Recommendations for Youth .22 Rifle

Gordian Blade

I have a son who is 12 and fairly good size for his age but not huge. He is good at sports and would like to learn to shoot a rifle. I have a Marlin Camp 9 and a Ruger PC9 that he could probably handle 1 shot at a time, but I was thinking a .22 would be better for him and maybe a good birthday present for his 13th. (And maybe I'd enjoy shooting it too!) Any suggestions?

royc38

For price, find a Marlin model 60. For a little more and very good quality get a Ruger 10-22. Either of those should fit the bill nicely.

bullhauler

glad to see another parent wanting to introduce a child to the shooting sports. the 10/22 ruger, the ruger 77/22 bolt action, the marlin model 60, the marlin model 85 i believe it is in a bolt action, or the new remington model 589 are all great first guns for a youth beginner. i prefer the rugers and the bolt action marlin because of their quality and accuracy but any of the above would be a fine choice.

Rembrandt

I'm going to take a little different approach to this question....try to imagine your son 25 years from now cherishing his first .22 rifle much as the rest of us have done. Instead of getting the budget rifle, I'd spend the money and get him a collectible and a quality shooter....Winchester model 52.....they are about $550-$650....excellent quality, it's a bolt action so he won't be hoseing ammo faster than you can buy it. In later years he wil come to appreciate the historical legacy and history of the best .22 built in addition to knowing it was his "first". I speak from experience, both my boys first rifles were the Browning edition 52, they know now what they really have, and it means a great deal to them.

soleservivor

I would recommend getting one of the surplus Romanian training rifles out there right now, while they last. They are a bolt action 22lr with a 5 shot detachable magazine. They are made full size, supposedly to train soldiers to shoot Mausers, and are very fun and cheap to shoot. They come with a really nice stock, sling swivels, a hooded front sight, and a rear sight with 25,50,100m settings. They also have a trap door in the buttplate like an SKS. In fact I would compare them to the SKS of olden days in many ways. They are very reliable well made guns which are under valued on our market now. Remember when you could buy an SKS for less than $75??? They were alsways good guns, it just took people a while to get used to them. These guns are pretty much in the same boat. Except that not every communist country in the world used them, so they will run out quickly. Right now you can get one for around $75 easy. I think this would be the best way to go for both you and your son. I bought about a dozen of these little beauties and just put them back. Maybe some date I will give one to each of my children. I took one to my families Christmas trading game last year and boy was it a big hit. I'm not even going to try to top that this year.

oldsoldiersneverdie

Someone please help. I have never understood the concept of a "training rifle," nor a set of "training golf clubs, or training tennis racquet, etc..." Seem like "trainers" are low priced, lower quality items. Soooo, a beginner is supposed to learn on inferior equipment so that later he/she can spend more $$$ on better equipment, then un-learn all the quirks of the old inferior equipment, and re-learn on the new equipment.Am I crazy, or, wouldn't it be more sensible to buy right and learn right the first time?

---

Illigitimi Non Carborundum (don't let the bastards get you down).

Gordian Blade

First, I want to thank everyone who responded. I read all of your posts at least twice and thought about them carefully.Rembrandt, I like the idea of an heirloom, but $550 to $650 is more than I want to spend on a young person who, after all, may not stay with sport shooting. Perhaps it would be more appropriate for his 18th birthday if he stays with it. My father still cherishes the Remington .22 my grandfather got for him when he was about my son's age, even though it was only a good average rifle, not a great collector's item. The memories make it special.Soleservivor, I like the idea of an inexpensive, undiscovered rifle, but in this case I'm willing to spend a bit more to get something from an American manufacturer that I know will be able to support it in the future. Perhaps a sport shooting club should buy a number of those $75 rifles and use them for training introductory classes.Oldsoldiersneverdie, I agree that there is no point getting something that is complete junk and learning bad habits. But I think even the $75 Romanian rifles mentioned by Soleservivor are supposed to be OK quality. In any case, I want my son to have something that will last, with care, as long as my father's Remington has.The consensus is Ruger 10/22, which fits with my own thinking on the subject. With good maintenance, it should last a very long time and, hopefully, be something my son will cherish.Again, thanks for the input everybody!

Chaser

NO ONE -- not one person who responded asked if the boy intended to hunt,or just wanted to shoot for sport, I thought this was the ask experts dept? Guys your slipping--the 1022 is a fine rifle .own 2 of 'em ,but a bolt may be a better choice to start out,plus if he wants to hunt with it ,it may not be a legal firearm for hunting.depending upon the state. Here in Pa. semi 22cal aren't allowed for hunting.Training should be on the basics, saftey and accuracy,a first rifle in semi, with all the after market mags. can turn a starting young man into a ammo waster,long b/4 he becomes a profient shot,because its fun Dang it

Chaser

I'm sorry I missed the whole question/answer. One of the best 22s' for the money,find him a old Mossberg 46B they will shoot with the best of 'em I've long lost count of the head shot squirels my old Mossey collected ,+ the 100 yd shots my Grandpap kept telling me was to far for a 22 for groundhogs. A little shopping should find one around $150.00 range or less, clean up that stock and you'll find nice walnut,and the prices are going up every year

218Beekeep

And nobody has had sense enough to by the 69-A winchester bolt action rifle,with the factory peep sights that I`ve had on my table for 4 shows at just over $200.I have many .22s in my collection..all are in walnut..and I would not present a child of mine with anything less,even if it does cost me under $60..218

Gordian Blade

I saw that there had been more messages on this topic, so I checked. There's always room for more ideas! I won't be buying the thing for a few more months.Chaser, that was a perceptive question about hunting versus target shooting. It slipped my mind to specify that because Dad (myself) isn't a hunter. (Nothing against hunters, mind you.) So what we're aiming for (ha, ha) is safety instruction and basic proficiency. Then we see where we go from there. We live in NY State, by the way, and I don't even know whether semi .22 rifles are allowed for hunting in NY. I know semi-auto handguns are allowed; some people I know think that's more of a challenge than using a high-power rifle, because you have to be sneakier and more patient to get close enough.I should also mention that the only place where it's practical to shoot (non-hunting mode) around where I live is at a range. He won't be using the .22 at all without adult supervision, so wasting ammo isn't really an issue. The adult in charge (mainly myself) will insist that every shot be an aimed shot. If he can get off 10 aimed shots in 5 seconds, more power to him.His dad won't be that far ahead of him in learning, by the way. I may get something along the lines suggested by 218beekeep for myself very soon. It's been a long time since I've shot someone else's .22 rifles and pistols; I've not personally owned firearms until recently -- so recently that my application to the local club still has another couple weeks to be ratified at the next meeting. The "why now?" is a long story...Thanks again, everyone!