Traditions Vortek Ultralight User Manual

Break-Open Muzzleloader Owner’s Manual

VortekVortekVortek

IMPORTANT!

Thoroughly read and understand

all of the instructions and warnings

in this manual before using your

Traditions firearm.

If you do not understand any aspect of

this manual seek black powder firearm

instruction from a qualified, professional

instructor BEFORE you handle,

load or use this firearm.

Traditions Performance Firearms

1375 Boston Post Road

Old Saybrook, CT 06475

email: [e-mail]

FIT 42

www.traditionsfirearms.com

P.O. Box 776

FOR YOUR RECORDS

Important: Please record information here and keep for your record.

Model No. ___________________________________________
Serial No. ____________________________________________

Model Name __________________________________________
Caliber ______________________________________________

Date Purchased________________________________________
From________________________________________________

Registration Card mailed on ______________________________

Caution: Please read and

understand all information

in this booklet before using

your new traditions firearm.

if all safety information is

not read and the warning,

Caution and imPortant

statements are not

understood, death or injury

Could result.

Please call Traditions Customer Service Department at

860-388-4656 with any questions or concerns.

YOUR MUZZLELOADING RIFLE

Congratulations on your purchase of the new
Muzzleloader.
engineered to give today’s shooters the highest performance and optimum
accuracy. When given the respect and care that any firearm demands, you
can expect many years of reliable service and enjoyable hunting from your
new Traditions muzzleloader.

The new
and clean. The action release button is on the front of the trigger guard for
ease in opening. The extended hammer has an ambidextrous spur for left
or right hand shooting. You simply need to unscrew the spur and switch
it to the appropriate side of the hammer. The solid aluminum ramrod has
an extended jag that can be reversed and attached to make the ramrod full
length for easy loading and cleaning.

You have selected a muzzleloading firearm designed and

Traditions Break-Open Muzzleloader

Traditions Break-Open

is easy to load, shoot

imPortant!

A person using any firearm has elected to take on an enormous
responsibility. This manual contains instructions, cautions and dangers
for the safe enjoyable use of your Traditions muzzleloader. Shooting
a firearm is a serious endeavor. These instructions and precautions
should always be followed during each shooting session.

Caution:

If you sell, trade or give this rifle to another person, be sure to

give the new owner a copy of this manual. Copies of this manual are

available free of charge from

Call 860-388-4656, or fax [phone]

or email us at [e-mail]

Traditions Performance Firearms.

TRADITIONS’ WARRANTY PROTECTION

INCLUDED WITH YOUR NEW GUN

Thank you for purchasing the
has gone into your new
performance possible, we back it up with a limited lifetime warranty. Should you ever experience
mechanical difficulty with your new
to correct it quickly. Your satisfaction with your firearm is very important to

Traditions

muzzleloader. Quality, pride and old world craftsmanship

Traditions

muzzleloader. We work hard to provide the best value and

Traditions

firearm, be assured that we are staffed and equipped

Traditions

.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. THE SPORT OF MUZZLELOADING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

II. GENERAL SAFETY RULES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

III. MUZZLELOADING MUSTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

PLEASE HELP US SERVE YOU BETTER

In the event you should have questions pertaining to the function or performance of your new
Traditions firearm please visit our website to get answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Log on to www.traditionsfirearms.com where you will find the FAQ page. This page will get you fast
access to trouble shooting solutions. If you do not find an answer to your specific question on the
FAQ page of our website please feel free to email through the website at [e-mail]
and a qualified member of our team will respond to your individual question as quickly as possible. In
the event you still need assistance please do not hesitate to contact Traditions, and a member of our
Customer Service Department will be happy to assist.

In the unlikely event you need warranty service on your new firearm, we need your help to get the
work done right and without delay. It’s as easy as dropping us a note or picking up the telephone.

Traditions

conveniently engraves the caliber, serial number and model name on each barrel. Take

note of this information, record it on the warranty page in this manual and be prepared to state it when

Traditions

contacting the

Traditions

Contact
remedy your situation.

Help is just a phone call away should you experience a problem. Simply follow these four simple steps
and we’ll get your firearm back in perfect working order in the shortest possible time.

