I am looking at getting a .22 rifle for my sons in the near future. However, my youngest is very, very small. I tried a Henry Mini-Bolt Youth, but the stock is still too long for him.

I'm not sure if the Cricket or Chipmunks you see are any smaller.

A relative has an old Stevens Little Scout, but it's currently inop and he'd rather I buy the boys their own rifle.

Does anybody have any other suggestions? What about buying something cheap and cutting down the stock?

Thanks in advance,
Herk

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Where's my dad's America?

I have a Marlin 15yn for the boys here to start with. I've been happy with it, nice & simple.

Heck,if you are good with wood buy a cheap bolt gun and cut and fit the stock to him.You can always add wood a little at a time later until he can fit the adult stock.By then he will probably want something different anyway.

Milton +1 plus even if you cut the stock, when he gets bigger im sure you'll be able to purchase a replacement stock from the factory to replace the one you cut.

I got a Marlin 15Y for my grandson who is still only 1 1/2; I figure by the time he ought to be shooting it he will have grown into it. As mentioned, an extra stock might be handy for those "hard to fit". I like the Marlin as it's got enough heft and bulk to where even an adult can shoot it.

When my kids were little we found a Remington 514 single shot already cut down and just mounted an aperture rear sight on it. Worked like a charm. We still have it.

I'm not so much in favor of the really minaturized kids' .22s; cute, but not very practical as they will outgrow them very quickly.

Ruger 10/22. Simply put one of the aftermarket M4 type stocks on it and then collapse that all the way. Just make sure that whatever you do, you don't take the OAL below 26" and/or bbl length below 16" unless you pay for a tax stamp.

You could also get one of the tactical style .22s from S&W, Sig, Mossberg, etc that already has this feature.

All will work fine as a single shot for training purposes, simply only load one round in the mag.

+1 on the 10/22. They will be able to use it and enjoy it for many many years.

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Misty

You might want to look at the CZ 452 Scout. I purchased two to get my niece and nephew started. I liked them enough that I bought one for myself to use for grouse/rabbit shooting. They weigh about 5 lbs with a 12" pull length; very accurate. They come with a single shot adaptor and you can purchase additional 5 and 10 round magazines. I think I got mine for just over $200 each; local walmart ordered out of their gun catalog for me.

Here is a link to the description.
CZ-USA -> CZ 452 Scout

My sons were shooting Crickets at four years of age. The stocks fit them, and they were little fellas. I love the Crickets, expecially the peep sights they come with.

Don't want to downplay the importance of a good fitting rifle, but how long could it be before they grow into the tiny rifles? I say buy one and let them deal with it.

I thought my kids were too small for their Chipmonk when I first started them shooting, but before I knew it they outgrew the thing. I'm saving it for my future grandkids now. Do you really want to re-stock your .22s every month when your kids grow an inch?

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Jon

I got a Cricket for my daughter. It's a tad bit big for, even at 8years old, but she can shoot it fine.

Search the auctions for "daisy model 2202".

Bolt action, adjustable stock, & rotary magazine. What-the-hey, wasn't your first gun a Daisy?

Jim

I bought a Ruger 10/22, Henry Youth Stainless 'Mini-bolt' and a Pink Stainless Crickett for my 10yr old grand daughter.
The Ruger 10/22 is too big for her. So it sits in the safe.
Between the Pink Crickett and the Henry Youth Minibolt,
She prefers shooting the Henry Youth Mini-bolt. the chamber cut-out
is larger than the crickett, which makes it easier to load a round.
She also prefers the open sights on the Henry and the stock vs the
peep sights on the crickett. They're all fun to shoot.
It all comes down to personal preferences and fit.
I don't know about outgrowing them. I'm a adult and I'm having fun shooting these little .22's.
586L-Frame

DLC’s Henry Mini-Bolt, Pink SS Crickett & Ruger 10_22.


