Back before Robert Redford killed his first mathematically challenged Wapiti in the movie Jeremiah Johnson with a "Fifty Caliber Hawken" and everybody who bought black powder firearms decided anything less than a Big Fifty could not be depended upon to scare off a muskrat, the Forty-Five caliber was very popular and for good reason. It used a slightly more slender -ahem- barrel on less expensive factory guns, it used less powder and shot, it was known to be an accurate and pleasant to shoot caliber, and the muzzle blast was somewhat less than a drill instructor at close proximity. Many beginning ML shooters (myself included) built kits or otherwise obtained a .45 for an initial smokepole. Then The Industry, happy to build anything the customer would purchase in copious quantity, obligingly turned it's collective back on the .45 and seized upon the darling of newly printed mountain men everywhere. My brother was one of those who built his first .50 from a CVA Hawken kit; I built a CVA Kentucky in .45 and loved it. To his credit, Tiny could out shoot me at the bench, but lots of ordinary blokes off the sidewalk could do that. Plenty of game animals fell to my first .45, and if the Arkansas law allowed it's use on small game as well as deer, I would probably own only that caliber for a serious hunting rifle. I therefore heartily endorse the despised .45 as a first rifle, and wish you luck and good smoke!