1. Do not return your firearm to the dealer. You can save time by following the steps
outlined below.

2. Do call us and describe the problem. Chances are we can either guide you to a solution right over
the phone or when possible send you the parts you need to correct the problem.

3. Should your gun need factory service, we will give you instructions about where to ship it and
issue you a Return Merchandise Authorization number.

Customer Service Department with your questions.

at 860-388-4656, tell us what problem you are experiencing and we’ll get busy to

Often we can help you by phone, call before you return your

Traditions

firearm for service. Good Shooting!

860-388-4656

Important: All firearms must have a factory issued

Return Merchandise Authorization

before returning to

Traditions for warranty service.

number (RMA#)

IV. WARRANTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

V. MAKING SURE YOUR MUZZLELOADER

IS UNLOADED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

VI. SAFETIES INCLUDED WITH

YOUR MUZZLELOADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

VII. DISASSEMBLY & ASSEMBLY

OF MUZZLELOADER ............................... 18

VIII. IGNITION AND BREECH PLUGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

IX. PREPARING TO LOAD AND LOADING

A MUZZLELOADING RIFLE .......................... 22

X. PRIMING YOUR MUZZLELOADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

XI. DECAPPING AFTER FIRING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

XII. HANGFIRES & MISFIRES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

XIII. REMOVING THE PROJECTILE (SHOT)

AND POWDER CHARGE ............................ 30

XIV. SIGHTING IN AND SCOPE MOUNTING ................. 32

XV. RECOMMENDED LOADS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

XVI. CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE ...................... 34

XVII. HELPFUL MUZZLELOADING ACCESSORIES ............. 37

XVIII. WARRANTY CARD ................................ 40

NOTES

Description Reference
A Rear Stock (A/W Composite) (Finished) FCS1000-2

Rear Stock (A/W Overmolding) (Finished) FCS1002-2
Rear Stock (A/W Thumbhole) Finished FCS2000-2
B Fore Stock (A/W Composite) (Finished) FCS3000-1
B Fore Stock (A/W Overmolding) (Finished) FCS3002-1
C Ramrod Retaining Screw 21817
D Ramrod Retaining Spring 400030
E Barrel Assembly (Kit) (Length 28”)
.50 (Percussion) (1:28” Twist) C-300035-B
Barrel Assembly (Kit) (Length 28”)
.50 (Percussion) Blued (1:28” Twist) FB300035
F Plug Screw (4) 26029
G Metal Fiber Optic Rear Sight 60193
H Metal Fiber Optic Front Sight 70220
I Rear Sight Screw (2) M73620
J Front Sight Screw M73621
K Metal Williams Sight Assembly 70288
L Accelerator Breech Plug (SS) M7400099
M Rubber O- Ring 70016
N Ramrod Thimble (2) 400031
O Ramrod Thimble Screw (2) 300032-P
P Sling Swivel Stud- Front 37122
Q Sling Swivel Stud- Front nut 60122
R Forend Stock Screw 10035
S Frame (Aluminum) (Blued) 3004
T Frame Pivot Pin 300024
U Firing Pin 30007
V Firing Pin Spring M71011
W Firing Pin Screw Washer 71020
X Firing Pin Retaining Screw M710021

Description Reference
Y Barrel Catch Pin M300023

Z Tang Screw 71016
AA Tang Screw Washer 71019
BB Buttpad 74026
CC Buttpad Screw (2) 20634
DD Pistol Grip Cap 50104
DD Pistol Grip Cap (Thumbhole) 78104
EE Pistol Grip Cap Screw 50105
EE Pistol Grip Cap Screw
(Thumbhole) (2) 50105
FF Sling Swivel Stud Rear 37013
GG Trigger Guard M30027
HH Hammer 1002
II Hammer Handle 710004
JJ Hammer Mainspring M10018
KK Hammer Antagonist Spring M10017
LL Hammer Pin M10031
MM Trigger 1003
NN Trigger Pin M10025
OO Trigger Guard Spring M71015
PP Pin 71000
QQ Trigger Guard Screw M10021
RR Safety 710032
SS Safety Pin M710029
TT Barrel Catch Spring M30017
UU Barrel Catch 30005
VV Ramrod 28” (Aluminum) 100030
WW Ramrod Tip .50cal (Aluminum) 100028
XX Ramrod Assembly 100011
YY Accelerator Breech Plug Wrench 730029
ZZ Allen Wrench M1005

II. GENERAL SAFETY RULES

I. THE SPORT OF MUZZLELOADING

More and more sportsmen have discovered the challenges and
enjoyment of muzzleloading in the past years. For both hunting
and target shooting, muzzleloading guns have helped a modern
generation recapture and enjoy an important aspect of our
nation’s sporting past.

