.22 rifle recommendations for my 10 year old

And this is why I'm happy that I joined this forum. You all have given me a lot to think about.

After reading all of your suggestions and some consideration on my part, I'm leaning towards the slightly beefier .22 magnum cartridge offerings for my boy's first rifle.

We just don't have anywhere to plink around here, so our shooting time will be limited to the local range and hunting season on public land, so ammo cost is not as critical as the ability to take larger varmints when they present themselves.

So now I go back to platforms which I agree with most that a single shot, bolt or lever action is a good place for my young hunter to start (the semi's will come later).
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I really liked the looks of the CS452 Scout in .22 magnum and like that it can be used as a single shot. I also see that Henry makes a .22 magnum lever action that would probably need some stock work, but is a heavier gun and higher price point. It appears that Winchester and Browning are just too pricey in these guns.

But then I stumbled across the Marlin bolt actions like the models 925 and XT-22MR in .22 WMR. It's light, synthetic (good down here), and under or just at $200.00.

Does anyone have any experience with the Marlin bolt guns in this caliber?

Thank you all for taking the time to reply. Lots of good info from all of you.

On a side note, my boy took down his first "small game" on Memorial Day - a cotton rat shot under our bird feeder with his Daisy air rifle. You would have thought it was an 8-point buck. Maybe part of his pleasure was that I'd already missed the darn thing 5 times and he got it on his second try DRT.
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Thanks again,all.

Raptor
 
I'd go with the Scout but they are only available in 22LR. I bought one "for my boys" a few years ago and since then my CZ American has been gathering dust. It'll shoot bug holes at 50 yards. Another thing, it has pretty good iron sights and I think any shooter starting out should learn to use them before moving to optics. Also the more rounds downrange the better and 22LR are much much cheaper than the mags. If you want to know the nitty gritty on ANY rimfire check out rimfirecentral forums, tons of info there.
 
Lots of great ideas here, but I am thinking that when the time comes that I can teach my 3 year old to shoot, I may want to give her a single shot like the Henry Mini Bolt. This will teach her to make each shot count. My dad did this to me with my first shotgun, and I think it really helped me.
 
Started both my kids with a Marlin bolt action single shot. Its light with a big enough stock to fit kids up to 12 years of age. I like the Safety on the rifle and the fact its a single shot. I put a sling on the rifle and we marched through the hills hunting rabbits here in Wyoming. It also went on several coyote calling trips. I eventually put a 1 inch Bushnell 4x scope on the rifle. Both of my kids killed their first rabbit and prairie dog with that gun. I still have it in my gun cabinet ready for grand kids some day. Its a straight shooter and its similar to a bolt action centerfire rifle so when you transition to a big game bolt gun the mechanics are similar.
 
Originally Posted By: TnTnTnI would buy the CZ Scout. It is a well made, tough, light, small(but not too small), accurate, quality rifle. I often take ours out on walkabouts and it is comfortable to shoot for adults as well. It comes with a magazine well blocker so that it is a single shot as purchased. 5 and 10 rnd CZ magazines can be readily purchased. It should last 2-3 lifetimes with heavy use and proper care. TTT

I agree on the scout as its a tiny bit smaller. Or a cz american that he could grow into. Either way the cz's are sweet. Mine have all been serious tack drivers. If it is not a tack driver CZ customer service is about the best in the industry and will fix it. A big bonus is you can get a single shot adaptor till his gun safety skills are fully developed. Or get any of the fullsize cz's he can grow into it.

Next I would say the savage MK . This one is great because they are very lightweight like 5lbs. Fairly cheap price just over 200. Reputation for being very accurate. Easy to find one used.

 
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Get him the Crackshot rifle...new or vintage. That is what I started out with and it is light and you learn the most important lesson of a single shot, make your first shot count and each following shot. Real straight forward to use , no worries if the gun is loaded or not or if there is a bullet in the tube or clip or if the safety is on or off.....most important. No way to mess up with this gun. Mine was actually a Page and Lewis , model A target . Page and lewis was bought out by Stevens. Mine had a falling block design and has killed more things than all of my other guns combined because I shot it constantly as a youth. Jim
 
Crimson,
If it were me I would check the pawn shops for a used Marlin tube fed .22 Mag if that is the cartridge you are looking for.

Why used? I've bought several guns for the kids thinking they would shoot them and value them like I did when I was a kid. It's not always so, and I have 2 guns sitting in the cabinet that get used maybe once every 6 months. If you buy used you can see if they are going to become the great outdoorsman, or woman, that you think they will. If they don't you're not out much money in the end.

