Looking for a certain type of bolt action .22

[Sledgecrowbar]

I've been awarded with putting on an informal youth shooting program and I'm looking for the kind of .22LR I learned on. I want to stick with single-shot (no magazine) models, but everything I find on Gunbroker among the vintage stuff has a firing pin you have to pull back to manually cock after closing the bolt and I want a self-cocking action.

I remember the ones I used at summer camp were Marlins and maybe also Remingtons but I don't see any single-shot models on either website anymore.

I'm not particular on any brand as long as it's not terribly expensive. Under to around $200 I think should get me the quality I'll need while letting me get more than one as finances allow. Of course, the less expensive before sacrificing quality, the better.

Of note, ages are between 10 and 17, so I may need both short and regular stocks but I'm not sure yet.

 

[Panzerschwein]

The CZ-452 Youth model would be great. They sell an inexpensive single-shot conversion for them. The bolt can be easily manipulated by a child.

 

[littlelefty]

Savage makes a single shot bolt, Mark 1G I think it is. I don't know if it requires cocking after closing the bolt.
CZ makes single shot adapters for their bolt actions, but the price of the gun would exceed $200 I bet
I don't know if maybe Henry or Thompson might have single shot offerings.
I own a Rossi combo gun (forgot the model); came with a 20 ga. barrel and a .22 barrel. It's ugly and not terribly impressive, but it is a break action, single shot.
A more expensive option (but really cool looking imo) would be a low wall Uberti replica.

 

[maxxhavoc]

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog..._id/24321/Savage 60702 MKIGY 22SLLR SS AT YTH

 

[Cannibul]

For smaller children there are the Crickett rifles. They're not much over $100 and can be found at Walmart.

Here's some more ideas...

http://grabagun.com/firearms/rifles-for-sale/single-shot-rifles.html?caliber=2645

 

[Sledgecrowbar]

Henry does have something, and it's both stainless (or at least silver cerakoted) and has a synthetic stock, good things for a gun that will be used by more than one person who doesn't own it. That said, the three-dot sights are an odd choice.

I always thought Savage made a good rifle but never owned one. I don't see Mk 1's on their website but they are available so I'll have to decipher their model naming conventions.

I looked at the Crickett model, I've read mixed reviews on quality but at that price it would be worth buying one to try. The only thing is they don't seem to offer a full-size stock and I think I'm going to need both options.

I really appreciate the helpful input. It has been my experience that every time I ask a question on a forum like arfcom, the only responses are along the lines of "why would you want to do that" or "that's not the right way to do it" instead of just answering my question. Thanks and if anyone has any more info, please let me know.

 

[lbs]

If you go with a savage i might contact the factory an see if you can get some kind of volume / youth program price break.

 

[C.R.]

Does it have to be a bolt action ? can you find reasonably prices berak action,or falling block action guns? I found a Savage Stevens Remake of the Favorite thats a nice simple little .22 its a little lever action falling block that would be around your budget

 

[jmorris]

The last two 510 Remington 510's I picked up were $35 and $65.

Better triggers than most new stuff has these days, safety automatically comes on when you open the bolt and good accuracy.

 

[webrx]

my son learned to shoot with a cricket and a break open rossi .22/.410 matched pair, break it open, insert a round, pull the hammer back, and shoot. We still take them out with us when younger shooters are going and they get plenty of use. the cricket has a scope, the rossi is hi vis sights I have trained many a youngster to shoot with these rifles.

I also have an old mossberg 340BB I paid $100 for, the old boy scout rifle, not a single shot, but you can load up one at a time if wanted - this is my 15yearolds favorite .22 rifle now - accurate as heck with a 4x scope he can plink all day.

Just checked, Cabelas has a single shot savage rascal for 179 right now. i have not shot it or looked at it in person, but, it is a single shot bolt action for under 200

 

[J-Bar]

If you find a good buy on a bolt action .22 repeater, you can easily convert it to single shot by taking out the magazine, or if it is tube-fed just remove the spring loaded tube from the magazine.

Converting the rifles to single shot in this way should give you a lot of different models you could use.

 

[mjsdwash]

A CZ single shot conversion would be a great rifle, but over the price range. What you should get is a Savage Rascal, self cocking, feed ramped, single shot, no mag. weight about 2.2 lbs, so its very light, but not too light. Its also the right size for 6-10 year olds, but set up so an adult can shoot it without too much effort. Good sites, and about 150$ -200 around here with a plastic stock.

 

[mjsdwash]

A CZ single shot conversion would be a great rifle, but over the price range. What you should get is a Savage Rascal, self cocking, feed ramped, single shot, no mag. weight about 2.2 lbs, so its very light, but not too light. Its also the right size for 6-10 year olds, but set up so an adult can shoot it without too much effort. Good sites, and about 150$ -200 around here with a plastic stock.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/rascal

 

[jmr40]

Ruger American rifle with 1 shot magazines.

http://ruger.com/products/americanRimfireCompact/models.html
http://shopruger.com/22-LR-1-Round-Rotary-Magazine/productinfo/90344/

 

[wanderinwalker]

I think the Savage Mark I is your best bet, for a supported, new production single-shot bolt action .22LR to use for youth introduction. Here is the information on the Mark IG from Savage's webpage. I personally think the Mark I FVT with the aperture sights would be a superior option, but it's significantly more expensive.

