that would be news to the 90 lb. females I've taught to shoot it, or the twelve year old that was firing away with Mr. Kimber Custom last weekend.
what the heck is a .250? A Savage .250?
First off, a .45 really doesn't have that big of a kick. As someone already mentioned, the design of the frame and weight make if very manageable and the boy only had to worry about getting off the first shot in which he was a success. Blackpowder is also a slow burning powder and it's hard to give them a punishing recoil unless the design of the buttstock is poor. You could bookmark the bang list here or go to some of the other shooting boards for some more advice. There is a book called "The Complete Guide To Guns and Shooting" by John Mallory that I think is excellent. I have a copy and I wish I owned it twenty years ago. It would have saved me a lot of trouble.