Help me find a kid a rifle...

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marksman13

marksman13

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My boss's son is a dwarf. At 14 years old he stands 48 inches tall. At his size, football, baseball and other organized team sports have pretty much left him behind. The kid has an awesome attitude though and would very much like to compete in some type of sport. He's done some archery through the boyscouts and may take that interest a bit further. The other sport he is interested in is small bore rifle. I am going to look into what organizations sponsor marksmanship programs and competitions in our area, but the real problem is going to be finding him a rifle.

I know his dad wants to start him off fairly cheap. I was thinking about a Savage Mark I-FVT. Comes with peep sights at an MSRP of around $400.00. I also like the CZ 452 scout at the same price. I have always been a big fan of CZ firearms, but I don't know if I can get peep sights for the scout or if the lighter barrel will hold up to heavier barrels most competitors will be shooting. I guess the CZ 452 Sillhouette would work but I'm not sure. I haven't shot competition in many years and just don't know what all is out there. Any advice you guys could give would be appreciated.
 
I'm thinking something of the bolt action flavor. Should have been more specific. A stock 10/22 isn't a very accurate gun and I don't think the dad really wants to put alot of money into making a 10/22 into a competition gun.
 
You would do well to stick with a bolt-action.

If he is serious about competition, he will need a fully adjustable receiver peep sight, hooded front, and provisions for a shooting sling.

I haven't followed the rules for NRA Small-Bore for many years, but I'm not even sure a semi-auto would be legal.

You might also look at NRA Air-Rifle. Lots going on there too.

rc
 
LOP can be solved with a good band saw and a disc sander to refit the butt plate back on.
I would go with the Savage, it has all that is needed unless you can find a good used one
There are a few good Rem 541's out there used.
Do a search of gunbroker and gunsamerica for a Rem 541 or 581
If you can find Trout run Gun Shop in Ephrata Pa on the web they have a few used target 22's on the racks.
 
I mentioned air rifle, but he just doesn't want to do that. Brian, your post is just what I was looking for.

He just needs something to put his energy into. Dad is very competitive and has spent alot of time with other son's football and baseball activities. Just wants something to share with this son as well.

I don't know how serious he will get. May shoot in national competitions one day, may never shoot outside of local competitions. I just want to get a reasonably accurate rifle and get him some range time. The rest is up to him. I don't feel sorry for him, just feel like I can help father and son get together more and help a kid get in to marksmanship and the same time. Thanks for all the help so far guys. Keep it coming.
 
Instead of trying to pick something out for him, what about turning things around?

Since different competitions and disciplines cry out for different equipment, what about trying to narrow things down a bit. Do some digging at local gun shops, the internet, and ranges and find out what competitons take place within a reasonable distance from your house. I would bet 99% of the time, a call to the organizer or one of the participants would net you a contact that would supply all the gear to take that competition for a test drive. Let your son try out a few to see what fits.

If he finds something he wants to participate in, you might even be able to get some used gear for a fair price from one of the participants. Perhaps they just upgraded to something new or have a child who has outgrown their old rig.

If you're going to purchase new, perhaps letting your son pick out his new rifle would be a better way to go. Set some parameters like price or caliber and let him do his homework and pick something out that works for him. It's a good learning experience and can be a good bonding experience.

Lastly, every boy who has parents willing to spend the time to work with him/her to develop proper and safe shooting habits needs a .22. It doesn't have to be new or fancy. It's the cheapest way to learn the fundamentals of shooting, care, and maintenance of firearms, etc.
 
Marksman -

OK. Air rifles out.

Gotta have that whiff of burned nitrocellulose, I completely understand.

Look at the Winchester 67A youth model.

Older than God.

Better built than anything these days, unless

You have gonzobucks.

Nice walnut stock, tack driver, historical.

And reasonable.

I got mine from my Dad, at (my) age 6, who grew up with it from his Dad.

He cut a couple inches off the stock so it would fit me.

Somehow I held onto the cutoff for many years and

Added it back on some years ago.

