Starter rifle

davis21b · April 28, 2012, 04:29 AM

I have convinced my wife to let me get my son (who will be turning 6 a few months after I get home) a rifle. I need some good thoughts on some good starter rifles for him. I'm so excited.

Pond, James Pond · April 28, 2012, 04:39 AM

Despite knowing nothing about rifles I will chime in with my guess on which advice will be given:

.22 LR bolt action, from CZ or Savage, or the like. Iron sights.

Am I right?

(I know I want one!!)

ndking1126 · April 28, 2012, 05:00 AM

yep.. .22lr with iron sights would be my recommendation. I certainly don't disagree with it being bolt, but for me it isn't that big of a deal because you as the parent will be there.. you can make sure he is taking time from shot to shot. And then whe he is a little older, he can still have fun with it being semi-auto. My first .22 was a Marlin 60, still have it and its still going great!

I only have a 3 yr old daughter.. wish I had a son to teach! But on the other hand, as long as I buy a pink .22 she'll like it!

Who knows, maybe she'll love to shoot - only time will tell.

MarkDozier · April 28, 2012, 05:06 AM

Pond, reread the post. The lad is 6 years old. Niether of the rifle you suggest work for a lad of that age.

I suggest you look at a Cricket. A small youth model single shot 22 LR with bolt action. About 100 bucks.

Also buy a 10/22 now. When he is 10 or 11 give it to him. It will be Dads gun until then and one he will cherish, when he gets it, for a long time to come.

BigMikey76 · April 28, 2012, 05:11 AM

+1 for the Cricket. It is made for little people, so he won't be in an awkward position when learning to shoot. He can upgrade later.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...+%26+Black+Syn

davis21b · April 28, 2012, 05:34 AM

Yeah I planned on starting him out with 22lr iron sights. I have just been debating on which rifle to start him with I have heard good things about the cricket. The cricket really does seem probably the best way to go. I have a marlin model 60 that my dad gave me. I'm going to hand it down to him when he gets older. I get to go home for r&r in less than 2 weeks I'm thinking about going a head and getting it for him and letting him shoot every chance we get. I miss him so much I can't wait to see him. He is basically a mini me lol he looks just like me and acts like me too so I'm hoping he loves to shoot as much as I do. Sorry, for the whole lil rant there yall I guess really miss my family right now guess I'm a little home sick I actually have some tears in my eyes. Sorry, again I gotta go to the gym or something clear my mind. Thanks for the advice and listening to me go on about my son.

davis21b · April 28, 2012, 07:24 AM

Is the cricket a single shot only or can you find them with a magazine of some sort?

BigMikey76 · April 28, 2012, 07:25 AM

I'm sure he will love the cricket, and later when he gets that Marlin, it will mean all the more because it was yours first.

BigMikey76 · April 28, 2012, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Is the cricket a single shot only or can you find them with a magazine of some sort?

I have never seen one that was not a single shot. I guess they just figure is is better for the little ones to learn slowly... I agree with them.

johnwilliamson062 · April 28, 2012, 08:45 AM

Cricket/Chipmunk. Look at their site and they have all kinds of options.

If not, Marlin 981T/981TS. Small and light, but not like the cricket.

Strafer Gott · April 28, 2012, 09:36 AM

Try to find an Ithaca M49. Nice single shot lever action. My brother carried one even as a teenager. He still treasures it. A cricket is smallish and probably gets outgrown. Not many of us have totally outgrown cowboy and lever actions.

smoakingun · April 28, 2012, 10:29 AM

I started my son with a cz youth model. Nice rifle, maybe an inch longer than a cricket, comes with a blank magazine for loading single shot, and a 5 round magazing can be purchased seperately. Here's the rub. My son was smallish at age 6, and really did not fit the rifle untill a few months after he turned 7. By age 10 he had completely outgrown the rifle. On the other hand, the bb gun was used a ton at age six, and still gets used at age 17

Buzzcook · April 28, 2012, 12:02 PM

Look in the used market. There are lots of "youth" sized .22s in the used gun racks. A single shot bolt action would be my suggestion. But it could be a rolling block such as a Stevens favorite or any other configuration.

