Within the next year I plan to buy a youth sized .22 to start teaching my kids how to safely shoot. I'd appreciate input on the rifles available and the pros/cons of each. Any personal anecdotes would also be welcome.
I had originally planned to get each kid their own as they hit a certain age (I've got four total), but now I think that's a waste of money. . . it might be smarter to get one youth size .22 for education and early training - and then look at better firearms as they get older if they stick with it.
I've been looking in the $200 range or so. So far I've got the following models on my radar:
Savage Arms CUB Mini .22
Single shot
Bolt action
$200 (Cabela's)
Henry Youth Mini .22
Single Shot
Bolt action
$200 (Academy)
Crickett .22
Single shot
Bolt action
$100 (Several retailers)
A year ago, when looking at the Crickett, I had a salesmen mention getting a Mosin Nagant in .22 so that we could add the magazine-feed as they become more experienced. The only drawback to the Mosin he had was the weight. It was a much better rifle than the Crickett, and I liked the wood furniture, but I'm afraid it would be too heavy for a small kid.
For perspective, my kids are:
Daughter (soon to be 5)
Son (3)
Daughter (2)
Daughter (6 months)
They older three are familiar with Eddie Eagle gun safety, but I plan to start taking them to the range and teaching them how to safely operate a firearm around 5 or 6. . . sticking with the .22 for a while.
I think you're on the right path for one rifle to pass down as the children grow. I'd choose a youth model, single shot that has the best fit for your beginning shooter. I'd start them on a bench rest so weight wouldn't be an issue. Have you considered a BB gun to familiarize, ie safety training, sighting, handling, stock to body/cheek position etc.?
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I taught my son to shoot with an ancient youth-sized "catalog rifle" I found used in a gunstore in California. That said, I have since purchased a couple of other .22 rifles, one of them a Remington "Viper" , and more recently a M&P15-22. There is a lot to be said for using a single-shot bolt action for teaching purposes. The child not only has to learn marksmanship, but he or she also has to learn the proper manual of arms—and repeat it often—if they want to send a lot of rounds down range. It keeps the ammo costs (such as they are) down, while holding their attention AND teaching them safety and how to shoot through repetition, which is the best way of doing it.
But once the child has learned how to safely handle a rifle, and how to shoot it well, then I have come to the conclusion that a dedicated .22LR AR platform like the M&P15-22 is a really good choice because of the 6 position collapsible buttstock and its polymer upper and lower recievers. The S&W weighs only about 5 lbs, so it is light enough for a child to handle, and the adjustable buttstock means that the rifle will grow with the child. Like any AR (or AK, if that is your bent), it can easily be broken down into its component parts, either for cleaning/maintenance, or for storage as a takedown rifle. And lastly, it trains the child in a really useful skill set for when they are older: the care, feeding, and use of an EBR type of rifle. Gun-grabbers would call that indoctrination. I call it "world-proofing" your child. Eventually, as they grow older, if they remain interested in shooting, it will be natural for him or her to want to own a centerfire version of the same platform with which they are already very familiar. The world is a decreasingly friendly place, and we ALL pray that our children will never have to confront violence with a rifle. But if they ever do have to, who wouldn't be glad to know that their kid already had the skills and the means?
Another thing....if you already own a centerfire AR15, what kid wouldn't want to be shooting a gun "just like daddy's?" I'm recommending the S&W because that's the one I have experience with, but I'm sure that the alternatives from Ruger and Sig (or anybody else who manufactures a dedicated .22LR AR) are just as good. Again, I'm not claiming that a .22LR AR is a good place to start with a child—although you could do worse, a single shot bolt action is better—but I do think that it makes an excellent followup "learning rifle" for a child after he or she has got the safety rules down and is comfortable with shooting.
“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”
You can also get a Ruger 10/22 with a 6 position collapsible stock like an AR. The one I saw at Tactical Firearms in Katy both collapsed and folded, from the factory. With everything you can do to modify and and customize a 10/22, I think it is a great rifle for someone to grow with. That being said, my first .22 was a winchester 9422 that I still have. And it isn't for sale...at alost any price.
puma guy wrote:I'd start them on a bench rest so weight wouldn't be an issue.
Interesting thought. My dad was a wood-furniture .22 (not sure of make / model). It's bolt action and has an internal magazine that holds 4-7 rounds (can't remember). . . it's heavy for the kids, but they could do it on a bench rest. That's save me money up front, get them shooting, and let me save up for something like the rifle TAM mentioned.
maverick2076 wrote:You can also get a Ruger 10/22 with a 6 position collapsible stock like an AR. The one I saw at Tactical Firearms in Katy both collapsed and folded, from the factory.
That's what the salesman recommended, not the Mosin. Thanks!
+ 1 on the M&P 15-22. It's an excellent and accurate shooter with lots of customizable options. And because of the adjustable stock my 3 sons can all use and practice with it comfortably. I also got a short 10 round magazine for use on the bench. If you get one, try to get one WITH the "flash hider" at the end to avoid bumping the barrel crown is why. I think I paid $399 at GT distributors.
Looks like a promising option. I'd probably spend a fair amount of time shooting it myself.
Here's a good review. . . I guess I'm getting a late start with the older two kids according to this guy:
[youtube][/youtube]
(Is that you, Chris? Maybe in a few years.)
Now I'm in a conundrum. . . to start with the bolt or not. I still might, but you've convinced me not to go too expensive on it.
I'd have to lose some weight. But I did see that video. I really like my 15-22, and it is far more generally useful to me than either of the other .22 rifles I bought over the years. BTW, I don't think there's a thing wrong with most semi-auto .22s from most manufacturers. I'm just a big fan of the AR platform, and so buying a .22 in that platform makes a great deal of sense to me, and using it to teach the young'uns for exactly the reasons I outlined above makes a great deal of sense to me. You're welcome to try mine out some time if you'd like.
“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”
For children that young I would go with a regular Daisy BB gun. The noise and ammo expense is less and you can set up a safe shooting place in your garage. The Cub Scouts have a BB gun program and when they move up to Boy Scouts they get to use .22s. I would also suggest taking an NRA basic rifle course yourself if for no other reason to refresh your basic rifle safety and marksmanship skills.
There is little else more rewarding than passing on sporting skills to young people. I have taught all four of my now grown children to shoot and fish and I'm working on the grandchildren as I can.
Last edited by MoJo on Tue Apr 17, 2012 4:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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The 10/22 hands down considering their ages. Although the 10/22 may not be tacticool the bottom line is to teach firearm safety and lean to shoot. If not that a bolt action 22 would be next although I do wonder if they may get bored with having to re-load after a shot. I would get the 10/22 basic model with wood stock and cut the stock down as needed then buy another stock or two on Ebay, I have 3 spares to practice refinishing on and paid $20 each. Please let us know what you end up doing and how it works out. You could also think about taking them to Appleseed, would be a fun weekend for the entire family
