Author Topic: .22 rifle for grandson (Read 2890 times)

Goldstar225 · « **on:** July 08, 2012, 03:09:45 AM »

I have a 9 year old grandson that I'm looking to buy a .22 rifle for. He received a Remington 20 gauge 870 youth Jr. from me last month for his birthday.

The two that I'm considering for now are the Marlin XT-22YR bolt and the Henry lever action youth. Does anyone have personal experience with these rifles? Can you give me any alternatives that you would recommend? My primary considerations are accuracy and "shootability". For a begining shooter I don't want him to fight a 10# trigger or balky action. I don't mind spending a bit of change but I want to keep the cost reasonable since he will grow out of the rifle in a few years.

Ranch13 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 08, 2012, 03:52:11 AM »

Find a good single shot bolt action that is big enough that he can grow into it.
A good single shot bolt gun will be safe and accurate and the single shot will teach him to place his first shot and not burn a halfdozen rounds just to find the target.

Goldstar225 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 08, 2012, 10:41:24 AM »

I had considered a single shot initially but then I came to the realization that a repeater is a single shot as long as you only load one round at a time. That's how he will use his 870 until the time comes for him to make use of it's capacity. I'm considering these or similiar rifles for the same reason. He will use them as a single shot until he's demonstrated the ability to be a safe and deliberate shooter.

hillbill · « **Reply #3 on:** July 08, 2012, 12:30:36 PM »

a lot would depend on how big he is,at 9 my son could easily shoot a grown up size rifle. course now at 16 he is 6 foot 3 with size 16 boots. but now my buddys son at 9 could not shoulder even a youth rifle. and my duaghter i had to get her a small crikket rifle at that age. if you are goin to load it singly id want a gun made for that. pullin a mag tube and then jakkin one in the chamber can exceed a kids limit of attention. but a break open gun mite be the way to go.

Victor3 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 08, 2012, 09:56:56 PM »

If you want a really well made & very accurate bolt gun, consider the CZ 452 Scout. That's what my 13 year old shoots. Comes with a single-shot adapter but can also use any 452 5 or 10 shot mag. You can always add a spacer/recoil pad to lengthen the stock when he grows, but I'm a pretty big boy and I don't find the short LOP too uncomfortable to use...

Goldstar225 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 10, 2012, 12:48:42 PM »

You know, I had given thought to the CZ Scout several months ago, don't know why I overlooked it this time. I need to try to find one in a gunshop to look at. Thanks for the reminder.

Ladobe · « **Reply #6 on:** July 10, 2012, 08:01:49 PM »

Started my son at around age 6, bought him a JC Higgins Model 41 bolt single-shot, but it was way too big and he could only shoot it off a bench. So I bought him an Anshutz/RSI WoodChucker Custom when he was 8. Awesome small 5-shot bolt rifle with exhibition wood. But you're right, they out grow them too fast to spend that much money on one. From it he went to a mid 80's Ruger 77/22.

A Stevens Favorite in good condition might be worth a looksee... not too expensive, easy and safe for a kid.

Ranch13 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 11, 2012, 02:16:07 AM »

The worst part with a Stevens or other hammer gun is the kid has to have big enough hands and enough thumb strength to let the hammer down on a live round , until they are ready to shoot..

Ladobe · « **Reply #8 on:** July 11, 2012, 04:53:59 AM »

Never saw a kid even younger than this grandson that had a problem with the Stevens Favorite... they were after all very popular "boys" rifles designed just for them. I sold my last one in the 90's, but often brought one or two along all the years I was involved with cub/boy scouts for those youngsters who didn't have a rifle to shoot. I taught two of my nephews how to shoot with them (their dad was not a shooter), and when they were way younger than 9. FWIW

Ranch13 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 11, 2012, 05:04:14 AM »

The brand new one I bought my son when they made that run of them in the 1970's had a pretty stiff hammer spring, and was prone to breaking the firing pins.. Don't know about the latest run of them how they are .
Also not having ever seen the boy in question here I would be hesitant to recommend an exposed hammer gun...

Ladobe · « **Reply #10 on:** July 11, 2012, 06:00:49 AM »

Never seen or shot the later production "Favorite" rifles that you mentioned, but the older Favorites were easy for a young child to cock/decock, to shoulder and hold up alone. Same with the Winchester 1890 and 1906 hammer pumps I also had from about age 6, and seveal more of them I had over thge years. Nor the Rossi 62SA I bought new my ex after she wore out her 1906. The B78/1885 High and Low walls I had for years a child wouldn't have had a problem with the hammer or trigger on either, but all were full size rifles and some were quite heavy for a child. On the other side I remember "T" bolt single-shot 22's a young child would have not been strong enough to use safely.

