.22 Rifle for my 9yrs old son?

Status
Not open for further replies.
The problem with the lower end bolt guns, or single shots is that kids can lose interst in them quickly resulting in a gun the collects dust in the corner.

I'll agree with that statment partially.

I know this goes against the grain but after a long discussion with a friend (and range officer), I decided to put a scope on my son's CZ 452 Scout right out of the box. We felt that it was important to get my son excited about shooting ASAP. We have seen too many kids struggle to hit anything using irons. They lost interest quickly. As soon as a scope was added and they started to hit everything insight...the kids get jazzed up. He has time to learn the irons. It isn't a defensive weapon and he isn't hunting with me yet so I don't feel that it is a big deal.

The CZ comes with a single shot mag but has a 5 shot (which we use) and a 10 shot mag also.

Something must be working....he begs me to go shooting all the time....and he can do this:

10 shots at 50 yards:
119281553.jpg
 
I've got 6 kids and my next 22 rifle purchase will be the CZ Scout. I currently have a 10/22, a Chipmunk, and a Rossi 22/410. They are all very good rifles. The 10/22 is a bit large but it will give him room to grow. The Chipmunk is too small IMO for a 9 year old. He'll be able to shoot it comfortably but not for long. The Rossi is very inexpensive and with the 410 adds an element that the others don't have. The Rossi is the most accurate of the three as well.

I grew up with a Marlin Model 60, lots of fun.
 
Yeah, BrainOnSigs, looks like you did good! That kind of accuracy is fun for adults and kids, both. What ammo is that, BTW?

If you can't hit anything, a semiauto isn't fun for too long, even for a kid. And man, I know some grownups who can't hit the broad side of a barn, either. All they've ever shot were semiauto rifles and pistols.

Next, he can get a 10/22, and see how fast he can knock 10 cans off a 2x4, but you gotta be able to hit ONE first!:)
 
The day he got:

1) No....his finger is off the trigger. We spent several weeks reviewing gun safety before he ever touched it. I am proud to say that everytime he walks away from his rifle at the range.....he drops the mag and opens the bolt.

2) Notice the time......6:55AM....he is ready to go....the range opens at 9AM. :D

119281555.gif
 
The scout is nice. I like the Henry better. The savage has a very nice trigger, but the Henry trigger is fine.

I grew up with a lever action .22 and I think every kid, espcially in Texas, should own one. He can shoot .22's all day for next to nothing.

I posted this on another forum about the Crickett my daughter shoots,

The Crickett is not an impressive rifle by any means. It is however, like the chipmunk, a tiny little rifle that fits small children better than many "youth" guns on the market.

I am not pushing the crickett for it's bad trigger and marginal sights, but rather for it's very small size. I worked on the trigger so it is not terrible. The open sights are good enough for my daughter to hit 1" dots at 25 yards from a bench. I put a scope on it last weekend and it shoots 1 hole groups at 25 yards in my hands from a bench.

The most important thing is to keep the kid happy while shooting. If it takes a cheap little pink sub-par triggered rifle to keep my kid interested then so be it. She shot if for 2 years with the iron sights and loved it. She was so proud to shoot cans at 15 yards when she started. Now she is shooting 1 inch dots at 25 yards. She loves shooting and hunting and I have spent about 150.00 in the past 2 years to keep her shooting. When she is bigger and more experianced then I will buy her a better, bigger rifle.

If your 10 year old is big enough to shoot the Henry then it may be a better choice. If he is not big enough then he will be frustrated and you will be frustrated at him for giving up before he gives it a chance.
 
i 'd have to agree on the cz452 i've had a BRNO model 1 for years now and it is by far the most accurate rifle out of the box i've owned. period. the model 1 is the forrunner to the CZ 451 my personal best with the model 1, was 5 shots at 50yrds that you could cover with a dime. it seems magically blessed,it never misses. the CZ is basically the same gun with a few changes made over the years. I'd get the CZ.
 
BrainOnSigs,
What scope & rings do you have on the CZ? That might be what I go with. Also what rest is that? My dad wants to get a good rest.
Thanks,
WNTFW
 
you've got the chipmunk, the cricket, cz, marlin, savage, henry mini and accu bolt, they are all fine rifles, and all bolties and single shots. i'd wait on a lever.
 
heck all, let me just say thanks for all the post/feedbacks on all your .22 recommendations.