Traditions Muzzleloaders are firearms that represent the
latest developments in this unique part of the shooting sports.
They are manufactured to modern standards for safe and
enjoyable shooting.

This booklet is intended as a basic guide for the proper
maintenance, loading and shooting of Traditions muzzleloaders,
and it offers important rules and precautions for safe handling
and shooting of this type of firearm. In addition to this booklet,
it is recommended that the novice obtain further information
and instruction before firing a muzzleloader.

Sources for this help include:

1. National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association

2. National Rifle Association

3. Your town clerk, local sporting goods dealer, state

DEP or conservation department

4. Contact your local muzzleloader or hunting club.

warning!

This muzzleloader, like other firearms,

is potentially a lethal weapon that can cause

serious injury, death or damage to property

if handled improperly.

Firearms safety is YOUR responsibility!

There is no such thing as a “safe” or

“foolproof” firearm, as firearms, by their very

nature, are inherently dangerous.

Handling your Traditions firearm safely

depends on YOU! Handled safely, your

firearm will give years of shooting enjoyment.

Handle it carelessly, and YOU will put yourself

and everyone around you in danger of

serious injury or death. Safety must be the

first, foremost and constant consideration

of everyone who handles a firearm. When

handling a firearm, you cannot guess, you

cannot forget, you cannot allow yourself

even a momentary lapse of attention or good

judgment, or irreversible tragedy may result.

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RULES OF FIREARMS SAFETY

1. Treat all firearms as if they were loaded, at all

times. Many accidents occur with firearms that are
handled carelessly, because they are believed to
be “unloaded”. These accidents can be avoided by
handling all firearms the same way you would handle
a loaded firearm, at all times. Even after you verify
that a gun is unloaded, you should continue handling
it as you would a loaded gun, and make sure that
others around you do the same.

2. Point the muzzle in a safe direction at all times. A

“safe direction” is one in which, if the firearm were
to discharge, there would be no injury to anyone.
Never point a gun (whether you think it is loaded or
unloaded - see Rule #1 above) directly at another
person or at yourself. Consider that a bullet can
ricochet (glance off) pavement, floors, walls, rocks,
the ground, water, ice or almost any other object it
strikes. Also, bullets can penetrate walls, ceilings,
floors, doors, windows, and many other materials to
kill or injure someone on the opposite side.

3. Keep your finger off the trigger and outside the

trigger guard until you are aimed at a proper target
and have decided to fire. If your finger is inside
the trigger guard, you could fire your gun without
intending to - for instance, if you were startled, or
if you slipped or lost your balance. By keeping your
finger outside the trigger guard until you are on
target and intend to fire, you ensure that you will
never hit anything you do not intend to.

4. Be sure of your target, and what is around and
beyond it. The bullet fired from your rifle can
travel over one mile, and has the potential to kill
or seriously injure someone at that distance!
Once you pull the trigger, you cannot call the
bullet back, so you must positively identify your
target before you fire. Never fire (for instance, at
a noise, a movement, a rustling bush, or a shape
in the dark) until you have positively identified
your target as something you intend to shoot.
Fire only with a safe backstop behind your target

- something that will stop and contain the bullets
you fire, even if you miss the target or your bullet
passes through it.

5. Whenever you handle a firearm that, even
momentarily, has been out of your direct control,
start by checking its condition to determine
whether or not it is loaded. A firearm in your
hands is a lethal weapon which is YOUR
responsibility, so YOU must check it yourself,
NOW, not later. Do not rely on someone else to
check it. Do not take someone else’s word for
the firearm’s condition. Do not rely on your
memory of having checked the firearm previously,
or on your belief that you left it unloaded the
last time you used or handled it. Check it again
yourself now.

