22 Bolt Guns for Little Kids

[hvymax]

Start them out with a 22lr AR15 and colapsible stock. That way you can adjust it to fit them as they get older.

Little kids don't stay little for long. Unless you have a steady source of little ones then an adjustable stock on a Marlin or Ruger will serve much better. That way you can use the same gun for shooters as small or large as you have present.

 

[engineerbrian]

My kids both loved their Crickets at that age (and older). They feel cheap, but they are stupid accurate, (for a $100.00 kids rifle). My 12 year old still takes his little Cricket out with us when we go shooting. We shoot the bigger stuff, but he still gets a kick out of that little rifle.

+1

The only issue my kids have with the Cricket is that its a single shot, so they loose interest fairly quick as their skill increases. Now my two oldest sons shoot lever actions (Winchester 94/22 and Marlin 39). Both guns are very accurate and they love them. They also think their bad a$$ working the lever between shots. Hell, i guess if I was 7 years old i'd think that too

 

[Silverlode]

+1

They also think their bad a$$ working the lever between shots. Hell, i guess if I was 7 years old i'd think that too

I'm 41 and I think that.

 

[Shamr0ck]

The CZ 452 Scout is a very fine rifle for a small child. I just picked one up from Hafers and am in the process of fitting it with peep sights. My youngest daughter shoots on the Arlington rifle team (where DamIfINowFish coaches) and the shorter barrel length and LOP allow her to comfortably hold the standing position. Previously she was fighting the rifle and getting frustrated.

Specs on the Scout:
Dimensions
Weight 5.050 lbs
Overall Length 32.760 in
Barrel Length 16.220 in
Length of Pull 11.970 in

It comes with a 5 round magazine and single shot adapters are also available for the CZ 452s.

More info can be found - http://www.cz-usa.com/products/view/cz-452-scout/

We had tried one of the 'larger' 452s at the beginning of the season and found that the Lux/Trainer was simply too heavy - but as DamIfINowFish says, it is a fine rifle for an older child.

Nice thing about the 452 action is that they are (for the most part) readily interchangeable with other 452 stocks. I test fitted the scout action into the Lux/Trainer stock so as she grows, i only need to loosen 1 screw and move it into a larger piece of wood.

Again - may not be the route everyone takes, but it is the one we chose.

 

[BenL]

One that hasn't been mentioned yet is the Thompson Contender .22LR; I saw them for the first time at the Dulles gun show (I think they were Contenders; that's what they looked like.) They were actually pretty nice and about the size of a cricket.

 

[ericoak]

Tell me this could have been Chad as a kid...and some English kid...or maybe not...no suppressors?

Anyhow, they look like fine kids guns to me...

Am the only one who noticed the kid on the left is aiming a gun right at the kid next to him?

I love my Savage MK II. Cheap too.

 

[diesel-man]

Am the only one who noticed the kid on the left is aiming a gun right at the kid next to him?

I love my Savage MK II. Cheap too.

Worse than that...they each have a gun in their pants...

 

[ericoak]

Worse than that...they each have a gun in their pants...

I thought you were making a pedo joke at first...

That hammer locks cocked too!!

 

[honeybadger]

mt daughter has a pink Savage Cub 22 it is great for her and a lot of fun to shoot. She was very timid at first when she got it that lasted a whole 4 rounds then she got the hang of it

 

[Lanceman_1]

I like the Ithaca M-49. I Bought this for my daughter. I love shooting it and my friends do too. I can't wait till she is old enogh to fire it.

 

[Sirex]

I was about to buy a pink cricket for my daughter, and picked it up, played with it, and it feels pretty solid, but tiny. I figured she'd only get a couple years out of the cricket and was looking at a pink mossberg plinkster instead. The cricket is nice, smooth, but very tiny. I think for my son I'd like to get him a Polish WZ-48 (is that correct) training rifle that looks just like my mosin.

 

[dist1646]

The pic is undoubtedly an attempt at humor but safety should always come first! Watch those muzzles.

 

[Silverlode]

I ended up ordering 3 of the Savage Rascals from Buds. Shipped today. It was down to that and the Thompson. Thanks for all the great recommendations.

 

[lkenefic]

I started my son off with a Marlin M75 with a 4x scope, but I think the length of pull was slightly too much. I bought this for him when he was 7 yo and he has since grown into it (he's 10 now) but if i had it to do over again, I'd start him off with an AR clone with an adjustable stock. I'm actually thinking about doing this anyway... selling off the Marlin for an AR clone type rifle in .22LR. He really likes shooting and anything I can do to keep him interested is a plus.

 

[clay_shooter]

We have/had a chipmunk, like the cricket. I tied a leather strap to the pull-back knob so they could cock it themselves. They loved it. So they grew out of it later, who cares? I knew a guy that used his as .22 coon hunting gun. It was a really small package that was "rifle legal" for hunting.

 

[Adams74Chevy]

I like the Ithaca M-49. I Bought this for my daughter. I love shooting it and my friends do too. I can't wait till she is old enogh to fire it.

That's what I learned to shoot with and got many squirrels with growing up. My dad still has it and uses it once in a while.

 

[Grey_Man]

this gun is awesome!

http://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=100000448

I have one, its a solid very accurate shooter that is C&R eligible!

I'm glad you mentioned that. I was wondering how those little rifles were. I wish they were closer to the $150 range, but still not a bad price.

 

[chooks9]

Growing up, I had a Daisy Legacy bolt .22LR. I think they only made them for a short time, as I have never seen another one. It had a plastic coating on the barrel, and a detachable mag very much like a 10/22 (but non-rotary). I'm saving it for my kids, along with a Winchester Model 68 single shot. I think that an AR family .22LR would be great if it has an adjustable stock. Let the little ones grow into it!

 

[PGTMG]

The CZ Scout if you can find one is a great first rifle ( it is small). My 7 year old has no issue with fit (and is an average sized kid). When she gets bigger she will. I like that it is a high quality rifle with the ability to operate like a single shot ( with adapter) and has magazines of 5 and 10 rounds as well.

My two cents

 

[lkenefic]

My son started out with bolt guns from his grandfather's collection. When it came time to buy him a dedicated .22, I got him a marlin M75. It was OK, but he definitely needed a shorter LOP. I ended up selling the Marlin and now he has a M&P 15-22. It's definitely an upgrade from the Marlin. The adjustable LOP means he will have this rifle for years to come. I just recently bought a Remington 510 Targetmaster from a Board Member due to the constraints of shooting events with the Boy Scouts (they have to be single shots, or adapted to single shot status). The LOP is definitely longer, but the older boys that have never shot will get benefit from it.

edited to add: BTW my son is now 11 yo and has been shooting since he was ~5 yo