Wife says I can get my kids a .22lr for Christmas.

[Cuz]

My wife says I can get my kids a .22 rifle for Christmas. I would like some suggestions as to which one to get. I'm leaning towards the Ruger 10/22 for no other reason than it seems like the most popular. I have two boys (ages 7 & 9) who have only shot on two occasions at fund raisers for the Junior team at my club so this will really be their first intro to shooting. I would also like to equip the gun with some sort of peep sight as that seems to be easier for them to use. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,

Cuz.

[Joe4d]

7 and 9 are still kinda small so need a youth model to fit them well. I looked at several brands and bought the Savage youth model bolt action single shot. It came with decent peep sights unlike the Marlin. Bought it in 2005 seems like it was $120 New at Sports Authority. Have been pretty pleased with it.

[Cuz]

7 and 9 are still kinda small so need a youth model to fit them well. I looked at several brands and bought the Savage youth model bolt action single shot. It came with decent peep sights unlike the Marlin. Bought it in 2005 seems like it was $120 New at Sports Authority. Have been pretty pleased with it.

Thanks for the info. I just checked it out and the Cub Youth model does look nice. Plus, it already has the peep sights. I hadn't considered a bolt action. I was figuring the semi-auto would be more fun once they got better with it.

-Cuz.

[smokshwn]

For new shooter's I would definitely go with a bolt or lever action. It seems a lot easier to teach the fundamentals and build good habits without the attraction of ripping off a whole mag of ammo. Not that there's anything wrong with that

[Hank Ellis]

For youths this young I'd stick with a single shot bolt action. Some suggestions are the Savage Cub Mini-Youth. Lightweight at 3.3lbs. If you want to step up to a 5lb rifle then the Savage MK I-GY Youth or the CZ 452 Scout. Stevens also has a couple that would be suitable. Finally one other option is the Crickett youth rifle. At 2.5lb even the littlest shooter can handle it. Do a Google search to find the web sites.

My thoughts is that a 10/22 is a bit too complicated for an early youth gun. Give them a couple years with the bolt action then you can move up to the 10/22 and from there it's wide open as to the mods you can do to the Ruger.

[eerw]

I got 5 year-old a cricket with sythetic stock..and it fits him perfectly when he got it last Christmas when he was still four..and he has done well with it learning good safety and learning proper sight picture and rifle placement. we don't burn through the ammo and it works well for the attention span.

Have fun..it is a great time taking them out to shoot.

[maineshootah]

My wife says I can get my kids a .22 rifle for Christmas. I would like some suggestions as to which one to get. I'm leaning towards the Ruger 10/22 for no other reason than it seems like the most popular. I have two boys (ages 7 & 9) who have only shot on two occasions at fund raisers for the Junior team at my club so this will really be their first intro to shooting. I would also like to equip the gun with some sort of peep sight as that seems to be easier for them to use. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,

Cuz.

I would go with a Bushy 16" M4 A3 carbine.

(With the ceiner .22lr conversion)

A ) it has peep sights

B ) Is something that they can grow into

C ) Is something that you can use as well.

But honey.... it IS a .22....

Edited November 20, 2007 by maineshootah

[AlamoShooter]

I shoot a bunch with a 1022 as in the $1,600 set up and I have coached and sponsored a Jr team. The 10 22 can be a very versital gun. form silly plinking to devoting years of practice to ?master? off hand shooting.

First gun = go with the singal shot bolt action = you can remove the bolt easy and make it 100% un shootable.

The 10 22 is not easy to clear the bolt and mag for young hands. and rounds DO get stuck in the barrel when you pull the bolt back some times. its not easy to see in to the chamber when you are not the shooter.

I think the Chip monk is a bit small though like for a small 8 year old small get something bigger.

[Heavy Metal Only]

I got 5 year-old a cricket with sythetic stock..and it fits him perfectly when he got it last Christmas when he was still four..and he has done well with it learning good safety and learning proper sight picture and rifle placement. we don't burn through the ammo and it works well for the attention span.

Have fun..it is a great time taking them out to shoot.

exacticly what I was going to say, You hit it right on the money

[Derek45]

I just bought my 8 year old daughter a 10/22

[Madcap Magician]

10/22 all the way. It was the first gun I ever shot. They are extremely versatile. You can literally shoot a million rounds bone stock or spend a thousand and make a really cool tack driver.

[devildogmech]

I would go with a Bushy 16" M4 A3 carbine.

(With the ceiner .22lr conversion)

A ) it has peep sights

B ) Is something that they can grow into

C ) Is something that you can use as well.

But honey.... it IS a .22....

DITTO

Seriously, My 6yo is getting a Red Ryder this Christmas, and a Savage singleshot this summer for his birthday....

