For someone who anticipates the annual celebration of traditional muzzleloaders in general and flintlock rifles in particular at the Dixon Gunmaker’s Fair, which concludes today at the world’s largest walk-in muzzleloader shop near Kempton, it may seem somewhat out of character to expound the virtues of what is the ultimate in a modern inline muzzleloader hunting rifle.
Yes, there is a special something about hunting deer with a flintlock rifle in the post-Christmas season that is unique to Pennsylvania. Participation in the flintlock season — especially with custom-built longrifles, which is our state’s official firearms symbol — is as much a celebration of tradition as it is a hunt for those who are students of American history.
For most participants Pennsylvania’s flintlock season is a time to socialize with family members and friends, and often the emphasis on hunting is almost secondary. In fact, having to take time to skin a deer is a distraction from the fellowship that is shared at a hunting camp or in a den.
During flintlock season any deer taken is a trophy, which is why one’s back tag on the general hunting license may be used to take a doe in any wildlife management unit. And even for those who attend muzzleloader matches on a regular basis throughout the year, taking a deer in the woods at a distance of more than 60 yards is a challenge.
All of that changes, however, when one books a four-figure, let alone five, deer hunt out of state during the special muzzleloader season. In most cases those hunts are geared to taking a buck with a quality rack, and many outfitters have areas on their leases with their own special regulations as to the size of a rack for it to be taken without paying a fine.
Adverse weather, distance and rack size were all factors in me failing to fill a tag last year on a muzzleloader hunt in Maryland with a Lancaster County Pennsylvania Longrifle I built. With deer hunts booked for this year in North and South Carolina, I made a mental note to visit with the various firearms manufacturer representatives this February during the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg.
After looking at and learning about no less than eight brands of inline — or “modern” — muzzleloaders, that I settled upon the Remington 700 Ultimate Muzzleloader is in character. Back in the day when those of my generation cut their deer-hunting teeth with their first rifle, it was usually a lever-action Winchester or Marlin that was usually owned by at least one older relative.
Those rifles remain effective today in the deer woods of Pennsylvania, but we longed for the day when one of those sleek, satin-finished Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifles was ours. Printed on those green boxes were the words “Shoots Right Out of the Box,” and one quickly discovered that slogan was backed by performance.
On the market for slightly more than a year, the Remington 700 Ultimate Muzzleloader is backing the claim of being a 300-yard muzzleloader when loaded with the recommended charge of four, 50-grain Pyrodex pellets and a Remington Premier Accutip 250-grain copper bullet encased in a sabot that has been designed for 200-grain charges. Sending this charge downrange is the UML ignition system, which is a primed brass cartridge casing that is sealed in place when the bolt is closed and produces a muzzle velocity of 2,400 fps.
A peep sight with a large aperture and a fiber-optic front sight comes standard on the Remington 700 Ultimate Muzzleloader, which is dead-on at 100 yards when bench shooting at a range. Those 100-yard shots at the range and 100-150 yard shots — let alone the 300-yard claim — in the deer woods can be worlds apart, however, so one should consider mounting optics such as the Pursuit X1 Muzzleloader Scope that is designed for modern high-performance inline muzzleloaders.
For those who prefer measuring their charges rather than loading with pellets, Hodgdon Triple Se7en 3Fg replica blackpowder is an excellent choice. While not recommended as a charge in traditional muzzleloaders, Triple Se7en has shown it performs flawlessly in percussion rifles and is reliable enough to use for target shooting — not hunting — in flintlock rifles.
So, when I travel below the Mason-Dixon Line later this year to pursue deer in Dixie, it will be with complete confidence. As for leaving my trusty flintlocks at home, well, heck even Kit Carson made the switch from flint to a percussion ignition Hawken.
(Dietz is outdoors editor)