www.chuckhawks.com/traditions_pursuit.htm

October 29, 2006, 05:47 PM	#10
marcseatac Senior Member Join Date: October 7, 2006 Posts: 225	What did you pay for your Encore? The Omega also one fine rifle. I've never been able to touch group shots myself. If you hold the gun straight up does it still shoot down 6 inches? Mine has plenty of sight adjustment range, while not grouping competition size groups the thing will answer to a change in windage or elevation. I'm assuming you have your rear sight pushed all the way up and all the way to the left? Strange. Not trying to ruffle your feathers, but really, sounds like you may have gotten a bad one. Every BP gun shoots different. You didn't mention what types of loads you have used. Try Cabelas Dead Center sabots and 85 grains of Triple 7. Whatever you get, that's what works best in all my BP rifles. Last edited by marcseatac; October 29, 2006 at 06:19 PM.

December 17, 2006, 10:03 AM	#14
maine bucks Junior Member Join Date: December 16, 2006 Location: Central Mass Posts: 9	Pursuit Pro I have alway s liked Traditions ML as well as TC but here in the Communist Republic of Mass. we can't use breakopen ML. That also includes the TC Prohunter. I can use them where I hunt in NH and ME but not here. Go figure we have almost a three week ML season and they have these laws Oh Well!! eight more years and I retire and build in NH!!!

October 20, 2006, 08:35 PM	#2
marcseatac Senior Member Join Date: October 7, 2006 Posts: 225	I'm playing with the camera today. Here is my coveted collection of .50 cal rifles. Traditions Pursuit Pro on the right.

October 21, 2006, 11:51 AM	#3
SINGLE SHOT Junior Member Join Date: October 21, 2006 Location: Tucson Arizona Posts: 3	What a great website, I have been lurking here for awhile. I am new to muzzleloaders. I ordered a blue/synth Pursuit Pro .50 cal. from Walmart $233.18 should take a week before I recieve it. This is my first black powder gun. This thread helped me decide which rifle to purchase. I will be hanging around here more learning about muzzleloaders.

October 21, 2006, 12:54 PM	#4
marcseatac Senior Member Join Date: October 7, 2006 Posts: 225	That price is a steal. Paid 265.00 for mine. Took a couple more pic's, better detail on the reciever, since you have one on the way.

October 21, 2006, 01:12 PM	#5
SINGLE SHOT Junior Member Join Date: October 21, 2006 Location: Tucson Arizona Posts: 3	Thanks for those pics. I can`t hardly wait to get my hands on mine. What are you loading with projectile, primer, powder, etc...

October 21, 2006, 01:33 PM	#6
marcseatac Senior Member Join Date: October 7, 2006 Posts: 225	This one was my last purchase and I have been trying an experiment with it using the Pioneer Powder FFFg and their pellets also using the Remington Kleenbore ML 209 primers, because it has a sealing breech that stays clean, I got the cleanest stuff I could get. When it was first new, I took it apart and rubbed the gun down with Cabelas muzzleloader lube. That's a white lube that reminds me of a waxy crisco. I have shot it 3 or 4 times and other than swab the bore I am not cleaning it at all. It shoots the Buffalo bullet saboted hollow points and the Cabelas Deadcenter saboted projectiles into very tight groups with 85-100 grains of American Pioneer. I have shot 3 Pioneer pellets (150 grains) with some saboted 44 cal semiwadcutters. I'm not allowed to hunt with this gun in Washington because of the 209 primers and sealed breech being illegal. I bought it just for the fun of shooting it at paper targets and I wanted something that wouldn't be a PITA to clean. I would like to try the Triple 7 but I have 4 bottles of American Pioneer that I bought just to do this little test.

October 21, 2006, 02:21 PM	#7
SINGLE SHOT Junior Member Join Date: October 21, 2006 Location: Tucson Arizona Posts: 3	My reason for buying a muzzleloader is to get in on the early H.A.M. hunts. I hope to get drawn for elk next year and take one with this MZ. I`m still trying to figure out what I should shoot through it. At this point in time I am clueless

October 21, 2006, 02:53 PM	#8
marcseatac Senior Member Join Date: October 7, 2006 Posts: 225	That's most of the fun, I went out when I was newbie and spent about 200.00 dollars and got one of everything they had. I got armloads of sabots and bullets and powders. Patches, cleaners, I got it all in 3 dry boxes. I wanted to do it right. Last year was my first ML hunt. Here I get to hunt Nov. 22 till Dec. 15 and there is an earlier hunt in Oct. But the leaves are still on the trees and the deer rut late here only during the ML season. The area I hunt is any deer which is nice because I just want one to make into pepperoni sticks anyway. We actually have one area you can hunt Deer and Elk at the same time. 2 point min Deer or any ELK. Can't do that on the modern hunts. I really like the Traditions rifle and wish I could hunt with it. My regular hunting rifle is a Ruger M77 Mark II 30-06 and it is a great handling gun, this Traditions rifle handles much the same way or maybe even better. I'm really impressed with it.

October 29, 2006, 04:45 PM	#9
ENC Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2001 Location: Grand Lake, OK Posts: 658	I have one and hate it. It will give groups of about 3-4 inches at fifty yards and they are always down and right (6-7 inches from POA) no matter how the sights are adjusted the POI is down and right of POA. Several different bullets and powder charges. Four shooters duplicated this result. Don't get me wrong I love the simplicity of the gun and the features but to me it is useless. This year I bought an Encore first two shots this gun ever fired were touching at fifty yards. Any advice because the people at traditions don't seem to care. Evan

October 29, 2006, 08:17 PM	#11
marcseatac Senior Member Join Date: October 7, 2006 Posts: 225	ENC thought I might mention that the rear sight on the Pursuit is a sliding dovetail. The set screws only lock the sight in place they are not click micrometer type screws like you see on some guns. You loosen the set screw and slide the sight assembly up or down same as the left and right (windage adjustment). You then tighten the screw to lock the adjustment. The sight gives a generous range of adjustment. I would imagine that it would change POI anywhere within 4 feet or maybe more at 50 yds.

October 30, 2006, 04:44 PM	#12
ENC Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2001 Location: Grand Lake, OK Posts: 658	Yeah I was using the sights correctly, I had the thing barely hanging on and the POI was still not correcting itself. I used several different bullet/sabot combinations. The only powder I used was pyrodex but I varied it from 70 to 120 grains. I actually discovered through trial and error that it would shoot POA if I removed the forend to shoot. so I took a Dremel and removed alot of the support from the inside ridges. When re installed bullets moved back over and down. I didn't remove any material from the rear of the forend or along the top sides though. I havent' given up yet. BTW the Encore was a stainless/camo prohunter model for 750 out the door. It is freakin sweet.

November 3, 2006, 02:24 PM	#13
marcseatac Senior Member Join Date: October 7, 2006 Posts: 225	I would love a stainless Encore. Just can't justify the price while we have no hunting w/209 primer restrictions here. That's why I went cheap with the Traditions rifle. I just wanted the ease of the break action type gun for range fun.