Hunters hit the woods with muzzleloaders for various reasons, perhaps to connect to our centuries-old frontiersman lifestyle, pay homage to muzzleloading’s rich history woven in the fabric of America’s, or simply to enjoy longer hunting seasons and more outdoor pursuits. No matter the reason, the industry can still mean big business, considering an average of 1.5 million hunters trek into our fall hunting woods annually with muzzleloaders in hand. For me and many others, the historic draw is real and motivates quite a few sales, especially with respect to traditional muzzleloaders, reproductions and kits; of course, it certainly motivates customers to buy modern muzzleloaders, too.

As an enthusiast myself, I do get excited about DIY muzzleloader kits, but as a long-range shooter, I also love advancing technologies leading to reliable, accurate shooting at greater distances than I ever thought possible — and I’m not alone! Traditions Performance Firearms and CVA recognized the demand for muzzleloader innovation early on. CVA, as a shining example, has spent the better part of a decade (at least in my firsthand experience) refining muzzleloaders for long-range shooting, as well as cleaner, more user-friendly loading and shooting practices — match barrels and bullets, smokeless systems and more. Traditions delivered the great blessing of inline muzzleloading and later, muzzleloaders that accept self-contained Firestick powder charges.

For enthusiasts, there’s no better time to be alive and experiencing outdoor pursuits, muzzleloader in hand! Again, whether the draw is historic or enjoying the technological evolution, today’s manufacturers offer something for everybody, and every state in our amazing union offers muzzleloading hunting opportunities. All said, here are 10 muzzleloaders perfectly poised to satisfy the whims of any muzzleloader hunter and land you more sales.

 

CVA Endura Pro

Established as Connecticut Valley Arms in 1971, CVA’s focus was traditional muzzleloader rifles and kits. With the introduction of inline muzzleloaders, the company began shifting production to modern inline systems. BPI Outdoors purchased CVA in 1999 and continued pushing toward modern muzzleloading rifles. Today, CVA is perhaps America’s most recognized and popular muzzleloader brand, and the company continues to walk the leading edge of the industry’s innovation. Most recently, CVA has led the charge in long-distance muzzleloader shooting. A great example is the brand’s latest and greatest, the Endura Pro.

In a world of blackpowder muzzleloaders, the CVA Endura .45-Caliber muzzleloader is a premium, smokeless-powder standout designed to deliver extreme long-range accuracy, cleaner shooting and exceptional muzzle velocity (roughly 2,420 fps with Blackhorn 209 at 122 grains and a Powerbelt 285-grain ELR bullet). The Endura weighs in at just 8.75 pounds with a Grayboe Eagle Pro Stock and 26-inch, 1:22-inch twist, fluted, 3/4x20 threaded Bergara barrel. The rifle boasts a Desert Tan Camo finish, nitride protective coating and tungsten Cerakote. The Endura also features a TriggerTech trigger, patent-pending magnetic bolt face, oversized ejection port and a tungsten-lined breech plug. www.BPIOutdoors.com 

 

CVA Optima

Perfect for hunters looking for premium blackpowder performance without crushing their budgets, CVA’s Optima .50-caliber muzzleloader is one of its most popular offerings and comes in at a mid-range price point sure to make your customers giddy. The Optima is exceptionally lightweight, weighing just 6.2 pounds, perfect for long treks in the back country, and sports a 26-inch barrel with 1:28-inch twist rate. Designed for more personalized comfort, the Optima boasts a semi-vertical grip with ambidextrous palm swell, adjustable length of pull via a spacer, and an adjustable comb, complete with two cheek risers for a truly custom fit. Optima models are available in Realtree Legacy camouflage, olive-drab (OD) green or black with fiber-optic sights, picatinny rail or Konus Pro 3-9x40 scope kits.