A solution, find a Winchester Model 55 for a youngster. I had one still like new until a few years ago. They were a semi auto single shot that are light weight even with the walnut stock. Drop a round in the top loading port, pull the cock, take saftey off to shoot, shell ejects out the bottom and the safety goes back on automatically. And they had no serial numbers so don't fall under BATF regs for shipping.

Ranch13 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 11, 2012, 06:43:31 AM »

Just depends on the size of a childs hand on the exposed hammer singleshots, if their hands are long enough to keep the gun in control while pulling the trigger and lowering the hammer then all is well, if not,wellll.....

With the plethora of modern quality bolt guns available now I believe that to be the best way to start a young shooter.Altho the new uberti 85 knockoffs drop the hammer back to the halfcock when you close the breech, but at a grand a pop I would imagine those to be well out of the budget for now...
Safety first last and always...

Goldstar225 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 12, 2012, 04:00:11 PM »

Not to be a pain, but back to the original question. Does anyone have any personal experience with either the xt-22 or Henry lever action 22?

Ranch13 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 12, 2012, 04:16:37 PM »

the henry's are good little rifles, the lower priced ones have plastic front sight, but they do shoot rather well.
No experience with the xt, the the very first rifle I could call my own was a Marlin/Glenfield 101 that was laying under the Christmas tree one morning a half century ago....And I still have it and it still shoots pretty decent...

Goldstar225 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 14, 2012, 01:08:09 PM »

Thank you Ranch

Drilling Man · « **Reply #15 on:** July 14, 2012, 01:36:24 PM »

Quote from: Goldstar225 on July 10, 2012, 12:48:42 PM

You know, I had given thought to the CZ Scout several months ago, don't know why I overlooked it this time. I need to try to find one in a gunshop to look at. Thanks for the reminder.

No sense confuseing him with CZ's assbackwards safety! Why can't CZ fix this!!

DM

Dee · « **Reply #16 on:** July 14, 2012, 01:42:27 PM »

My uncle gave me an old used single shot Stevens bolt action when I was about 9. You had to put the cartridge in the chamber by hand, and you had to pull the cocking knob back to cock it. I hated that rifle, BUT! That was the shootinest damn rifle I have ever owned, and it made me an excellent shot, and patient one. I out shot all my friends, and made some shots they couldn't believe. I wanted an auto, or a lever, but what kind of a shot would I be now, had I got one of the two?
Get the boy a lever action.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #17 on:** July 15, 2012, 08:06:33 AM »

CZ Scout or a Henry carbine.
I would say the CZ Scout as the 452 acton will fit in any 452 stock so as he grows the stock like the 870 can be replaced.

Victor3 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 15, 2012, 05:29:22 PM »

Quote from: Drilling Man on July 14, 2012, 01:36:24 PM

Quote from: Goldstar225 on July 10, 2012, 12:48:42 PM
You know, I had given thought to the CZ Scout several months ago, don't know why I overlooked it this time. I need to try to find one in a gunshop to look at. Thanks for the reminder.

No sense confuseing him with CZ's assbackwards safety! Why can't CZ fix this!!

DM

It was an easy "fix" for my Son; I don't allow him to use the safety on his CZ nor any other gun. Chamber is empty with muzzle in safe direction until ready to fire. Teaching a kid to rely on a mechanical "safety" creates a false sense of security he may carry with him for the rest of his life.

If anyone's worried about confusion due to different controls on different guns, best not ever switch your kid from a bolt to a lever action. God forbid that he ever owns more than one specific model in his lifetime...

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #19 on:** July 16, 2012, 05:02:43 PM »

Quote from: Victor3 on July 15, 2012, 05:29:22 PM

Quote from: Drilling Man on July 14, 2012, 01:36:24 PM
Quote from: Goldstar225 on July 10, 2012, 12:48:42 PM
You know, I had given thought to the CZ Scout several months ago, don't know why I overlooked it this time. I need to try to find one in a gunshop to look at. Thanks for the reminder.

No sense confuseing him with CZ's assbackwards safety! Why can't CZ fix this!!

DM

It was an easy "fix" for my Son; I don't allow him to use the safety on his CZ nor any other gun. Chamber is empty with muzzle in safe direction until ready to fire. Teaching a kid to rely on a mechanical "safety" creates a false sense of security he may carry with him for the rest of his life.

