help me pick a youth .22.

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moooose102

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my son and i had such a graet time shooting last week, i have decided to buy him his own 22 for his birthday. it will be kept in my gun safe, but he needs a gun he can handle. one that is light, and has a shorter stock, and decent sights. either a single shot, or a bolt would be ok. i have seen these cheap little .22's in the gun stores, but i am not really impressed with them. they just look and feel chincy. i want his first gun to be decent, so he can get a good feel for the sport. not get dicouraged by a junk gun that he wont be able to hit the broad side of a barn with. i would consider an older gun, even if it meant shortening the stock. the problem is, i have no idea even what to look for. i am over 50, and it has been a LONG time since i was a beginner. my little brother (now 47) had a little glenfeild bolt action, clip fed .22 when he was young, but he sold it when he was in his 30's. any idea's????
 
I can personally recommend a CZ 452 Scout. Built on the outstanding 452 action, with an adjustable trigger, but with a short barrel and stock. Bought one for my then-girlfriend (now wife!), but it's so light, handy and accurate, I like shooting it myself. Comes standard with a 1-round mag, but will accept standard 5- and 10-round CZ mags as well.

http://www.cz-usa.com/product_detail.php?id=5
 
cz, savage, marlin, and henry all make a fine boys' rifle. the first three will also let you swap to a adult stock, when they get bigger.
 
the savage mark ii is a great beginner rifle, its pretty cheap at walmart but very well made and holds up well. I got mine when i was 11, that was over 10 years ago and its still flawless
 
+1 on the CZ452 Scout. Can't beat it for out-of-the-box accuracy. We're possibly getting one for my step-daughter's 9th birthday.
 
I can't agree more with cbrgator!!!! I have had the MK2 since I was 15, I'm now 21 1/2, and I have NEVER, EVER, EVER had a single problem/negative issue with it, and I haven't babied it, especially before I learned about the importance of guncare! They are surprisingly accurate, light, and in terms of reliability, they'll give the milsurps a run for their $! For $100 or so, you won't be worrying about every little scratch and ding he'll put on it, compared to a $200+ advanced rifle, although they are very nice! And, they are incredibly simple, unlike a semi-auto, which would be a good second 'graduation' rifle, and bolt-actions tend to teach people to hone their aiming skills.
 
IMO, no question, CZ452 Scout (also).

Of the current under $500 youth .22 lrs, the CZ is of the highest build quality and, IMO, performance (after the bolt has been worn in). Dropping in an adjustable sear or new trigger group sends it well above the rest.

Comes standard with a 1-round mag...
Click to expand...

The Scout actually comes with a 0-round mag. The top of the mag actually (when inserted) acts as a channel for the round to rest on before being pushed into the chamber. It is a solid piece of plastic and cannot hold any rounds in it.
 
You're right about the 0-round mag. I forgot about that. At any rate, it's set up from the factory as a single shot, but can take standard mags too, which is a nice feature.

I installed a Brook's trigger kit (Whittaker's) to sweeten the trigger, and sanded the barrel channel a bit while the action was out. It's a very nice little rifle indeed!
 
How old/big is your son? If he is under 5 or 6 then just about everything will be heavy for him. The Cricket is an OK, very light single shot bolt action and plenty accurate for plinking purposes. The Henry survival rifle is also very light but might be a bit big. Next step up in size is a Rossi single action. They sell these with both synthetic and wood stocks and come with 2 barrels. The one I have has one 22 barrel and a .410 barrel.

If he is a bit larger then get him the CZ or a Henry lever gun.

He'll be thrilled with whatever you decide on, dad.
 
I'd ditto El T and add the Chipmunk and the Rossi/Taurus M62 (rifle or carbine, depending on the size of the child) with the optional Youth buttstock.

My two pre-Taurus M62s are heavy favorites with my youngest nephews and oldest greatniece.
 
In order of cost:

BRNO single-shot .22LR at Dunhams. They list for $129.00 and are awesome little rifles!

Savage Mark II! These .22LR rifles will run a bit more, in the range of $169.00, but have 10-shot magazines. I own one, and to call it a 30-yards tack-driver is accurate. In fact, I have done precisely that...driven tacks into pine at 30 yards. :D

Ruger 10/22 HB is a rifle that a kid can start on, and grow into. Now, the money goes up. I saw some nice 12/22 HBs, stainless barrels, with Hogue rubber-coated stocks for $399.00 at the gun show.

Best of luck!

Doc2005
 
we will be 7, but is about the size of the average 8-9 year old. he was born @ normal weight, but must have extraordinary growth hormones. he has been over the top of the growth chart since his 6 month check up, and hasn't slowed down yet. in fact, he has grown another 1/2" this past month! thanks for the tips, i did not know anybody made rifles with interchangable stocks. i will have to check them out.
 
The Henry lever gun (youth) is not quite as nice as the Marlin, but it's pretty nice. I got one for my son. My daughter has a Henry Mini-bolt. Both are fine guns.
 
Got a Marlin 915Y single shot .22 for our 6yr old twin granddaughters....right length, easy to function action for small kids, simple safety, and good sights.

photo_915Y.jpg


firstrifle-1.gif
 
The Marlin 15YN (I guess it is called the 915Y now) would be perfect for him.
 
well, as much as i like marlins, (and i really do like them, and their micro-groove) i think i am going to buy a cz. i called up where i purchase most of my guns from, and they have one for $235.00 +tax. i am going to run up and buy it today, if they still have it. the things i didnt like about the marlin, is, no upgrade to repeater status in the future, and when i called marlin about switching to an adult stock at a later date, they did not know for certain if it could be done. the person did not seem real knowledgeabe. sad, that is why you have a customer service rep. to answer questions. thanx for all of your help guys!
 
moooose102,

All the above tips for that first rifle were great,but I would like to add a little on saftey, it's never to late to start them out right .

Just make sure those young ears and eyes stay in the condition they started .

Ear protection even when shooting the rimfire calibers is a must.Plugs or muffs, along with some really neat eye protection should be the accessories to that new rifle!
 
When I took my older niece (then 7) and nephew (8) out for the first times shooting (seperate occassions), I had use smaller adult sized adjustable shooting glasses and found them to be just a little too big for them to be a good fit. I went and bought a few Pyramex Mini-Zteks from Safety Glasses USA. They fit my younger niece (now 7) perfectly. She will be out at the range for the first time sone time in the next month or two when school is out (and I get much needed practice for '08 CMP Rimfire Sporter).
 
my middle son is 8 , set him up with a shortened stock 10/22 , he enjoys shooting it , but he is finding it easier and more fun to shoot my savage GVXP or Marlin 17HMR.
Bolt gun makes him slow down and concentrate on hits.

Cant go wrong with the Savage.
 
I got the Marlin 915Y to start my kids on. So far, it has worked well with the first one. It is also accurate enough that I enjoy shooting it some, even though it is a little small for me.

Have fun! :cool:
 
Bought my son an Ruger 10/22 CRR.
Short stock/lop, 16.5" barrel. Williams firesights come standard. Best of all it shares mags with my 10/22 for ease of use.
 
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