It is still my ratshooter.

And, no, you can't have it because it is bespoken for #1 grandson.

I'm not saying that the kid shouldn't have a say,

But the 67a is a sleeper.


isher
 
Ever considered Rossi? They have some nice youth combos, everything from .22/.410 all the way up to youth Trifectas, .44/.243/20GA for example - and they will not break the bank.
 
Henry Repeating Arms has a couple of youth models. I'm a fan of lever actions ( to a distraction Im told ), They make a smaller framed lever and also a resin or nylon stocked single shot bolt action. I love their build quality and the post sale customer support is ( or should be ) the industry standard.
 
I wouldn't worry about the barrel thickness. I really believe they use "bull" barrels just to make the gun look better. The accuracy is in the bore, not the thickness of the barrel. In my experience, I haven't seen a 22lr more accurate than my cz452 for anywhere near the price. less than 2" 10 shot group at 100 yards with cheapy federal champions. Even when the barrel is hot, it doesn't shift POI. If I were looking for a gun to compete with, I would look for either the CZ or the Savage. Just my .02
 
I'm not familiar with these particular rifles, but CDNN has been advertising Soviet Bloc CM2 Olympic Style Target Rifles for a while at $299. These are single shot bolt-action rifles that include the adjustable rear diopter sight and globe front sight. They also have fully adjustable triggers. From the photo in the ad it appears that the buttstock may be adjustable for LOP.

If you don't get their catalog in the mail, you can download a copy from their website.
http://www.cdnninvestments.com/dowournewcat.html

Best of luck in your search!
 
Why not start him with a .22 target rifle? You can get BSA Mod 12/15 target rifles that are in good shape and pleanty accurate for around $400-500. These are supurb rifles up to the point that it takes thousands of dollars to the next step up.
 
I'd go for the 541 Remington. As stated earlier any LOP issues can be solved fairly easily on a wood stock.
 
Think about getting him a .22 wmr. A little more $$$ for ammo I know but once his skill improves he'll want to take the rifle out to longer distances.
 
no doubt about it; go with whatever cz has in the Lux version; this will have a single set trigger, which will be better than all those other triggers, except for Annies', and will also have great sights, and superior accuracy. If you wanna get a kid's attention to something real, REAL FAST, make it as accurate as you can get, the first time off the bat. A CZ can do that.
 
daisy makes .22lr rifles. i bought my daughter one for xmas it fits her at 6yrs old and many of them have "grow with me" stocks that are easily adjustable. the one i bought is bolt action with a rotery mag dont know if all of them are or not.
 
instead of trying to pick something out for him, what about turning things around?

Since different competitions and disciplines cry out for different equipment, what about trying to narrow things down a bit. Do some digging at local gun shops, the internet, and ranges and find out what competitons take place within a reasonable distance from your house. I would bet 99% of the time, a call to the organizer or one of the participants would net you a contact that would supply all the gear to take that competition for a test drive. Let your son try out a few to see what fits.

If he finds something he wants to participate in, you might even be able to get some used gear for a fair price from one of the participants. Perhaps they just upgraded to something new or have a child who has outgrown their old rig.

If you're going to purchase new, perhaps letting your son pick out his new rifle would be a better way to go. Set some parameters like price or caliber and let him do his homework and pick something out that works for him. it's a good learning experience and can be a good bonding experience.

Lastly, every boy who has parents willing to spend the time to work with him/her to develop proper and safe shooting habits needs a .22. It doesn't have to be new or fancy. It's the cheapest way to learn the fundamentals of shooting, care, and maintenance of firearms, etc.
Click to expand...

excellent advice
 
Good advice by all. I think a Savage or CZ is still the way to go. His dad and I are going to take him to some different places next week and see what he likes. Also going to get up with some competition organizers around here and see what is available to him.
 
Pawn shops may be a good place to check out as well. One of the local shops has a couple of tricked out biathalon rifles that have literally been sitting there for years.
 
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