If anyone's worried about confusion due to different controls on different guns, best not ever switch your kid from a bolt to a lever action. God forbid that he ever owns more than one specific model in his lifetime...

I have a number of rifles from Rugers, Remingtons, CZ's, Sako, Winchesters, and Mausers as far as bolt action.
Of the rifles with the wing safeties, I find the Cz easy to use and going from port arms with my thumb on the safety to shouldering the rifle the safety comes off naturally. My M70 or the Ruger Mark II's seem backwards and field unfriendly as you have to move your wrist to take the safety off.
The Cz and the Henry seem similar movements in taking off the safety and pulling the hammer to full cock.
I also do not seem to have an issue ever getting the safety off be it a wing, lever, tang, push button, what ever the safety on an AR or AK is called, or hammer. I guess I shoot enough to be able to move from one to another.
It is hard to put down a great rifle because you are not used to the safety.
Imagine that conversation with your great grandad. Where is the hammer on the Model 70? How do you load it with out a ram rod? the safety is backwards you pull a hammer back not push a lever forward."

marine · « **Reply #20 on:** July 16, 2012, 08:47:26 PM »

I have a henry 22 rifle. mine is just the plain blued model. it seems fairly accurate for hunting but thats what its designed for. i love it. one thing you could do is buy him the youth model of this rifle and then purchase a seperate full sized butt stock to change out when he gets older and needs a longer length of pull. the barrel would still be a few inches shorter but he would be able to continue using the same rifle for many more years. just a thought.

ironglow · « **Reply #21 on:** July 16, 2012, 11:30:13 PM »

Let's see now..you want youth size, low price, accuracy and a good trigger pull..

I believe you can get it all in a Savage rascal..peep sights, Savage accuracy, stock in wood or a choice of several synthetic colors...and the Accutrigger guarantees the trigger pull will be good. MSRP at $174..I suppose Wally World would be much less.
At 31" long and 2.66 pounds, when he outgrows it and gets a bigger one..the Rascal would make a great backpacker rifle.
Shucks, I might just go get one to slip into my vehicle as a "truck gun".

Here's a quick video review.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us8D1FAdgAI

Drilling Man · « **Reply #22 on:** July 17, 2012, 02:18:54 AM »

Quote from: mcwoodduck on July 16, 2012, 05:02:43 PM

Quote from: Victor3 on July 15, 2012, 05:29:22 PM
Quote from: Drilling Man on July 14, 2012, 01:36:24 PM
Quote from: Goldstar225 on July 10, 2012, 12:48:42 PM
You know, I had given thought to the CZ Scout several months ago, don't know why I overlooked it this time. I need to try to find one in a gunshop to look at. Thanks for the reminder.

No sense confuseing him with CZ's assbackwards safety! Why can't CZ fix this!!

DM

It was an easy "fix" for my Son; I don't allow him to use the safety on his CZ nor any other gun. Chamber is empty with muzzle in safe direction until ready to fire. Teaching a kid to rely on a mechanical "safety" creates a false sense of security he may carry with him for the rest of his life.

If anyone's worried about confusion due to different controls on different guns, best not ever switch your kid from a bolt to a lever action. God forbid that he ever owns more than one specific model in his lifetime...
It is hard to put down a great rifle because you are not used to the safety.
Imagine that conversation with your great grandad. Where is the hammer on the Model 70? How do you load it with out a ram rod? the safety is backwards you pull a hammer back not push a lever forward."

I'm surprised you can't see the difference between a hammer gun and an assbackwards safety...

All hammer guns are pretty much the same, even single and double action revolvers ect... Pretty much all modern rifles are foreward for fire, backwards for safe. Then there's CZ 22's...

If assbackwards is so good, why did CZ "fix that" on their centerfire rifles???

I believe in muscle memory, and training starts at an early age, i spent many of my years hunting DG, and i wanted "needed" every advantage i could get!

I also vote with my dollars! I bought an Anschutz, it's more accurate than a CZ, has better quality and the safety isn't ASSBACKWARDS!! ALSO, it will easily last me the rest of my life, so i don't care that it cost more than the assbackwards CZ...

DM

ironglow · « **Reply #23 on:** July 17, 2012, 04:47:41 AM »

My experience is quite difference...could be just me though. I've had 3 Anschutz's over the years, still have one. Yes the Anschutz rifles are accurate, but from my experience, not more accurate than my CZ 452..or a good example of today's Savage rimfires. Of course, I am not an Olympic competitor either..but then how many here are ?

