Wanted Hawken Style .45 Caliber Youth Muzzleloader

[sierraone]

Not interested with in-line rifles. PM me with a couple of photos, brand, LOP, price, and your name. I will respond with my name, phone number and location if interested.

 

[putter97127]

Check out the Tradiions Deer Hunter side lock. They do have a roughly 14 inch LOP, but are otherwise pretty compact. I bought one for my wife last year. She's 5'3" and while the LOP is a little long, she manages it well. I am currently looking for something similar as you for my daughter, but there just doesn't seem to be that many youth model muzzleloaders out there.

Try https://www.thegunworks.com. They are located in Springfield, OR, but have an online store and if you call, they seem to be pretty helpful. I am trying to get away and drive down there, hopefully this weekend. If they have any youth models in stock, I will message you.

 

[sierraone]

Check out the Tradiions Deer Hunter side lock. They do have a roughly 14 inch LOP, but are otherwise pretty compact. I bought one for my wife last year. She's 5'3" and while the LOP is a little long, she manages it well. I am currently looking for something similar as you for my daughter, but there just doesn't seem to be that many youth model muzzleloaders out there.

Try https://www.thegunworks.com. They are located in Springfield, OR, but have an online store and if you call, they seem to be pretty helpful. I am trying to get away and drive down there, hopefully this weekend. If they have any youth models in stock, I will message you.

Yes, 30 - 40 years ago youth model muzzleloaders were quite common. But apparently not today. Thanks for the info though.

 

[leslie hetrick]

if you could find one of the older TC senaca-cherokee small locked muzzle loaders, it would be ideal. they were made in .32-.36-.45 calibers. i have three and they are ex shooters.

 

[sierraone]

Thanks for the suggestion @leslie hetrick. Whatever I can find must have the short LOP, about 12 inches vs a more standard 14 inches.

 

[rookhawk]

Not interested with in-line rifles. PM me with a couple of photos, brand, LOP, price, and your name. I will respond with my name, phone number and location if interested.

I know its not what you asked for, but here’s a bit of parenting advice that worked for me. Muzzleloaders produce tremendous recoil. Getting a youth gun is a fleeting correction to try to get better stock fit to mitigate recoil. I went the other way, I did get an inline muzzleloader of “forever“ quality that shoots 160gr black powder loads…it’s a 350 yard accurate gun. The key ingredient was this hideous howitzer style muzzlebrake that profoundly reduced felt recoil. It resolved the gun fit issue altogether.

For perspective, a typical muzzleloader load is producing roughly the same recoil as a 458 WinMag. ouch. The howitzer style muzzleloader brakes reduce that by 70% or more.

Even if you don’t go inline or dump $3000 into something fancy, $200 for a very ugly muzzle brake is a very practical solution for a youth shooter. It allows you to use a full power load to enable shooting accurately and lethally out to reasonable distances for any shooter.

 

[JimP]

My opinion is don't hinder him with a .45 caliber but step up to a .50.

You will find a lot more loads for the .50 than you will in a .45.

Also see if you can find a kit unless it is for this fall hunts. You may even be able to purchase a .50 caliber and then find a .45 caliber barrel. I did this with my .54 T/C Renegade when .54 projectiles became scarce and I didn't feel like casting any out of lead.

 

[sierraone]

I know its not what you asked for, but here’s a bit of parenting advice that worked for me. Muzzleloaders produce tremendous recoil. Getting a youth gun is a fleeting correction to try to get better stock fit to mitigate recoil. I went the other way, I did get an inline muzzleloader of “forever“ quality that shoots 160gr black powder loads…it’s a 350 yard accurate gun. The key ingredient was this hideous howitzer style muzzlebrake that profoundly reduced felt recoil. It resolved the gun fit issue altogether.

For perspective, a typical muzzleloader load is producing roughly the same recoil as a 458 WinMag. ouch. The howitzer style muzzleloader brakes reduce that by 70% or more.

Even if you don’t go inline or dump $3000 into something fancy, $200 for a very ugly muzzle brake is a very practical solution for a youth shooter. It allows you to use a full power load to enable shooting accurately and lethally out to reasonable distances for any shooter.

Thanks for the advice @rookhawk, but I am looking for a specific type of youth muzzle loader (they used to be quite common) but apparently no longer. Have no intention of my almost 8 year old grandson taking a 300 yard shot anytime soon. He killed his first deer last year at 60 yards with a 6.5 Grendel his dad set up for him with downloaded ammo. Also not concerned about the gun lasting for ever. After 2 or 3 years, depending how fast he grows, we can discuss a more long distance, maybe inline type rifle. Thanks again. I do follow your post in all subjects.

P.S. I have never and will never put a muzzle brake on any of my rifles....Just me.

