Starter rifle

[Bountyhunter]

My granddaughter is coming down to spend a week or so this summer. She is a very outdoor, athletic young tomboy. I was going to say little, but cant say that anymore. She is 11 years old and wants to get her a deer next year when she can get her Hunters Safety card.

As I said, she is 11, but she is 5'2" tall and is weighin in at about 120. She doesnt have an ounce of fat on her, very athletic. She is all muscle, and stronger than a horseradish milkshake.
She has followed her daddy around the hunting camps since she was about 8, so she is not a stranger to guns, shooting, or fieldressing and blood.

She is bound and determined that she wants to spend her summer shooting a BLACK POWDER MUZZLELOADER. Well, grandpa has a closet full of ML's, but they are all set up for me, and are mostly too large for her. No, I'm not gonna cut my Hawken down to 13" for her. But, I was thinking about getting another rifle that she could learn and grow on. Cabelas has a couple of carbine types, as do some other mail order outfits. Work loads and time sorta prevent me from building a rifle for her this year, so I'm looking for a starter rifle for her. I'm thinking that one of the lighter carbine models would get her started, and she could even hunt with it. The super lightweights~~6-3/4#~~seem to be too light, but maybe a 7-3/4# rifle would get her started for this summer. A mid weight rifle wont kick so much with hunting loads. She can load it down for target. Its just going to be paper and maybe some prairie dogs, or if we are lucky enough to stumble upon some pigs, she might get one.

What is the good advice from y'alls if you were settin up your kid?

Bill

 

Bountyhunter, I have a friend in my muzzeloading club who has a 15 year old duaghter shooting one of those Cabellas Hawken Rifles in 50 cal.

That little gal can shoot a gnat off of a horses ass with that rifle.

 

[chuck-ia]

2 years ago I bought my nephew a cva youth hunter for christmas. he was 12 at the time and the gun fits him well. I would check around the auction sites a bit for one. not sure but I think traditions sells a youth muzzleloader too. flinch

 

[marwat06]

Started my 11 year old son this year M/L. His 4'9" and 85 lbs. I got him a CVA Bobcat 50 cal: 42" and 6 lbs. So far his shot using 40 grains of 2F Goex BP. The recoil didn't even budge him an inch. Working him up to a hunting load of 60 grains. The rifle length is perfect for him to easily handle. Have to admit the standard sights are not the greatest ... many change those out.

 

[marwat06]

and stronger than a horseradish milkshake

I have to remember that one. :haha:

 

[Pittsburghunter]

My old CVA with a 50g squib load was a hit last summer with my niece. She was shooting that and .22lr and liked the feal of a real rifle with the bp gun. Had her shooting a hunting load by the end of the first day.

 

[Swampman]

Link Restored

Huntin Dawg

 

[Bountyhunter]

Mark,
Do you have one of these cubs? If so, how does it handle? It is a couple hundred bucks more than the Cabelas rifles. I wasnt really wanting to put a lot in the first rifle. If she takes to it, then I will spend next winter building her a good rifle.

I might oughta be looking for a regular rifle for Bailey, at the rate she is growing, she might be 5'5" by the time she gets down here. Her daddy is 6'4" and about 280. Was a full back for Kansas Wesylan Univ, so no telling where she will grow to. She is normally very quiet, but some boy started picking on her (cuffing her about the head and shoulders) recently and when he didnt quit the third time she told him to, she whipped him into oblivion. I think she has that warrior spirit.

Bill

 

[Swampman]

I don't have a Cub, but It's about the only kids rifle I'd consider that comes already put together.

 

[musketman]

Bountyhunter, just because she is starting out in muzzleloading, don't overlook quality, nothing discourages a newbe more from the sport than a muzzleloader with bad performance...

I started both my nephews on my T/C Renegade...

I would start her on something like a .45 caliber T/C Seneca or Cherokee if you can get one...

Are you wanting to start her on a flint or percussion?

Percussion locks are more forgiving to the beginner than a finicky flintlock...

 

[Swampman]

http://www.muzzleblasts.com/vol4no2/articles/mbo42-3.html

A nice article on guns for kids. I notice Dixie has the Cub on sale. I'd like to get one for my grandkids.

 

[musketman]

http://www.muzzleblasts.com/vol4no2/articles/mbo42-3.html

A nice article on guns for kids. I notice Dixie has the Cub on sale. I'd like to get one for my grandkids.

That would make a nice boat or canoe gun as well, large enough to handle a deer yet small enough to carry on long trips without much effort...

 

[RedFeather]

Does it have to be a deer rifle? What about a Traditions Crockett in .32? Much better for small game, too. Not flaming anyone, but those bigger bores are to some kids like an adult with a ten pound rifle. Besides, if you do get a .32, you can sneak it away from them for yourself. :grin:

 

[Java Man]

I just picked up a nice new rifle for my almost 11 yr old. Its a shorter Tenesee Poor Boy, made by Brian Turner. It wa $750. A bit steep for a kids gun, but its got a 13/16", 36" long, .45cal GM bbl, small Siler flintlock, and DS triggers. Weighs just a tad over 6#, and has a 13" pull. Its just a smidge long right now, but he'll be able to shoot that gun for many years.

I started him off with a used Crockett rifle, and cut it down to 12 1/2". What a sweet little gun. He felt the need for more power when he couldn't knock over all the steel silhouettes at our 1/2 scale shoot.

Java Man

 

[Bountyhunter]

Where I live and where her daddy lives, we have deer, elk, bear, cat, and hogs. I'm thinking that we can always cut the powder back to 35-50 grains if we need to get started. I have taught Hunter Safety since 1975 and had NRA credentials for years, so I'm not a stranger to working with kids and shooting sports-(4-H, FFA, and Scouts).

I'm just thinking that for this area of the country, that I need to stay with a usable caliber and since all my present rifles are .53 or .54, then I'm leaning towards that because I have all the stuff on hand for that, and once she takes to it, she can use it for deer, bear and elk.

I built all of my guns, I havent bought any of these off the shelf jobbies, so that is why I'm asking those of you who may have some experience with them. I just started looking around for something for her as my ten and eleven pound rifles are still a tad big.

I'm just wanting to get a quality rifle that is a bit smaller. Pedersoli makes the Dixie Cub rifle? Does anyone know who makes Cabelas rifles? That one is only 38" long. Talk about a good canoe gun, a 3 foot .54!! It does have a real fast twist, 21" barrel with a 23" twist. They also have one with a 28" barrel with 48" twist. It is only 45" long overall. I am looking to do something before mid summer, so I appreciate all your ideas.

Oh, Musketman, since my rifles are all percussion, as I lean towards the fur trade era, I will get her a percussion. No use to go mess with something new until we find out if she is really going to take to it.

I'm a left hand shooter, and LH flinters are a little harder to come by, also I havent found any excitement in shooting a RH one and having that pan flash right at the end of my nose. The next one I build will be all LH, then we shall see if it will be flint or not. I sure would like a Trade Gun, though. But, first things first.


Bill

 

[tx50cal]

The Cabelas Hawken rifles are built by Investarm, the same company that builds Lyman. I have one in .54 I absolutly love the rifle, I have never had a problem out of it and it fits me great. It might be a little long on the length of pull for your 11 yr old.