Best .22LR for introducing youth

[horseman2]

My granddaughter started with a Savage Rascal, graduated to her dad's Browning T-Bolt then a Cooper JSR at 10 and 1/2.
th following month she went to Mission 100 Metre match and placed 2nd out of eight shooters. Nothing outside the eight ring.
Unfortunately fast pitch ball has got in the way but she excels at that too.

 

[ceskazbrojovka]

Hi All - looking at adding a .22LR for my boys to start learning. They are 9 and 7. I grew up on a Remington Pump .22 with a tube mag.

Thinking of something similar, but perhaps a bolt. I have a .22LR semi but don't want them starting on that for the basics.

Thoughts on best .22LR out there?

Savage Rascal, gotta stay under 3lbs, easy to use. Marlin Papoose for a semi but the LOP is a bit long.

 

[deadman]

My oldest son started with whatever rifle I had out because he just wanted to shoot, and his first rifle of his own was a Henry youth lever. My oldest daughter started on a Savage Cub because it was light enough for her to shoot offhand without crying.

My younger son's first rifle was a Rascal, but he outgrew it literally in a couple weeks and moved to a Mk 2 17hmr. When he turned 12 and got a hunting license he commandeered my M40 clone.



My youngest daughter has always been a bit shy about guns but she loved my Colt LW Sporter with a .22 conversion in it.

Since we can't enjoy those anymore, she has settled for my Savage mk2 in a Boyd's stock for ringing steel. Told me last time we went out that she was sorry but it wasn't my rifle anymore.

I'm good with that, she was hitting a target at 200 yds.

 

[supergunnerstef]

Hi All - looking at adding a .22LR for my boys to start learning. They are 9 and 7. I grew up on a Remington Pump .22 with a tube mag.

Thinking of something similar, but perhaps a bolt. I have a .22LR semi but don't want them starting on that for the basics.

Thoughts on best .22LR out there?

Look for a youth carbine and let them choose. If they shoot a carbine they really like, they gonna be be better shooter.

 

[SuperCub]

I have a Savage B-22 FV. It has a rotary magazine, synthetic stock, mine had 2-piece mounts but they now come with a rail. I put a kydex cheek-riser (ca $35 amazon) since my scope bell is a 56mm and a good scope so it shoots under 1" at 50-yds. The price has gone up since I bought mine but still around $500. (NB dealer on-line has some in stock @ $470) I hear the Sav MKIIs are good but they have a troublesome stick mag per many comments here and on RFC.

View attachment 964409

That's the gun I started my grandsons on. Great choice. I don't like semi-autos for kids.

 

[Tinybear]

I have three youth sized rifles now.

A Savage Rascal
A Ruger 10/22 T/D in a Magpull hunter stock will all spacers removed
A CZ 457 Scout

I will say if you can find a 457 Scout. It’s easily the best option. It’s only down sides is it’s COMPARATIVELY heavy (only when compared to the rascal) and lacks a way to mount a bipod from the factory. Smooth action great trigger and easily the most accurate of the three.

Second place goes to the Rascal. It’s been a great little shooter accurate ultra light super safe and a fun little rifle. The irons are hard to teach to younger shooters and the stock is not the most scope friendly.

The 10/22 is fun and has been great to teach self control. But since getting the CZ 457 neither of my kids have any interest in it, As it’s not as accurate. I May end up selling it in future even.

 

[Donny Fenn1]

There's 3 vintage Winchester rifles perfect for teaching young shooters. All 3 are single shot rifles requiring the pulling back of the firing mechanism to kock the action.

1. Winchester 1902
2. Winchester 1904
3. Winchester Model 67

The Model 67 is the one my son learned to shoot with. The 1902 and 1904 are quite a bit smaller rifles with shorter barrels and perfect for smaller children but he soon moved up to the longer barrel 67. All 3 rifles are excellent for teaching gun handling and gun safety.

Going to start a flame war here but any of the "pull/#### to fire guns" are brutal for teaching kids to shoot. Most of the time the effort to #### the rifle is too much for actual kids to or the gymnastics involved means the adult does the work or chastises the kid for safety and they get discouraged. YMMV.

 

[maifire]

Savage rascal but more importantly, ear muffs to match the colour and most importantly, sub-sonic ammo to start with.

A fun target also helps. I used eggs.

 

[Rod]

Going to start a flame war here but any of the "pull/#### to fire guns" are brutal for teaching kids to shoot. Most of the time the effort to #### the rifle is too much for actual kids to or the gymnastics involved means the adult does the work or chastises the kid for safety and they get discouraged. YMMV.

My son learned on these three rifles and I included some of his friends, including one young girl, that didn't have a Dad at home and none of these very young boys and a girl had difficulty pulling the action back to battery. Muzzle maintained in a safe direction down range, one hand securing the rifle, the other hand c+cking the action. Doesn't get much simpler.