Kids first 22lr

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I got a savage rascal for my son, with the wood stock, and have been very impressed with that gun. I think Savage actually took the time to make a gun that fits right, and is high quality, for a small child. Trigger is light enought to shoot the 2 lb gun well. Sights are great, and my 4 year old can easily work the bolt, load and unload the rifle. He could shoot subsonics through it all day.

When my daughter is a little older I will gladly get her a rascal in whichever color she chooses, or the wood stocked version.
 
Why no bb guns?

The trigger on all the bb guns built for kids are horrible, at least that was my experience with the ones I have tried. My kids will shoot my pellet guns, they have better triggers but only the handguns fit them.
 
I think your concern on a toylike gun is valid.

Another thought: If you go with a traditional gun, you could always get them hearing protection or other gun related accessories in their favorite fun colors and style. That can give them some added fun, while still keeping the rifle itself “serious” .

I have 2 beautiful little girls that each need their proud papa to procure their very first shooting irons. I have reservations. On one hand, they fight like cats and dogs over things that are even remotely different, but they want to be a bit different. My thought there was same gun in different colors which brought me to the idea of buying one pink and one teal cricket (kid size) rifle corresponding to their favorite colors. The next thought was that they would be heartbroken immediately as they outgrow it because the fancy colors aren’t available in “youth” sized guns, and I really want to use shooting as a lesson on focusing and achieving goals (accurate shooting). So that thought led me down the path of considerations to the point where I have strong reservations about buying them real rifles that look like toys. So now I am back to thinking blued steel and wood.

What are y’all thoughts on buying that very first rifle?

I’m torn between a single shot, a bolt repeater (with single shot conversion), and a marlin 60 like I had as my first rifle. My dad only let me shoot 1 at a time til I was about 12 and I would probably do the same. I keep looking at the 795 like my wife has though as it’s light, reliable, and crazy accurate (and cheap).

I’m not really interested in suggestions on specific guns to consider, but more on rationale for aesthetics, and action type.
 
+1 on the CZ Scout. They are excellent rifles. You can switch the single-shot adapter out for a regular CZ 455 magazines.

There are also multiple options for trigger kits or tweaks on them.
 
Have your daughters shot with you yet? I let my daughter try just about all of my .22's and was able to watch which one she gravitated towards. My SIG 522 became her favorite, it was just way to heavy for her to hold and shoot herself off-hand. Here she is at 5 shooting it with me.

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I think she's 6 here and was to the point she didn't need me helping her.

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When we were in gun store's I'd let her look at and hold different .22's to get an idea of what she liked. She never really cared for the Crickets, so for her 10th birthday this year I picked her up an M&P15-22. It's light and keeps her interested which is all I care about right now.

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Her favorite thing to shoot is still handguns, I think a lot of the reason is they're a lot lighter for her to hold unsupported.

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I have three beautiful great grand daughters. I started the older two off with a Daisy Buck BB gun that I had to make a stock for so it would be short enough for the oldest a few years ago. She's out grown it and she got a Buck with the factory stock. She has pretty much out grown the BB gun and she has a crickett. She got to choose the stock color and of course it was the pink laminate. She's 10 years old now and pretty good with it and she requested a red dot sight which Grandpa happily provided. She has also become a good shot with a Ruger SR22. Little sis is still a little short in the arms for the crickett but she's getting there in a hurry. The youngest is only three so it will be a spell but everything is in place for her to follow along in the other's footsteps.

There is a Rossi 62 C waiting patiently for the oldest to grow a little more. There is a trigger trick for the crickett that makes it much more used friendly. It involves using an Arkansas stone to slick up the sear and trigger just a little and puting an O-ring on the trigger to reduce the travel a little that works very well.
 
My 14 yr. old step grand-daughter is already too big for the Savage Rascal I picked up last year but she has a sister that just turned 6. But the 14 yr. old still gets a kick out of that downscaled Rascal, as do I...... That nice peep sight and Accutrigger make for a sweet shooting little 22 that will also handle 22 Shorts & Longs. I have to get some pictures of myself and a few other 60-somethings shooting that pink Rascal with big grins on their faces. The novelty is priceless and just goes to show that even little 22 single shots are considered classic plinkers and learning guns.
 
My first rifle was this Remington 510, given to me by a friend of my dad when I was 9.
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I taught my wife to shoot this rifle but before teaching my 5 YO son, I shortened stock and barrel. Many years later I took the Instructor's job at our CMP junior club. We were issued Mod 44 target rifles by the CMP which were way too long for many of the kids and, being the heavy barrel were MUCH too heavy for most youngsters to handle.

