Cricket/Chipmunk/other tiny .22 rifles?

C

cornered rat

Moderator
I tried to teach a 9yo girl to shoot and it was a fiasco.The only gun that was small enough for her was a S&W317 alloy revolver...but the trigger pull was too heavy in DA and she had trouble cocking it for SA. My smallish Marlin 80 was way too big for her.

I saw a Cricket recently for $125 new. I recall shooting a Chipmunk before, and it cost about the same amount.

Has anyone experience with either of those rifles, their durability, etc.? Also, pointers on dealing with 7-10y.o. kids would be appreciated.

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Cornered Rat
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CR
I have no experience with the named rifled but I have with the Daisy .22 that were produced a few years back. They had a bolt action repeater which was a nice little rifle. My nephew learned to shoot on it.

The gun had iron sights and was a blast to shoot. I had as much sun as my nephew.

Also, there are the Savage Favorite I think the new offering is the Model 30. I have the older model 71 and it is a dream to shoot. My 7 year old son can shoot it from a bench rest with no problems. And because it is a falling block single shot, I can monitor the state of the rifle instantly.

I know this is not exactly what you wanted but hope it helps or gives you some ideas.

Judge Blackhawk
 
Saw the Chipmunk at Payless (or was it Longs Drug Store) and had to have one. Bought it as a graduation gift for myself when I finished the police academy. Being a well scaled down rifle, it was hard for me to shoot. However, this worked well for my trigger happy nephews who loved the gun, its size, and handiness. Single shot rifles seem to be the best there is for training kids. Anything semiautomatic (or even revolvers) and the kids concentrate on rapid fire as opposed to aimed fire. Once their groups get smaller, then off the bench and onto prone followed by kneeling. When they've mastered those two, it's the biggie with off hand shooting (close range at 25 yards first, then gradually to 50, 75 and finally 100). Each incremental step is done when they've reached proficiency at a fixed distance and a specific firing posture.

Back to your point, the Chipmunk is a fine little rifle and with it's cocking knob, is very safe for a kid. The newly reintroduced Stevens Favorite (falling block) is another gun little gun to teach a kid on. I understand that the Marlin Buckaroo is in the same category, but since I've never shot, owned or closely examined one, cannot objectively comment on it. Members?

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
The Marlin 'Buckaroo', I think the model is
15YN, is a great first .22 for a youngster.
Single shot, bolt action, small and light.
I found it to be far better in the 'fit and
finish' department than the Chipmunk. My
boy loves it, and I enjoy it too. And, it
is a bit cheaper than the Chipmunk.

As far as pointers, man I could use some too.
By far, the hardest thing for me is my
failing attempts to draw and explain what the
sight picture should be with the iron sights.
My boy just could not 'grasp the concept'.
So I put a red dot on it for him. What a
difference - easy to explain, easy for him
to do. But soon I'll remove the scope and
have to deal with trying to teach him how the
iron sights are supposed to be used, again.
Any tips would be appreciated. - Danm

[This message has been edited by danm (edited October 20, 1999).]
 
I made cardboard cutouts of the front and rear sight. I then move the cutouts around to show how to line up the sights. First time is without a target. Second time is with the benefit of a target for the front sight post (or bead). One thing to remember is that since it is impossible for the eye to keep all three (rear sight, front sight, target) in sharp focus, to consciously focus on the front sight.

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
Using cardboard cutouts of the front and rear sights is an excellent idea! If you make the rear sight and target cutouts from a light grey colored cardboard and the front sight from black-colored cardboard, you can emphasize that the eye should focus on the front sight, and that the rear sight and target should be fuzzy.

While it's true that no one can focus simultaneously on three items each in its own plane of vision (front and rear sights, plus the target), younger eyes can shift focus so quickly that it's almost like they're focusing on more than one plane at a time.

Scopes are easier to use than iron sights because the crosshair appears in the same plane as the target. A peep sight is the next easiest, because you look through the rear sight (and can ignore it) - leaving you with only two planes to concern you.

A shooting drill you can try out to emphasize concentration on the front sight post is to shoot at blank sheets of paper, trying to hit in the center. Since there's no target to look at, it's easier to concentrate on the front sight post. Up-down variation is ignored. The idea is to minimize left-right variation. It sounds ridiculous, but it really helps!
 
Good point about a blank target. They suggested that at the NRA LE Instructor School as a means to teach the student to concentrate on the Front Sight.

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
Not a .22, but one of the best rifles for teaching youngsters on is a spring operated air rifle. The Daisy Timberwolf is fun for adults, too, and runs less than $50. The ubiquitous Red Rider is $30.
 
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