If you’re looking for a new way to spice up your deer hunting this season or you hunt in a cartridge-restricted state, Traditions Firearms has the answer.
by Rob Reaser
Hunting is more than something we do a few months out of the year—it’s part of who we are in a broader-scheme-of-life sort of way. Our reasons and motivations are legion, but at its core, hunting is an insatiable need we must satisfy.
That said, it can also become a bit too routine—so much so that the deep-in-the-chest thrill sometimes wears a bit thin when we go to the same places and hunt for the same critters in the same way at the same time year after year after decade.
One way to avoid that rut is to change up your game with different gear. We’ve always said that the equipment we use largely defines and shapes the hunt. Deer hunting with a flintlock muzzleloader in dense hardwoods, for example, is going to give you an entirely different experience than hunting with a 200-yard-zeroed 7mm-08 bolt action rifle along wide-open ag fields.
The same holds true if you enjoy spending time shooting.
After years of being concerned (consumed?) with “out there” accuracy and bench shooting, a friend and I built an AKM from a greasy bag of disassembled and cut up Romanian md. 63 parts. After getting the rifle’s open sights zeroed, I started shooting 4-inch clay pigeons with it at 100 yards. Truth be told, I have more fun shooting that rough-and-tumble riveted-together beast with open sights than just about anything else. The reason? It’s different, it’s challenging, and it forces me to refine my marksmanship skills.
Similarly, hunting without the safety net of rapid-loading rounds via bolt-, lever, or semi-auto action really tends to sharpen your focus and pull the nerves a bit tighter. An increasing number of hunters have rekindled the fun and the nostalgia of hunting by ditching optics or picking up single-shot rifles. The latter, especially, have become increasingly popular. A quick perusing of online retailers for single-shot rifles turns up many offerings from numerous top-name manufacturers.
Recognizing the desire of many hunters to return to a simpler, less encumbered approach to shooting and hunting, the folks at Traditions Firearms—best-known for their extensive line of conventional and traditional muzzleloaders—developed a single-shot rifle platform called the Outfitter G2.
Introduced a couple years ago, the Outfitter G2 was initially offered in magnum pistol chambers (.357 MAG and .44 MAG), a .243 chamber, as well as hard-thumping favorites like the .45-70 and .35 Remington. All feature the convenient hammer-fired break-action, Lothar Walther premium Cerakote and fluted barrels, and quick-detach forends. The latter allows the rifle to be disassembled into three parts in seconds with no tools, making it ideal for backpack or hunting pack carry.
One of the most appealing aspects of the Outfitter G2, aside from its single-shot action, is its combination of cost and cartridge availability. The rifles carry an MSRP as low as $439 (but you can find them at retail for nearly $100 less), so they’re not only affordable, they are a cost-effective way to try out what for many deer hunters would be considered unconventional cartridges. And for hunters in restricted cartridge states that only permit approved straight-wall pistol cartridges or straight-wall rifle ammo meeting a specific cartridge-overall-length, the benefits of an appropriately chambered Outfitter G2 are obvious.
Light weight is another key advantage of these single-shot rifles, as is their relatively short overall length. This makes the Outfitter G2 a definite asset if you wish to hunt tight and brushy country. They are also extremely maneuverable for those hunting from a tree stand.
With the tremendous market reception of the Outfitter G2 since its 2017 launch, Traditions followed up this year by significantly expanding the series. Models like the .45-70, .357 Magnum, and .44 Magnum are now offered in Realtree Edge camo. More significant are the chamber expansions. The .450 Bushmaster has become a big hit in formerly shotgun-only states and zones that allow for straight-wall cartridges with the 1.16- to 1.80-inch min/max case length rule, and now the Outfitter G2 comes chambered for this impressive under-200-yard round.
Another fresh chamber option is the .35 Whelen for those appreciate the hard-hitting, easy-shooting nature of this nearly 100-year-old round. A more contemporary cartridge that has enjoyed a lot of interest for deer and hog hunting thanks to the modern sporting rifle movement is the .300 AAC Blackout, which is also new in the Outfitter G2 this year—both in standard-size and youth models. The .300 AAC Blackout Outfitter G2 differs from its stablemates in that it is the only rifle in the series with a 16.5-inch barrel. All others come with 22-inch barrels.
On a side note, if you’re looking for a good truck gun, the G2 in .300 AAC Blackout would be a stand-up choice. This rifle also features a threaded muzzle (5/8-24) and comes with a thread protector, so it’s ready to receive a thread-compatible muzzle device.
We’ll never say hunting is boring, but the same ol’ same ol’ year after year sure can dull the edge on excitement. If you’re feeling the need for a new challenge, try a single-shot rifle in a new cartridge flavor, such as unconventional favorites like the .35 Whelen or .45-70, or perhaps something more contemporary, like the .450 Bushmaster or .300 AAC BLK. Whichever way you go, the Traditions Outfitter G2 series has something you’ll like and at a price you can afford.