Simplicity is important, it helps a kid to understand how the gun works and makes for relatively easy clean up.

Deja vu · April 28, 2012, 04:20 PM

I think a break action 22LR would be great. Bolt action (single shot) would be my second choice.

bamaranger · April 28, 2012, 05:02 PM

I started bamaboy with a Crickett at that age. One of the issues is that young arms and muscles cannot balance and support adult rifles.

So...little rifle for little guy.

We shot the REd Ryder for a while, to understand safety and handling.

Consider this, when we moved to .22 and real ammo, I bought a couple of hundred .22 LONG CB caps, made by CCI. The long case was easier for little hands to manage, and the report was so mild we did not need muffs, which lent itself to coaching.

The youngster needs to understand, this is a real gun and ALL that means.

Striker1 · April 28, 2012, 05:21 PM

Since others have named the Cricket, I'll throw in the Savage Cub.

Bolt action, single shot with the accu-trigger and the reason I got one...aperture rear sight!

Also, I agree with others that it is best to start with a youth stock that fits.

stu925 · April 29, 2012, 07:45 PM

I picked up an older Marlin 15YN for my oldest boy which is a nice little rifle. Single shot, bolt action made from Wood and blued steel. Only thing I've done to it is refinish the stock.
Stu

Hammerhead · April 29, 2012, 08:12 PM

My vote is for the CZ Scout. It's not as small as the Cricket, but it is youth sized. Comes with a single shot adapter, but takes 5 or 10 round magazines as well. Nice open sights, grooved for scope mounts.

I love mine, it's every bit as accurate as a full size CZ.

SIGSHR · April 29, 2012, 09:38 PM

I always recommend and "adult" rifle with a stock shortened and perhaps sliimed for a younger shooter. It gets younger shooters in the habit of engaging the safety and of course they will grow into the full sized stock.

BusGunner007 · April 29, 2012, 10:22 PM

MARLIN 15
Bought one for each of my kids when they turned 7.
Excellent little rifle~!

davis21b · May 9, 2012, 12:00 AM

Ok, what you think about the Henry Mini Bolt Youth. It has fiber optic sights so I'm thinking that maybe easier to teach him how to line his sights up right. What do yall think. Its between the Henry and the Crickett.

jehu · May 9, 2012, 06:44 AM

Get him a Ruger 10/22 which he can learn on and keep for a life time. He will out grow the Cricket real fast and you will be stuck with it.

BigMikey76 · May 9, 2012, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Get him a Ruger 10/22 which he can learn on and keep for a life time. He will out grow the Cricket real fast and you will be stuck with it.

Or the cricket can be passed down when his kids are ready to start shooting... passing things down is a great bonding moment

bailey bud · May 9, 2012, 09:49 AM

I might also look at a Rossi.

I like the Trifecta --- which is likely what I'll get my young daughter for her next birthday.

Saltydog235 · May 9, 2012, 10:40 AM

X100 for the Cricket. My 4yo started with one a couple of months ago and is really learning. It takes more to load an cock than a mag fed or tube magazine and you have to physically cock it even after the round is chambered. It adds an extra step of safety as far as I am concerned. Plus they are cheap, I think I paid $125.00 or so.

April 28, 2012, 04:29 AM	#1
davis21b Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Mississippi Posts: 63	Starter rifle I have convinced my wife to let me get my son (who will be turning 6 a few months after I get home) a rifle. I need some good thoughts on some good starter rifles for him. I'm so excited. __________________ SAPPERS LEAD THE WAY!

April 28, 2012, 04:39 AM	#2
Pond, James Pond Senior Member Join Date: July 12, 2011 Location: Top of the Baltic stack Posts: 6,079	Despite knowing nothing about rifles I will chime in with my guess on which advice will be given: .22 LR bolt action, from CZ or Savage, or the like. Iron sights. Am I right? (I know I want one!!) __________________ When the right to effective self-defence is denied, that right to self-defence which remains is essentially symbolic. Freedom: Please enjoy responsibly.

