Best .22LR for 11 and 12 year old...Tips and help please

Nester

Nester

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Been there; done that
Both my son's have recentley asked of a .22 for there Birthdays. Yep, I'm proud :D

Already have 3 Ruger 10/22's don't really need more and would like to start them off with something other than a semi. Would like them to learn about basic marksmanship with iron sights (no scope's for them till next Birthday) and how to care for a rifle before I go a splurge on something more $$$ Don't really need to drop $600 on a CZ quite yet.


Would like to get 2 (can't buy 1 son a .22 and forget about the other son) and would like the total to be around $600 or less on the total package.

Bolt action, mag fed, scopeable, accurate and dependable. No Savages as they just don't impress me. I am leaning for the Marlin 925C


Any ideas or suggestions? :?
 
Take a close look at the Henry Mini Bolt .22
The dimensions should fit your sons perfectly.
The Williams fiberglass sights would make for a great basic open sights marksmanship.
http://www.henryrepeating.com/minibolt.cfm
justindowling.jpg

minibolt_large.jpg


HTH,
CH
 
That's what I was about to suggest but I couldn't remember it for the life of me.

Small, light,

Downside is that it's a single shot.
 
I have used those Marlin iron sights before and they are small and difficult to use. The rear sight is just a bent flap of metal with a small notch. But you do get a grooved receiver so you can add a scope later.
 
I almost bought a Henry mini Bolt .22 'cause it's so small and cute. :D

But then I shot a Toz78 the other week. They are a $100 a piece and very accurate - just search here and you will see the rave reviews.

For about $250 with tax and shipping you got both kids covered and money left over for ammo and scopes for next year. :D

toz78.jpg


You get them here:

http://www.armrus.com/info/e_armDetail.php?mod_ID=13
 
There is also something to be said for a pair of Cooey 75's or something like them. They are cheap, and if the boys want to shorten them, you're out nothing at all. You could be into a pair for under $200, and spend the other $400 on Nester. 8) FWIW, I think you are on the right track with single shot iron sights.
 
The Henry Mini Bolt .22 sounds like a good idea but I would also like them to have the chance to scope it and have a magazine. I hate single shot .22's and wouldn't want my kids to have the same frustrations as me when I was there age, a magazine would be dandy.


Toz78 also sounds OK but not to excited about it and Armus is calling it quits and don't want to be left hanging with no rifle and no support.

Any other ideas out there?

The idea of an SKS also is being kicked around.
 
Try to find a couple old winchester/C.I.L type guns (they all look similar)

I once had one that was light, accurate and pretty small. Very reliable.
 
I second the Henry Mini bolt. My wife just delivered our first boy after four girls. :D I am a happy man to have my hunting buddy now. My best friend bought him a Mini-bolt for his welcome home. 8) 8) It is a sturdy rifle and, in my opinion, one of the better rifles for your sons to learn the basics on. The overall length is also perfect for youth learning.

However, Nester, I hear you on the single shot issue. I grew up with a Winchester 94/22. It has a fifteen shot tubular mag and you can scope it if you want. You can generally pick one up around 250-300. Great rifle as well.

Vengeance
 
Man, how times have changed! 11 and 12 years old is a little young for a repeater in my books. I learned on a single shot, and was told by the old man I could have a repeater when I earned the money for one. I did learn the value of placing that one and only shot where it was supposed to go- the Win 69-A I wanted took a couple of years of working a real job to save up for. ( they charged me room and board too- only fair for a workin man ) The old man was a good judge of guns and sights, and helped me replace the tin can rear on the old s/s with a proper Marble's square notch. The old Cooey was plenty accurate with that rear sight, and lack of a magazine taught me hunting techniques that I still use to this very day. I also learned a heck of a lot about guns and their value, thanks to growing up the way I did....

