22 crickett or heritage 22

O

old fart

New member
i have a 357 magnum that i carry with me when i go out camping, but i am going to get another gun to go with me next year. kentucky has a spring squirrel season that runs 28 days, and while camping i'd like to have a small gun to get a few. i am a small frame guy 5'6" 150lbs and have shot the crickett and shot it well, i've also got a chance to get a heritage rough rider with 6 inch barrel that i shoot well too. which gun if those were your choices would you get?, i'm on a tight budget so these two are my only choices. thanks for any help.
 
I have seen three examples of Heritages, including the one I traded for a 10/22. None of them shot what I would describe as "well". Wildly inaccurate mostly. The crickett I have never shot. They seem cheaply made but functional.
 
Given that the Crickett rifle is essentially a cheaply-built copy of a Winchester Model 67 with a shorter sight radius, I'd take what's behind Door #3: a nice Winchester Model 67. :)

These can still be had for less than $150 in nice shape, and if you take decent care of it, it will never be worth less than what you bought it for today.
 
I'm surprised a youth sized rifle fits you.
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Their website indicates that they make an adult model, but it appears to be the standard youth-sized barreled action grafted onto a stock with more length of pull.

IMHO the main disadvantage of the Crickett is its short barrel, which is less than 18" long IIRC. It's difficult to achieve a high degree of accuracy over irons with a barrel this short, although the Crickett does come with a decent rear peep sight. This would not be a factor if the shooter can add optics, but the OP says he's on a tight budget.
The Crickett is a far better firearm than the Heritage.
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I agree; the Crickett is less cheaply built. However, if it sounds like I'm damning it with faint praise, that's because I am to some degree. ;) IMHO plenty of vintage single-shot .22s are better firearms for an adult than the Crickett, and their prices are generally comparable.
 
Cant get into the whole "Cricket" thing.
What marketing genius came up with that name?

Why not "Dung Beetle", they are known for not being picky?
Or "Cockroach" , they are very durable and can go places a Cricket cant go?:confused:
 
...But there are adult-stocked versions of the Crickett rifles. (Many have a longer barrel, as well.)
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Per the Crickett website, the length of the barrel of the adult-stocked .22LR Crickett is... 16-1/8", IOW the same length as the youth model, and as short as you can advisably go without creating an NFA SBR.

http://www.crickett.com/crickett_rifle_specs.php?osCsid=85vonuu5um2r0cgutsup69vkj0

*FOOTNOTE: Before some .22LR nitpicker jumps in here, I'm well aware that barrels longer than 18" do very little for the cartridge's ballistics; I'm concerned purely with sight radius. :)
 
Why not just go with a higher quality used .22 that could be had for the price of the new Cricket or Heritage?

My wife has a Heritage with the 4.5 in barrell. It's a lot of fun for plinking, but it would not even be in my list of options for a squirrel gun.
That may be just me though....

When given these as the only two options though, I would go with the rifle. Even with a 16" barrel it still has a foot on the Heritage. That can mean a lot with your intended use.
 
i'm on a tight budget and about $150 max is it, also i will be backpacking a few miles into the woods so i was needing something small and light. thanks
 
Well I guess with that tight budget and the backpacking the Heritage with the .22lr & .22mag cylinders would be a good bet for you.
 
IMHO the main disadvantage of the Crickett is its short barrel, which is less than 18" long IIRC. It's difficult to achieve a high degree of accuracy over irons with a barrel this short,
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Um, no it isn't.
 
I'd also go with the rifle for effective accuracy reasons on small targets. I'm not a cricket fan oveall, not even for kids.
 
I can't shoot the Cricket worth a darn, because it doesn't fit me well.

The Heritage Rough Rider I used to have was one of the most accurate 22 handguns I've owned. The bad news is the darned thing would use up a firing pin every 250-500 rounds for some reason. I got tired of replacing firing pins and sold it for $75.

For inexpensive 22s, I like the Savage that Wal-mart sells. And there are a lot of used 22s out there.

But if you're looking for something compact and you can shoot a Crickett well, go for it.
 
The Heritage Rough Rider I used to have was one of the most accurate 22 handguns I've owned. The bad news is the darned thing would use up a firing pin every 250-500 rounds for some reason. I got tired of replacing firing pins and sold it for $75.
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It was eating firing pins because they're worth about what you got out of yours: $75 (if you're lucky). They are NOT high quality firearms.

But if you're looking for something compact and you can shoot a Crickett well, go for it.
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Read the rest of the thread -- Crickett makes adult models, as well.
 
Rossi with two barrels

If you want a compact gun that's not pricey get the Rossi rifle that has two interchangeable barrels. Mine has a 22LR barrel and a 410 barrel. Both barrels shoot well. They make several varieties. Take a look.

Live well, be safe
Prof Young
 
Hello Chris in Va,,,

Yes, H&R makes the Sportster in .22 LR,,,
It comes in a youth version that has a shorter stock,,,
And also in an adult version which has a slightly longer stock.

The rifle on the bottom is the adult stocked .22 Sportster,,,
HR-Both.jpg

It's a very accurate shooter and is aesthetically very pleasing to me.

I have been told the NEF and the H&R are the same rifle,,,
I don't know if that's true or not.

A friend of mine purchased the Rossi 22/410 combo for his son,,,
He tells me it shoots just fine with either barrel,,,
But he says my H&R (which I loaned him) is nicer.

Aarond
 
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