April 28, 2012, 05:11 AM	#5
BigMikey76 Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2011 Location: Bellevue, NE Posts: 981	+1 for the Cricket. It is made for little people, so he won't be in an awkward position when learning to shoot. He can upgrade later. http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...+%26+Black+Syn __________________ Some people are like Slinkies - not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

April 28, 2012, 05:34 AM	#6
davis21b Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Mississippi Posts: 63	Yeah I planned on starting him out with 22lr iron sights. I have just been debating on which rifle to start him with I have heard good things about the cricket. The cricket really does seem probably the best way to go. I have a marlin model 60 that my dad gave me. I'm going to hand it down to him when he gets older. I get to go home for r&r in less than 2 weeks I'm thinking about going a head and getting it for him and letting him shoot every chance we get. I miss him so much I can't wait to see him. He is basically a mini me lol he looks just like me and acts like me too so I'm hoping he loves to shoot as much as I do. Sorry, for the whole lil rant there yall I guess really miss my family right now guess I'm a little home sick I actually have some tears in my eyes. Sorry, again I gotta go to the gym or something clear my mind. Thanks for the advice and listening to me go on about my son. __________________ SAPPERS LEAD THE WAY!

April 28, 2012, 07:24 AM	#7
davis21b Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Mississippi Posts: 63	Is the cricket a single shot only or can you find them with a magazine of some sort? __________________ SAPPERS LEAD THE WAY!

April 28, 2012, 05:00 AM	#3
ndking1126 Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2008 Location: Madison, AL Posts: 1,932	yep.. .22lr with iron sights would be my recommendation. I certainly don't disagree with it being bolt, but for me it isn't that big of a deal because you as the parent will be there.. you can make sure he is taking time from shot to shot. And then whe he is a little older, he can still have fun with it being semi-auto. My first .22 was a Marlin 60, still have it and its still going great! I only have a 3 yr old daughter.. wish I had a son to teach! But on the other hand, as long as I buy a pink .22 she'll like it! Who knows, maybe she'll love to shoot - only time will tell.

April 28, 2012, 05:06 AM	#4
MarkDozier Senior Member Join Date: February 1, 2010 Posts: 363	Pond, reread the post. The lad is 6 years old. Niether of the rifle you suggest work for a lad of that age. I suggest you look at a Cricket. A small youth model single shot 22 LR with bolt action. About 100 bucks. Also buy a 10/22 now. When he is 10 or 11 give it to him. It will be Dads gun until then and one he will cherish, when he gets it, for a long time to come.

April 28, 2012, 07:25 AM	#8
BigMikey76 Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2011 Location: Bellevue, NE Posts: 981	I'm sure he will love the cricket, and later when he gets that Marlin, it will mean all the more because it was yours first. __________________ Some people are like Slinkies - not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

April 28, 2012, 08:45 AM	#10
johnwilliamson062 Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Posts: 9,995	Cricket/Chipmunk. Look at their site and they have all kinds of options. If not, Marlin 981T/981TS. Small and light, but not like the cricket.

April 28, 2012, 09:36 AM	#11
Strafer Gott Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2011 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1,315	Try to find an Ithaca M49. Nice single shot lever action. My brother carried one even as a teenager. He still treasures it. A cricket is smallish and probably gets outgrown. Not many of us have totally outgrown cowboy and lever actions.

April 28, 2012, 10:29 AM	#12
smoakingun Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2009 Location: melrose, fl Posts: 634	I started my son with a cz youth model. Nice rifle, maybe an inch longer than a cricket, comes with a blank magazine for loading single shot, and a 5 round magazing can be purchased seperately. Here's the rub. My son was smallish at age 6, and really did not fit the rifle untill a few months after he turned 7. By age 10 he had completely outgrown the rifle. On the other hand, the bb gun was used a ton at age six, and still gets used at age 17 __________________ Hundreds of years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove... But the world may be different because I did something so bafflingly crazy that my ruins become a tourist attraction.

