Rascal or Crickett

S

swervinmervin

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What say you, rimfire gurus?!? Trying to decide on a small, single-shot, bolt action, open sighted rimfire for my kids. I'm currently shrinking a Lakefield 64b that a friend gave me for them, but I want them to get some experience on a single before switching them to a semi. They are tiny little buggers, 6 and 7 (8 in July), and their LOP averages out to 11.5 inches. I do have an old Cooey 600 that i considered shrinking, but it has a pretty heavy barrel profile and puts weight a bit far forward for them ( it also shoots like a hot damn, so i think i'll let them grow into it ). It seems by the time i buy and modify something, i'll be at the purchase price of either the Savage Rascal, or the Crickett.
What do you think??
 
i have a rascal for my 4 year old, she loves it. I have a savage cub for my 11 year old, as well she loves it. I also bought my oldest daughter a Henery mini bolt when she was much younger. All are great rifles. For an 8/9 YO i would suggest the mini bolt personally. However the rascal is also pretty cool, you can just ghost load the round into the action, and then close the bolt, with no bolt pull back. A drawback of the mini bolt. The cub also has the bolt #### automatically when you cycle the action.
They are all super accurate with cheapo ammo.
 
I have started looking at the Rascal as well. Although it seems near perfect for its intended use, I would like to get a mag fed 22. Any recommendations? Bolt is preferable, but I might possibly consider a semi.

OP, if you feel I hijacked your thread, let me know and I will delete my post.
 
I bought my daughter a henry mini bolt - IMHO more sturdy built than both rascal and cricket - accuate as hell - the bolt pull #### is a bit of a pita however at this point I am seeing it as an added level of safety in learning hands.
 
+1 for the Rascal. I purchased the wood stock version and its a superb little rifle right down to its spring loaded feeding ramp,accu-trigger system and peep sight. I have nothing but good things to say about this little wonder. It's heirloom quality in my opinion.
 
frogger said:
the bolt pull #### is a bit of a pita however at this point I am seeing it as an added level of safety in learning hands.
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i agree, PITA, and the only thing my 4YO could not do herself. The Rascal is no fuss, she can do it all herself. LOP is a bit longer though, so her aim is not there yet, but going through the motions is good enough for me for now.
 
My vote goes to the Rascal. I don't think the Cooey singles are easy to load, or #### for kids~I tried this route first. I'm an adult (6' 2") with some degree of manual dexterity, and even I find I don't like loading them. jdman's "ghost load" comment is spot-on too. Drop the round in, 9/10 time it's lined-up and you just close the bolt. There is a neat, collapsing feed ramp that facilitates this, and the cocking happens with the up-throw of the bolt~just like dad's bolt-action! The accutrigger is a nice bonus, and they're sized FOR kids with some fun color-options too. Don't underestimate the size/weight factor too. There aren't many things that throw-off a kid's interest in shooting like a gun they can't load, hold steady, or hit their targets with.

Like many of us who show the same pics over and over again :) here are a couple of my daughter and her green Rascal. Amazing how much ammo one kid can consume with a single-shot~I think it speaks to how much fun she has shooting it. We raid the recycling bin for targets, and return them somewhat aerated. :) Another fun target is balloons. I buy bags of them at the dollar store, jam a stick in the ground, and pierce the end below the knot with my pocket knife...and stretch them over the branch. Takes a while to set-up, but makes for a big/easy/cheap/colorful and rewarding target! Yes...I have child-like enthusiasm myself. :D



 
I just placed an order for a Rascal for my 7 y/o daughter. Before ordering, I asked her what colour she'd like. I figured she'd want red or blue, but she said she wanted the wood one. Surprised, I asked her, "Why?" and she responded, "Because I like the classics, and the animals won't see me when I'm hunting!" That's my girl :) :) :) She's always liked older things and rides a 70's vintage banana-seat bike. What's not to love?

This was her last year.. I was doing the shooting, but after some time at the range this spring, I'm sure she'll be pulling the trigger next... and I guess that'll be last of her cardboard rifles...


 
stickhunter said:
This was her last year.. I was doing the shooting, but after some time at the range this spring, I'm sure she'll be pulling the trigger next... and I guess that'll be last of her cardboard rifles...
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Cool kid, man! She's gonna love that Rascal! My nephews all really like mine, and they are 6-11. Heck, it's my favourite hunting 22 now, it's just so dang short and light! Takes a bit of getting used to the short LOP (I'm 5'10" but with serious ape index), but once you do, it's super sweet.
 
The hardwood Rascal that I ordered arrived yesterday and my daughter was thrilled with it. The short length of pull fit her relatively svelt frame. She did find it a bit heavy, but not overly-so. I understand the synthetic version is about a 1/3 pound lighter, so may be a good option for younger or smaller children.

I must say, the build quality is impressive for a rifle in this price range! The wood was beautifully-finished with a smooth, satin sheen that felt great in the hands. The relief cuts on the top edge of the forearm give it a nice trim grip surface. I was also pleasantly surprised to notice that on the wood version, the trigger guard was metal and not plastic. The action/barrel were evenly finished and cleanly machined. As expected, the Accutrigger was crisp and creep-free --- I'd guestimate the factory adjustment was about 2.5lbs and easy enough for my daughter to pull.

The only "issue" was that the safety took quite a bit of force to disengage (engagement was easy). My daughter found it enough of an effort to push forward that she couldn't comfortably do this while the rifle was shouldered. I would expect it to lighten with use, but I may take it apart and see if I can smooth it out for her.

Overall, the rifle cost me $254 shipped with taxes included --- I think it was money well-spent.
 
OP- ever consider a T/C hotshot? I know not bolt action but very easy, light controls and the perfect size for the little ones.

I really like the fact you can tell what condition the gun is in from far away. (ie: break action open/closed, hammer forward/back, trigger forward/back) Very safe, well made rifle IMO.

I can take a few pics if you are interested.
 
the rascal is great, my daughter on her first ever trip into the gun shop last year when she wasn't even 1 pointed at the red one and laughed so I had to buy it. I love the little 22 and find I always seem to pack it when going out for a hike because it is so damn portable, I'm thinking about grabbing another one but in wood for myself.
 
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