Author Topic: Thoughts on which 22 youth model to purchase (Read 2569 times)

nailbanger · « **on:** March 03, 2010, 02:52:36 AM »

Will soon purchase a youth size 22 for my 10yr. old grandaughter. Any thoughts on brand or model ??

Rex in OTZ · « **Reply #1 on:** March 03, 2010, 10:34:01 AM »

All I can say is take her to a gun shop and try one on.

In the fall of 2007 I went to our local pawn shop/gunshop to buy some 20ga shot shells, Tagging along were my two daughters age's 6 & 11, they wander'd round the store while I made my slection, I could hear excited preadolcent girl voices I peeked round the corner to see what was up, they were fondleing a hot new youth size Jimney Cricket manual single bolt action in .22Lr with a stainless steel barrel and a Pink synthetic stock, I ended up buying them the Cricket and a box of 20ga ctgs. Today thats been the single best impulse buy Ive ever made (cricket).
I figure any firearm that excites preadolesent girls is fine by me, they are good shots with it to, mabe because of the rear peep sight?, the manual cocking knob is a nice touch from a safety standpoint.
Yes it has a Pink synthetic stock, yes it has a black plastic cocking knob, and a plastic front sight as well, but all cheesiness aside that hasent been a detractant, they havent broken anything off it yet and they still grab it every time we head out hunting chooseing it over other .22 single shots like the Ithica 49, Savage73Y, Marlin 110, and the Stevens #30, the coldest we have hunted with the crickets was -26F, hunting the state bird, the size and proportion of these little rifles is just right.
The girls liked the pinkie so much Lil Brother wanted one (non pink .22) so I bought another in Blue steel and Black synthetic.
once they master ther marksmanship they will graduate to the taurus 72c/ss, a very cute looking stubby stainless .22mag pump carbine.
once they are better hunters they can graduate to Dad's semi auto's, like the two Remington's one a 522 viper and a 552 speedmaster, and a stock ruger 10/22.
As I recall Rossi, H$R (not a typo), and Henry, Marlin, Savage,Mossberg all market single shots.
Cricket does sell other replacement stocks includeing adult size in synthetic and wood for the more traditional look.

SlowLeadBullets · « **Reply #2 on:** March 03, 2010, 02:11:15 PM »

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I wouldn't touch the Cricket. After the rifle has been cocked, the only way it can be unloaded is by holding the cocking knob and pulling the trigger. In the hands of a kid, I think this is an accident waiting to happen. Hell, even adults use three position safeties.

If they could change the de-cocking method, I think it would be a great starter rifle.

Rob

Rangr44 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 04, 2010, 02:36:30 AM »

IMO, those safety concerns are unfounded as applied to pre-pubescent children - who should be VERY closely supervised at all times they have a firearm, virtually "hands-on".

FWIW, I bought a forerunner to the Cricket - a similar Chipmunk .22 - for my 9 y.o. (at the time) Grandson, who safely used it on the range for several years before he was old enough to qualify for his hunting license & graduated to a repeater - after attending our state's mandatory hunter safety course.

I think my Grandson might have actually kept using the diminutive rifle, had he not grown like a bean sprout to be taller than me by the time he was 18 y.o. !

.

Gene R · « **Reply #4 on:** March 04, 2010, 06:50:34 AM »

I wouldn't say that the safety concerns are unfounded, but I do agree with a small child the supervision should be hands on.

I too bought my 5yr old son a chimpmunk (he is now 21) and he and I would spend hours and hours every week-end with his little rifle, I carried my single six at the time but seldom fired it. I spend all my time against his back guiding, directing, watching and bragging to him on his shooting. It wasn't about me, it was all for him (I probably enjoyed it more than he did).

He still has that little rifle and loves it as his first, and he now has 3 or 4 times the guns that I have. Those are memories that will stay with me until I die. Everything on that chimpmong was steel, no plastic. But for the money I wouldn't complain as a starter rifle, and the time spent outdoors with the kids is priceless.

I wish more parents would buy their kids a chimpmonk or simular rifle and spend time with them, we would have a lot better children arround and a lot happier parents.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #5 on:** March 04, 2010, 08:14:53 AM »

The CZ youth rifle.
1) you can replace the stock with a full sized one as he grows and he will have a short barreled 22.
2) there is a single shot mag but a 5 or even a 10 shot can be inserted in to the rifle.
3) CZ's are good rifles that look and feel like a rifle in the same price range.
While the crickets and the buckaroos are great for kids the CZ gives you the ability to let the kid have it beyond the kid years.

Sorry I wanted to add the website www.cz-usa.com
They even have a PINK scout.

Rex in OTZ · « **Reply #6 on:** March 04, 2010, 10:36:20 AM »

Teaching my kids to shoot is just a way to get them on the road to hunting and suplimenting our food supply(rural Alaska), target shooting to us is a recreation activity, If my kids are bored they have dogs to mush, amonst other mundane chores, fixateing on just the firearm isant a well balanced way to train young hunters, I dont want them spending more time oggleing the gun than stalking game, they are taught to care for the arm as any good tool, take care of it, you just may need it and its expensive to replace.
Single shots and cocking knobs are kind of a hold over from the old days when it was cheaper than to machine a cam on the bolt body to cock the bolt, I still have the kiddos open the bolt to show an empty chamber, they do learn clearing a cocked gun as when hunting and the they lose the shot and have to wate, its a toss up wither its easer to cock & shoot as opposed to work the bolt and shoot, the auto cock of most new bolt guns to me is un-nerving, nothing like a closed bolt with the red indicator on the striker showing has you wondering is it loaded or not, the cocking knob is a dilerabrate action to fire the gun as opposed to simply working the bolt arms the striker something kids can easily overlook.
most these single shot boltactions were ment to plink and target shoot and wernt ment to be carried with the bolt open, when crossing a stream or makeing your way through some brush the chances of a open bolt falling out the gun increases.

