I am looking for an air rifle for my 5 year old granddaughter. Already have a 22 but would like to be able to practice in the garage since the nearest range is 45 min away. It would need to be light and easy to use, .177 that would use either BB or pellets would be nice. would like something that is accurate. Could possibly be used for hunting later on.
air rifle for a 5 year old
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7X57chilmau
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I'd urge you to stick with a pellet only rifle. Any rifle that can fire BB's will have little to no rifling, limited accuracy and very poor power. I think BB's are inappropriate for children's rifles: they ricochet with alarming regularity. You'll shoot yer eye out, eh?
With your daughter just 5 years old, there's alot to consider. I like the idea of single shot rifles for teaching children.... When you're loading and shooting a single shot at a time, the importance of aiming is magnified.
I've got a personal preference for break-barrel spring rifles, as they're accurate and self-contained. They are harder to shoot accurately, and the user must learn proper techniques to get much out of them... They teach followthru, consistent holding...
Their main drawback in this instance may also be a benefit: The cocking effort may be somewhat stiff for a kid that young... Which will require the presence of an adult for a while anyway.
A CO2 rifle will be easy for the child to operate, but adds expense and temperature sensitivities.... This can be an issue for some.
I've had great luck with my own Diana (RWS) 34... It's a powerful little rifle for about $200, holds sub-half-inch groups at 30yds for me (when I do my part, rarer than it should be), and takes game up to hare size with decent shot placement. It's cocking effort is a stiff 30ish pounds.
I've also had decent experiences with a variety of Crossman and Gamo rifles. Daisey has a number of youth offerings. These are reputable companies that generally make pretty decent kit.
J
With your daughter just 5 years old, there's alot to consider. I like the idea of single shot rifles for teaching children.... When you're loading and shooting a single shot at a time, the importance of aiming is magnified.
I've got a personal preference for break-barrel spring rifles, as they're accurate and self-contained. They are harder to shoot accurately, and the user must learn proper techniques to get much out of them... They teach followthru, consistent holding...
Their main drawback in this instance may also be a benefit: The cocking effort may be somewhat stiff for a kid that young... Which will require the presence of an adult for a while anyway.
A CO2 rifle will be easy for the child to operate, but adds expense and temperature sensitivities.... This can be an issue for some.
I've had great luck with my own Diana (RWS) 34... It's a powerful little rifle for about $200, holds sub-half-inch groups at 30yds for me (when I do my part, rarer than it should be), and takes game up to hare size with decent shot placement. It's cocking effort is a stiff 30ish pounds.
I've also had decent experiences with a variety of Crossman and Gamo rifles. Daisey has a number of youth offerings. These are reputable companies that generally make pretty decent kit.
J
I started my son at 6 years old on a Daisy Buck, a 400 bb capacity single shot. I wanted to get him a better gun that could use pellets and be used later for hunting but they were just a little to big for him (he's a little guy). Considering the Buck only cost me $20 at WalMart I didn't feel like I wasted my money. It is the perfect value plinker and I don't have to worry about being out a ton of $$$ if it gets scratched up or abused.
Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow
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For my nephews, I took a Crosman (Mendoza) Quest 800, which I had shot enough that the spring was fatigued and it was probably at that point a Quest '500' (fps that is), then removed recoil pad, sawed about 1.25" off the stock, and re-installed recoil pad; voila.
But for a 5 year old, a lighter and cheaper and more versatile one would be the old standbys of pneumatic multi-pumpers like the old Daisy Powerline, Crosmans, etc. They are light, shoot either BBs or pellets, and you can pump them just 2 or 3 times to get a little no recoil puff shot out of them. Used to be about $40.
Only problem with those is, if the LOP is too long, they're plastic, not wood, so re-attaching the buttplace after the saw job could be a problem. Probably nothing that some superglue won't solve.
These do have rifled barrels, so personally I wouldn't shoot BBs from them.
