Small framed rifle for a child?

They are spendy, but a TC Cherokee or Seneca would fit the bill. The other idea would be a plastic stocked TC New Englander or Grey Hawk. Relatively short barrels, not heavy. The New Englanders don't seem to go for a ton of money but they are well made.

How small a child? is he supposed to be hunting or just you? what are you hunting? Im thinking some kind of hawken in a caliber suitable for game you are hunting?

Dixie Cub in .40 is ideal. I don't know if they are still sold by Dixie, or what they run these days, but it was the rifle my boys learned on, and my wife enjoyed it as well.

David
NM

The Pedersoli KY is another option - relatively light, but the roman nose stock dictates that you use lighter loads or it will make your cheek swell.

David
NM

brewer12345 said:

They are spendy, but a TC Cherokee or Seneca would fit the bill. The other idea would be a plastic stocked TC New Englander or Grey Hawk. Relatively short barrels, not heavy. The New Englanders don't seem to go for a ton of money but they are well made.

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My kids, grandkids and now great grandkids have all learned on TC Seneca .45’s and the obsolete Navy Arms Country Boy Side hammer rifles.

This is another nod for the Dixie cub.
Pedersoli got it right with this little rifle.
The first one I got, some 25 years ago was a flint
.40 and was very satisfied. Several more followed for my twin daughters. One of them, also a flint.40 won the 4H state muzzloading shoot, 3yrs in a row.
Haven't seen a new one, but if they are still built like my others, their a good deal.

Traditions made a small rifle that was called the Fox River 50. A caplock with a short barrel, 24", and a short LOP.
Handy and accurate too, my wife got her first deer with one. You might be able to find a used one somewhere.

Lots of good advice offered here. Hope you can find the perfect rifle for your son.

Many years ago I cut the barrel of a (.45 caliber) CVA Kentucky rifle down to 24" and shortened the fore stock to match. I did not reduce the length of pull and in retrospect wish I had. It would have made for easier handling for the youngsters. The cheap-o bridle-less CVA lock was replaced with the next step up CVA lock which has a bridle, and a fly in the tumbler. The result was a handy, fairly light weight little rifle that has provided good and dependable service for teaching my sons and a number of other beginning young shooters. Most recently it was used by my grandkids to take the first two places in the Peewee class at a local rendezvous...not that I'm proud or anything like that.

Best of luck in your search. I hope you and your son have many great times together shooting muzzle loaders!

I have a cute little Mule ear .36 Navy Arms used to sell. I used it for my 9 year olds first "how to " training for muzzle loading fun.

i bought the small framed tc,s when they were available in the three calibers, they are worth the maybe extra money.

In my flintlock ..58 caliber Blunderbuss I use 25 grains of fff and a wad of aluminum foil over powder. It is showy at night