6. Never give a firearm to anyone, or take a firearm
from anyone, unless it is unloaded and the action
is open. If someone tries to hand you a firearm
with the action closed, politely ask them to open it
before you take it from them. If you need to open
the action of a firearm with which you are not

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familiar, don’t experiment, lest you make a fatal
mistake! Instead, ask someone who knows how
to handle the firearm to open the action and allow
you to verify that it is unloaded. If you can’t find
someone who knows how to handle the firearm,
leave it alone!

7. Firearms should be unloaded when not actually
in use. Load your firearm only when you are on
the target range or in the field and ready to begin
using it. Unload your gun as soon as you are
finished shooting. Unload your gun before you
bring it back into your car, camp or home.
Never leave a loaded gun unattended, even for
a moment.

8. Thoroughly read and understand the owner’s
manual and other literature supplied with your
firearm. Never use any firearm unless you
completely understand how it operates and how
its safety features work. Contact Traditions if you
have any questions or concerns, or if you are not
certain you have all the literature supplied with
the firearm at the time it was first sold. Even if
you understand everything in this manual, no
manual can provide you with the benefits of
hands-on firearms instruction. If you are not
already an experienced firearms user, you should
obtain training in the safe and proper use of
firearms by attending one of the many firearms
safety and shooting courses offered in all parts
of the country by the National Rifle Association
(telephone [phone]), gun clubs and ranges,
gun shops, shooting schools and other qualified
sources of instruction.

9. Before firing any firearm, be sure it is in good
working order and that the barrel is clear of dirt,
grease, water, excess oil, rust, corrosion or any
other obstruction.

10. Always wear high-quality ear and eye protection
when shooting or observing, and be sure that
others who are present do the same. Exposure
to gunfire noise will cause permanent hearing
loss (deafness) if good ear protection (either
commercially manufactured ear plugs, earmuff­type hearing protectors, or both) is not worn.
Close-fitting, impact-resistant shooting glasses
or safety glasses of wraparound or side-panel
design help to guard against potentially blinding
eye injuries caused by granules of powder,
splashback of fragments from the target or
backstop, metal fragments which can result
from a burst primer, etc. Never shoot a firearm,
or allow yourself or others to be present where
shooting is in progress, without both eye and
ear protection in place. Eye protection can also
provide important protection while you are
disassembling and cleaning your firearms, both
from flying firearms parts, and from aerosols and
other solvents and cleaning fluids that can spray
or splash into your eyes, causing serious eye
injury.

11. Firearms, drugs and alcohol don’t mix! Never
handle firearms while under the influence
of alcohol or drugs (including prescription
medications) that can impair your normal senses,
abilities, alertness, reflexes, perception or
judgment. Make sure everyone in your presence

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follows the same rule. Also, avoid handling
firearms when you are ill, exhausted, upset or
preoccupied with other concerns - safe firearms
handling requires your full attention, and all of
your abilities, unimpaired by other factors.

12. Any firearm which is not under your direct
control should be stored so it is inoperable or
inaccessible to children and other unauthorized
users. Children are attracted to, and can find, load
and operate firearms, causing serious injury or
death to themselves and others. Preventing child
access and tragic, avoidable accidents is YOUR
responsibility, as an adult gun owner. The safest
way to store firearms is unloaded, locked in a gun
safe or vault.

SAFETY RULES AND PRECAUTIONS

FOR FIRING AND USE OF YOUR

TRADITIONS FIREARM

warning!

Keep the safety engaged in the “Safe” position
until you are aimed at a proper target and have
decided to fire. Failure to do so could cause serious
injury or death.

warning!

Use the safety on this rifle, but don’t trust or rely on
it as a substitute for safe gun handling practices. The
safety is a mechanical device which could fail. Or, by
mistake, you may think the safety is on when it is not.
Or the safety may become disengaged without your
knowledge. Or you could think your gun is unloaded
when it is loaded. Always follow the safe gun handling
rules and procedures in this manual, whether you
think the safety is on or off, and whether you think
the rifle is loaded or unloaded. Don’t pull the trigger
when the safety is engaged, or when it is positioned
part way between Safe and Fire. Don’t use or rely on
the safety lever to try to “childproof’ your rifle or keep
it safe from untrained persons - instead, your rifle
should be unloaded and securely locked up, out of
access of children and other unauthorized users.

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