Capitalizing on recent trends, Traditions' new break-open muzzleloader proved to be a dependable and accurate gun, and one that won't break the bank.

Right now, rifle design trends are for drop-action and break-action muzzleloaders, and any company selling many muzzleloaders at all has one or the other--or both--in its catalog. The folks at Traditions are no exception, and recently I was fortunate enough to hunt with one of their new break-action rifles.

The Traditions Pursuit Pro Break-Open muzzleloader has the ability to change barrels from .50 caliber to .45 caliber to 12 gauge. The extra barrels can be purchased at any time and are completely interchangeable, making this is a very versatile rifle. Mine is a.50 caliber that has been custom dipped in Natural Gear camo. It's a striking looking gun, and it's a very good shooter. Using Traditions T-Shock Bullets and three Triple Seven Pellets, my 100-yard, three-shot groups were averaging about 11?2 inches.

The 28-inch fluted, tapered barrel provides excellent velocity with these three-pellet loads, and the break-open action uses a No. 209 primer for positive ignition. The barrel is easily detached from the gun, and clean-up is simple once you remove the breech plug.

The solid aluminum ramrod features a reversible loading and cleaning jag, giving you extended length. And by adding a T-handle you can use the rod for cleaning as well as loading. The Pursuit Pro also incorporates two safety systems: a transfer bar safety on the inside of the frame and a cross-block safety in the trigger guard. The gun will also open when it's cocked, allowing the removal of the primer for a completely safe letdown of the hammer.

The gun has an ambidextrous hammer spur for right- and left-handed shooters and features a projectile alignment system in the muzzle that helps start the bullet straight down the barrel.

A pointed muzzleloader bullet with a twist: the new T-Shock. The 2005 version of the bullet will utilize a sealed air chamber to provide quick expansion.

At 8 1/4 pounds before scope mounting and about 9 1/2 with one, the gun is heavy enough to shoot magnum loads comfortably. And because of the trim shape of the receiver, it carries well in the hand. The trigger was a bit stiff, but it was so crisp and clean it felt lighter than it was. The Pursuit Pro has a suggested retail price under $300.

NONMAGNIFYING SCOPES Some states allow the use of optics on muzzleloaders but do not allow magnification--one example being Nebraska, where I recently took a mule deer with a muzzleloader. For the record, zero magnification is 1X, not 0X as some assume. I actually tried a 0X scope a few years ago. It seems that the optics company employee who placed the order for the scopes--which were to be built somewhere in the Pacific Rim--didn't know that there was a difference, and the manufacturer didn't bother to tell him. The result was a scope that made everything appear half-size. Not so good for hunting. In Nebraska I used the Nikon 1x20 Buckmasters muzzleloader scope, which is designed specifically for muzzleloader hunting in areas that allow optics but not magnification. It was sharp and clear enough that I was able to shoot groups that were sub-inch at 100 yards off the bench. I would have preferred more magnification for the long-range opportunities I encountered during that particular hunt, but when the time came to shoot it, worked just fine. The mule deer was about 125 yards, and I had no trouble placing the bullet on his shoulder.--BT

Traditions also has a unique and interesting new bullet called the T-Shock. It's a pointed, jacketed, lead- core bullet, which in muzzleloader bullets are as common as dirt right now. But the unique and interesting part is a sealed hydraulic chamber in the tip that contains a small amount of FDA-approved oil. On impact this chamber is said to exert hydraulic pressure in all directions to initiate expansion.

Traditions says the bullet will retain 90 percent of its weight, but I can't confirm that because all the bullets we shot exited the deer. However, the wound channels were impressive, showing evidence of early expansion. That is perfect performance in my opinion.

The bullet that killed my deer centered the heart and completely destroyed it. Yet this early, explosive expansion and energy transfer did not prevent the bullet from exiting. The other deer I examined all showed signs of similar bullet performance, indicating a good balance between rapid expansion and penetration. The T-Shock bullets are available in .45, .50 and .54 caliber sabots in a variety of weights.

The new for 2005 T-Shock bullet will use a very sharp polymer tip and will replace the oil in the sealed chamber with air.

Clearly, the exterior ballistics should improve slightly. Terminal performance is the only question left, but if the new T-shock performs anything like the old, we'll have a winner on our hands.