Well, to me muzzle loading BP shooting is just that. Shooting a projectile from a front stuffer (I prefer a rock and only a rock-lock is legal in Pa. for hunting) at a target.
Now, what makes that work is fairly simple. A rock held in a lock that strikes a spark and powder goes BANG. The barrel flings the lead toward the POA and with a good seating in a wooden stock, the POI is close to the POA. Frankly, you can get that gluing a barrel into a chunk of wood and bolting on the lock as close as you can.
This past winter I built what I refer to as a "youth rifle" or a "rifle for a small framed person". Its "style" is borrowed from rifles of the past. The objective was to keep cost as low as possible, keep the shouldering and aiming of it as easy as a shotgun with minimal "cheek slap" and "low to none recoil", keep the caliber in the Pennsylvania legal for deer minimum (45 cal), and finally have the rifle look good and not cookie cutter.
My total cost in the rifle is $828. I made the RR tubes, side plate serpent, and butt plate from sheet brass, kept the stock at a half-stock (less costly stock) and already had the barrel rib. Put an L&R Manton lock (small size, that required much tuning) because of cost. I also made a hook breech (didn't buy it...for $100 it's much too costly) and put wedge keys in so the rifle is easy to clean.
If the kids gonna shoot it, he\she is gonna clean it!!
I ended up with this. Butt stock in the shape of a Trade Rifle with the front more looking like a Hawken design. The barrel is only 30" and caliber is .45 rifled.
A few had indirectly mentioned this is not a HC correct gun and offered no comments on its looks. For those who aren't into the historical perspective.....they absolutely love the looks and function of the rifle.
It fits the need, and that's more important that a select group calling it HC.
MHO.
