Crickett .22 rifles

[Guvnor]

I have a couple young cousins and their dad wants to introduce them to shooting and was wondering if these rifles were any good. The big stores like Cabelas has them on sale frequently for $99.

Looked at the website, they are made in Pennsylvania, have an excellent return policy, and it doesn't seem like theres much to go wrong on the gun anyway.

Anyone have any experiance with these guns?

 

[taliv]

my daughter loved hers when she was 5. was perfect for her

 

[hub]

My son has one and it is OK for as a decent learning tool and the small size is good for small kids who can's hold or shoulder a full size .22lr. The only downside is that some of the parts are cheap. Rear peep sight is stamped metal, front is molded plastic. It does however work well and the rifle is accurate. It also comes tapped for a scope.

The other thing I don't like is that it doesn't have a feed ramp so you have to actually put a round into the chamber with your fingers and close the bolt instead of setting it in the action and closing. Not that big of deal for kids but if you have somewhat big fingers it starts getting old pretty fast.

I think it is a great learning tool that is pretty cheap and does the job well. If I was looking for a youth model that is probably what I would go with.

However at the price, if the kids were a bit older and big enough to hold I would consider a full size .22lr like a Marlin 60, Savage 64, or maybe Remington 597, you can find all of them for around $100 or just a little more if you do some searching and they wouldn't out grow them in a few years.

 

[Uncle Mike]

my daughter loved hers when she was 5. was perfect for her

Same here! She still has that thing!

The only downside is that some of the parts are cheap. Rear peep sight is stamped metal, front is molded plastic.

There are new models now that have different rear sights. But yes, some parts are not hi-speed, but you know, for the cost and what we did with it...it was all good!

The other thing I don't like is that it doesn't have a feed ramp so you have to actually put a round into the chamber with your fingers and close the bolt instead of setting it in the action and closing. Not that big of deal for kids but if you have somewhat big fingers it starts getting old pretty fast.

hehehehehe, yeah...it will test your patients after about 500 rounds...but the thing I liked with that was it let my daughter fool with the cartridge, the action and so on... kinda let her feel as if she was accomplishing something by fumbling around loading the thing.

Later we got her a Marlin 'Little Buckaroo' 15Y...Still single load, but a bigger stock, barrel so on.

Now she consistently whips the old mans butt shooting silhouette with her Anschutz!

 

[Wingnut13]

In our family we have a cricket and the henry mini-bolt. As stated the rear sight is very cheap and can be an exercise in patience to make small adjustments. I couldn't tell you how many rounds have been through it, but we've had no issues.

 

[Rob62]

I bought my daughter a Pink colored (naturally) Cricket a while back. If I had to do it again I should have bought the Marlin 15Y youth model instead.

The Cricket is really "cheaply" made. Lots of other negative things to say but to keep it short I am really sorry I did not go with the 15Y. If you get a chance I would absolutely suggest you compare the two rifles. I think you will agree the 15Y is well worth the $20-$40 more it costs over the Cricket.

Merry Christmas,

Rob

 

[Ex-MA Hole]

I have a cricket that I bought for my Daughter.

Great little gun, but it is cheap. Accurate enough to hit 8" steel plates at 25 yards.

I'd buy it again.

 

[kd7nqb]

Those little "My first rifles" are tons of fun, got one "for the children" and I end up plinking with it all the time when I am out camping and such.

 

[Sam1911]

I went through this a year ago. I'll second all of the negatives others have posted. The Cricketts are cheaply made and have poor features. While the price is low, they STILL aren't worth the cost.

I mean, come on...the bolt doesn't even cock when you cycle the action, gotta pull the cocking knob back...they call it a safety feature which I find to be quite an insult. The main spring is exposed, too. Easy to get crap inside the bolt. Just a low quality rifle.

After much comparison shopping between the Henry Mini Bolt, Marlin's entry, and a couple of others, we went with the Savage Cub T. Awesome little gun! Solid workmanship, accurate, and even comes with the Accu-Trigger, which is nice.

For some reason a "safe" trigger for a beginner means "heavy, hard-to-pull" in a lot of folks' minds. No reason to hamper a new shooter's success by saddling them with a poor trigger. The Accu-Trigger is light and crisp.

Our cost was $170, on a Red Tag sale at Gander Mt. one day.

The sights are comparatively nice, too. Good aperture rear. Unfortunately, it is mounted too low for me to comfortably use. Yeah, that's right. I shoot the Cub more than my kids do! I put a very inexpensive rimfire scope on it and it's my go-to gun for groundhogs in the yard. I can plink little 1.5" metal spinner targets at 75-100 yds easily.

I know these are supposed to be "beginners' rifles" but I can't justify buying a lousy gun. Hopefully my kids will teach THEIR kids with the Cub. I'll be proud to pass it along. Not so much the Crickett.

