.22 for the kids

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FLYBYU44

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My daughter who is 4 has always loved helping me clean my guns and always watches me when I'm working on them. Lately she has been asking if I can take her to the range and let her shoot a gun. Problem is all I currently have is a 12 gauge, 410 and a SKS. I thought the .410 might work so I took her with me last time. Problem is my 410 is very light and kicks a bit, I don't notice it at all, but she only weighs 40lbs. I'm thinking a .22 and my first thought was a Chiappa Little Badger as you can adjust the stock in and make the LOP very short. I have only had a Badger in 22mag, it kicked about like the 410. How would one in .22LR be? I like that I could shoot it if need be too by extending the stock. Any other suggestions, the little bugger really wants me to take her shooting :)
 
No experience with the Little Badger, but some with the Savage Rascal.
I like that the Rascal cocks when the bolt closes, as opposed to some others that one has to pull to #### - too difficult for little kids, in my opinion.
As for length of pull, my six year old almost fit the rascal, but my three year old wasn't close. I think that mostly because of the lack of fit, my youngest didn't enjoy shooting as much as the older one.
Both had trouble using the peep sight, but I put a cheap red dot on it, and my oldest got on the black, and the little one hit paper, so that made them happy.
 
Henry Mini Bolt - I purchased one a couple years ago for my daughter - they are a bit more expensive but after a little research you will see why. Great little single shot and accurate as he##. You don't come across them too often but if you are interested Williams Arms in Port Perry On has one for sale in their used section. Good Luck!
 
The badger sounds like the one to get as the stock is adjustable and it can grow with them and can be changed to suit both of them! If you feel that the regular .22lr ammo gives a bit too much punch still for them or especially your youngest, pick up some .22 shorts, or if it can't handle shorts, pick up some sub sonic .22lr. I picked up some CCI Quiet .22lr that can be used in any of my .22's and it really is quiet and has basically NO recoil. I think it is only pushing the bullet at about 720 ft/sec. compared to about 1240 ft/sec. for the regular .22lr.

I bought my daughter a pink Savage Rascal and put a red dot on it to make it as easy as possible. With the quiets, we can plink away and not disturb the neighbours as well.

Cheers,

Ian
 
Both Rascal and Little Badger have little to no felt recoil.

I have both (actually putting the Little Badger for sale) and keeping the blue Rascal for my son when he's old enough. I use CCI quiet for backyard plinking and its great.

The little badger, even for a person used to shoot firearm is awkward to shot (to me anyway) and I don't think it would make a good learning tool for kids. I stand by Savage Rascal for that.
 
There are some pretty slick little offerings for the wee shooters.
Colour crazy too.
I think an old Cooey is swell if it is offered up by Great Granpappah,
but the new evolution of 22's are pretty amazing and built with the youngsters at heart.

Nothing wrong with the old Cooey's, but I think that is a by-gone era.
And what the heck happened to all those missing bolts?
 
Why not a Ruger 10/22 ?

Buy the rifle, remove the stock then buy another factory stock for a couple of bucks and cut it the length you want for the kids.
These stocks are everywhere and are cheap...
 
kamlooky said:
There are some pretty slick little offerings for the wee shooters.
Colour crazy too.
I think an old Cooey is swell if it is offered up by Great Granpappah,
but the new evolution of 22's are pretty amazing and built with the youngsters at heart.

Nothing wrong with the old Cooey's, but I think that is a by-gone era.
And what the heck happened to all those missing bolts?
Click to expand...

^might be the first post of kamlooky's I can fully understand! :) Very well said. As an adult (and large) man, I really like every Cooey I've ever shot (39, 75, 60) but as kamlooky and others have said, there are better options for small kids today. A Cooey 39 is very much a kid-sized gun, but most small kids do have a little trouble cocking the trigger. Takes a fair amount of force to pull that small knob, and in cold weather it gets old quick for smaller kids. WITH my own kids in mind, I own..or have owned a Norinco JW15A backpacker, Savage Rascal, Little Badger and a Savage FV-SR. With, or even without optics...they all preferred the Savage Rascal~hands-down. (eating CCI Quiet-22 or CB longs almost the whole time) No recoil, a manageable size that inspires confidence, able to mount a bipod (see below) and a spring loaded feed ramp that allows shooters to basically drop a round in, and close the bolt=chambered/cocked and ready to fire. The accu-trigger is nice and light on our copy (never adjusted it) and while it's spent most of it's life knocking over large apple juice cans, sitting clay pigeons and inflated balloons pinned to the ground (kids never tire of this labor-intensive target, lol)...it's even performed pigeon-clearing duty in a friend's barn. In my daughter's capable hands~she has her FSC and Hunter's apprentice license. Proud dad? You bet!

So FLYBYU44~my suggestion? See what Savage Rascal options are out there (color wise) and ask your daughter what...among those colors...she might like best. Do what you can to track down some CCI Quiet-22, explain the peep sights...the function of the rifle...get some large reactive targets and get her close enough to them to nearly always guarantee a hit~then watch for the smiles and swelling confidence.