I like the older Marlin's as they seem to have made so many that you can find a .22 mag in the bigger pawn shops a bit easier than other manufacture's .22 mags. And buying used will take the pain out of cutting down a perfectly good stock. I had great luck with an old Marlin 883.

Once you know that your child is going to embrace hunting, and take care of their firearm, and follow all safety rules. Then they will be ready for a more expensive gun.
 
Thanks again, guys, for the ideas and suggestions.

After my last post, I got to thinking about how I have yet to install optics on any of my firearms as an adult, so why did I think my boy needed a scope to start when he just needs to continue to hone his pointing and shooting skills on open sights?

That's how I learned and down here, I just have never had the need to even try a 100 yard shot yet, so I'm dumping the need for optics at this point. I don't want him starting out thinking a long gun has to have a scope to be effective and not knowing how to use open sights, especially in our hunting environment here.

I'm definitely leaning towards the Marlins as they seem to have a larger offering in new and used guns (good advice, Kel) in the .22 magnum and in the right price range.

Once I find "the one", I'll report back to you all on model, price, and fun factor!
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Thank you all!

Raptor
 
What about leaning towards a 17hmr? You can get a great 17hmr from marlin for less then $200. My son likes it a lot more then the 22lr. We use reactive targets for fun. Egg's, or we refill old water bottles and they are more fun to hit with the 17hmr. Ammo is a little more expensive, but still affordable.
 
Unfortunately Jbuck, we have no plinking territory. It's either the state shooting range or the hunting areas. We're hunting, not plinking, otherwise I'd go with the .22LR. The 17hmr sounds like a lot of fun, just not practical for our situation.

Raptor
 
Just a couple of thoughts.Whatever you get for him,be sure it is a good shooter.It is enough to learn to shoot without having to deal with a poor shooting rifle.The little gallery rifle,pump,is a good rifle for a kid,I would stay away from autos,shoot to much aim to little.I grew up on a farm and we worked long hours even when I was little.I learned to shoot my Dads Remington bolt.It was too big for me for a couple of years but he helped me hold it up.It would hit where you aimed.I would beg to shoot and he would promise we would,if we got the work done before dark.Sometimes we would.Even though we lived out in the country we had to walk down to the creek to shoot,no shooting around the house.Most times he would only take three or four rounds for me to shoot.He would put up a small spot and expect me to hit it,no wasting ammo.I'm not saying you should be as tough as my Dad,if you want to call it tough.He did teach me to shoot,be safe,hit what I was shooting at,don't be wasteful,a lot of things a boy should learn.Dads gone now but I have some great memories of the time we had together.
 
It just so happens that the jackwagons over in the enemy camp has done us a favor compiled a list of yoot guns to peruse for your shopping convenience.

Violence Policy Center Jackwagons

Ya might want to launch them a thank you note. Tied to a brick and tossed through their window would be more appropriate, but an e-mail will probably do.
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LOL - that's fantastic.
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I won't send them a thank you note, otherwise they might remove the list and it would just be one less firearms listing resource for us gun folks.

Although I wish they would update the list and include some of the newer models that look pretty good for the youth market that I've stumbled across and which some of you have recommended.
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Thanks, Steve - I needed that laugh!

Raptor
 
I'm with you, TN. He shows some real patience and diligence on the air rifle both on paper and the cotton rats that are moving back in on our bird feeder.

We'll definitely be doing a bit of range time with whatever .22 magnum we end up with and I do want to be careful to get him a gun that will shoot to point of aim - not only for his confidence, but also so that he dispatches game quickly and humanely. Good advice.

Raptor
 
Originally Posted By: stevelynIt just so happens that the jackwagons over in the enemy camp has done us a favor compiled a list of yoot guns to peruse for your shopping convenience.

Violence Policy Center Jackwagons

Ya might want to launch them a thank you note. Tied to a brick and tossed through their window would be more appropriate, but an e-mail will probably do.
crazy.gif


Thats awesome, big thanks.
 
In Pa - it is illegal to use a semi-auto firearm for hunting. (I think shotguns are allowed - only for geese & ducks).

I don't know if they are legal in your state, but regardless, I think you made a good choice to get your kid a single shooter gun.

 
Florida is pretty liberal on hunting firearms as they don't restrict semi-autos for hunting - only magazine capacity for certain game. On public land, you have to be much more aware of whether you're in centerfire or rimfire and shotgun season as a lot of times you can use all three.

As I've drilled (and continue to drill) my kids on the safety aspects of gun handling, my emphasis on single shot or bolt-action is for him to take his time and build his ability and confidence over time, thinking about his shot placement and where that round is headed once it leaves the barrel including what is beyond the target. It's a lot easier to control the shooting environment and training when going one round at a time, for sure.

Raptor
 
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