Child rifle suggestions?

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pocat

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I'm looking to buy a .22 rifle for my 8 year-old daughter. Can anybody make any good recommendations? I love the Ruger 10/22's, but the length of pull is not correct. Would it ruin the stock to cut it to length for her?

Last year on Father's Day, she shot my 22/45 for the first time. (See attachment.) We practiced safety for about a month with a BB pistol. She loves to shoot my Marlin .22 rifle, but it just doesn't work for her. Thanks.
 

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One of the good things about the popularity of semi auto .22's these days, it that the pawn shops have great bargains on older single shot bolt actions. I would buy one of these, and cut the stock to fit your young lady. Obviously, you are teaching safety, and that is great. I like to teach fun too, when introducing kids to firearms. Your story reminds me of when my kids were that age, and how much fun we all had together.
 
There are some real inexpensive Romanian bolt action 22's floating around. I think they are used military, but can be had for under $80.
 
Anschutz Achiever .22 lr bolt action. It is designed to teach kids to shoot. The stock is shorter than most, and you can add up to 4 plastic spacers (about 1/4" each) between the buttplate and the stock as the child grows. (I think it comes with a couple of spacers, and you can buy more.) You can even remove the buttplate if you need it shorter. It has a 5 shot magazine and a single shot magazine well insert. Best of all, they are quite reasonable in price, or at least they were when I bought one 8 years ago. It is extremely accurate and fun to shoot. I probably have more fun with it than my child does!
 
When I first read the subject line, I was going to recommend a 10/22 because I love those rifles. But reading the responses in this thread got me to thinking a little more about the issue of appropriate firearms for teaching children.

I have to agree that a single-shot seems to be the way to go. Firstly, it automatically limits the amount of trouble they can get in. Secondly, I think it will teach them more about setting up each shot, rather than just shooting off a string of bullets.

Good luck with your daughter. Looks like you have a lot to be proud of!
 
If you want the kid to learn how to shoot, GET THE BOLT action.

If you want the kid to learn how to load mags, get the 10/22.

My first was a bolt... but I still burn ammo in the 10/22.
 
I bought a .22lr for my boys when they were small.....

(they're a pair of mooses now...)

Get a 3/8 dowel and and a 3/8 drill bit.

Take off the buttplate and drill a 3/8 hole about six inches deep or so.
Now take a hand saw and cut off the butt in 1 inch sections.

As the kid grows, add the butt back on an inch at a time. The dowel and hole will help you align it all.

I also favor the bolt gun. For target shooting, hunting, self defense or even plinking... only the hits count.
 
Marlin made a little M-1 carbine look-alike called the Marlin M-1 I believe several years ago. They are cheap, accurate, semi-auto and have short pull, short barrel and are the lightest I've found in years of looking.

I did not like any of the little youth .22s for my three children for various reasons. My other choice is the AR-7 in the little foam and plastic packing stock. Then find one of the after market smaller stocks that can be cut down. The stocks are not all that easy to find but they are by far the lightest little rifle made and fairly cheap with a short pull on any of the stocks. They are not nearly as accurate or reliable as the Marlin however but far easier to find.
 
My boys both got Chipmunk .22's. Well made single shot bolt rifle scaled down to "kid" size. The rifle is sized for kids, just not a cut down adult rifle. It also comes with a good peep sight and is very accurate. Cost about $120, but that was awhile back.
 
My vote goes for the Chipmonk or the jiimini cricket (spelling?)
Both are very good choices and are well made. Just like miniture center fire bolt actions. They are accurate single shot good looking rifles that are made to fit the wee ones. They are shorter than the standard "youth" gun so they will fit an 8 year old very nicely.
Celt
 
Taurus Pump

Taurus has a nice tube fed pump 22 in a youth model, and a longer regular model. If you get the right style, they shoot shorts, longs, long rifles, cb caps, everything. Even colibris.

I picked up both, because even though the youth is short, it breaks down nice and compact.

They'll eventually outgrow the size of a chipmunk or a smaller youth sized rifle, but these nice pump 22 can rollers will be useful for their lifetime, imho.

Got picks if you want.
 
I appreicate the information. My first is only 22 months, but I have already starting looking for a good .22 for her. I figure I have 4-5 years of shopping ahead of me, but I want y'all to know that I appreciate the input!
 
Check out the new Savage /Stevens M30 "Crackshot" falling-block single-shot rifle. It is short, light, accurate, and fun! It would teach a youngster the values of ammunition conservation and making sure one's shot counts the first time!
 
I have to echo the others and say get a bolt action or single shot. When my son was 9 or 10 I got him a 10/22. While it's a great rifle he usually just rattled off 10 rounds and reloaded. After a couple times of this he would tire of reloading the mag and would pick up one of my bolt actions and spend the rest of the time at the range with it, and shooting lots more accurately too.
 
When I was a kid (7 yrs old) my dad bought me an old springfield single shot 22.

the bolt action, wirth the manual cocking piece on the back of the bolt.

he got this gun DIRT cheap, in good condition.

he then drilled 2 holes (to match the dia. of some 3/8" dowell), straight up the stock, under the butt plate, and then sliced off 1" thick sections of stock, starting at the butt plate end.

as I grew, he would add a length of dowell, and another inch of stock back to it. using long wood screws to hold them on.

when I grew into the full length, he removed the short dowells, made a pair of FULL LENGTH dowells, and glued it back together, piece by piece, and refinished it... (so a few lines showed, eh?)

I still have that gun to this day, it even survived a house fire, (it had to have it's stock replaced) and my only regret is that those "youth marks" are gone...

and you can believe me... of all the guns I own, including some VERY well built customs, that old Springfield single shot is the one that means the most to me, because of the care and love my father put into it so I could have a gun "all my own" .

Do your kid a favor, make her a gun she can call her own,and then keep forever... she will remember it all her life...
 
Thisaway,

I did a little checking and don't find a source or price or anything else on the crackshot except auction sites. Is it currently available? Reference please.

Thanks,
Jody
 
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