So today right after work, I headed to Sportsman warehouse, which they had the CZ Scout, Rugers, marlins and the Henrys.

So after about 3 hours and allot of patients, I almost 98% was about the purchase the cz scout for 199.00.

The only flaw which I wanted them to add was a full clip, all it had was the single shot clip. They did not have additional clips for that cz. :(

So as I pulled out the empty wallet, a son 14yrs old and pops walked by and asked what I was looking for. I said my sons 1st .22. Son really liked the CZ and added great feedback on it, but they were telling me to lean to the cheapest .22 they had, which was the Marlin 795. I told them I felt it was little to big, but dad was saying that the recoil on these .22s are nothing and kids will grow quick after they hit 9yrs old. He really highly recommend that I get the bigger .22 cal out of the bunch and cheap in price point. So after chat w/ them for about 35 minutes or so, I budge to the 795 rifle. Dad told me he will grow into it quick and said that I will thank him later.

So I purchased the marlin 795 for $109.00 and bought 100 rounds of CCI Mini MAG 22long for only $4.00 WOW!!!!

If worse comes to shove, I can always keep the 795 for myself and get my son the short .22 cal, but I feel he will manage w/ the 795.

His grandpa in LA chatted w/ me some this evening (about 30 minutes ago) and when my son was with him last summer he was shotting a remington 597 there , which I did not know. hahahaha
So I think this will not be a challenge for him.

So once again all, thank you for your feedback.
Sincerely,
-A proud father


The gun:
zoom_795.jpg

Caliber 22 Long Rifle only
Capacity 10-shot nickel-plated clip magazine
Action Autoloading; side ejection; automatic "last-shot" bolt hold-open; manual bolt hold-open; cross-bolt safety.
Stock Monte Carlo black fiberglass-filled synthetic with swivel studs and molded-in checkering.
Barrel 18" with Micro-Groove® rifling (16 grooves).
Twist Rate 1:16" r.h.
Sights Adjustable open rear, ramp front sight. Receiver grooved for scope mount.
Overall Length 37"
Weight 4.5 lbs.
 
BrainOnSigs,
What scope & rings do you have on the CZ? That might be what I go with. Also what rest is that? My dad wants to get a good rest.

1) The scope is a Leupold VX-II 3-9x33mm Rimfire EFR. It is the perfect scope for this rifle....IMHO.

2) The rings are made by BLK (Model# 257-M). These are needed due to the high bolt throw on the CZ. These are also the perfect height for the scope's 33mm objective bell to clear the front rifle sight....so you don't have to remove it.

3) The benchrest is made by Sinclair International (Model 04-2740). It is pricey but I was able to start shooting sub 1/4" groups after I bought it. It is the last rest that you will ever buy. Here is another picture of the rest:

165607200.gif
 
The Henry single shot .22 youth model with fiber optic sights is very fun. You can't really mount a scope on it, and it is small, but it is excellent for iron sights shooting.

I got a Browning BL-22 for my daughter, it is full size but very light, and the lever is very easy to use because it has a very short throw. However, the trigger pull was a little too heavy for a kid to use easily I found.

But what she likes the best is the scoped 10/22, I have a very light synthetic stock one. So there...
 
CZ 452 Scout.

I bought one for my son, and I kept it. I bought another for my son, and I scoped it and kept it. I bought a third. He can have that one.
Seriously, I wanted an Anchutz Woodchucker. They haven't been made for more than 30 years. This gun is almost identical in many ways.
Perfect.
 
TX Shooter

I have a 7000 (form SW :))and my 10 YO has been shooting it since he was 9YsO and younger IIRC. My son is a giant kid by no means. Average compared to the other boys in his home room.

He also has a great time shooting my full sized Savage hummer off sand bags and it is soooo much a tack drive we both have a ball shooting fly targets, paint balls and the golf tees they were just sitting on etc.

Truth be know he can handle any of my 22s off of a rest but carrying them afield would be another matter mainly due to lenght. The CZ 5 rounders fit flush but the Marlin 7 shot mags stick out a tad which to me is a PITA sometimes shooting off the rest. The Marlin mags and the trigger on the 7000are also a little less finger friendly than the CZ units.
Still, I'd not give up my 7000 for anything.

