Opinions For a 22 Rifle for My Daughter

[TheGunArmorer]

Hey guys, I am looking for some tips for a rifle in 22 so I can teach my 12 year old daughter how to shoot. I'm looking for a good rifle without spending 500.00. I need the best quality either new or used which can be scoped. It also has to be a rifle for left handed shooters. Any help is appreciated guys!

 

[beatledog7]

May I ask, why LH? Are you sure she's left-eyed? Is there some other reason?

 

[Jackal]

Also saying "best quality" with a price cap of $500 is kind of impossible. You mean best quality under $500?

 

[Horny Toad]

Take a look at the Henry Lever Action .22 Youth. Nice, lightweight, fun to shoot.

http://henryrepeating.com/rifle-lever-youth.cfm

 

[PJSprog]

I love my Savage MkII. You can get a new one and a nice scope for well under your price limit.
My wife loves her Ruger 10/22. Same deal; scoped for well under $500.

 

[jp0319]

Something like a Marlin 795 would be good. I one very similar when I was a kid. It was the first firearm I was given. Its accurate enough, it takes a scope, has a detatchable Magazine, etc.

JP

 

[rule303]

A Savage MKII would be your best bet in that price range. They do offer it in a left hand with standard or youth stock. A LH CZ-455 would also be a good choice if she can handle the size (it is definitely an adult sized rifle)

 

[ugaarguy]

I'd hold off on the scope to start. I'd look at left handed bolt action options with good aperture (peep) sights, and a detachable box magazine. This would provide a great setup for her to use in an Appleseed event and build a great foundation. Even if you two don't attend an Appleseed, learning to shoot with iron sights is still a great way to build a foundation. The detachable magazine makes safe loading and unloading far easier for a new shooter than an internal box mag or a tube mag.

ETA: The Savage Mark II that Rule 303 posted is a great option. The LH version is the Mark II GL. I'd upgrade the sights with a Williams WGRS-54 rear, and a taller front sight if necessary. These are excellent aperture sights that are reasonably priced.

 

[Doc7]

I'd hold off on the scope to start. I'd look at left handed bolt action options with good aperture (peep) sights, and a detachable box magazine. This would provide a great setup for her to use in an Appleseed event and build a great foundation. Even if you two don't attend an Appleseed, learning to shoot with iron sights is still a great way to build a foundation. The detachable magazine makes safe loading and unloading far easier for a new shooter than an internal box mag or a tube mag.

Is a bolt action optimal for Appleseed? I thought it wasn't

 

[ugaarguy]

Is a bolt action optimal for Appleseed? I thought it wasn't

For a LH new shooter a bolt action with a detachable mag is a better option than having focus distracted by brass ejecting from a RH semi-auto. A bolt action with a detachable mag is still a better option than tube fed semi-auto for even a RH shooter for an Appleseed.

 

[paul s]

The new Ruger .22 rifle looks real good and not much money.

 

[Al Thompson]

S&W M&P15-22. Tons of fun and the adjustable stock fits every one.

 

[Starter52]

Another vote for the Henry, but not the youth model. A 12-yr-old can shoot the regular model.

The Henry H001 is a great gun. You should buy a hammer extender if you plan to scope it.

 

[Skylerbone]

Just as the question is frequently posed, "Which ____ for my wife?" a bit of input from your daughter is in order.

There are a number of excellent rimfire rifles, many with exceptional accuracy for the money spent. My most recent, though not first blunder was the purchase of a 10/22 TD for my 9 yr. old son. He is big for his age but not quite big enough to handle the 6 lbs. scoped weight and too long LOP when shooting from field positions without significant tremble. Smaller, lighter rifle is due in tomorrow and lesson learned...again.

Make sure it fits your daughter. Make sure it suits her purpose. Buy her a copy of With Winning In Mind and start saving for a good rest and good ammo if she enjoys shooting.

 

[Danny Creasy]

CZ American - Left Handed Model. Sometimes the used lefties show up on the cheap at gunshops. My two daughters are adults now, but they are petite. They never seemed to have any trouble handling my CZ American. One has an American and the other has an old Winchester 190 in the photo below:

 

[I6turbo]

Another recommendation of the CZ 452 American here. You can get a new one for fewer than $500, but you may have to search a bit. Here's my youngest son's left-hander prior to scoping it. They are excellent guns, well worth the money, and worthy of your daughter keeping for a lifetime and then passing along to her kids.

 

[herkyguy]

Savage. i love mine. cheap, accurate, reliable.

 

[boogieman]

10/22 gets my vote. Even though she wont learn as much skill upfront I say dump a scope or red dot from the start. IMO its a great confidence builder and makes them very proud/happy to be punching the X ring right off the bat. My 8yo daughter has gone with me to the range 3 times now. She does very well with the SR22 (tac style 10/22) scoped and also with my 22/45 that has a red dot. Above all else I am making sure she enjoys it. If she wants to go we leave, if she wants to stay we open another box. Its allowing me to teach her the safety aspect while she is having fun. At 25yds she shoots the center out of all my targets. Also I buy some zombie splatter targets to make it a little more interesting. Next we will bump back to 50yds and get a bowling pin or 2.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

I have two LH Savage bolt action .rimfires -- a Mark IIGL and a 93 GL in .22 Magnum. Very pleased with both. Look into the Nikon Prostaff rimfire scopes to go along with them.

 

[snakeman]

nothing better than a henry 22

 

[tuj]

Owning a MKII and having shot a number of CZ's, I would go with the CZ. More value and accuracy for your money. Savage is kind of hit or miss with their barrels as to how well they will shoot.

I personally think a new shooter should use a magazine fed bolt action. The deliberate opening and closing of the bolt slows them down and gets them to focus more on each shot as opposed to just blasting away with a semi like a 10/22.

 

[aubie515]

I'm in the camp of the CZ line.

When we found out we were going to have our first daughter. I went out and bought my daughter the CZ 452 Scout rifle. It's such a compact rifle and the quality is top notch.

 

[chicharrones]

I personally think a new shooter should use a magazine fed bolt action.

A magazine fed bolt gun sure is a good first choice. I even like red dots for new shooters to have fun with. Open sights are good too, but not as fun for as long with shooters that may be easily disinterested. My daughter's .22 rifle and pellet rifle both wear a red dot.

 

[Roadking Rider]

The Henry H001 is a pretty nice little rifle. It's light, the action is butter smooth, and accuracy is excellent for a lever action rifle in it's price range. Plus it shoots Shorts, Long, and Long Rifle 22's. The fact that it's 100% American made doesn't hurt either.

 

[tommy.duncan]

I bought my lil girl a pink 10/22. She has shot my Marlin model 60 too. They are both right handers. She loves shooting both. I hope that helps.