-Sam

 

[overcast_days]

For the same price the Savage Cub can be bought. It is a better made rifle in my opinion.
I was comparing these two guns at a gun show a few years ago. I went with the Savage.

 

[Joshua M.]

I am about to find out for myself also. I purchased a pink synthetic one for my 5 year old daughter for Christmas. I shot it the other day,(just to make sure it would work...of course), and it seems real accurate. I am really looking forward to showing her how to shoot, as she just loves to watch me shoot whistlepigs, and other varmints.

 

[Red Tornado]

I've been looking for about 5 years as of yesterday, and I've pretty much settled on the Cub when my daughter's ready. On her 5th birthday, she's not, but maybe next summer.

However, I think she's likely to prefer a pink Crickett when we go to the gun store together. If she likes that, that's what we'll get. They're fine for what they are. I'd rather her get one she likes and wants to shoot, than one I deign good enough.

Also, I happen to really like the cocking knob. It separates every segment of the whole firing process, and for a trainer, I think that's a good thing. Open bolt, load, close bolt, cock, and it's ready to fire. I want her to understand each step. It's not absolutely required, but the fewer shortcuts on the first rifle, the better IMO.
RT

 

[Joshua M.]

^^^yea what RT said^^^^

 

[GTR done]

Take a look at the CZ Scout.

Take a look at the CZ Scout.
They sell it with a pink stock now also. 16 inch barrel. Comes with a solid (one shot) magazine & you can buy 5 or 10 rounders also.
It is a beautiful gun. My daughter loves hers. Accurate, and a real rifle! I would be moving her up to a CZ carbine, but they don't have a left hander in the caliber she needs.

 

[hub]

They're fine for what they are. I'd rather her get one she likes and wants to shoot, than one I deign good enough.

I agree, my son got his last year for Christmas from my step dad. He was only one and a half and no I didn't plan on teaching him right away but I think it will work just fine for a training tool. He loves it now and calls it his shoot. Every time I go out to do some shooting he makes me bring it and let him shoot some too. He doesn't really have the whole aiming with the sights concept down yet it's more like point and pull the trigger but he really has fun and that's the whole point at his age.

It is a accurate little rifle, I was blasting walnuts out of the tree's every shot after I got the sights set up. Also kid's don't care about looks, if something is plastic or stamped metal, and of course with a kid handling it, it will get dropped, banged on stuff too hard and generally beat around a bit. I would rather him do that with a cheap crickett than a nice rifle that I'm worried about dinging up the stock, scratching up wood, blueing, etc.

I don't mind the cocking mechanism either, like posted before just another step for them to learn. Now at his young age it is kinda nice that I can load a round for him to get him set up and then pull the plunger when I'm ready for him to shoot not when he feels just feels like pulling the trigger. That way he learns a little patience and I can get him focused a little better on the fact we are shooting at something not just waiting for the BANG.

I've decided this is what I will teach him to use first with the peep sights. When he gets that down I will put a little scope on and see how he does. Then when he gets big enough to use, clean, and take care of his own rifle "under my supervision of course" I'm going to buy him something really nice that he can enjoy forever and someday pass down to his kids.

My step brother still has his anschutz youth rifle that his dad bought him when he was young. It is still a very nice rifle but it's the only .22 he owns. He's not really that big into guns but he does enjoy occasionally hunting or target shooting with me or his dad. I can understand he has only been out of collage for several years and has other bills that are more important to him than buying a nice new rifle but I can't help but to rag on him every time we go squirrel hunting and he brings that little kids rifle. It looks pretty funny for a 29 year old who is 6'1 to seriously hunt with it. I know the anschutz youth was nice, probably nicer than any .22 I own but I know for a fact he would have appreciated it more if his dad would have bought him a nice full size bolt action when he was old enough and he could still be proud to carry it around today.

 

[scchokedaddy]

cricket

Whats one of the hardest things to teach a new shooter? SIGHT PICTURE!! One of the crickets advantages is the peep sight. When small people learn to shoot with peeps, they actualy accidently learn a skill that they will keep for life. Then when they get that down you step up to scope. As to the cocking issue, that really is a saftey feaure for the new shooter as well as the person teaching the new shooter. After all they can not cock you have to. Alot of coon hunters around here put slings on them and carry them underarm. They like the fact that they are not only accurite but carried this way the are almost tangle free walking throughh brush. As for being cheap made, well Evryone has their opion on that and I won't even try to argue that point, After all I own a High Point in 45 {7-750 rounds and NO PROBLEM yet} and love the big ugly monster. HAPPY HOLIDAYS God Bless and Good Luck

 

[RonC133]

I bought one for a granddaughter a couple of years ago.

I would prefer a feed ramp to aid in loading.

I was pleased with the aperture sight. I was not pleased that there is no leftward travel left after I sighted it in. I was pleased with the accuracy.

Amazing little gun. Sort of unique in its price range ($99, I think.)