First Rifle for my son

Y

Yankee Traveler

New member
My son is going to be 6 and I would like to get him started shooting. I was thinking single shot .22 but of course just because it has a magazine it doesn't mean it has to be loaded to capacity.
Any suggestions on brand/model or even a different caliber would be much appreciated.
Of course he will get a hunter safety course as well, I want to start him off on the right path.
 
K

King Ghidora

Moderator
You can buy a used Stevens .22 single shot for as little as $25. I don't know if that would be a concern for you but the thing about starter rifles is they soon become less than what's desired. My first .22 was a Stevens single shot but I'd shot many other .22's before that. Still I think they would be a great starter. You can load them shorts for one thing. Shorts are a lot less likely to cause serious damage. Of course all guns are dangerous but a short won't travel nearly as far as a LR.

It's just a suggestion of course. But these are incredibly accurate .22's and they're very light too. I can shoot a less than one inch group with mine at 40 yards (haven't even tried it farther because it doesn't have a scope mount and my eyes are getting old - but it's been my experience that if you can shoot at 40 yards you can shoot at 100 yards too). They are very simple rifles so there's almost nothing to go wrong except eventually the barrel will wear out. If you do break something you would be able to buy parts or another gun for parts.

A first gun is often a treasured thing though so you may want to buy a newer gun. Still if you want to go for a cheap selection and a quality gun this would be a good choice. They're as accurate as any .22 I've ever shot and they're as reliable as it gets and you don't have to worry about a second shot being fired accidentally. IMO that's about perfect as a starter .22.

Also if you do choose to start him on a BB/pellet rifle I've seen Daisy models that were incredibly accurate. Most aren't though unfortunately. My brother got one as a kid that was as accurate as a .22 which is very rare for a BB gun. A friend still has it in fact and it still shoots perfect from what I hear and it's at least 45 years old. I also have a Crossman BB/pellet rifle that is pretty accurate. It isn't like that Daisy but Crossman is probably more consistent in their quality. Of course there are many new model on the market that shoot almost as fast if not faster than a .22. A gun that shoots great with a single pump of a handle is a tempting thing.
 
A

AR FUN

New member
1st Rifle

I bought my son a Henry .22. It is a lever action and the tube magazine can hold 10 LR rounds. The rifle is small, accurate, and safe. The good thing is that as the young fellow grows, he can continue to utilize this rifle. My son is now 13 and still uses this rifle, practically every time he goes squirrel hunting. The drawback is that it is a $200 rifle, which may be a little high in price for a first .22 but if he gets several years of service from it, it may be worth it.

Greg
 
D

deanadell

New member
I can't say enough about the Keystone Arms Crickett rifles. Bought one for my daughter a couple years ago. Bolt action, single shot, have to manually cock the gun before firing....very safe and for us so far, reliable. Definitely sized right for a 6 yr old, and priced right for dad's wallet ;)

Now......only down side I had with it, the peep sight is very rudimentary. Shot "patterns" more than "groups".

After having it a year, I bought the scope base for it off of their website and mounted a 4X ....now the little thing is more accurate than any .22 in my safe :confused:

FetchImageJPG.asp


If I can add one more observation....some of the best money I've spent is on some reactive .22 targets. I bought two sets of Remington "prairie dog" steel targets that are self resetting. Kids that age get tired of punching hols in paper REAL quick, but they will sit there all day long ringing steel.......
 
M

mkg

New member
Yankee,
I would make only one suggestion . If you want your son to stick with shooting sports don't go on the cheap. Decide on a budget. Then buy the best made , most accurate 22lr that fits that budget. If he becomes frustrated because of an inaccurate firearm, or one that has fail to fire , fail to extract issues etc ... he most likely will not enjoy the sport and abandon it .
I have a savage MKII BTV w/a tasco 6-24X42 mildot scope on it . My daughter loves it , she's 17 but this is the first time she's shown any interest . Now she wants to go to the range all the time. :D

Mike
 
Y

Yankee Traveler

New member
Thats more the way I was thinking.
I first thought cheap single shot then reconsidered to one that could be utilized to a much greater extent as time goes by. It may be purchased to be my sons 1st firearm, but it may turn out to be my daughters 1st, and maybe the wifes as well. Depends on the sentimental value my son puts into it, I may need to buy a second for the little girl, or I may inherit it when they are done/outgrow...
$200 is not too much IMO for something that is expected to give years of accurate, dependable service.
I'm not so into the BB/pellet gun. It is how I started (my work, my money, my purchase) when I was 12 and while I was very careful about my investment, I was less then careful about where the bb's went. (I was less...guided then my son). I want my son to learn firearms go BANG and triggers being pulled takes life.

But I digress...

Accurate, dependable, light enough for a 6 year old boy, and short enough also. Preferably lever or bolt. I wouldn't want semi for a starter. I will look into the suggestions already offered and whatever follows.

Many thanks!
 
M

mkg

New member
Yankee ,

Savage MKII youth model fits your price point . It doesn't come with a scope but you may want to start him on iron sites anyway.
I happen to be a Savage kinda guy but there are many others , Marlin etc that could be what you're looking for.

http://www.savagearms.com/markiigy.htm

The BEST thing to do would be to take him to a gun shop and let him feel his way around. Length of pull will be a big factor in him being comfortable.

Mike
 
S

sholling

New member
I think depending on his size a Cricket or Savage MKII Youth depending on his size. At 6 I have a feeling that the Cricket will fit him better but that he will outgrow it by 10. That's not a bad thing and he can look forward to the Savage for his 10th, and pass the Cricket down to his kids when that time comes.

More crickets.
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/31044
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/31041
http://www.crickett.com/TheStore/Rifles/rifles.html

Note: I only know the Cricket by reputation. I haven't shot it.
 
A

AR-15 Rep

New member
I vote for the Daisy or Crossman. I started with the Daisy Red Rider Carbine, great to learn basics and the rounds don't travel like a .22lr. Learning the basics without the ballistics so if there is a mistake less of a chance it could be fatal.
 
K

ksokie

New member
My son will be 6 in November and he has a Cricket .22 sitting in the safe waiting for him at Christmas. I would give it to him for his birthday but I know him and he'll want to shoot it alot when he gets it. So I'll wait for Christmas and he'll have more time during the vacation from school. He's one of the smaller kids in his class, not quite 40lbs yet, and a little shorter than the others. I'm just hoping it fits him well enough that he can shoot it. I know my Ruger 10/22 lop was too much when I test fit it on him a couple months ago. If not he'll grow into it.
 
J

JDG

New member
The Savage MKII Youth is a fine starter gun! Very accurate, bolt action slows down the shooting a bit, and a trigger that will spoil him forever:D
 
T

thinkingman

New member
Here is a vote for a youth size and weight starter gun.
I received a Remington 550 for my 6th birthday (was that really 38yrs ago?)
and couldn't shoot it properly from offhand until I was 10 or 11 and I was a big kid.
A kid needs a kid size gun.
And I'm all for single shot.
Mine is going to be 5 in January and I'm shopping for him already, even though I don't think he's ready yet.
Have fun!
These are the days to remember!
 
Y

Yankee Traveler

New member
length of pull is a big factor for me (him) as he is not big for his age, and I want him to be comfortable with it also.

I do like that savage though, price is right with a good reputation. I will try and find a local dealer that I can try one on for size.
 
M

mkg

New member
Yankee ,

I don't know where in TN you are but Dick's sporting goods has them on sale quite often .

Mike
 
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