 

CVA Wolf

For entry-level affordability without performance shortcuts, the CVA Wolf delivers the kind of exceptional muzzleloader accuracy, reliability and customizations customers appreciate at all experience levels. This inline .50-caliber blackpowder muzzleloader boasts a stainless steel 24-inch barrel with 1:28-inch twist, ambidextrous stock with adjustable length of pull, break-action breech and a toolless, quick-release breech plug. Wolf models are lightweight, weighing just 6.6 pounds, and are available in flat black and stealth gray finishes as well as Realtree and TrueTimber camo options. Available Wolf sight and optic configurations include fiber-optic sights, a DuraSight one-piece scope mount or Konus 3-9x32 scope kit configurations.

 

Traditions Nitrofire VAPR

Traditions Performance Firearms first opened its Old Saybrook, Connecticut, doors in 1982 and was purchased just 10 years later by Tom Hall and Jay Brenneman. Traditions remains headquartered in Old Saybrook, and Hall has led the company as its president since the 1992 acquisition. Early on, with the popularity of inline muzzleloaders growing, Traditions added inline muzzleloaders to its lineup alongside kits and traditional systems. As a leading innovator, Traditions unveiled the industry’s first hammerless break-action muzzleloader and soon after, the Nitrofire, specifically designed for use with Federal Premium’s revolutionary self-contained Firestick powder charges. In keeping with the popularity of the Nitrofire, Traditions offers the NitroFire VAPR.

While the Nitrofire VAPR includes the same features demanding muzzleloading enthusiasts have come to love, the Nitrofire VAPR bumps performance up with Tradition’s 1:24-inch VAPR Twist in a 26-inch fluted, tapered, chromoly steel barrel with Cerakote finish for enhanced bullet stabilization and improved overall accuracy. The Nitrofire VAPR also boasts a black synthetic stock, Traditions Elite XT trigger system with a rebounding hammer, and a cross-block safety. www.TraditionsFirearms.com.

 

Traditions Nitrobolt

Jumping back into the Firestick game, Traditions’ vision and innovation turned heads again in 2025 with the Nitrobolt, the first and only Firestick-compatible bolt-action muzzleloader. The Nitrobolt features a fluted, tapered, 24-inch chromoly steel barrel with the same 1:24-inch VAPR twist used in the Nitrofire VAPR. The Nitrobolt also includes a three-position safety, cocking indicator, three locking lugs, 60-degree bolt handle and a black synthetic stock complete with adjustable cheek piece and length of pull. The Nitrobolt’s Firestick powder charges and action make it the perfect all-weather hunting muzzleloader choice for bolt-action enthusiasts.

 

Traditions Deluxe Kentucky Rifle Kit

The Kentucky Rifle is steeped in tradition and woven into the fabric of our uniquely American history. What self-respecting muzzleloading enthusiast with an affinity for history wouldn’t be ecstatic about building their own Kentucky Rifle muzzleloader? The Kentucky rifle was a pivotal tool in the American Revolution, during the Battle of 1812, and among gritty frontiersmen who shaped the country we know and love today. Fortunately, Traditions appreciates that history and the intangible connection hunters continue to seek out and enjoy with frontiersmen of centuries past and helps make those connections with a percussion-ignition Deluxe Kentucky Rifle Kit. Pre-assembled to assure proper fit, form and function, the kit includes a hardwood stock, 33.5-inch octagonal .50-caliber barrel with 1:66-inch twist, double-set trigger system, fixed sights, solid brass furniture and a patch box.

 

Pedersoli Kentucky Rifle

Founded by Davide Pedersoli in 1957 and headquartered in Gardone Val Trompia, Italy, Pedersoli began producing hunting shotguns. By 1960, Pedersoli was dabbling in the reproduction of historic muzzleloaders. Pedersoli reproductions became so popular that by 1973, Pedersoli had transitioned from shotguns to produce only muzzleloaders. While Davide passed away in 1996, the company remains a Pedersoli family business and continues to produce some of the most sought-after, accurately reproduced muzzleloaders in the industry. Case in point, the iconic Pedersoli Kentucky Rifle Percussion Muzzleloader.

