Kid's .22 rifle

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Dr.Doug

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I'm planning to purchase a .22 youth model bolt action rifle for a Christmas gift. I'm leaning toward a Henry Mini Bolt or a Chipmunk. Any recomendations?

Thanks,
Doug
 
Savage

makes a kids rifle. Peep sighted too. Single shot. Way better
than Chipmunk, Henrys bolt gun.
 
How old a kid?

Real young - BB gun

Younger Kid - CZ Bolt

Older kid - Henry Lever Gun, Marlin 60 semi

I grew up in the 60s with a single shot Ithaca 49 lever action.
Still have it. Still shoot it. Look around for one. Great first rifle.

I never was one for bolt guns.
 
I had a Chipmunk as a kid, it fit well for a few years. Still have it and am looking forward to passing it down to a son or daughter.
So what it the kid will outgrow it in a few years? It will begin the collection, and will just lead to having someone with you to go gun shopping with.
And when it is obvious that the kid has outgrown it, then you have a real answer for "why do you need another gun?" It is a win - win!
 
Romanian Trainers

Right now there are lots of these bolt action rifles floating around and can be had for 50 to 90 dollars, depending on area pricing and good deals. Your best bet in my opinion is to:
1) Get one of these accurate yet ugly rifles.
2) Measure your son/daughter for length of pull.
3) Drill two 3/8 holes from buttplate toward the receiver, deeper than the cut you'll make to adjust LOP.
4) Save the chunk you cut off. When the kid grows a little, the dowell holes will ensure the rifle has a full length and aligned buttstock. Just put the dowells through the holes and glue in place with wood glue.
 
How about a nice Winchester 67? You can still turn them up for around $75 up here in the land of unhappy cows.(DPRK dairy commercial)
 
Bought my son a mini-bolt for his sixth birthday, after a brick, he was outshooting the gun and getting very frustrated (poor accuracy, miserable and fragile sights, hit and miss firing pin).

Traded it in on a CZ Scout and now, 4 years later, he's still banging away at it. The CZ is a bit bigger than the Henry, but not so much that my 5 y/o daughter can't use it. Gun is very accurate (1/2" 50 yard groups w/ PowerPoints), durable and reliable as it is based on the full-sized CZ 452 action. Comes with a single-shot adapter, but takes magazines (get the 5 rounders, the 10s stick out below the stock and interfere with a proper handhold on the shorter stock). Standard iron sights were good to start with and a scope rail for later. I put a Simmons Mini-Mag scope on his, its size fits the gun perfectly, is very clear, drurable, repeatable (he shoots informal Silhouette with it) and the rings that come with the scope fit the Scout's rail.

...from the land of the overtaxed and overregulated cows... :D
 
I guess I just say get a bigger gun off the bat, because I no longer have my first gun, because it was sold to get something that fit me when I grew bigger.
 
jefnvk said:
I guess I just say get a bigger gun off the bat, because I no longer have my first gun, because it was sold to get something that fit me when I grew bigger.
Click to expand...

I'd rather get a child a gun that fits. Too big and clumsy equates to "not fun to shoot."
 
Rom Trainers

Tried the Rom so cheap-yet the stock doesnt fit
my lttle girl. besides its soo ugly its beautiful. like a pair
of pliers-always with me on whenever I get to the range.
 
I started with a used Ruger 10/22 and changed the stock to a youth model fiberglass one by either butler creek or ramline, anyway about $50 and it's a pretty decent youth stock. I did a little bit of (careful) stoning of the sear to get the pull weight down to 4 pounds (roughly). I replaced the bolt release with one that releases when pulling the bolt back; much easier for a child to use and how it should have been originally. You can use a dremel tool to mod the original one. The final mod was installing a set of Williams receiver mount peep sights with the brass bead front sight. It's a very slick and accurate shooting rifle. My sons enjoy it and it can grow with them. The rifle is light weight with the fiberglass stock and original barrel; no more than 5 pounds, maybe less. I still have the original stock although I can shoot it OK even with the small stock. They have fun and don't "spray and pray", yet. :D
 
Even at my age

I can remember trying to manhandle a gun that didn't fit. No fun.No bullseyes.
When a kid outgrows a gun ya trade up to another one.:)
and another.
and another.
etc. :)

I'ts like handing the gf/'wife a .44 model 29 and saying 'here,shoot this , it won't kick'.
 
My first gun was a savage single-shot bolt gun... with the stock drilled, dowelled, and cut off in 1" incraments... it was ugly as sin, but it grew with me...

I have since located a nice original uncut stock, and i still have that old gun... still shoot it regularly, and still love it... (I also still have the cut-up stock, and whatnot, now back to full length, and glued/screwed back together)

that old gun has so many memories that go with it that i will keep it until i die...

best advice, get the kid a quality gun that he/she can keep forever... and then make the required adjustments to make it fit... you can't go wrong...
 
Kids .22 rf..

For my kiddos, we used a Rossi copy of the Winchester pump. Shortened the stock a bit. And commenced to have fun.

The Rossi pump made safety issues a bit easier for me to explain and for the kiddos to understand.

#1 Grand-daughter is left handed, she is going to get, with her parents permission and supervision, and sufficient time on the Rossi, a now out-of-print Browning take down 22 with bottom ejectionfor Christmas.

salty.
 
I solved this problem with a 1902 Winchester

My grandson will be six in February and will start shooting sometime next spring...I had a Savage Model 3 that I was considering shortning when someone in town aproched me with a very nice 02. He wanted to know I'd give him 50 dollars for it.. I'd been looking for a nice one for years. I gave him 150 for it. It was worth that to me and it answered my problem......Essex
 
Thanks for your input. I fully intend to purchase an adult-sized rifle for him in a few years, but I want something that fits him now. He's been shooting my Marlin 39 off crossed sticks, but it's awfully large for him. There's no way he could shoot it off hand or even seated without support. He's quite the sniper within the limits of his BB gun, though- it fits him.

I agree with Tuna- it gives me an excuse to go gun shopping again in a few years! Especially since my wife informed me that I didn't need to buy any more guns "for her"...
 
For my kiddos, we used a Rossi copy of the Winchester pump. Shortened the stock a bit. And commenced to have fun.
Click to expand...

Rossi now sells this rifle with two buttstocks. And in two barrel lengths. If I were buying one for a grandkid, I'd get the shorter barrel, put the kiddie buttstock on it, and when they got old enough put the full-size one on.
 
saltydog452 said:
For my kiddos, we used a Rossi copy of the Winchester pump. Shortened the stock a bit. And commenced to have fun.

The Rossi pump made safety issues a bit easier for me to explain and for the kiddos to understand.
Click to expand...

+1 on this. I got the carbine version for my son when he was 11. The one I bought (used) has a flip-up tang peep sight and is very accurate.

We didn't have to shorten the stock (maybe the carbine is different). I shoot this gun with him often and do not find it uncomfortable.

It is also light enough for him to shoot off-hand.
 
my first gun was a marlin 22 semi auto, by now that gun has more rounds through it than i have miles on my truck and it still jams much less than my friend's brand new ruger 10/22
 
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