Best Budget Muzzleloaders for 2023

Over the last few years, prices on just about everything in the hunting industry have been gradually increasing, with muzzleloaders being no exception to this trend. With those price increases, we have seen many new and exciting products introduced, such as the Traditions NitroFire™ and the CVA™ Paramount.

However, the majority of hunters have a hard time justifying the purchase of a muzzleloader that is in the $600 to $2000 range, especially the hunters that live in regions with limited muzzleloading opportunities. Knowing this, we want to ensure that we offer highly effective muzzleloaders for a price that can be easily afforded by anyone who would like to give muzzleloader hunting a shot.

Our team set out to determine which muzzleloader is the best for hunters on a budget. Both of the muzzleloaders that were considered by our team are available with a scope for under $400. Below are our top two picks for the best budget muzzleloaders, with the winner listed at the end of this article.

CVA™ Wolf V2

The CVA Wolf™ V2 has been one of the most popular muzzleloaders in the US for almost a decade. With the compact design and affordable price point, the Wolf V2 is an excellent choice for someone looking to get into muzzleloading at an affordable level. The ability to get this muzzleloader with open sights for around $300 and with a scope and case for under $400 makes the CVA Wolf V2 an extremely attractive gun for many hunters. With a weight of only 6.25 pounds, its compact and lightweight design makes it perfect for all hunting applications. It also features the CVA Quick Release Breech Plug, which allows for tool-free removal of the breech plug and a hassle-free cleaning process. When it comes to budget muzzleloaders, the CVA Wolf V2 is leading the pack as one of the best. 

Traditions™ Buckstalker XT

The Traditions™ Buckstalker XT™ offers all of the same great features of the original Buckstalker design, yet for 2023, Traditions has added the Elite XT™ trigger. This is the same premium trigger that is offered in the Traditions Pursuit VAPR™ XT and it provides a crisp and clean trigger pull.

Traditions prides themselves on producing some of the safest muzzleloaders on the market and with its trigger safety and internal block safety, the Buckstalker XT is no exception. This rifle also features the Traditions Accelerator Breech Plug, which is removed in only three turns, making the cleaning and unloading process incredibly quick and easy.

The Buckstalker XT is available with a scope for under $400 and can be purchased with a CeraKote™ finish for a small increase in price. The Traditions Buckstalker XT is a feature-rich muzzleloader that is sure to be effective in the woods and on the range. 

Conclusion

Both CVA™ Wolf and Traditions™ Buckstalker XT muzzleloaders are excellent choices for anyone on a budget and wanting to experience muzzleloading, however, our choice for the best budget muzzleloader goes to the Traditions Buckstalker XT.

Though it is not quite as affordable as the CVA Wolf, we believe that the additional safety features, the Elite XT trigger, and the ability to upgrade to a CeraKote finish, give this muzzleloader an edge over the CVA Wolf.

We hope that this makes your decision a little bit easier and if you have any questions then feel free to contact our knowledgeable customer service at sales@muzzle-loaders.com or 1-855-236-5000.