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What is a good youth 22 rifle?
- Thread starter Keg
- Start date
I got my daughter a Crickett for her first .22 when she was five. Chipmunk rifles are very similar to the Crickett and another good option. I liked the Crickett because of its simple design, my daughter liked it because I let her pick out which one she wanted. With all the different colors of laminated stocks a kid can pick out their own special color and it makes the rifle more special to them. They sell as well adult sized stocks for when the kids need them for a reasonable price. I don't recommend getting the scope for it, I feel kids need to learn to shoot with sights first.
You don't need to buy a super expensive .22 lr for kids as they will outgrow it very quickly. My daughter is now ten and I needed to buy a bigger stock for it a couple of years ago for her. The problem was when it became too small for her, she didn't quite fit the adult stock. Now that she does I asked her if she wanted to buy a new stock for it and she said she wanted to keep it like it is because it is her first rifle and special to her. She is happy to shoot my .22's now and her favorite now is a .223 Stevens 200 I gave her.
You don't need to buy a super expensive .22 lr for kids as they will outgrow it very quickly. My daughter is now ten and I needed to buy a bigger stock for it a couple of years ago for her. The problem was when it became too small for her, she didn't quite fit the adult stock. Now that she does I asked her if she wanted to buy a new stock for it and she said she wanted to keep it like it is because it is her first rifle and special to her. She is happy to shoot my .22's now and her favorite now is a .223 Stevens 200 I gave her.
I'm probably gonna go with the Savage Rascal...It cocks on pulling back the bolt...It has the accu-trigger...light weight syn stock....It also comes with a peep sight....We will wait a short while before mounting a scope....
There are many more options for kids guns now days....Thanks for the info fellas....
There are many more options for kids guns now days....Thanks for the info fellas....
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jimmythegeek
New member
Like the Rascal, bought the CZ Scout
It uses the same mags as my CZ-455. I don't think the extra safety features on some of the others actually do any good. I understand the Cricket's pull-to-cock knob actually makes it hard to unload if you have a cease-fire called and can't just shoot.
It's a bolt action. If not ready, don't chamber a round....it's not going to get away with a shooter like a semi-auto could. And being able to step up from the single-shot adapter to a 10-round mag when your kid is ready is a nice feature, I think.
It uses the same mags as my CZ-455. I don't think the extra safety features on some of the others actually do any good. I understand the Cricket's pull-to-cock knob actually makes it hard to unload if you have a cease-fire called and can't just shoot.
It's a bolt action. If not ready, don't chamber a round....it's not going to get away with a shooter like a semi-auto could. And being able to step up from the single-shot adapter to a 10-round mag when your kid is ready is a nice feature, I think.
My first rifle was a Henry .22, it has served me well for more than a decade. I love it, and plan to keep it forever.
The Henry Youth .22 is a little bit smaller. It probably isn't the smallest rifle you could pick, but it would definitely be something he could grow into over the years.
The Henry Youth .22 is a little bit smaller. It probably isn't the smallest rifle you could pick, but it would definitely be something he could grow into over the years.
Closing The Gap
New member
Marlin XT-22VR(bull barrel)
Got a Cricket for my grandson when he was about 7. It was a great little starter rifle and didn't set me back many bucks. Now that he's older her seldom shoots it. He much prefers my S&W 15-22 with the stock in a short position. Still, the Cricket was an ideal gun for him to learn on. Being a single shot that required cocking made him more aware of the gun being in a firing condition. Now I'll keep the gun for his younger sisters if they have any desire to shoot.
FredFreakoutski
New member
My daughter and my son both started on a Chipmunk. It was a very safe gun for them--single shot, good safety.
I bought it for my daughter when she finished hunter safety class when she was 12. It was a special order at the gun shop. When we went in to pick it up, the shop owner placed it on the counter and opened the box. I gave her a nod to pick it up and she asked the guy where the safety was. She checked that it was on safe, then with perfect muzzle control, she picked it up, pulled the bolt all the way back, and did a visual inspection to make sure it was empty. Her finger stayed outside the trigger guard the whole time. When she was done checking it out she handed it back. The shop owner said that he wished that everyone who came in his shop would handle the guns that safe. It was a proud dad moment. The Chipmunk was a good starter gun.
I bought it for my daughter when she finished hunter safety class when she was 12. It was a special order at the gun shop. When we went in to pick it up, the shop owner placed it on the counter and opened the box. I gave her a nod to pick it up and she asked the guy where the safety was. She checked that it was on safe, then with perfect muzzle control, she picked it up, pulled the bolt all the way back, and did a visual inspection to make sure it was empty. Her finger stayed outside the trigger guard the whole time. When she was done checking it out she handed it back. The shop owner said that he wished that everyone who came in his shop would handle the guns that safe. It was a proud dad moment. The Chipmunk was a good starter gun.
My daughters started on a Savage Cub. Good beginners gun. No goofy pull to cock mech.
That is one of the reasons I don't want to go with the Chipmunk or Crickett....I don't care for the pull knob to cock..or the fact that it's not drilled and tapped....
That is one of the reasons I don't want to go with the Chipmunk or Crickett....I don't care for the pull knob to cock..or the fact that it's not drilled and tapped....
Both the chipmunk and cricket are drilled and tapped for their scope mounts. For an additional $15 you can buy the base off of their web site. I don't mind the cocking piece knob, as that is what I learned on with my Dad's old single shot .22 lr when I was growing up. The knob didn't seem to bother my daughter either, and she learned to manipulate it quickly. The ascetics of the knob doesn't seem to bother as many kids as it does their parents.
Keep in mind the Crickett rifles are not designed for 12 year olds. These guns are designed for little kids who do not have the manual dexterity of a bigger kid or adult. The goofy pull to cock mech actually makes the bolt easier to operate for little hands because you don't have the camming action of a close to cock mechanism. It also keeps production cost down (you can get a Crickett for $109) which is a good thing when a Dad might be more enthusiastic about getting the kid into shooting than the child is. Kids sometimes do things to make Mom or Dad proud but loose interest fairly quickly so spending $300 or more for a youth gun is not always wise.