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Single shot is what I plain on buying for my two kids. Then they have their choice of dads savage bolt, 10/22 and great gramps cooey. Maybe one day my 15-22.
 
kamlooky said:
That last photo is the photo of the year............... in my eyes.............anyways.................:cool:
Click to expand...

Thanks kamlooky~that was balloon-busting day. Jam a stick in the ground, blow-up a ballon...pierce the soft rubber below the knot and stretch it over the top of the stick. x10. Repeat. :)

Dug up a photo from a few weeks ago, same kid...shooting dad's Anschutz 1450. We were setting-up to shoot some clay pigeons when a squirrel happened by. She asked if she could take it, because "I've always wanted to try squirrel". lol Having never shot a squirrel, and not knowing anything about seasons...I insisted we stick with targets. She rarely misses, and still loves the Rascal...even though she's old enough/big enough to shoot the Anschutz, my Marlin 795s, etc.

ANSCH1450_zps5ugxz3y8.jpeg
 
kamlooky said:
Nothing wrong with the old Cooey's, but I think that is a by-gone era.
And what the heck happened to all those missing bolts?
Click to expand...

They ran off with all the missing socks, the ones that did not make it out of the dryer. Or did they??

Still think the answer is a Cooey. As Canadian as it gets. Old beat up single shot. Cut down the stock and buy a few bricks. No can would be safe. That is the cheap....specifically for the kids option. Probably gets a lot of memories associated with it, and passed down to grandkids.

The other option is the little badger. But that is for a combo...both Dad and the kids. More money, probably less accurate.
 
nowarningshot said:
They ran off with all the missing socks, the ones that did not make it out of the dryer. Or did they??

Still think the answer is a Cooey. As Canadian as it gets. Old beat up single shot. Cut down the stock and buy a few bricks. No can would be safe. That is the cheap....specifically for the kids option. Probably gets a lot of memories associated with it, and passed down to grandkids.

The other option is the little badger. But that is for a combo...both Dad and the kids. More money, probably less accurate.
Click to expand...

I like the Cooey IDEA the best, but not in practice. My kids couldn't get enough purchase on that cocking knob, and both my younger ones could only do it a half-dozen times before needing me to do it. Other than that, great guns~100%. I'm thinking of buying myself a nice 39, but I keep missing the nice specimens on the EE.

The Badger~I got lots of "ooohs/aahhhs" from the kids when I showed them the first time, but after a few shots...they didn't like wire stock against their face, the cold metal against their hands without gloves. WEARING gloves meant they couldn't grip the empty from the extractor..the whole thing grew old, fast. I knew about the MOD to wrap cord around the stock, it's the other factors that were the issue.

By the time I'd got the Badger, my daughter had her FSC/Hunter's Ed...had probably shot 30 rounds of trap with a 20ga, shot groundhogs with my .223...targets with a .410, targets with my 12ga. Winchester Defender (when I had it)...no powder-puff of a kid. She thought the Badger was a bit of a pain to use compared to the Rascal.
 
.22LRGUY said:
I'm thinking of buying myself a nice 39, but I keep missing the nice specimens on the EE.
Click to expand...

Don't be shy of purchasing a beat up stocked one.
They do clean up nicely.
I had a Ranger fat fore wood on my table at our last show and I didn't sell it until the last day ..... late.
Dropped it to $100 and the stock I redid.
It proved to be a really really nice piece of wood.

I still think the Ruger Compact would be a swell rifle for the older kids.
A bit heavy for the pint sized wee folk, but for a bolt action new generation, they are sweet.
I just purchase a long rear stock insert and can't wait to try it out on gofers.
 
I have a toz 17 single shot from when i was young, almost bought a cz scout for my daughter but she was only 1 and I still have the single shot I would not give a real young kid a semi auto plus it is nice to teach them to make the first shot count it is the one that matters.
 
ben777lemay said:
Why not a Ruger 10/22 ?

Buy the rifle, remove the stock then buy another factory stock for a couple of bucks and cut it the length you want for the kids.
These stocks are everywhere and are cheap...
Click to expand...

Great in theory... While I can't speak for the OP, I am in a similar situation (mine are slightly older, but still new to shooting). I like the idea of a single shot. Then I only have I've problem to worry about as they are learning. I'll save the semi for when they can demonstrate trigger control, keeping the barrel downrange, etc. I know I could single load the semi, but that's a pain. I currently have two levers (which are as good as a bolt in this situation, imo ), but I'm unwilling to cut the stock on these. I'll probably get the little badger for the wee ones. Then I'll have a backpacking rifle for myself when they outgrow it :evil:
 
All good suggestions guys, now I'm torn between the Little Badger and the Savage. My son is 3 years older so I like the adjustability of the Little Badger so they can both use it and I can too if I want. Might have to find a place in town that has both and check them out.
 
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