 

[sierraone]

My opinion is don't hinder him with a .45 caliber but step up to a .50.

You will find a lot more loads for the .50 than you will in a .45.

Also see if you can find a kit unless it is for this fall hunts. You may even be able to purchase a .50 caliber and then find a .45 caliber barrel. I did this with my .54 T/C Renegade when .54 projectiles became scarce and I didn't feel like casting any out of lead.

Thanks for the advice, but see my response to @rookhawk.

 

[Sourdough]

For perspective, a typical muzzleloader load is producing roughly the same recoil as a 458 WinMag. ouch….

What???!!! No they don't. Not even close. I've been shooting muzzleloaders for 50 years, and ALL of them with iron or brass butt plates. Women and children can handle them easily. And a muzzle brake on a muzzleloader? That's crazy and entirely unnecessary.

 

[curtism1234]

What???!!! No they don't. Not even close. I've been shooting muzzleloaders for 50 years, and ALL of them with iron or brass butt plates. Women and children can handle them easily. And a muzzle brake on a muzzleloader? That's crazy and entirely unnecessary.

I agree. Big conical slugs are stiff hitters, but a 270-300gr full bore bullet with 90gr of powder recoils about like a 308. I would buy a 50cal and use 270gr bullets or a round ball at 75 grains and see how he does.

 

[rookhawk]

It’s simple math friends. Look at the weight of projectile and the drams of black powder, plus the weight of the gun, thus equalling recoil. Absolutely you get into modern loads of 100-160gr of black powder equivalent (blackhorn 209) shooting even a 260gr saboted bullet and you’re pushing seriously substancial recoil.

My Remington 700 muzzle loader with the magnum rifle primer modification shooting 120gr-160gr by volume with a 260-300gr projectile in an 11lb gun was creating extraordinary recoil. (50 cal version) With the muzzle brake it “felt” to me like a 12-15lb recoil gun. e.g. A 308.

I must declare my biases: Zero interest in muzzleloading. Solely interested in more hunting opportunity And easier draw tags for young people. Thus, I needed a 200 yard+ accurate gun with manageable recoil for kids age 8-10. Thus, I dropped three grand into a custom solution to add to their opportunities. If I was on a shoestring budget I would buy a decent muzzle loader in that $500-$800 price range and slap an ugly muzzle brake on it while running very hot loads of BH209.

Disclaimer: I hate ugly guns and I hate muzzlebrakes. Slug guns and Muzzleloaders are the only fugly guns we own over here and they are all rigged up for kids to have more opportunity to hunt In non-rifle states.

 

[mdwest]

I’ve never actually tried to measure the recoil… but.. shooting my TC Encore with 100gr of pyrodex and a 300gr bullet feels roughly the equivalent of a 3” magnum turkey load out of my shotgun…

It’s a bit of a thump..but not in anyway unmanageable or even remotely painful…

 

[sestoppelman]

I know its not what you asked for, but here’s a bit of parenting advice that worked for me. Muzzleloaders produce tremendous recoil. Getting a youth gun is a fleeting correction to try to get better stock fit to mitigate recoil. I went the other way, I did get an inline muzzleloader of “forever“ quality that shoots 160gr black powder loads…it’s a 350 yard accurate gun. The key ingredient was this hideous howitzer style muzzlebrake that profoundly reduced felt recoil. It resolved the gun fit issue altogether.

For perspective, a typical muzzleloader load is producing roughly the same recoil as a 458 WinMag. ouch. The howitzer style muzzleloader brakes reduce that by 70% or more.

Even if you don’t go inline or dump $3000 into something fancy, $200 for a very ugly muzzle brake is a very practical solution for a youth shooter. It allows you to use a full power load to enable shooting accurately and lethally out to reasonable distances for any shooter.

WHAT?!?!?! .458 recoil??? Not hardly!
Blackpowder guns of traditional type dont recoil at all like a big bore cartridge rifle. I have fired .58 cal front stuffers with 150 grs of powder and 500 gr slugs. Recoil is not anything like a .458, not even close.
Blackpowder just doesnt slam back like smokeless does.

 

[flatwater bill]

@sierraone ...........I was able to buy a .45 TC Hawken 4 years ago off of GB...still NIB but of old stock...... hard to find. As you are well aware, every muzzleloader shooter is a handloader by definition, and there are an infinite number of loads for each caliber. We have used a .445 patched ball driven by 40 grains of 3F for plinking and practice. Recoil is almost non existent. Our hunting load has been a hand cast 285 grainer driven by 70 grains. It has exited two antelope. It is a delightful little rifle to hold and shoot, and quite classic looking...............holding a bit of history.........I have a few friends whos kids have outgrown their youth rifles. I will ask around. Best of luck with your quest.........FWB