Savage Cub

[fitoo1]

What a cool little rifle. Ive been looking at small youth sized rifles since my ex wife got pregnant with my oldest son. Ive never really been impressed with any of them. Marlins just seems like an adult gun with the stock cut off for a short length of pull. Chipmunks, while cute as a button, leave much to be desired IMO. I ran accross this Savage Cub at Gander Mountain and right away new this was the rifle I had been looking for. The action doesnt seem to be any smaller than the adult size .22 bolt actions, but the bolt handle and knob seem to be smaller, the stock is smaller in every dimension. The bbl is of course shorter and seems to of a lighter countour.

It comes dressed with peep sites and a real actual steel rifle bead...not the plastic fiber optic excuse for a front site that seem to be all the rage these days. The adjustment for the peep is crude...but it is positive and it works well and is built well...its not a bent piece of stamped aluminum...its machined, dovetailed...a real nice piece. I love the fact that it is equipped with a nice aperature sight. Too many kids grow up not being able to use iron sites and use a scope for a crutch....dont get me started.

Its a single shot...for a first gun I think that is just ideal.

Its equipped with Savage's "accu-trigger"...What I good trigger...I expected a crappy trigger like the old Salvage 110...this aint that trigger...this is a good one...no discernable creep, no overtravel...breaks clean at what I would estimate at 3#. While I think a scope is a crutch...a good trigger is not, its mandatory for good shooting. This has got a good trigger.

The little thing kept every kind of ammo we shot (bulk pack remington, CCI, Stingers, Remington subsonics and Aguila Colibri) all within an inch at 35 yards (everything except the colibri, its out of energy at that range...it shoots good at 10 yds tho! I love that stuff)

Im gonna look around and see if Savage doesnt make an adult size rifle just like this one. Same sights, magazine fed...I think Ill end up with one.

 

[ajax]

I bought one for my son and daughter recently. My son is a month and half old and my daughter is 2. It will be a while before they can use it but I sure am having fun with it. This little rifle is really accurate with that peep site. I got to shoot it for the first time yesterday. At fifty yards with some old .22 shorts I was shooting a half inch piece of conduit from a bench rest. Fantastic starter rifle.

 

[swingset]

My daughter has one, she started on it when she was 6. With some trigger work it's a great little shooter. Very accurate, handy, and the sights are great.

Here's a pic of her at age 7 breaking eggs at 25 yards with her Cub.

She's 10 now, but still shoots her Cub. She's since moved up to an AR for "fun", but I keep her working on iron sights.

 

[fitoo1]

If only we had a nation of 'em....makes my heart glad to see that!

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Great pics, swingset! I hope to emulate that in a few years when my daughters are older.

 

[cmidkiff]

Glad you like your Cub I don't own one, but have recommended them to several people who were looking for a child's rifle to get someone started in shooting. Seemed like a nearly ideal first rifle to me.

Oh, and I _love_ savage rifles. Best bang for the buck I'm aware of.

 

[fitoo1]

Nice pic! I have to admit I used to have a quite dreary opinion on "Salvages" The have definitly improved over the years...that new trigger has done wonders for my opinion of them. (Im sure lots of people can rest easy now that I approve Savages....lol )

 

[aguyindallas]

I am finding myself in need of a good, basic starter .22 for a couple kids. I have been thinking of those Cricket rifles I guess just because of their novelty of colors and stuff like that. It just seems like a way to make it a little more fun (can shooting really GET ANY better)!!!

I will have to take a look at the little Savage. I have a newer 110 in .270 with the Accu-Trigger and I will certainly agree, its the BEST bang for the buck. I do not know a lot about rifles, but I know this thing does the job well, and I am in it CHEAP.

Those are great pics. I wish my job allowed me more time to spend with my kids teaching them to shoot. I also wish I had a little spot where I could drop by out in the country and setup like many folks do. Although I live out a little bit, we are still inside the city limits and surrounded by houses...I am sort of against public ranges to teach kids at because there is just too much going on that can be distracting to them. They see all sorts of cool guns and while thats great exposure, I want 100% undivided attention from them.

Bless you for getting your kids in the game!

 

[ajax]

I can only speak for my rifle because its the first youth model I have shot ,but I am absolutly amazed at the accuracy of this rifle. I want one with a 5 or 10 round mag and a longer stock. I've shot more than my share of .22 and I can say with all honesty that I've only shot one .22 that was more accurate. The peepsights are great.

 

[fitoo1]

A guy in Dallas

I dont know how you feel about this but I have a solution for you. With this Savage Cub one can shoot Short, Longs and Long rifle .22 ammo. Aguila make a 22 short called Colibri (the one with the hummingbird on the package) and one called the Colibri plus or super or something like that. Anyhow, these make NO noise, less than an air rifle. I use a five gallon plastic bucket tipped over so the round part is facing me. I stuff the bucket with old magazine or rags or whatever, tape a target on the bucket and go shooting. You could do this in your house, garage, basement or whatever..these bullets shoot so slow they wont penetrate a piece of thin particle board. It sounds risky and careles...but really, the dont make noise...no smoke....and the bucket stops the bullets. They are reasonably accurate at 10 yds and less. Great indoor fun, and good to teach youngsters the basics without the little bit of noise a LR makes, and it enable you to pretty much shoot anywhere for some privacy...I agree with you about busy public ranges..too many distractions.

Take care.