Howdy yall!
Just became a member and I have a question about modifying my CVA Kentucky rifle. I’ve recently acquired a .54 cabelas sporter Hawken by investarms, and am going to be using it as my primary hunting/shooting rifle. My first muzzleloader, CVA named above, still holds a special place in my heart, so won’t be getting rid of it. I had the idea of cutting its barrel down and shortening its length of pull so that my son(still a little guy) will someday be able to shoot it without having to fight the long barre length. I also just like the idea of a carbine Kentucky. Is this even worth attempting? It has a 1-66 (60?) barrel twist and the standard 33” barrel. Would cutting it down to say 20-24” impact it’s ability to stabilize the ball? This wouldn’t be used beyond 50, maybe 70 yards, for deer and small game. Thanks in advance!
I'm going to say no. There are many reasons for my opinion.
First and foremost, hunting is a man activity that requires man sized maturity, man sized emotions, a man-sized gun and most importantly a man-sized load.
We spend the first two decades or so of our lives to "grow up". Most will spend the rest of their lives trying to get that back. I have the solution for that but it's beyond the scope of the forum.
Let little fellers be little fellers. Don't rush it, don't force it. It will come in time.
I did similar and destroyed a Springfield Hawken, my first ever flintlock. I cut the LOP down for my son. The rifle was a little unwieldy as it was nose heavy, but my son could shoot it and shoot it well.
Oh, I guess he was about 10 or so and he was an accomplished shot with this cut down rifle. Sure enough, a nice young buck, a spike, came out, he was dead meat. My son took aim and cocked the rifle. Then he looked at me and said he could not do it. I said that was OK, let's just watch him. The rifle was secured, and we watched the deer play.
Of all my trips with my little buddy, that one was the sweetest. I wish I was with that little fellow right now watching those deer play. Heaven on earth man, Heaven on earth...
The rifle was only good for maybe 2 years. Suddenly the little feller was big and that cut down rifle was absolutely useless.
A Jukar/CVA while a little nose heavy has a short LOP. You cut it down, you are only looking at maybe 2 years use.
My suggestion is let him grow into to Daddy's rifle. It's more than just technical ability. There's the maturity and emotional thing too. This all seems to "mesh" together and quickly as they grow.
Let him be your hunting buddy. Let him tote his BB gun. Train him on all the safety stuff and the unsaid stuff. Let him help you with the gear and stuff in and out of the stand. Train him and spend sweet time. Let him tote the CVA. Let him get the feel of it, even if he can't shoot it.
Shooting....Train him right on stuff he can shoot, BB guns,.22s, 410s...stuff like that.
If I had it to do over again, I would have got him something like an old 22 Favorite or something like that and let him carry it.
Let him shoot the CVA on the range with your assistance. One day he'll grow into it and then he can hunt with it the rest of his life, instead of being a novelty for a couple of years that takes up space in the safe.
3 years later.....
My son is 13, he's a big guy. He has a Carolina Gun, A 20 bore 18th Century Indian Trade gun. He can load, tote and shoot it and shoot it expertly. We are in a shooting house my dad built and out walks a bunch of hogs. He picks out a big boar. The shooting window was big enough so we could both line up on him. He had 'em in that trade gun's sights, I had him in the scope of my Browning. As soon as the scope view turned white from smoke, I shot. The smoke cleared and there was that big ole boar laying in the patch.
In the shoulder of that hog were two holes, a little hole and a great big hole. I need not have shot. I joked with him that even though he shot first, my bullet got there first. It was his all the way. We stepped it off. 75 yards. That's an exceptional shot with a smoothbore gun.
3 years later...
He's 16. Many kids in the hunting club claim deer. Personally, I think it's BS because they have been robbed in a way. Rushed is the term that comes to mind. When a 2-year-old with poop in his diaper gets credit for pulling the trigger while Daddy holds the gun....I aim the gun you pull the trigger.... that BS.
It was also kind of sad to me to see a 7-year-old do an impression of the deer he shot limp off the field. He blew her front leg off with a youth rifle and reduced load. The kid bragged about how that deer hobbled away as he did a 3-legged hop across the floor.
If a kid can't wipe his own butt.
If a kid can't handle a man-sized load in a man-sized gun, he doesn't need to pull the trigger.
My son is 16, we are in another shooting house. He has a man-sized gun with a man-sized load. Out comes Mr. Bigdeer. A nice one. There was no debate on this one. I was like...shoot him now shoot him now....... He did. It was nice deer bigger than I have ever taken, as a matter of fact I'm looking at the mount now.
It was worth the wait.
Just some things to consider......
