[SHOT 2025] Traditions NitroBolt: Not Your Daddy's Muzzleloader

Traditions Performance Firearms once again pushes the envelope of muzzleloading technology with their new NitroBolt, on display at SHOT Show this week. Although it doesn’t look much like the sort of muzzleloader that was traditionally used by hunters, it is indeed a front-stuffer—sort of, at least—and depending on the laws in your jurisdiction, it might be a big upgrade to your firepower next deer season.

Traditions muzzleloaders @ TFB:

• Traditions Pro Series: Old-School, But Modernized
• Traditions Firearms Introduces the new Pursuit XT .50 Caliber Muzzleloader
• Traditions PA Pellet Flintlock with Accelerator Breech Plug
• NEW: Traditions Performance Firearms Mountain Rifle

Next-gen mash-up

The NitroBolt combines two different ideas from modern muzzleloading, and they’re both right there in the name. This rifle is a .50-caliber bolt-action (60-degree throw, three-position safety, three locking lugs) built around Traditions’ NitroFire design, which uses Federal Firestick ammunition. That means the powder is encased in a plastic container—a cartridge, essentially.

So how is this a muzzleloader? Like other NitroFire rifles, the NitroBolt must have its bullet loaded from the front of the muzzle. Before you put the Firestick in the breech, stuff that bullet down the barrel; a shelf holds it in place in the barrel, in front of where the Firestick sits. In some jurisdictions, this is enough to satisfy fish-and-game authorities and the NitroBolt would be considered a muzzleloader. In other jurisdictions, authorities do not consider the Firestick system as a muzzleloader, so check before you buy (and the NitroBolt might have other features that aren’t allowed either, due to its design, so do your homework—more details here).

The 24-inch barrel is free-floated, fluted and tapered, and the 1-in-24 twist rate is supposed to better stabilize conical hunting bullets like the PowerBelt design. If you want to change out the bolt knob, the 5/16-24 thread allows you to do that easily. Taking apart the bolt for cleaning is also easy; you install it backwards into the action, and everything comes apart in seconds, a valuable feature for muzzleloading firearms that tend to get quickly crudded up.

The asking price for this innovative new rifle is $995. At this point, Traditions says they have no plan to offer it in anything other than .50 caliber.