My youngin' wants a rifle.....

[REPOMAN]

Momma finally said o.k ......YESSSSSS
He will be 4 in Feb. and I want to get him a single shot .22 lr.... I've looked at the Cricket, Chipmunk and Henry mini. Is there any more out there? Help a feller out!!!!!!! Which one is best?

 

[Geno]

Buy him a T/C Contender carbine in ".22LR MATCH". With it's inter-changing barrels, it will grow with him for life.

Doc2005

 

[JesseL]

Buy him a T/C Contender carbine in ".22LR MATCH". With it's inter-changing barrels, it will grow with him for life.

Boy, that is a really good suggestion.

Even better might be a contender pistol, along with the rifle stock and rifle length barrel, for that little bit of extra flexibility.

 

[The Deer Hunter]

I heard the crickets are bad because you have to manually cock the gun each time.

 

[REPOMAN]

What worries me is the trigger distance from the end of stock...... most youth models start @ about 6 years old

 

[41magsnub]

I heard the crickets are bad because you have to manually cock the gun each time.

That could also be good depending on the kid and you want them to learn.

 

[Bear2000]

My father gave me a Savage/Stevens Model 72 Crackshot when I was 10. It's a great starter rifle.

 

[35Rem]

Marlin 15Y, available in Blue and Stainless
Savage Cub
CZ makes one, too, for kids

USED guns. Look around for a used gun and cut the stock down to fit. This may not have the "Cool" factor a new gun has, but there's plenty of life in those used guns.

 

[JesseL]

I heard the crickets are bad because you have to manually cock the gun each time.

That could also be good depending on the kid and you want them to learn.

I wouldn't consider manual cocking to be a bad thing unless it also requires manual uncocking in order to remove an unfired round (like my Winchester 67A).

 

[OAKVILLE SHOOTER]

I bought my son a Henry Mini-Bolt two weeks before he was born. I started him out shooting it when he was two. He is now five. I really like the little rifle. He shoots it well, particularly from the bench. I picked it over the Crickett and Chipmunk because it is stainless and synthetic, and therefor looked more like some of my rifles. Right now the stock is still a little big for him. At least he can now shoulder it properly. As stated above, you do have to manually cock it each time, but I think this is a good, safe idea for a young new shooter. Don't forget eye and ear protection and have fun.

 

[Wolfgang2000]

Rossi makes a 22 410 single set. 2 different barrels. I bought this for my grandson. I paid less than $150.00 for it. I also saw a 3 barrel set that was 22, 20 gage, and 243, for around the $250.00 mark. For when he grows up. It pays to plan a head.

 

[GRB]

My son has an Armscor 15Y. Made in the Pilippines. great all steel and wood rifle. Worked the first time, and thousands of times after that - each and every time.
As for this thought:

I heard the crickets are bad because you have to manually cock the gun each time.

having to manually cock the firearm each time is a safety precaution that is built into this particular model. I wonder why would you think that bad?

All the best,
Glenn B

 

[El Tejon]

I have given many "first rifles" now. I have had excellent luck with these:

1. Marlin 915Y, kids love those fiber optic sights, http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/BoltAction22/915ys.aspx.

2. Savage Cub, tack driving and kids adapt to the accutrigger without a hitch, http://www.savagearms.com/cub.htm.

3. CZ452 Scout, wonderful rifles, so nice I bought a 452 Scout for me, http://www.cz-usa.com/product_detail.php?id=5.

 

[MCgunner]

I heard the crickets are bad because you have to manually cock the gun each time.

I had an old Winchester boy scout .22 that had to be cocked to fire, not a problem, just cock the striker. It also had a metal safety that flipped up to keep the striker back. Not a good idea to carry with the striker down. Perhaps that's where you get that notion. It could be drop fired if the striker was carried down.

Buy him a T/C Contender carbine in ".22LR MATCH". With it's inter-changing barrels, it will grow with him for life.

