Starter 22 for grandson

[Hawkn]

As the title indicates, I'm looking for a starter 22LR for my 10 year old grandson. I'm more into handguns, so I have little to no experience with rifles.

First a stupid question, what is the difference in a 10/22 and a regular 22. I did a google search on 10/22, and all that came back was 22LR info. Is the 10/22 the same as 22LR?

Second, what do you suggest as a good starter rifle. I saw a Marlin 66 (I think that was the model) that I thought might be good, but not sure. I thought that the tube feed would be better than a mag feed to start with, but I am looking for suggestions, so I am open to all thoughts. I want to mount a scope on it for him, so suggestions of a scope would also be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any assistance/advice you can furnish.

 

[ThomasT]

10/22 is a model designation for a Ruger 22 auto. Most will suggest a single shot for beginners. If he has good suppervision a repeater is fine. I would lean more towards a bolt action tube feed myself.

The Marlin model 60 is also an excellent rifle.

 

[jackdanson]

+1 on marlin 60. Skip the scope to start with.

 

[TheDriver]

If it is his first gun, I might stay away from semi-auto. A lever-action Henry or a bolt gun (CZ?) might encourage better shooting habits for a youngster. But if you want to get him a semi-auto, the Marlin 60 is a good way to go.

 

[Savage Shooter]

Since he is a little older I'd go with the marlin 60 it was my second rifle but i started shooting when I was 6 or 7 teach him good shot disipline and you'll be fine. Plus the marlin 60 takes a lot of abuse it's my coon gun so its gets dropped and bumped and on a few occasions a club. The marlin 60 is also famous for shooting any ammo you feed it so don't worry about reliability. I bought mine used its twice as old as I am and it works just fine after all these years.

 

[whiskey]

First, a 10/22 is a Ruger Semi-auto chambered in .22LR. A very popular gun with tons of aftermarket stuff to upgrade. The gun is pretty good from the factory but sometimes they have pretty bad stock triggers. I didn't know the trigger was bad when I was a kid. I shot my first one about a billion times.

The Marlin you saw was probably a Model 60. It too is a semi auto, maybe the most popular in America. The trigger is better than the stock 10/22 and the marlin is generally a good gun straight from the factory. It is a tube feed semi auto as you noted. I like the tube fed, but not sure about it being best for a starter gun.

How big is your 10 year old grandson? My daughter at 9 is average size and is not big enough for an adult size gun. She can shoot them, but they don't fit her.

A .22LR is the best route for a starter. I perfer a bolt action for starters. Some will likely tell you that a single shot is best, but at 10 years old a single shot gets old fast. The advantage to the bolt action is that you can force them to load one round per trigger pull. You can teach between shots and keep things slow and controlled in the beginning.

Savage makes a nice little youth bolt action MKII. Henry makes a nice Youth Lever Action. The 10/22 is available in a youth size. If he is big enough, then get the standard size and then you don't have to worry about him out growing it too quickly. I still shoot youth size guns, but I ain't a giant either.

All most any modern .22LR will have scope grooves or come with a scope rail. You can spend more on the scope than the gun if you want, but at 10 he won't know the differance. Weaver makes a nice 2-7x28 model RV7 that I like a lot. Simmons makes the .22mag model series that would work well. Mueller makes nice rimfire scopes. The Mueller APV is very popular. Just make sure that what ever scope you get, you get a RIMFIRE scope and not a centerfire scope. The parallex is set for 50 yards on rimfire scopes and will help the boy hit where he is aiming easier.

I think the best is to take him to a gun store or show and have him hold and shoulder a few guns. Most likely they will all be too heavy for him to shoot off hand for a while, but he will have just as much fun learning to shoot off a bench till he grows a bit.

 

[rantingredneck]

Marlin 60 is a good gun. Was my first.

You can look around for a Marlin 75 used. This is a shorter carbine version of the 60 and is a bit lighter and handier.

I picked up a clean used one last year for my kids.

