TexasCHLforum.com

All good answers. There's a lot to be said for the single-shot bolt action like a Cricket. I went with the 10/22 just because I already had it. Brownells has a youth sized stock for it for about $90 - truly youth size, not just cut down. As they grew I just swapped stocks and they were able to keep shooting a gun they knew well and were comfortable with.

I made it a single shot by only giving them one bullet until they demonstrated a consistent focus on safety and shooting with accuracy, then 3 or 4 bullets, working up to a full mag. They really hate loading 1 at a time so they worked pretty durn hard at earning the privilege of a full mag...and they know they could lose that privilege with a casual attitude toward safety or accuracy.