RangerJoe · « **Reply #24 on:** July 17, 2012, 08:41:31 AM »

My Dad taught me to shoot on a Marlin 39A. (lever action) I'd recommend it to anyone. It's accurate, and as mentioned above, you can make it single shot by only loading one round. It's an easy reload, takes shorts, longs or LRs, super easy to clean/maintain. The only downside I could see it that it might be a tad heavy, but I learned on it at 5 years old, so how bad can it be? I still have that rifle and it's every bit as much as it was when I was a kid. I'll be teaching my kids (and probably my sister's kids) on that very same rifle.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #25 on:** July 17, 2012, 01:12:58 PM »

Quote from: Drilling Man on July 17, 2012, 02:18:54 AM

Quote from: mcwoodduck on July 16, 2012, 05:02:43 PM
Quote from: Victor3 on July 15, 2012, 05:29:22 PM
Quote from: Drilling Man on July 14, 2012, 01:36:24 PM
Quote from: Goldstar225 on July 10, 2012, 12:48:42 PM
You know, I had given thought to the CZ Scout several months ago, don't know why I overlooked it this time. I need to try to find one in a gunshop to look at. Thanks for the reminder.

No sense confuseing him with CZ's assbackwards safety! Why can't CZ fix this!!

DM

It was an easy "fix" for my Son; I don't allow him to use the safety on his CZ nor any other gun. Chamber is empty with muzzle in safe direction until ready to fire. Teaching a kid to rely on a mechanical "safety" creates a false sense of security he may carry with him for the rest of his life.

If anyone's worried about confusion due to different controls on different guns, best not ever switch your kid from a bolt to a lever action. God forbid that he ever owns more than one specific model in his lifetime...
It is hard to put down a great rifle because you are not used to the safety.
Imagine that conversation with your great grandad. Where is the hammer on the Model 70? How do you load it with out a ram rod? the safety is backwards you pull a hammer back not push a lever forward."

I'm surprised you can't see the difference between a hammer gun and an assbackwards safety...

All hammer guns are pretty much the same, even single and double action revolvers ect... Pretty much all modern rifles are foreward for fire, backwards for safe. Then there's CZ 22's...

If assbackwards is so good, why did CZ "fix that" on their centerfire rifles???

I believe in muscle memory, and training starts at an early age, i spent many of my years hunting DG, and i wanted "needed" every advantage i could get!

I also vote with my dollars! I bought an Anschutz, it's more accurate than a CZ, has better quality and the safety isn't ASSBACKWARDS!! ALSO, it will easily last me the rest of my life, so i don't care that it cost more than the assbackwards CZ...

DM

My CZ 527 has a safety that has forward for safe and rear for fire. The 527 is a center fire and mine in an Maerican model.
I think it silly to reject a great rifle because you do not like the safety.
Now on to your point of mussle memory. if he buys the kid a CZ then all of his mussle memory will be with it and it will be natural to the kid and any of the forward to fire safeties will be strange to him.
One thing about the rear fire safety is that it it natural like setting a hammer on a lever or single shot. and your hand is in the perfect position. The forward fire safeties seem to misdirect my hand and I have to reposition it.

Drilling Man · « **Reply #26 on:** July 17, 2012, 01:38:33 PM »

So what you are saying is, CZ can't get it figured out?? Some of their guns have the safety one way, and other models have it another way... Great, now "that" makes a lot of sense!!

DM

Victor3 · « **Reply #27 on:** July 17, 2012, 08:10:59 PM »

Yeah, it's just horrible.

My Honda Accord has the headlight switch on the turn signal thingie. I went to look at another Honda the other day and holy crap, they put the switch somewhere else. I hope they have a recall to "fix" it, or at least offer training so I can overcome 10 years of headlight switch muscle memory.

Maybe I should just buy me a BMW (and an Anschutz).

5kwkdw3 · « **Reply #28 on:** July 17, 2012, 08:33:22 PM »

My grandson will get the Henry Mini Bolt. It's an excellent gun and now they come with fiber optic sights. I would not buy this gun though, if a scope was being considered and the bolt handle comes straight up making the scope a cantilever affair. The Cricket is a good choice as well, but I feel that the Henry is a better made piece. Smithy.

ironglow · « **Reply #29 on:** July 17, 2012, 11:58:16 PM »

Howcum.... Nobody has mentioned CRICKETT ?

http://www.crickett.com/

A much wider selection of barrels & stocks than ANYONE else offers in a youth rifle..and it comes in standard, bull and stainless... with .22 mag as an option.
That .22 mag perhaps makes it even more attractive as a backpacker or truck gun.