Doc2005

Wow, Doc, would you adopt me? You'd be a great dad! .., but a good idea.

I'm not as great a dad, bit cheaper, would go the Rossi route, personally, LOL!

 

[<SLV>]

My daughter just got this Savage Cub for her 5th birthday. I stripped and stained it "Cherry Blossom Pink", and my wife did the hand painted daisies and vines. The scope is a Simmons 22MAG 4x32.

I faced the same decision as you, and here is why I chose the Cub:

1. Bullet feed ramp
2. Traditional toggle safety
3. Auto-cocking on bullet extraction
4. "Accu-Trigger" 2.5 pound pull + safety feature
5. Integrated rimfire dove-tail scope mount

BTW... I talked a friend into getting the Rossi for his son, and I was disappointed. The factory sights are PLASTIC, and they don't hold at all. He ended up having a gunsmith replace them. If you are going to scope the .22 barrel, then it would probably be fine. ALSO... the weight and pull length are too great for a 4-year-old. The Cricket is the best in that category, and my Wal-Mart has them for $99.

The Savage Cub comes with a peep sight - unique among its peers. Cub = $165.

 

[MCgunner]

I believe in learning on irons. I'd scope it later when they can hit with irons. JMHO of course.

I still have my first .22 I got at age 9, was shooting a Benjamin .22 air rifle prior. I didn't start even with my daisy red rider until age 6, past the point of shooting my eye out I reckon. A kid's first .22 is a great feeling, can still remember.

 

[SwampWolf]

Look for a nice Winchester Model 67 at a gun show or a shop that sells used guns. These are great first .22s for youngsters (I still have mine from a Christmas exactly fifty years ago!) and they'll always be a real Winchester!

 

[<SLV>]

Everybody extols the virtues of shooting with iron sights. I agree. However, with a 5-year-old it is hard enough to teach them the coordination of cross-hairs on target without telling them to line up three things.

I'm probably going to be replacing the scope with a red-dot because she is easily frustrated and paralax is another difficult concept to teach to a 5-year-old.

 

[TAB]

I would start them out with a BB gun in the back yard, once he gets a grasp of the "fundementals" of both safety and shooting, then move him up. Keep the sessions short and fun( ie targets that actually do something, ballons, clays etc)

 

[eliphalet]

I grew up with a SS 22 you needed to cock with iron sights and would recommend that as a beginning rifle for any child.
I agree that a BB gun is a good idea as a first to let them have complete control of.

 

[Dobe]

I bought my kids a Chipmunk many years ago. It too need eo be cocked each time even after the gun was loaded; it is a single shot bolt action. Personally, because this is a trainer. I think this is a good thing.

I chose this gun then because it had peep sights.

 

[usmccpl]

Repoman I know what you are going through right now. Mine will be 4 next week and wants a Deer rifle just like mine and also a 25 cal machinegun. 22s aint gonna get it for him but I did get him to try my Chipmunk that my dad bought me 20 sme years ago but he still tells me he has to have a 270.

 

[duck911]

Buy him a T/C Contender carbine in ".22LR MATCH". With it's inter-changing barrels, it will grow with him for life.

+1, only go with the Encore versus the Contender - the Encore is far more flexible than the Contender, and can also be a single shot shotgun, muzzleloader, and centerfile rifle too when the time comes.

The Encore may be the best option for a new, young shooter. I think a single shot break action gun is about the safest design you can give a young shooter. And from arms length one quick glance tells an adult if the child's loaded gun is "safe"or not.

The two best advantages though are that you can interchange barrels as the child grows, and stocks are easily changed out so cut-down stocks can be replaced with full length stocks easily.

--Duck911

 

[jpwilly]

Wouldn't an accurate pellet gun be a best choice prior to getting a firearm?

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

A CZ 452 would seem like a good choice. They are very nice and fairly inexpensive. I think that is what I will buy my son as his first firearm. He just turned 4, but he isn't quite ready yet. Maybe another year or two...