April 28, 2012, 12:02 PM	#13
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	Look in the used market. There are lots of "youth" sized .22s in the used gun racks. A single shot bolt action would be my suggestion. But it could be a rolling block such as a Stevens favorite or any other configuration. Simplicity is important, it helps a kid to understand how the gun works and makes for relatively easy clean up.

April 28, 2012, 04:20 PM	#14
Deja vu Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Border of Idaho & Montana Posts: 2,584	I think a break action 22LR would be great. Bolt action (single shot) would be my second choice. __________________ Shot placement is everything! I would rather take a round of 50BMG to the foot than a 22short to the base of the skull. all 26 of my guns are 45/70 govt, 357 mag, 22 or 12 ga... I believe in keeping it simple. Wish my wife did as well...

April 28, 2012, 05:02 PM	#15
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,312	crickett I started bamaboy with a Crickett at that age. One of the issues is that young arms and muscles cannot balance and support adult rifles. So...little rifle for little guy. We shot the REd Ryder for a while, to understand safety and handling. Consider this, when we moved to .22 and real ammo, I bought a couple of hundred .22 LONG CB caps, made by CCI. The long case was easier for little hands to manage, and the report was so mild we did not need muffs, which lent itself to coaching. The youngster needs to understand, this is a real gun and ALL that means.

April 28, 2012, 05:21 PM	#16
Striker1 Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2004 Location: TX Posts: 710	Since others have named the Cricket, I'll throw in the Savage Cub. Bolt action, single shot with the accu-trigger and the reason I got one...aperture rear sight! Also, I agree with others that it is best to start with a youth stock that fits.

April 29, 2012, 07:45 PM	#17
stu925 Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2010 Location: New York Posts: 953	I picked up an older Marlin 15YN for my oldest boy which is a nice little rifle. Single shot, bolt action made from Wood and blued steel. Only thing I've done to it is refinish the stock. Stu

April 29, 2012, 08:12 PM	#18
Hammerhead Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2004 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,432	My vote is for the CZ Scout. It's not as small as the Cricket, but it is youth sized. Comes with a single shot adapter, but takes 5 or 10 round magazines as well. Nice open sights, grooved for scope mounts. I love mine, it's every bit as accurate as a full size CZ.

April 29, 2012, 09:38 PM	#19
SIGSHR Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2005 Posts: 4,700	I always recommend and "adult" rifle with a stock shortened and perhaps sliimed for a younger shooter. It gets younger shooters in the habit of engaging the safety and of course they will grow into the full sized stock.

April 29, 2012, 10:22 PM	#20
BusGunner007 Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2001 Location: Upper Left Coast Posts: 2,116	MARLIN 15 Y series. MARLIN 15 Bought one for each of my kids when they turned 7. Excellent little rifle~! __________________ "...if you're not havin' fun, you're workin'..."

May 9, 2012, 12:00 AM	#21
davis21b Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Mississippi Posts: 63	Ok, what you think about the Henry Mini Bolt Youth. It has fiber optic sights so I'm thinking that maybe easier to teach him how to line his sights up right. What do yall think. Its between the Henry and the Crickett. __________________ SAPPERS LEAD THE WAY!

May 9, 2012, 06:44 AM	#22
jehu Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2005 Posts: 433	Get him a Ruger 10/22 which he can learn on and keep for a life time. He will out grow the Cricket real fast and you will be stuck with it.

May 9, 2012, 09:49 AM	#24
bailey bud Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2011 Location: 1.5 miles above insanity Posts: 259	I might also look at a Rossi. I like the Trifecta --- which is likely what I'll get my young daughter for her next birthday.

May 9, 2012, 10:40 AM	#25
Saltydog235 Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2010 Location: Pawleys Island Posts: 1,563	X100 for the Cricket. My 4yo started with one a couple of months ago and is really learning. It takes more to load an cock than a mag fed or tube magazine and you have to physically cock it even after the round is chambered. It adds an extra step of safety as far as I am concerned. Plus they are cheap, I think I paid $125.00 or so.