Good Starter Rifle

[Wick]

My li'l boy is getting older (4 yo next month) and I am curious about good "starter rifles" for kids. While 4 may be a bit young, I'm trying to think ahead for when he is old enough.

I'm guessing that I'm looking at a .22LR of some sort. I'm interested in a small rifle that is easy to use and operate with clearly identified safety, appropriate pull-length for a little kid, easy to read/teach/learn sights, and whatever else might apply.

Thanks!

Information

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[JB White]

If (and I mean IF) you can find an Anschutz Woodchucker, that would be a great starter .22. Scaled down bolt action in a slim wood stock with a 16" barrel. Deadly accurate and unlike the other super-scaled down rifles, the Woodchucker is a magazine fed repeater.

Otherwise, several major manufacturers offer Youth models sized for younger shooters. The 'Chipmonk' has always been held in high regard too.

[MEHavey]

Get a Marlin 39A carbine. Non better



Cut off the stock at the appropriate length and put an aftermarket pad on it -- SAVE the cutoff stock piece.

When he reaches appropriate reach/age (10-11) put it back on with a 3/32" (thin/saw-kerf thickness) "white liner" interface piece and he's got a lifetime rifle -- and a story for his sons when they ask what the white line is for.







post: same rifle I got for 12th birthday. I gave it a little over a year ago to my son when he got married and who's now on his 4th tour at the I&A beach & mountains resort. He's now got a son to give it too as well.

It will outlast us all.

[Emri]

My li'l boy is getting older (4 yo next month) and I am curious about good "starter rifles" for kids. While 4 may be a bit young, I'm trying to think ahead for when he is old enough.

I'm guessing that I'm looking at a .22LR of some sort. I'm interested in a small rifle that is easy to use and operate with clearly identified safety, appropriate pull-length for a little kid, easy to read/teach/learn sights, and whatever else might apply.

Thanks!

YES...4 years old is a bit young for even a .22 rifle. BUT... get a Crickett while guns are still for sale. Show it to him and tell him he can shoot it when he gets older. In 2 years he will fit it perfectly, unless he is REAL small.
A small investemnt would be a Daisy BB gun (they still are available with wooden stocks) that you can saw off as much as you want and not worry about ATF (overall length). Teach him to learn how to shoot with it, ( I learned on a Crossman with NO sights) and when he gets the Crickett, he will be well on his way!
The Crickett comes with a peep rear sight so he will have a leg up on learning to sight a military rifle later on!!

Good Luck!!!

Emri

[da gimp]

has a large manual safety, great kid length stock, bolt action,grooved for scope, fiber sights. Comes either blued or stainless. We let youngest grandkid practice prone shooting(dry-firing) countless hundreds of snaps on our living room floor , aiming out storm door @ birds, squirrels & rabbits wandering thru our neighborhood. The Marlin cocks by working the bolt, the chipmunk & others work by pulling back a striker & those littlehands are weak & it is easy for them to slip off the striker before it engages.


We are on our 2nd Marlin Papoose now, got 1 for the youngest daughter when she was 5 or 6(21 & has kid now), got the 2nd 4 her nephews use.


If you can find 1, an old Win 67, 69 makes a pretty good kids gun 2.

be safe, enjoy life

da gimp

OFC, Mo. Chapter

[partestres]

My first rifle (in about 1958) was a Mossberg Model 320KA .22 single shot bolt action with Ac-Kro-Gruv barrel (still have it). It was a tad heavy and a bit long, but firing prone with the Weaver 4x I could shoot inside 2" at 50 yds all day. I took tons of small game on my neighbor's farm over the years and being a single shot, it taught me patience in waiting for the right shot. It's had probably 25,000 rounds through it over the years and still shoots as well as my eyes will allow. It also had the advantage (being basically full-sized) of making me comfortable when my pappy moved me up to his Model 1903A3 and M1 when I was about 13 years old (although the recoil was another matter altogether - first time I fired the M1903A3 I cheated up a bit firing prone to better align the sights and the butt slipped a tad below my shoulder - got a seriously bloody lip and sore front tooth and learned a valuable lesson ).

[Wick]

Thanks, folks! I will be making notes from this thread to take with me to the next show. He's too young now, but it will be nice to be ready when he decides he wants to come with daddy.

FWIW...
I shoot mostly black powder (CW era military) and some WW2 era stuff. So, my son refers to every rifle as a "musket".

Take care, everyone!

[Jim in Salt Lake]

I had an original Stevens Favorite when I was a kid. My grandfather gave it to me, it's a falling block lever action single shot and you have to manually cock the hammer. A classic kids rifle. My was stolen years ago but Savage is still making them and I got one for my son when he was six or so. He wasn't strong enough to cock the hammer so that kept me close to him. I always thought a tang mounted peep would look pretty cool on it but I've never gotten around to that. Would make it a real look alike buffalo rifle.

[FALBLDR]

At four years of age a "Chipmunk " would be the right size and length, but consider a "Can" on the end. First the noise is reduced to not induce a flinch, and you can instruct without ear plugs or muffs. In our shop. the "Chipmunk" and supressor are a popular combination, if your state allows NFA items. A quiet .22 is loads of fun, hard on varmits.