[AlamoShooter]

I just bought my 8 year old daughter a 10/22

Yep with just one kid I think the 10/22 is the ticket but with two boys sharing the gun = is why I went the safest way to tell him a Bolt gun. But the 10/22 is fun for all

[Dave Gundry]

The 10/22 is, IMHO, the best all around 22 rifle ever made. Cheap to start with, easy to fix, reliable, and tons of mods and support out there. I just sold mine - wish I wouldn't have - and it'll be replaced by either another 10/22 that'll get a similar target setup or a cheap (haha) Anschutz.

A few tricks to make the 10/22 more user friendly:

-Auto Bolt Release (allows you to slingshot the bolt closed - which makes that little lever much less confusing):

http://rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthrea...;threadid=30867

-Extended Mag Release:

You can buy them for about $10 and drop them in, or you can tap the stock part and install a bolt and spacer - I used a stainless 1/4"OD X 3/4"Long stainless spacer and stainless cap head screw - actually looked fairly clean.

Once they feel the need for more accuracy, get them a better trigger and barrel... and go from there.

But, I will agree that a bolt rifle seems to be the safest way to go. Even a repeater would be fine. They'd probably loose interest faster with a single shot. Just teach them to open the bolt and drop the mag before handing it off...

[EricW]

Safety first. Get the single-shot bolt gun. Enforce gun safety with a vengeance. As in: you f-up, and you *will* sit in the truck while the rest of us have fun until we're done. Tough, but effective.

After the boys prove themselves, they get to upgrade. Make the 10/22 a reward.

Edited November 20, 2007 by EricW

[Modoc]

I have to give a BIG +1 to the Bolt action/Single Shot.

As a DFG instructor who insists that all of his students shoot, I have seen quite a few "spray and pray" with the 10-22, but take the bolt action 77-22 next to it and hit 5/5 (same sights/targets). There is nothing wrong with the 10-22, it is just that I feel that there are better firearms for learning on. My son will be starting with his grandmother's rolling block (antique single shot) once he is big/responsible enough.

Another option would be the Rossi or NEF break action. These are good little rifles, and on some of them, you can get replacement stocks to grow with the boys. Also, I think that the Rossi comes with a .410 shotgun barrel .

Will

[SLM]

I started shooting at age 5 with a Ruger 10/22. I still have that gun to this day, 30 years later and it was bought used. In that time it's needed exactly one new mag and maybe I/we got lucky but it'll shoot quarters at 50 yards if I do my part. I don't see the need for all the after market 10/22 stuff but maybe the new(er) guns don't shoot as well.

You can always pick up an extra mag or three for doing "single shot" stuff. Just load one round at a time per mag.

[North]

+1 for the Bolt action single shot as a first gun.

[Dave Gundry]

Another thought just came to mind...

The 10/22 does not need rounds fed from the magazine. It would be possible to open the bolt, toss in a round, then slingshot it forward for single shot use. Might be hell on the extractor after a while though...

[Resjudicata]

I don't have kids so feel free to disregard this.

However, I recently picked up a Henry 22lr lever action. A very smooth, reliable and well made gun. It has good buckhorn sights and is very accurate. I think the lever action is something they could keep and continue to get a lot of use out of for many years keeping its fun factor but still be very controllable for learning on.

The only real downside I see is the lack of a scope mount.

Come on, what kid wouldn't want a cowboy gun?

Chris

[Ledge]

I would go with a Bushy 16" M4 A3 carbine.

(With the ceiner .22lr conversion)

A ) it has peep sights

B ) Is something that they can grow into

C ) Is something that you can use as well.

But honey.... it IS a .22....

Man, I can't wait for you to have kids!

[Heavy Metal Only]

Another thought just came to mind...

The 10/22 does not need rounds fed from the magazine. It would be possible to open the bolt, toss in a round, then slingshot it forward for single shot use. Might be hell on the extractor after a while though...

Putting 1 round at a time is very hard to achive and it would be more dangerous. a 10/22 is made for use as a mag fed semi-auto. A cricket is cheap so if the user drops it or schraches it its not a big deal. One last thing, its very simple to use.

[Heavy Metal Only]

I don't have kids so feel free to disregard this.

However, I recently picked up a Henry 22lr lever action. A very smooth, reliable and well made gun. It has good buckhorn sights and is very accurate. I think the lever action is something they could keep and continue to get a lot of use out of for many years keeping its fun factor but still be very controllable for learning on.

The only real downside I see is the lack of a scope mount.

Come on, what kid wouldn't want a cowboy gun?

Chris

I have one too, very nice smooth action. I can't immagine my kid using it and dropping it or bangin' it around. Ouch it hurts just thinking about it.

[warpspeed]

CZ makes some very nice 22 LR guns. The 452 comes in a couple different models. Bolt action, mag fed.

[reneet]

We got my 9 yr old son a Ruger 10/22 with a trigger job for his birthday earlier this year. Works great and he may have the opportunity to shoot Sportsmans Team Challenge with it next year.