Eliphalet Remington II believed he could build a better gun than he could buy. He set out to craft such a gun on his father's forge located at Ilion Gulch, New York. In 1816, Eliphalet entered a shooting match with his new flintlock rifle, and while he only finished second, his handmade rifle was a success. Before Eliphalet left the shooting field, he was in the gun business.