DLC’s Henry Mini-Bolt .22 Single-shot.


x

My three all learned to shoot on the same Chipmunk - and they were all shooting before they turned 3. The Chipmunk is completely scaled down for little folk, not a cut-down adult gun.

Single shot, easy to work, and it has the "daddy button" that needs to be cocked manually before each shot.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

Thanks for all of the suggestions, guys. I will look into this a little more.

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Where's my dad's America?

My son's first .22 rifle was a Rossi #62 carbine chambered for .22, S, L, LR cartridges. It fit him fine, as he was a big five year old.

I would hit the pawn shops and back country gun shops to find an already cut down vintage rifle. You can find them dirt cheap and rescue classics like the Winchester, Remington, Stevens, and Mossberg to name just a few.

Or you can get a 10/22 and take a hack saw to it, it's not like they have any real value, and you can rebuild into just about anything.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

i bought a savage semi auto at wally world for 117.0 had to polish the ramp and mag a little very acurate and cheap the grand kids put a couple of cases through it allready with no problems since new.

Look at the "Chipmunk" line of .22's They are scaled down to a childs size, well made, hand checkered walnut stocks and later you can purchase a larger stock to fit the bigger child.

I bought for my son one of the new Savage Favorite's, a remake of the classic guns. The gun is small but not too small that he can't grow into it when he wants a gun for when he is an adult. It's also a nice gun for someone when you don't know yet if he will be left or right eye dominant.

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Vaya con Dios

My grand kids own and shoot the cricket .22's. Wow, can they shoot, especially the girls. But not long in the future they will out grow them I took my M&P 15-22 out and adjusted the stock and they really ate up the targets. So, maybe the price is the thing to consider. The M&P costs more, but will fit them from youth to adulthood, and it is light enough for young shooters. I think it is a good choice for someone to grow with. A lifetime .22, so to speak. Thanks for reading.

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Endeavor to persevere. <><

Yes, I'm still looking. What do you guys know about the Iver Johnson Li'l Champ?

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Where's my dad's America?

For a small child the Chipmunk is probably about as good as they get.

But for when they get a little bigger, or even just to have one yourself, look for an Ithaca M-49 single shot, lever gun. I wanted one when I was a kid, but my mother was scared to death of a rifle. Shotguns were ok, but a rifle would kill people over in the next county even if you shot it straight into the ground.

I was an old man before I finally found one to buy for myself. It'll go to my grandson when he's old enough.



Single shot, falling block, 22 s,l,lr. The magazine tube is fake. The hammer has to be cocked before firing. A downstroke of the lever drops the breach-block and ejects a spent cartridge with a satisfying "plink" sound. They were offered in a "youth model" also.

Everybody loves a "cowboy gun." Why if I'd had this outfit (shown with a Ruger Bearcat) when I was a kid there wouldn't have been a rustler in our end of Hanover County, Virginia.

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John 3:16 .

My brother lives in AK and is teaching his little girls 4-6 to shoot this past year. The smallest gun he had was a 10-22 but the lop was too long so I picked up a stock for 10 bucks and cut it down. He measured their lop and I cut and fit the stock to their little arms. To keep it safe, he only loads one round a time and uses subsonic ammo to reduce noise.

Having coached quite a few folks-and years of competition. Safety is the first priority. A bolt action, single shot is simple to clear-you know the action is open at a glance. Bolt with box magazine is good also. Length of pull is just one consideration-weight and overall length Need to be considered. If the rifle has a really heavy, or rough trigger pull, bad sights-you increase the learning curve. I prefer rear peep, front post. Little fingers can handle 3 to 5 lbs trigger-much beyond that they strain.

I got mine a cricket and a s&w m&p 15-22. they like the 15-22 better and it comes with a collapsible stock.

The Ruger or MP with adjustable stock.

The best for starting out real little ones is a single shot bolt like the Cricket. For $115 new how can you go wrong???

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Still Running Against the Wind