Maritime Storm · « **Reply #7 on:** March 06, 2010, 02:04:02 AM »

H&R Sportster youth. You can change the stock at a later date when they old enough to use a full length stock. Made in the USA, solidly built & accurate, and not particularly expensive to buy.

CV66Slim · « **Reply #8 on:** March 06, 2010, 03:40:50 PM »

Quote from: mcwoodduck on March 04, 2010, 08:14:53 AM

The CZ youth rifle.

I second the CZ Scout. My daughter is 10 and she loves her CZ. If we were to do it again, I would consider the new Thompson Center Hot Shot.

ironglow · « **Reply #9 on:** March 07, 2010, 09:55:32 AM »

Naturally, the NEF Versa-pack in .22/.410 was great and an NEF .22 is nice (and safe). I got my ghrandaughter a Rossi "matched pair", .22/.410..painted the stock lilac and will get an adult stock soon..she's 11 and "growing like a weed"...

BTW: Can't deny the CZ is a beauty also..

Skunk · « **Reply #10 on:** March 07, 2010, 10:01:15 AM »

No Doubt - The Scout

nessmuk101 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 20, 2010, 04:02:49 PM »

I bought the Rossi youth with both the .22 and the .410 barrels. Got it at Dicks for $169.00 out the door. The kids love it and shoot every time they come over. Now I have to find some bricks of .22's on sale.

nailbanger · « **Reply #12 on:** April 14, 2010, 04:16:59 AM »

Thanks to everyone who responded to my question, I greatly appreciate your input.

Nailbanger

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #13 on:** April 14, 2010, 07:23:57 AM »

So what is the kid going to get?

ccoker · « **Reply #14 on:** May 13, 2010, 09:34:37 AM »

bought my oldest son (now 13) a CZ scout at age 7
started with iron sights and single shot, then graduated to the 10rd mag and a 2-7 Weaver RF scope
2 years later he got his first deer

now my second son who turns 6 next week is just starting to shoot it at the lease
he LOVED it and was hitting the target (proud dad moment)

my daughter (4) will most undoubtedly want a pink one

I like CZs a lot, I have an American Hunter, love it

Charles
www.tacticalhuntingreview.com

olevern2 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 28, 2010, 05:59:16 PM »

What, you waited 'till 10 years of age to get her a gun?

My kids and grandchildren had their own Chipmunk or Cricket when they turned four.
As for the safety issue with the decocking, I always reached over and took the rifle from them and decocked it myself when the occasion came to have to decock. I never took them to the range to shoot but that I was not right at their side or directly behind them when the gun was loaded. Great little guns, reliable, accurate and fit little ones. At age ten, however, it might not fit long!

Rangr44 · « **Reply #16 on:** May 29, 2010, 06:27:37 AM »

FWIW, realizing that the gun expert was Dad (me), and that my 7y.o. kids didn't know a rifle from a shotgun from a whatever - I decided to try something out-of-ther-box.

I started my kids into shooting, after all the safety lessons/etc, with a .22 auto-loader (a Nylon 66 & a 10/22) - that I never told them was a repeater (they wouldn't have know what that meant, anyway) !

As far as they ever knew, until they got MUCH older, was that they were using a single-shot .22 that had auto-ejection.

I had them single-load every round into the chamber - good practice for safety checking chambers, BTW.

When the were old enough for repeaters/hunting licenses, they seemed to be amused that I had "tricked" them.

.

ccoker · « **Reply #17 on:** June 01, 2010, 06:50:52 PM »

the old Nylon 66!
My dad gave me one when I was in 2nd grade
man, I shot a kazillion rounds through that thing!

ironglow · « **Reply #18 on:** June 09, 2010, 06:09:37 AM »

The Savage Cub is accurate, reasonably priced, comes with receiver sights, Accu-trigger is free...and you can get it in PINK...

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/CUBPINK

HAMMERHEAD · « **Reply #19 on:** June 09, 2010, 07:44:19 AM »

I bought the CZ Scout for myself as a kayak gun. Comes with a single shot adapter, but takes standard CZ mags as well.
Pretty good sights, scope rail and excellent accuracy. Mine is super tight at 50 yards with Mini Mags or Velocitor.
Nice quality.

Dand · « **Reply #20 on:** June 18, 2010, 11:42:17 PM »

For my oldest I got him a CZ Scout when he was about 6 or 7. He has always been quite strong for his age and it still works well for him at 12. Heck I had a hard time giving it to him as I really liked it even with the short stock. It took some oil and working the action to smooth it up when new.

But it isn't the lightest gun and was/is too heavy for my younger son.

So younger one got a Chipmunk at 6 or 7 and still uses it at 9 for hunting. He has been very safe with it tho I tend to hover and dole out the ammo 1 at a time when we are hunting or shooting at the range. Also, it is so light he can carry it on a strap over his shoulder when we go out on our snowmobiles.

My younger son is left eyed so I grabbed a Savage MKII youth model a year ago. He likes it ok but is so used to the right action of the Chipmunk that he fumbles with the Savage a bit. AND the Savage is still too heavy for him to carry on hunts (possibly heavier than the Scout)- he's pretty strong but not like the oldest. I wish they had slimmed down the stock more and had a little shorter barrel on them as they are really for an older youth 10 or 11 and up as sold. The accutrigger gives us troubles at times when the trigger is not pulled straight back - click - then must recock. I don't think that feature is all that useful on a youth gun.

Overall, I think those CZ Scouts could be a life time 22. If the stock is a little too short have a spacer or recoil pad installed. The metal work is very solid.