first 22 advise

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JO JO

JO JO

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well I always come here for solid advise so here it goes,
time to buy my 10 yr old his first .22 he as been shooting air soft rifle in
back yard with me for close to a year with safety rules applied, so I now
want to let him step up a bit and take him to shoot rimfire.
So here is the question thinking of getting him his own .22 rifle to be kept
in safe of course thinking of a 1. marlin 60 2. henery lever 3. single shot cricket
4. ???
any advise would help
thanks all
 
What does he want?

Personally, I would be looking for something like the Henry or a 10/22. It might be a bit big now, but he'll grow into it. A Crickett will be outgrown pretty quick. While the Henry would be something cool for him to look back on and say that was his first rifle, sometching classic.
 
i agree. the cricket may not be the best option for a 10 yr old. something he can grow into , would be the route i'd take.

my first was a marlin 25, and a nice bolt action (i like CZs) would likely be my first choice for a youngster. a nice marlin 39 would be good too. the 10/22 would be my third choice.
 
CZ Scout if it's not too heavy for him. the stock size is right and it's youth sized but still a bit heavier than a Crickett. The good part though is that it will shoot circles around the rest and even rival a $1000 22 in accuracy. He can shoot it even when grown. I know several grown men who use them squirrel hunting because they are light short and handy compared to a full size gun but just as accurate as any and more than about 99% of the larger rifles out there.
 
Absolutley NOT the Henry. The Henry has no safety so a cocked hammer means a hot gun. Small hands with little experience would be a recipe for disaster. I once managed to shoot between my toes with one and it stayed in the woods for the day until my father went and retrieved it. It was sold immediately following...and I was about 18 or 20 with plenty experience.

I learned to shoot on a red-rider bob gun and stepped up to a marlin 60, which I now have 4 of. As much as I love it, I can't recommend it either. My suggestion is a single shot or bolt action rifle with detachable magazine and a thumb operated safety (with magazine disconnect or if possible)and always ALWAYS teach safe handling.
 
How about a savage mkii? They have great accuracy are fairly cheap and he can easily grow in to it.
 
I'm thinking S&W 15-22.

The adjustable stock will grow along with the owner. It looks cool and you can hang a lot of cool kid stuff on it should the need arise. Besides, there already appears to be a well grounded foundation in firearms safety. It may sound like a break with tradition but really the platform has been with us for close to 50 years now and likely a good Bit longer.

What 10 year old in 2014 wouldn't want his very own M4? He'll, now I want one :D
 
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CZ Scout if it's not too heavy for him. the stock size is right and it's youth sized but still a bit heavier than a Crickett. The good part though is that it will shoot circles around the rest and even rival a $1000 22 in accuracy. He can shoot it even when grown. I know several grown men who use them squirrel hunting because they are light short and handy compared to a full size gun but just as accurate as any and more than about 99% of the larger rifles out there.

I totally agree. My grandson was shooting one when he was 7. When they need a bigger stock there is one available. As far as fit, finish, and accuracy, they are hard to beat.
 
Either the CZ Scout or the Ruger American Rimfire. Both are real rifles, and both can be put into full sized stock configurations when the young man grows into his full frame.
 
I'm with zgunner. the henry will always be fun to have around, and a 10/22 is great as well. He will probably appreciate having a 10/22 more as an onder person than the others. Nice thing about a 10/22 is that there are zillions of takeoff wood stocks kicking around, so you can chop one short and replace it with a full size gun later on. The new triggers on the 10/22 blow though. They can be fixed, but out of the box, eew.
 
good advise I can see the cricket getting old fast, something to grow into would for
sure be best If I give him the choice he would pick the 15-22,
I guess a magazine can always be loaded to say 1 to 5 rounds,
definitely want to pick on that will be fun for now and into the future if possible
thanks all
 
go with a bolt action instead of a lever or a semi. The longer time to cycle the action will teach one to place their shots more accurately.
 
As mentioned, a bolt action that handles S,L & LR is preferable for learning, and I think that a single stroke pellet rifle might be a better choice for now, with 22 Rimfire ammo double and triple the cost of a couple years ago, and sometimes hard to find, so I understand.
I have several 22 RF to chose from, but I I usually grab my Marlin single shot bolt action when I need to dispatch a varmint, because it's simple, safe and accurate. I have no children around, but I never have a loaded rifle sitting unattended.


NCsmitty
 
What outcome are you hoping for? Beyond basic safety, is there something you do that you would like to bring him into doing too? Some attitude you want to induce? Figure out your motivation (and his) and you are more likely to pick a winner.

Hunting or plinking/target shooting? I think the CZ would be great.

The philosophy of gun ownership as a civic responsibility? As in will you want to take him to an Appleseed type event? I would suggest a 10/22 or Marlin 795. Magazine fed semi auto with peep sights available.

CAS or reenactment type shooting? The lever gun.

Familiarity with modern weapons? AR with .22 upper.

Etc...there are many best choices depending on what you (and, at 10, the boy) want out of this.

Not the Cricket though. 5 years ago, sure, but not at 10.
 
A 10-22 is probably the best overall choice. First, the price is reasonable, and secondly, there are tons goodies to modify and customize a 10-22 later on should there be a desire to do so.
 
I have a CZ Scout and a 10/22 for my 8 y/o son. I was worried about him getting bored on the CZ, but he actually prefers it to the 10/22. I would include him in the decision making as well. I agree with others about the Cricket, it will be too small.
 
Any of those would be a good choice, with maybe the Cricket at the bottom of the list (outgrow it quick).

NOBODY ever got fired by getting a Marlin 60. Tough, accurate, no mag to loose, and his grand kids will be shooting it if he takes care of it well.
 
Marlin 60. I learned on a tube fed Stevens semi auto, and never once had an accidentally loaded chamber. With the 10/22, or any DBM for that matter, he may leave a surprise round in the chamber with the mag pulled. I've done it with mine, recently in fact, and I've been shooting for 40+ years.

I would not be letting a 10 year old out of sight on his own until I had been with him for lots of practice and training. My son is 12, turning 13 in a few weeks, and I am just now comfortable letting him carry a .22 on his own. I am not worried about him shooting himself, but poor target judgement was my greater concern.

I did allow him to carry his .30-30 around the property over a year ago, but the rules were plain; if I hear that rifle, I better find a dead pig. No pig, no more gun. He never fired it, at least not when he was alone.
 
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