Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Youth Muzzleloader

Does anyone make one? Looking to get one for my 8 year old for Christmas.

Good question.

Any particulars you need?

Caliber, ignition preference, scopeable, etc?

Too bad H&R isn't still making the sidekick with a youth stock..

I'd rather have a .50 209 with a scope, but honestly doesn't matter. Used doesn't even matter as long as it is in good shape. We have 6 weeks of muzzleloader season compared to 2 weeks of rifle season, so you definitely get more use out of it.

T/C Impact is offered with an adjustable buttstock and i think you can get a CVA Wolf youth stock too.

http://www.cva.com/CVA-Store-View.php?id=442

If I had a little kid (and boy am I glad I never did) and I wanted to break him in to ML shooting, I would build him a .32 or .36 half-stock percussion gun with a stock sized to fit him or a skinch longer. Then when he got older I would make another stock to fit him and have him help build it to boot. Kids take better care of stuff if they have a hand in building, not to mention a lessened chance of him selling it for beer money when he's in college.

T/C Impact hands down. As mentioned, it comes standard with an adjustable stock and can grow with him. Teach him right, screw that imported stuff.

Knight Littlehorn

Begs the question: what's the OP's definition of "muzzle loader"? A traditional piece that will start the kid off with a sense of connectivity with what came before him, or a modern inline which incorporates none of the soul of a traditional gun but is a very efficient killing tool. Inculcating a sense of self reliance and pride in mastering an ancient art, or going straight to modern technology.

The OP was pretty clear on that question, "I'd rather have a .50 209 with a scope".

At an age of 8 years old I doubt he is watching Daniel Boone really runs very much. But his eyes should be good enough to shoot iron sights.

Ah, OK. I glossed over the name when I read the post further down. I was thinking of how he worded his intro thread.

I think it is good advice to expose a child to the 32 caliber, and building his own. However trying to harvest game economically is also a valid endevour.

Not that I am disagreeing with your traditional views, but my guess is 90%+ of people get into muzzleloading these days only to take advantage of the special season, and could GAS less about the history and connection to the past.

Thanks for the information. I did not realize that the Impact had the removeable spacer in the stock. That is probably the direction I will go. I personally never had a sidelock until recently. My first muzzleloader was a Knight Wolverine I got when i was 13 or so. I do own a hawken now, but it just sits in the cabinet. I do like the idea of the .32 but I can't really afford to do both at once and when looking at the kits they were way higher than the impact with scope and all.