But for a 5 year old, a lighter and cheaper and more versatile one would be the old standbys of pneumatic multi-pumpers like the old Daisy Powerline, Crosmans, etc. They are light, shoot either BBs or pellets, and you can pump them just 2 or 3 times to get a little no recoil puff shot out of them. Used to be about $40.
Only problem with those is, if the LOP is too long, they're plastic, not wood, so re-attaching the buttplace after the saw job could be a problem. Probably nothing that some superglue won't solve.
These do have rifled barrels, so personally I wouldn't shoot BBs from them.
Blacklabelz
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Doesn't everyone start out with one of these? I know I did..
And if its to big for the 5 year old, cut down the stock with a saw and round off the edges!
Get a Crosman 2250.
http://www.pyramydair.com/p/crosman-2250-xt-airsource-air-rifle.shtml
They used to make them without the airsource bottle, which is what I'd recommend, but you'll have to have the Crosman custom shop build one of those for you now, (they will).
They're very lightweight, surprisingly accurate, powerful enough for shooting starlings and rabbits with proper shot placement and best of all, those plastic buttstocks cost about $14 and with a little epoxy you can cut them down and remake them to fit your granddaughter in about 15 minutes. When she outgrows it in a year and a half or so, just buy another $14 stock and do it again.
The other nice thing about them is that a 5 year old kid can load and shoot them without you doing all the work. 5 year olds simply don't have the strength to cock spring airguns and almost all the airguns that are intended for adults are far too big and heavy for kids.
http://www.pyramydair.com/p/crosman-2250-xt-airsource-air-rifle.shtml
They used to make them without the airsource bottle, which is what I'd recommend, but you'll have to have the Crosman custom shop build one of those for you now, (they will).
They're very lightweight, surprisingly accurate, powerful enough for shooting starlings and rabbits with proper shot placement and best of all, those plastic buttstocks cost about $14 and with a little epoxy you can cut them down and remake them to fit your granddaughter in about 15 minutes. When she outgrows it in a year and a half or so, just buy another $14 stock and do it again.
The other nice thing about them is that a 5 year old kid can load and shoot them without you doing all the work. 5 year olds simply don't have the strength to cock spring airguns and almost all the airguns that are intended for adults are far too big and heavy for kids.
LemmyCaution
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My first air rifle was a Crosman 760, at age six. They still make them. ~$35 at Walmart.
You can pump it once to fire in the garage; or pump it 20 times and go small game hunting with it. A very versatile air rifle with a short length of pull. Easy to pump for small people, and none of the recoil of break barrel air rifles.
I'll be buying one for my son this year.
You can pump it once to fire in the garage; or pump it 20 times and go small game hunting with it. A very versatile air rifle with a short length of pull. Easy to pump for small people, and none of the recoil of break barrel air rifles.
I'll be buying one for my son this year.
Handgunner
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I still shoot mine.
the_right_reverend
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Nebraska sand wore mine out 50 years ago but it is still leaning in the corner of mom broom closet
rangerruck
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probably the most accurate air rifle, under 800 fps is the powerline/targetpro models.
It is based on their award winning avanti line models, and except for a few of the high end goodies that come with the avanti, the power line is an accurate
little piece of engineering; I got a cool bright red colored snap on tools model.
look at them here;
http://www.airgunsbbguns.com/Daisy_Air_Rifles_s/52.htm
It is based on their award winning avanti line models, and except for a few of the high end goodies that come with the avanti, the power line is an accurate
little piece of engineering; I got a cool bright red colored snap on tools model.
look at them here;
http://www.airgunsbbguns.com/Daisy_Air_Rifles_s/52.htm
Uncle Mike
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Juice Boxes
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IMHO it should be CO2 powered so no muscle work to take the fun out of shooting it is a lot more fun when you can pull the trigger and shoot without having to reload/cock. Even if it may not teach them correctly to make well aimed shots it might be more important to make it as fun as possible to keep them "hooked" then teach them all of the formalities.
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