Regards,

Doc Sharptail
 
I bought my daughter a Marlin 15YS when she "graduated" from kindergarten (she was 6 then). The rifle is stocked in wood and is stainless. It comes with contrasting Hi-Viz sights which are great for teaching the use of iron sights (especially for younger shooters). I would have preferred a rifle with an aperture type sight (as I prefer to shoot with apertures), but there aren't too many small rifles that come with them (and I couldn't find any Chipmunk rifles in country at the time). The rifle was just a tad big for her when I first got it, but she didn't have too much trouble shooting small balloons with it. Now (a couple of years later) it fits her just perfectly... Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the accuracy and ease of use in the Marlin (it's a single shot - which is what I'd recommend for a child's starter firearm). The best part is that the rifle is grooved for a scope mount - so if you're planning to put some glass on it at a later date, the option is there....

hsld.
 
I'm not hung up on single shot vs repeater thing that so many seem to be. I do think a bolt action is a better starter than a semi though. That way people can learn to control trigger finger. Once thats done then by all means do what you want.

I know at 11, I had 5 years of shooting under my belt, trigger finger and control weren't an issue, and I regularly shot a semi. My family only had one (Dad's) and no chance of getting my own back then, but still it wasn't so bad. Spending a couple hours on a summer evening taking turns shooting the target and learning what to do to improve.

I do agree aperture sights are the best, but very hard to find on low priced .22s. But even more important stay away from funky blade/leaf sights with "V"s, beads and other "innovations". Straight blade, straigth leaf with notch are the only kind to have if you're going with a more traditional sight. Anything else lacks precision which means that hitting the target becomes harder than it has to be.
 
Nester said:
Toz78 also sounds OK but not to excited about it and Armus is calling it quits and don't want to be left hanging with no rifle and no support.
Click to expand...

If I were you, I'd get ALOT MORE EXCITED about the TOZ-78... They're great rifles for beginners... I'm 22 and I just got my PAL, and at CAD$100 (now CAD$150), the TOZ-78 looked like the obvious choice for a first rifle!!! In fact, it's so accurate, even with the iron sights, that after around 100 or so practice shots, your sons will surely be able to hit a coke can at 100 yards 10 out of 10 times!!! At 25 & 50 yards, just forget about it... hang a penny and they'll hit it 2/3 from 50, 3/3 from 25 yrds... The trigger is the best you'll ever find on a rimfire (read the posts and you'll hear it for yourself), the AK style iron sights are very commonly used (and very convenient and precise for young shooters) and adjustable for windage and elevation. And, to top it all off, it comes with 11mm grooves for adding a scope (I just mounted a 6-24X42mm tasco varmint scope on see-thru mounts and it can now shoot 10 rounds submoa at 100 yards).

If accuracy is an issue, then read the following threads to convince you that it's the most accurate 22 you'll find below $500:
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/viewtopic.php?t=91067
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/viewtopic.php?t=80197

For other user reviews and pics of my TOZ-78 with scopes:
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99420 (look at the bottom for the pics, you might have to copy-paste the links if the pics don't show)

As for being worried about service and support, I wouldn't worry about it... TOZes, or any other russian rifles, bolt-action of semi-auto, are 10 times more reliable then their western counterparts. Ask any TOZ-78 owner, and they'll tell you that theirs has never broken down or worn out (except for minor user caused troubles)... Your kids can abuse them as much sa they want, the iron sights will never dent or fall off (the front sights are protected by the AK style ring, and the rear sights are very sturdy), and the receiver and bolt are almost fool-proof... And as far as ArmRus is concerned, you can trust to get your rifle ASAP after sending in your payment... And if service is required, ArmRus is the place to get it (my uncle's TOZ-99 was shooting at full-auto once in a while, so he returned it and got it serviced and back in his hands in less than 48 hours, repairs even included test firing with their own ammo). So don't fret, at $100 a piece, you can buy them and forget about them, they won't even break down. And even if they do (and that's a big IF), your sons will be old enough to get a pair of CZs or some heavier 308/30-06 rifles...
 
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