A caution on trying to run a detachable magazine rifle as a single-shot without the magazines: don't do it. It's a pain because if the kids don't get the rounds lined up into the chamber, they're doing to fall down through the action. The best way to run a repeater as a single-shot is with a single-shot adapter.

Good luck on getting the program set-up and running!

 

[Cannibul]

The last two 510 Remington 510's I picked up were $35 and $65.

Better triggers than most new stuff has these days, safety automatically comes on when you open the bolt and good accuracy.

I grew up shooting a 510. Sadly it was the one firearm that disappeared when my father died. I've been looking for one for about 10 years. Those prices are nuts as I see them on GB much higher than that.

 

[aarondhgraham]

I am curious as to why you don't like the guns that have to "pull back" the hammer to cock it?

No big deal,,,
Just curious is all.

BTW. the Crickett, and the Henry Mini-Bolt both have the action you don't want.

I think the best rifle for you will be the Savage Mk-I G,,,
It has the type of action you want.

 

[HankR]

I never really liked the Cricket, which I consider a "crew served" weapon since the adult always seems to end up cocking it. I've never actually shot one, but I would buy a Savage Rascal if my kids were just learning. We went with the break open Rossi 15 or so years ago when my son was learning, followed up with a Savage Mark II when he graduated to the bolt.

 

[fpgt72]

My kid learned on a Marlin 25n. Any magazine bolt rifle can be a single shot...you just load one in the magazine.

The entire reason is to slow the kid down....learning to load a magazine is part of the process....just load 1. I can't tell you how many times I had to instruct just how to put the bullet in the magazine....it seems it is possible to put them in backwards.

 

[Sledgecrowbar]

I am curious as to why you don't like the guns that have to "pull back" the hammer to cock it?

No big deal,,,
Just curious is all.

BTW. the Crickett, and the Henry Mini-Bolt both have the action you don't want.

I think the best rifle for you will be the Savage Mk-I G,,,
It has the type of action you want.

Thanks for this info. Manually-cocked hammers on bolt actions seem to be an idiosyncrasy of .22LR rifles and I'd like this experience to reflect any common centerfire rifle they will come across in the future as I think the bolt action is an important core part of shooting knowledge. Moving up to repeaters, whether internal or detachable magazines, is an easy addition, but if a step is removed or the order changed, it doesn't help familiarity.

I suppose break-actions would be just as good, but unless the future holds a drastic change in firearm style, the bolt action is the most ubiquitous so a good starting point. The most common semiauto rifles use a rotating bolt so understanding them becomes easier if your fundamental knowledge started with it.

 

[gunlover_06]

Try the savage Mark 1 FVT it's single shot and has open sights, and the Mark 2 FVT has a 5 round magazine.
Here is a link to the CMP but can order them else where.
http://thecmp.org/cmp_sales/rifle_sales/22-target-commercial/

 

[ironworkerwill]

For smaller children there are the Crickett rifles. They're not much over $100 and can be found at Walmart.

Here's some more ideas...

http://grabagun.com/firearms/rifles-for-sale/single-shot-rifles.html?caliber=2645

THIS! My mother in law got my boys these rifles and they are great to trainer rifles. For what they are the accuracy is fantastic.

 

[Sunray]

"...I want a self-cocking action..." Savage Single Shot Series. MSRP starts at $244. Talk to 'em about multiple purchase discounts. Dunno if they do it though.
The manually cock after closing the bolt types are inherently less safe for new, young, probably less strong shooters. Stops being an issue if your pre-shooting training is good enough.
Had all kinds of new shooters using No. 7 Lee-Enfields and Anschutz target rifles, long ago when running a CF Army Cadet Corps. Biggest issue was the weight of the No. 7 and idle city kids.

 

[ford8nr]

Someone beat me to it but IF you can provide documentation it's a youth program the CMP has the best deal going on an entry level target gun. Our club has several and the Boy Scouts use them. The CMP has very specific rules though. As a NRA Rifle Instructor I could NOT buy one personally, had to through the club FOR the club.

 

[Reloadron]

The last two 510 Remington 510's I picked up were $35 and $65.

Better triggers than most new stuff has these days, safety automatically comes on when you open the bolt and good accuracy.

My very first rifle was given to me in 1958 when I was 8 years old. It was a Remington 510P. I still have that rifle plus a 511 and 512 with I think two of the 511 models. The last 510 I saw the guy wanted $200 (He started at $250) and I actually regret not buying it. The safety feature is nice.

The problem I see is if the original poster needs more than a single rifle rounding up several of the older single shot rifles may prove to be quite the chore.

Ron