Youth sized muzzleloaders?

[JPOHLIC]

We took the girls to the range yesterday and they had a blast with their .22's. Towards the end my oldest daughter (12) asked to fire my muzzleloader. So, I loaded 30 grains into my .54 Browning Mountain rifle and let her have a go. After she fired it she looked at my with huge eyes and said "That was cool! Can I shoot it again?"

She fired it a couple times and then my youngest (10) wanted to try it. I loaded it with 25 grains and she sent two round balls into the kill zone of a deer target at 20 yards!

Anyway, this rifle is way too big for both of them. Anyone know of a decent but inexpensive youth sized percussion muzzleloader? Preferably .50 or .54 as its hard to find stuff for any other calibers around here.

 

[bdhutier]

Find a cheap CVA Bobcat, and lop about 8-10" off the end of the barrel. If you need to, cut a few inches off the stock. Best youth gun I've seen so far, and total cost was $50! Here's ours next to my Renegade:

 

The Bobcat's the right answer. They can be bought, used, at most gun shows for $50-$75. For a 10-12 year old the weight should be fine, as well as the LOP. The LOP can be changed if needed and if you save what you cut off it can be added back on later.
Mark

 

[BrownBear]

Yeah, and next step up for my granddaughter was the Pedersoli Frontier Carbine. She cut her teeth on a Bobcat 36, and now (11 YOA) is plunking them home with the 50 cal Frontier and 30 grains of 3f. LOP might be a little long for some kids, but at 5'4" and growing, it's fine for her.

 

[Rifleman1776]

We used H&A underhammers. The rear stock portion removes with a screw. The stock can be sawed down to fit a youth. Then another can be replaced at another time. Or just glue the cut-off back in place. Not pretty but functional and will get the kids shooting. For the naysayers out there about the inexpensive H&A underhammers. Come visit sometime, I'll show you medals my son won with his and the stack of medals my wife won and some very good, albiet not prizewinning, targets I shot at Friendship with them. Downside, they are not made anymore and might be hard to find.

 

[44-henry]

I would agree with the underhammer. I have one of the old deer creek models that I have been working on for my five year old son. He is big for his age, but still a bit small for even the Bobcat.

 

[sc45-70]

Here are photos of 2 youth rifles I built.

Both are 36 but could be built in any cailber.
The top is a kit from Deer Creek. The main advantage to this one is it has interchangable barrel capability.

The bottom is one I custom built with an action from Pete Alan.

The under hammer was inexpensive but I think the Alan action makes a nicer rifle.
SC45-70

 

[Otter]

I started our kids on a CVA Squirrel Rifle in .36 cal. If you can find one of those, they are light and scaled down for a smaller frame size. Looks like the CVA Bobcat would be a current substitute or a Traditions Crockett Rifle.

 

[RADeO]

Here are photos of 2 youth rifles I built.

Both are 36 but could be built in any cailber.
The top is a kit from Deer Creek. The main advantage to this one is it has interchangable barrel capability.

The bottom is one I custom built with an action from Pete Alan.

The under hammer was inexpensive but I think the Alan action makes a nicer rifle.
SC45-70

Beautiful looking work! :hatsoff:

 

[Rhett Griffith]

I made a short little .32 for my boys from a kit I bought from Sitting Fox. The barrel is only 22 inches long and the LOP is about 12.5 inches. They love it!

 

[nkbj]

The Tradition Deerhunters are light weight and inexpensive enough to take a saw to. Four young'uns were introduced to flinters last year on mine without the saw being needed.
Their father later told me the funny story of mom remarking upon a scary flintlock on the history channel and him saying uh, yeah, they all shot flintlocks at their uncle's house.

 

[Dphar]

We took the girls to the range yesterday and they had a blast with their .22's. Towards the end my oldest daughter (12) asked to fire my muzzleloader. So, I loaded 30 grains into my .54 Browning Mountain rifle and let her have a go. After she fired it she looked at my with huge eyes and said "That was cool! Can I shoot it again?"

She fired it a couple times and then my youngest (10) wanted to try it. I loaded it with 25 grains and she sent two round balls into the kill zone of a deer target at 20 yards!

Anyway, this rifle is way too big for both of them. Anyone know of a decent but inexpensive youth sized percussion muzzleloader? Preferably .50 or .54 as its hard to find stuff for any other calibers around here.

It never ceases to amaze me that people will buy cheap MLs for kids.
Its like letting them ride in the back of a pickup rather than in the cab with a seat belt.
There is no such thing as a good cheap MLer.
They all have flaws, usually serious flaws.

Dan

 

[Rifleman1776]

The top one is an H&A but with nicer wood.

 

[Rifleman1776]

It never ceases to amaze me that people will buy cheap MLs for kids.
Its like letting them ride in the back of a pickup rather than in the cab with a seat belt.
There is no such thing as a good cheap MLer.
They all have flaws, usually serious flaws.

Disagree. In my case the H&A was, while inexpensive, a very good basic rifle. I sold them when I had my ml shop because they shot well, were safe and at a price point that encouraged many people to take up the ml addiction.
With a little stoning on the trigger and sear they could be made into fine target rifles. Agreed they will never win any beauty contests. But they won shooting contests and got my family started. My wife won oodles of medals at Friendship with her short barreled buggy rifle. My son place high in buffalo (X-stick) matches in the youth category with a heavy barreled version. I had people asking me to sell them that rifle. Finally did and later regreted it. As for spending big bucks on a youth rifle....if you can afford it, do it. But kids have a way of outgrowing 'youth' sized guns and I consider that a bad investment. Glueing or screwing a cut of section of stock back on and continuing to use the gun is, IMHO, a good investment.

 

[sc45-70]

The top one is an H&A but with nicer wood.

The top one is a H&A type action made by Deer Creek.
SC45-70

 

[Rifleman1776]

The top one is an H&A but with nicer wood.

The top one is a H&A type action made by Deer Creek.
SC45-70

Hokay.

 

[sc45-70]

Sorry Rifleman 1776 I wasn't tring to insult you!
Since Hopkins and Allen are no longer in bussines, I was pointing out the differance of manufacturer to let everyone know that actions of this type are still avalable today.
SC45-70

 

[Rifleman1776]

No problem. I didn't know the H&A action was still being made.

 

[sc45-70]

If anyone is interested in an H&A type underhammer action?
Deer Creek 765-525-6181 monday- thursday 10:00 AM-4:00PM eastern (No web site) actions and kits

http://www.fire-iron.biz/ H&A type actions

mailto:[email protected] BRASS H&A type actions

SC45-70

 

[JPOHLIC]

Well, I found a .50 cal Traditions Deerhunter in excellent shape for a decent price and am taking it out to the woods tomorrow to try it out with patched round ball. I also picked up some Hornady 385 gr great plains... I still have a mulie tag to fill!

I might have to cut the stock down a bit for the kids but maybe they can manage as is, it's very light with that 24" barrel.