My daughter is 8 and has shot my 60 a few times though it really doesn't fit her very well.

If you want a dedicated kid gun that he will soon outgrow there are Henry and Cricket single shot bolt actions out there that are made for kid size shooters. He could pass it down to his kids someday.

 

[Jason_G]

Are you looking for something new? If used is OK, you can usually find a Stevens model 15 or 15A at pawn shops or online for $60. Very accurate little bolt action, and it's not too big for younger shooters either.

Jason

 

[kamagong]

What's your budget? I don't have a grandson yet, or for that matter a son, but I'm going to place an order for a CZ 452 Scout the day my son (or daughter for that matter) is born. It's a well-made, accurate bolt action. I already have a Trainer, and kids being kids I have no doubt that they'll enjoy shooting a gun similar to the one their dad has.

 

[jackdanson]

If you go with a semi use some kind of responsive target and limit ammo. Like only load 5 rounds in the tube and then set up 5 cans/bottles/clays. This will make him take time, without thinking "hey I'll just keep blasting till I hit it." I use these little champion clays that you can get at walmart for pretty cheap, they come with stands and are great fun.

 

[NCsmitty]

Perhaps a nice American made single shot would be a good starter rifle. Marlin makes a couple versions, blued and stainless. Here's a link to Marlin.
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/BoltAction22/915y.asp

NCsmitty

 

[Zip7]

What's your budget? I don't have a grandson yet, or for that matter a son, but I'm going to place an order for a CZ 452 Scout the day my son (or daughter for that matter) is born. It's a well-made, accurate bolt action. I already have a Trainer, and kids being kids I have no doubt that they'll enjoy shooting a gun similar to the one their dad has.

+1

http://www.danwessonfirearms.com/product_detail.php?id=5

THe CZ 452 scout is the perfect choice. Easy to clean, and you will need to teach him to clean it too.

 

[M'bogo]

I second the vote for the CZ Scout 452. It comes with a single shot adaptor and a 5 round magazine. When he has mastered the basics of gun saftey and is ready for a repeater slip out the single shot adaptor and insert the magazine. It would be hard to pick a better first rifle for a youth.

IMHO...I would not start a new shooter of any age out with a semiauto .22 rifle. Too many things going on at one time for a new shooter. They should be focused on learning safe gun handling and the basics of marksmanship.

M'bogo

 

[Piraticalbob]

I believe that the 10 in 10/22 (which is a Ruger semiautomatic rifle) indicates the number of .22 Long Rifle cartridges that the rotary magazine will hold, hence, 10-shot .22 rifle.

I could be mistaken, though. I often am.

I also would recommend a single-shot .22 as your grandson's first rifle, for no other reason than that he will learn to economize his ammunition and make every shot count. Ammunition isn't getting cheaper these days.

For my own recommendation, I'd suggest the Stevens Favorite 30G, made by Savage. It's an old-fashioned sort of gun that will stand out from the crowd of 10/22's and Marlin 60's out there. It costs $291 MSRP, but I've seen it around $250 in my home area. Here's what it looks like:



Good luck with whatever you get him!

 

[woof]

It is my bias that young shooters should start out with bolt action .22s, and even further - in single shot mode to begin with. The cz scout is a great choice and you can't go wrong, but for less $ Savage and Marlin both make a great bolt 22 for the money. Oh and some more bias... no scope until he gets really good with the iron sights.

Here's a link to a good one
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=106844396

 

[Damon555]

I think a single shot bolt gun is the way to go. One of the first things a new shooter should learn is the importance of the 1st shot. That's the one that MUST count.

He's old enough that a "smaller" adult rifle will work. He's growing fast so you don't want him to grow out of it right away. CZ is a very fine choice.

 

[shevrock]

If you can find one, go for an H&R model 755. their older, but work well. it was my first rifle, and i still use it. albeit i only have it and a 12ga. it's a single shot 22lr.

