I've got the Sidekick, and it's a muzzle-loader ONLY - no 4473 or FFL required to buy one. So no barrel-swapping for rifle barrels. It's a dedicated muzzleloading gun. I believe the Huntsman costs a tad more because it's capable of accepting other barrels, and requires a background check /4473. And, IIRC, the Sidekick has a 2" longer barrel (26" vs. 24" on the Huntsman). Neither one is, or is not a "magnum", I don't think. I believe, although I'm not 100% on this, that either rifle will accept 150 grain loads if you want to, which is the generally-accepted max loading for most muzzleloaders. But it's possible that the Huntsman is limited to 100 or 110 or 120 grain loading - but I doubt that. In any event, most people use a standard 90 or 100 grain charge in muzzleloaders, so if you do too (or your dad), it's a moot point.
I am quite disappointed with the Sidekick, because:
1. The rear sight is too low - it CANNOT go high enough to get the bullet on target at 100 yards - the bullet impacts way low, about 7" or so, even with the sight set well past the marked maximum height - this is with a standard loading - 100 gr under 240 gr bullet. The problem would be even *worse* with a lighter charge (80 or 90 grains), and/or a heavier bullet, 260 or 300, etc. This is an unacceptable situation. I obtained a replacement, higher rear for it, but it broke before I even got it mounted. Bad mojo.
2. Because of problem #1, I looked into scoping it, but because the hammer is upturned so high, this cannot be done without making it into a "chin gun", with a scope up in the stratosphere, or unless you file down part of the hammer, but then that makes attaching a hammer extension difficult or impossible.
3. It's horribly inaccurate - absolutely abysmal. This *could* be me, but I dunno, because I was trying to be perfectly consistent shot to shot, and still my groups, in addition to being way low due to problem #1, were awful - more than 1.5 FEET for a 5-shot group at 100 yards! I'm not an expert marksman, but I'm no slouch either. It's the gun (or the components). But as I say, I was quite consistent with my components & loading technique, etc. I tried it both ways - cleaning between every shot, and not cleaning between each shot - same unacceptable result.
4. The breech block is now frozen solid - I cannot unscrew it now to save my life. I've tried penetrating oil, etc., but to no avail. And yes I did lube the threads before replacing. I only shot about 30 rounds or so after I last unscrewed and re-lubed and re-screwed in, and it's frozen. Still functional, but as a muzzle-loading and muzzle-CLEANING gun only.
So I'd definitely not recommend it. I paid $143 plus 8.375% sales tax for this rifle - I shoulda just gotten one of the cheapie $99 plastic-stocked ones, like a CVA, or even the $50 Bobcat youth muzzleloader. Or, gone up to the high end and gotten an Encore or Optima, better still, but that's $$. Maybe the Huntsman is somehow better than the Sidekick - I dunno. This belongs in the Cowboy & Black Powder forum, BTW - it should be moved. As a result of this bad experience with this gun, next year, I'm going to do one of 4 things for BP season. The first two options are ethical and therefore preferable but will require that I scrape up a fair amount of cash: 1. Either get the Savage smokeless powder gun and let tradition be damned - scope it, the whole bit - smokeless powder is legal here - just take maximum advantage of the law, and view as an additional rifle season. 2. Or, stay somewhat traditional by using iron sights and a BP equivalent gun, but go for quality with the Encore or Optima, probably the Encore, for the versatility of it. 3. Or, just get a single shot rifle in .45-70 or .44 mag, attach a rod under the barrel, and try to pass it off as a muzzle-loader if confronted (not legal, but more ethical in my book than wounding an animal with a POS inaccurate muzzleloader). 4. Or, carry that NEF again, and use my .44 mag revolver instead once I get to my hunting spot. It's legal to have your CCW handgun on you when hunting here, so....