Since the 514 T stock is a drop in fit for the 210, decided to cut a surplus 514 stock down to convert my old rifle to a miniature match rifle so the younger kids could hold it up.
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It now belongs to my grandson and grandaughter (brother/sister) who both learned to shoot on this rifle.

Kids can adapt to oversized guns; I did, but its a lot easier when the stock fits.

Regards,
hps
 
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My 14 yr. old step grand-daughter is already too big for the Savage Rascal I picked up last year but she has a sister that just turned 6. But the 14 yr. old still gets a kick out of that downscaled Rascal, as do I...... That nice peep sight and Accutrigger make for a sweet shooting little 22 that will also handle 22 Shorts & Longs. I have to get some pictures of myself and a few other 60-somethings shooting that pink Rascal with big grins on their faces. The novelty is priceless and just goes to show that even little 22 single shots are considered classic plinkers and learning guns.

Awhile back one of my buddies got his hands on a 1915 vintage Stevens Boys rifle and you should have seen the guys at the club having a blast with it. My own Crickett gets a lot of attention at the club and it's not too hard adjusting to it, plus it's nice having it handy in case we get a young'un tagging along with their dad.
 
Part of the magic of those "kids first 22lr"'s is that so many of us oldsters started out with one and it's a real trip back to our youth to return to them. Once knew a guy that had one of those Stevens Boys Rifles but he sold it before I ever got to shoot it (what a disappointment) . Here's the older girl with two of her favorites; the pink Rascal and the CZ 455 Varmint Laminated Thumbhole in 22LR. The CZ repeater is now a much better fit but she'll always have fond memories of learning how to shoot on a little 22 single shot, like so many of us did. IMG_2022.JPG IMG_2026.JPG
 
Part of the magic of those "kids first 22lr"'s is that so many of us oldsters started out with one and it's a real trip back to our youth to return to them.

Yep, it's just a longer trip for some of us, though; I'm pooped. :)

That CZ is a nice looking little rifle!

Regards,
hps
 
IMO, the gun that best fits what young girls can use, is light, can grow with them, and can be had in many different colors is the S&W M&P 15-22. It is a .22 so is cheap and easy to shoot, is super fun and accurate to shoot, the stock is adjustable as they grow, you can use and teach them on many different types of sights. And to top it off, it works in the same way as a standard AR, so they will be well trained on that platform in the future! This is exactly what I bought my 11 year old daughter. I can’t imagine a more well suited first gun. Tons of fun for kids and adults!
 
IMG950575.jpg I started mine with a Red Ryder, then a semiauto bb pistol. Her first real gun was a Plinkster. Not a bad gun for ~$120-130. That gun would shoot golden bullet bulk junk just fine. It sits in my safe unused for several years. She says she wants to start shooting again, mother duties etc get in the way it seems. Never got to shoot my AR much on our range trips after she tried it.
 
The problem with kids is that they grow out of everything. You buy them a pair of shoes and before you know it they are to small for their feet. It’s pretty much the same with firearms. Trying to find a gun that will fit them for many years is almost impossible when they are young. No matter what you buy, if it fits them now, they will out grow it.
And then there is that thing they do that can drive you nuts. They like a color or a style of something and in a year or two their taste change to something totally different.
What I suggest is buy them something that they like and will use now. As they get older you will see what direction in Firearms they will take.
I started my daughter of with a used Revelation youth 22 single shot when she was 9. She’s 34 now and still has her first rifle, and a few more.
My oldest son was only 5 months old when I got him his first rifle. I traded some stock work for a little single shot Sovereign 22. He’s 20 years old now and still has the rifle.
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My youngest son has always liked bright colors and likes being different. I bought him a Davey Crickett with a purple and yellow laminate stock. He’s 14 now and the rifle is still here, but he has moved on to semi autos.
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I didn't read through this entire thread so forgive me if this is a repeat. I went with a Ruger American Rimfire. Super low cost and very accurate. I added a Nikon Rimfire variable scope and being a bolt action that uses 10/22 magazines. One of it's great features is the modular stock which will has a insert for different lengths and different cheekpiece for scope or dot.
CCI high velocity, fifteen shots fired indoor at 25 yards gun resting on a foam yoga block immediately after the scope was zeroed.
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Gunny’s post reminded me of what my Father picked out for me as my first .22. The Browning SA-22 it’s still a fantastic choice as far as size and weight.
 
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