looking for .22 youth rifle

brickmaster1248

im in the market for a youth .22 rifle it will be for my six year old son and possibly my 4 year old daughter. I have signed them up at the local Rod&gun club where they teach them marksmanship skills.
do they make one that is drilled and tapped for scope for later after they learn to shoot iron sights? which do you think is the most accurate? How long can i expect the gun to "fit" them

Nwcid

Well I think the Chipmunk or the Cricket would be good for you.

I have the Chipmunk a local dealer stocked them. One thing I did find was that the bolt was hard to pull for a 5 year old because he could not get a grip on the "plunger". I had to shave a small part of the wood stock so that he could use his whole hand and that worked well. These guns are very small and light. I can put 3 rounds touching at the 25-30' I usually have him shooting at.

This rifle will serve well for a few years and then you can buy full size stocks for them. Once they are older 10ish or big enough the NEF rifles are cheep and come in many calibers and shot gun sizes. The NEF's can use one action and swap barrels.

Here is a pic:



You can see where I cut behind the bolt. With kids make sure to have reactive targets to keep them entertained. I find that balloons or the color changing type targets work very well.

bull300wsm

You might want to try the CZ 452 Scout. It is for smaller shooters and works great. I bought one for my son to shoot 4-H and it comes with a clip that doesn't hold any rounds, it is a single shot. You can buy another clip after they get the hang of it that I believe is a seven round..great way to start the young ones....Bull

v35

I think it's important for the first gun not to be self cocking but should require a deliberate separate act to cock the gun.

Mk 19

Here are a few great examples for your kids:

Marlin
http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=95985384

Henry
http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=96139793

Savage
http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=96139793

Davey Crickett
http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=96176805

Any of those would work out very well to teach the basics of shooting to a young ong. Yes they will out grow this type of rifle very quickly, but you daughter will still be shooting it till she is 9 or 10, but name one other tool she will be using for the next 5 years.

tsr1965

Cricketts are good, Marlin makes one, and Henry repeating Arms has one that is stainless. They are all grooved for scope mounting, if memory serves me right.

spasmcreek

savage cub ....accurate single shot with adjustable accutrigger & side safety that is ergonomic correct....33" long

dcs shooters

I agree on the Savage Cub. It has a grooved reciever for mounting a scope. You don't have to spend extra for adapters for it. And it is a lot better rifle, in my opinion.

lts

I gave my son, now 15 a chipmunk when he was 4. Lots of frustration loading and removing cases that failed to extract. Dug out my old 121 Winchester and he enjoyed it more. The 121 has a great extractor and a push feed that the chipmunk lacked. Though he did take a real liking to my AT22 Feather, BL22 Browning, and of course my 10/22 lineup which he would be allowed to fire if he was dead on with the single shot bolt gun.

11b6r

If you can find one- Marlin 15Y. Kid size stock and frame, good loading/extraction, single shot bolt, grooved eceiver for scope. Very well made rifle, durable, price is a LOT less than the Cricket.