Pedersoli’s Kentucky Rifle is a premium, richly detailed reproduction of the historic muzzleloading rifle and is available with percussion or flintlock ignition systems in .32-, .45- and .50-caliber models weighing between 7.05 and 8.15 pounds, depending on caliber. Blued barrels are precision-turned and blued with 7-groove rifling on the .32-caliber and 8-groove rifling on the .45- and .50-caliber offerings. Stocks are outfitted with brass fittings and finished in oiled American Walnut. Plinking or hunting, the Pedersoli Kentucky Rifle muzzleloader is a solid choice for your hunting customers who love feeling connected to their ancestral hunting roots. www.DavidePedersoli.com.

 

Pedersoli Traditional Hawken Hunter Flintlock

Another nod to U.S. history, the Hawken Rifle was a descendant of Kentucky Rifles and was aptly nicknamed the “Rocky Mountain Rifle” by trappers, hunters and adventurous frontiersmen in the early 1820s. While Hawken rifles haven’t been as popular as their Kentucky counterparts, they are heavily steeped in historic relevance, and Pedersoli’s reproduction of the Hawken Hunter Flintlock Rifle is an iconic offering that features mostly period-accurate components, with exceptions, like a comfortable, thick, microcell buttpad and fiberglass ramrod. Available in .50- and .54-caliber, the Hawken Hunter includes a 28.375-inch octagonal barrel with 1:24-inch twist, American walnut stock, brass furniture and double-set triggers.

 

Fierce Carbon MZ Pro Muzzleloader

“Built by hunters for hunters.” Fierce Firearms was founded by John Mogle in 2013. After a brief partnership with a Canadian manufacturing partner, Fierce Firearms became exclusively U.S.-made and is headquartered in Redmond, Utah. From the beginning, Mogle sought to deliver premium hunting rifles to demanding hunters. Today, Mogle caters to serious hunters and target shooters alike. From stocks and actions to carbon-fiber barrels, Fierce produces most of its critical elements in-house. While the lion’s share of Fierce’s business has focused on premium bolt-action rifles, the company now produces a semi-auto modern sporting rifle and most recently the Carbon MZ Pro Muzzleloading Rifle.

The Carbon MZ Pro Muzzleloader boasts a Rival LR stock with a Limbsaver recoil pad and adjustable cheekpiece, 24-inch Fierce C3 carbon-fiber barrel with 5/8x24 threads, Fierce NIX titanium muzzle brake, BIX’N ANDY trigger, two-position safety and a fluted bolt with a 70-degree throw. According to Fierce, the Carbon MZ Pro is the most accurate muzzleloading rifle the company has developed and its light weight, reportedly 8 pounds, makes it a perfect choice for picky muzzleloading hunters, especially if their pursuits take them down miles of game trails. www.FierceArms.com

 

Knight Ridge Runner

Legendary Missouri gunsmith, hunter and muzzleloading enthusiast Tony Knight opened Knight Rifle’s doors in 1985, relocated to Iowa soon after, and pioneered modern-day inline muzzleloading — a design positioning the percussion cap inline with the hammer and barrel. The result was a boon for Knight Rifles, offering more reliable firing and superior performance that further enhanced the muzzleloader hunting experiences. While Knight pioneered inline muzzleloading, he sold Knight Rifles to a father-son team, Dale and Bruce Watley, in 1991. Eight years later, the Watleys sold Knight Rifles to PRADCO in 1999. PRADCO shut Knight Rifle’s doors in 2009; however, the company was purchased once more by PI, Inc. (Plastic Industries, Inc) in 2011. PI still owns Knight Rifles today, and the company’s latest offering is an affordable, premium-performance muzzleloading rifle, the Ridge Runner.

Unveiled in 2025 and built with rugged backcountry reliability in mind, .50-caliber Knight Ridge Runner Muzzleloading Rifles include straight laminate stocks finished in Realtree EDGE camouflage, 24-inch stainless-steel, DynaTek-coated Green Mountain barrels with 1:28-inch twist, individually machined bolts, adjustable Timney triggers and fiber optic sights. Ridge Runners are available in two ignition systems: 209 Bare Primer or Knight’s weatherproof Full Plastic Jacket Technology. For peace of mind on the hunt, your customers will be glad to know Knight’s Ridge Runner weighs 7.5 pounds, and the company guarantees MOA accuracy out to 200 yards. www.Muzzleloaders.com