 

[Bigdtc]

Mossberg 802. I bought my kids each one.( twins..1-boy & --1--Girl) Got one with a black stock and one with a "camo & pink" stock. Bolt action with a 10 rnd mag. Shoots straight ,light and the bolt seems to make them see each shot count. Good Luck

 

[highlander 5]

I believe the T/C Contender has a stock designed for "youth" and you can get a centerfire barrel say in 38/357 later down the road.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

I also would recommend a single-shot .22 as your grandson's first rifle, for no other reason than that he will learn to economize his ammunition and make every shot count. Ammunition isn't getting cheaper these days.

For my own recommendation, I'd suggest the Stevens Favorite 30G, made by Savage. It's an old-fashioned sort of gun that will stand out from the crowd of 10/22's and Marlin 60's out there. It costs $291 MSRP, but I've seen it around $250 in my home area.

I like that advice. But the CZ 452 Scout ain't half bad either - comes with a single shot adapter I believe, so he has to shoot one at a time - then later you can switch it out with the standard 5 round mags.

 

[MIL-DOT]

Another Marlin 60 vote !!!! These things are light, reliable, accurate,economical. I can't speak highly enough of them (well,mine).

 

[savage116]

Okay to let everyone know I will be turning 14 in 2 months and when I was 11 I started with a 10/22 because that was the first gun my dad bought and it was in perfect condition from a friend for $75. I am big for my age so the day I went to go shoot it I put about 10rds through it and then my grandfather handed me the 12ga. I didn't pick up any bad habits. When I go shooting I take an empty shotgun shell put it on its side then go to 20-30yds and take my time and try to shoot it. I try to shoot accurately and then after a while I get the 25rd mag out and start shooting at bottles filled with water.I do agree that a bolt or lever gun is a good idea because the temptation to just start pulling the trigger as fast as you can isn't there.

 

[Flyrodder]

Another vote for the Marlin 60. Load it one at a time if control turns out to be a problem.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

Get him a decent single shot and let him shot it for several years. That will teach him to make every shot count. Let him learn to shoot iron sights and once he's good with them you can get him a scope if he wants.

 

[Loomis]

If he doesn't already own his very own above average quality pellet gun, you should do that first. Get a single shot that requires you to pump it up. That way he appreciates every shot.

Now, this strategy only works on a youngster that is very enthusiastic about guns. If he is ho-hum about guns, then making him work for it will only drive him away. You don't want that. You want him begging for a handful of ammo. You wan't him to fidget and shuffle and obcess and work hard to please you so he can have a few extra handfuls for being good.

That's how I was.

My first 22 was a glenfield model 60 rifle. I guess it's the same thing as a marlin model 60 but a little cheaper. I'm told the glenfield/marlin model 60 is the most produced firearm in the history of the world. It also is probably the most durable autoloader ever made. They only need cleaning about once every decade for bare minimum function.

You have to figure out what is the best gun based on the kid's own personality. As my grandfather used to tell my dad all the time..."if you don't buy him something he likes, he won't take care of it". it's gotta be something he's proud of.

Theoretically, an exquisitely manufactured single shot, with old world styling, and beatiful details, but not tacky, would be perfect. Traditional. Functional. Sturdy. Something he can keep for a lifetime.

A family heirloom might be the thing for some people. I own the first gun my dad ever shot. My dad still owns the first gun I ever shot.

Something that will accept a variety of ammo is also a consideration. there is 22short, 22long, 22long rifle, 22 bb cap, 22 sub sonic, 22 shotshell...I think that's it...oh wait, 22 stinger. Ok, that's it I think.

If the kid likes to take things apart; If he's mechanically enclined; GEt him something interesting mechanically. Teach him how to break it down and clean every part. A bolt action might be good for that, or maybe a lever action, I don't know.

If you are only into pistols, maybe you should really consider getting him an smith and wesson k frame 22 long rifle revolver with a long barrel.

It's a father son thing, remember? Your enthusiasm will rub off on him. If you get him something you have no interest in, what's the point in that?