As an aside, I'm still a big fan of the CZ Scout. I shoot it a ton myself. Handy little walking-around-woodlot-rifle for kids and grown-ups alike.

Best

S-
 
TX Shooter,
Sorry I got to this thread late. IMO you shouldn't spend a lot of money on a youth size .22 because he will soon outgrow it. Again IMO, the Henry and CZ are a little too expensive for something he won't be able to shoot in a few years. Savage makes a great rifle and their Mark II Youth is no exception. Their barrels are super accurate and their new trigger is unequaled. I have seen them for under $130. I also like the Marlin you choose, great .22 IMO. My osn has a full size Savage that looks a lot like that Marlin. Rossi has a great deals on their double and triple barrel rifles all the time. Dicks usually had their Youth "Triple Threat" combo on sale for $199. Nothing wrong with a youth size rifle with a .22LR, 20 gage and .243 cal barrels for under $200. http://www.rossiusa.com/products/product-details.cfm?model=S2022243RS&category=MATCHEDSET

If you think that would be too much their 410/.22LR pair in either blue http://www.rossiusa.com/products/product-details.cfm?model=S411220RS&category=MATCHEDPAIR or in Stainless http://www.rossiusa.com/products/product-details.cfm?model=S411229RS&category=MATCHEDPAIR might be the right stuff.

I'm only recommending these because youth models aren't forever and will soon be out grown. Anything you decide will be great though. As long as he gets to go shooting with Dad it can't be a bad think in any way!! HAVE FUN!
 
Here's my 2 cents worth...
A kid will grow out of a kid sized rifle, but will grow into a full sized rifle. At first it will be a bit long and heavy for him, but it will make him learn to shoot from the sitting and kneeling positions, and to use a tree as a rest. By the time he is comfortably shooting off hand, he will already be a good marksman. I wouldn't buy a cheap or junky rifle, for fear that it may become unreliable. That would be very discouraging to him. If it's reliable and accurate, he may keep that rifle the rest of his life, and pass it on to his son. It will have sentimental value to him also, because it was his first rifle. My dad taught us kids to shoot with a fine old Winchester model 62 pump .22. His dad taught him to shoot with the same rifle. I am teaching the next generation to shoot using it. And many a rabbit has been bagged with it over the generations.

Question for ArchAngelCD... That Rossi triple play looks very nice. How does it compare to the New England Firearms Handi Rifle product line? Is it only available in youth size?
 
When he gets old enough, I'm giving my oldest grandson the rifle my dad gave me on Christmas 1957- my little Winchester Model 67 single-shot. Great first .22 for a kid and still easy to find at gunshows, etc. for under $200.00 or so (depending on condition, of course).
 
Can appreciate the good comments on the CZ's, I didn't have one when I started my daughter, so worked with a Browning BL-22 until it was having problems and she got ahold of my scoped 10/22. (oops!) Just like the wife, now she likes that one the best. (she is 10)
Anyway, as the kids get older, I would recommend the CZ 452ZKM LUX, the trainer, in 22LR. I have one, and the open sights are graduated out to 200 yds. You just dial in the range, and it will put it there. A friend has started to use his in metallic silouhette and posted scores to rival the scoped competitors. I hope to challenge him next month with mine.
My daughter might like this rifle when she gets a little bigger, so I might just get another one...
 
Question for ArchAngelCD... That Rossi triple play looks very nice. How does it compare to the New England Firearms Handi Rifle product line? Is it only available in youth size?
I know the NEF Handi Rifle's are very good since several friends own them. They buy a $200 rifle and put a good scope on it and they are very happy.

I'm told but have no first hand knowledge that the Rossi rifles are better than the price you pay for them. I have only spoken to 1 person who's son uses a .22LR/410 combo and he is very happy with it.

NO, not only youth models, full size combos are available too but the triple is youth only. Adult combos are doubles only but they come in a very wide variety ranging from 20gage/.17HMR to 12 gage/30-06. See then here: http://www.rossiusa.com/products/products-matchedpairs.cfm Most list for under $300 and cab be found for right around $200 on sale.

Since Taurus now owns Rossi I would expect the quality control to be better than in the past. I’m glad Taurus decided to keep Rossi separate wholly owned subliterary.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top