Youth's .22 rifle

Stevens

Stevens

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My grandsons are 7 & 8, their uncle gave each a Daisy Red Rider for Christmas. I'm thinking of getting a kid sized single shot rifle to keep at my house where they can shoot in the back yard,which is many acres of cypress swamp. So far I have looked at:
- a Thomson Contender crack barrel which looked very nice but had a peep sight, for some reason I'd rather open sight.
- a Henry SS bolt action single shot which was very nice & had open sight.
- a Crickett Single shot
- a "Rascal" by Savage

So far I like the TC or Henry best
any other model suggestions or comments on the above? & comments on peep vs open rear sight for beginner kids?

thanks,
Steve W
 
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If you can find an old Savage Model 72 it is a copy of the Steven Crackshot. It is a well made little falling block with octagon barrel and open sights. I started my son with one in 1977. It probably is made better than any of the modern kid's rifles.

The other one is a Mossberg 26b, a single shot bolt rifle with peeps and different front posts that swing into position. Both a great rifles for kids learning to shoot.
 
If you can find a Chipmunk give it a good look. All three of my kids learned on this one. This little guy is now 22 years old.

Chipmunks are very well built guns.

 
CZ Scout.
Bolt action, comes with a single-shot adapter but will accept 5-round mags also.
Nice rifle! I have one and love it.


-Jim
 
Got a Marlin 15Y single shot for my grandson when he was about 6 months old...had a 5D aperture sight installed. He's not old enough for it yet but when that day comes, we're all set.

I kind of like it because unlike some of the others it's got some heft and bulk to it while still being short and compact.
 
Bat Guano said:
Got a Marlin 15Y single shot for my grandson when he was about 6 months old...had a 5D aperture sight installed. He's not old enough for it yet but when that day comes, we're all set.

I kind of like it because unlike some of the others it's got some heft and bulk to it while still being short and compact.
Click to expand...

I bought a Marlin 15Y for my son (who is now 31) many years ago, and it was a great starter rifle. Yes, it does feel like a 'real' rifle, scaled down to fit a young shooter.
 
I bought a stainless steel barreled, composite stock Davy Crickett for my son when he was 7. He took his first squirrel at the age of 8. It was a big male Fox squirrel that I had mounted for him. He has taken more varmints and small game with that rifle than any other gun he owns. He averages at least 8 groundhogs a year . He usually gets a couple using that rifle. It is his go to gun when he absolutely has to make a good shot on something. BTW- he is 14 now and still used it last year! I think you can get a full size stock for them now. It has a 4 power scope on it as well. I bought the composite stock/stainless version so he could beat it around and not tear it up. It looks as good as the day I bought it. My vote is for the crickett.
 
The Cricket is a tack driver.
For the price of one, you can't go wrong.
 
Buy a quality rifle. Cricket, Savage, Marlin, Ruger, it don't matter! Children are not hung up on brand names. They take pleasure someone simply loving them and wanting to spend time with them. Buy ammo. It is cheap compared to lost opportunities. And get that child out shooting! Do it ASAP. The years will slip away fast. Time's a wasting!
 
Have they increased the stock-size on a Chipmunk?

When they first came out - back in '83(?) or thereabouts - I bought one. Thought it was just a neat-as-hell idea. The length of pull was too short for me to use. Not just uncomfortable - too short. I kept it for a month or so and then gave it to my sister-in-law, who is quite a small woman.

Couple of years later I now had a step-daughter who was turning 11. I went to buy her a Chipmunk. They did not have any, but I got her an Anschutz Woodchucker. If you could find one of them, that would be the way to go, but they were only made for a short run, and are quite rare.

Got my oldest granddaughter a Crickett. Fine gun. Accurate. The stock is short enough for her (well, it is now - it was a little long when she was five).


and it is long enough that I can also use it, unlike the Chipmunk. If you get a Crickett, do not get one from Walmart. They come with a pushbutton lock, right in front of the trigger guard. The spring on the lock is very weak (think ball point pen) so it is quite easy to accidentally lock it, and then hope you brought the key with you so you can unlock it. The gun is available with or without the lock, but Walmart only sells the one with it. If you do get one with the lock, they are easy to remove. I replaced it with a stainless steel carriage bolt.

IF (see, that was a big if) the CZ Scout had been available (or if I'd known about it) I would have gotten her one of them. The Crickett is a fine gun, and I'm happy with it, but I've got some CZ rifles, and they are excellent.

When her little sister was old enough for a rifle, I got her a BRNO. ZKM468.
Zkm/468 cz brno - YouTube
A little bigger than I thought it would be, but excellent.
 
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