As far as I know, Traditions is the lowest quality of rifle made. They work and shoot very well, but the fit and finish require attention before use. Also the rear sight, at least on mine has no means except friction to maintain adjustment.
The book I read by Sam Fadalla was the Lyman BP book.
The learning curve is similar to handloading, only with less tools and less complexity. I wouldn't hesitate from fear of difficulty. It brought a lot of enjoyment to hunting for me that center-fire rifle didn't have.
