Thread: kids rifles

OK so I've had a nosey back a bit on the forum, and have read about the rascal by savage and the Marlin xt22 ......I was wondering if anyone knows of any other small person rifles ....I see the yanks do a heap of different types.... Crickett from keystone arms, Browning do the micro hunter, kimber do one plus a heap of others.... I have a five year old girl and a seven year old son.... The wee girl is showing an interest in hunting so I want to nurture it....unfortunately none of my 22s would be suitable and so we are looking for a youth sized one... I think the boy will have a go too once we get going... So does anyone know of any other youth sized 22s available in NZ for a reasonable price... Don't want to cut down a full-size rifle as I feel it needs to be proportionate

Go the rascal and then then the CZ Scout or Marlin after that.

Thompson centre Hot Shot.

The Rascal is truly a scaled down rifle, the others I am not sure you will have to do your own research.

The big thing with kids(small kids under 10 etc) im my experience is they cannot hold the grip area properly and reach the trigger.

The Rascal I have is scoped and it will hit a 80mm square gong pretty consistently at 100m with shit bulk ammo with myself on the trigger.

My 8 yo can do a 4" group at 100m on a bipod with his CZ scout.
most of the rounds group better than that, but a few stray here and there...
He is nearly 9 now, and started with it when he was 7...

+1 for the Cz scout, my 8yrd old loves his.

http://youtu.be/mVciuhn_cC4

I recently picked up a Marlin XT22 Youth rifle 2nd hand off Trademe, specially designed stock for the little people, LOP, smaller pistol grip area, shorter length from pistol grip to trigger, higher comb, as distance from kids cheek to eye is shorter than adults, they have really thought about it.

Havnt scoped this one yet, but it has built in dovetail and also tapped for bases etc. I shot it down the river the other day with the open sights, only at 25 yards, but very impressed. I reckon it will be awesome accurate with a scope.

When kids get bigger you can fit the full sized XT22 stock ;-)

Been mooching around and see that reloaders supplies have the crickett rifle listed at a price of 359
.....

Originally Posted by Alpinehunter0

Been mooching around and see that reloaders supplies have the crickett rifle listed at a price of 359
.....

Thats a good price for new. I paid $349 for the Rascal I purchased on Monday. I would go for a Rascal if I was to do it again too.

My 7 year old was using my Marlin XT until I purchased the Rascal, although only with a bipod and with the butt through his arm pit. With the Rascal he can now shoot from the standing, kneeling and hold the rifle without the use of a bipod on the ground. The closest rifle to the Rascal would be the Cricket but that has a bolt that requires an extra step to cock the bolt and no ramp to assist with loading.

Any thing realistically can be used but as others have said whats $300+ on a tool that should set them up for success later on down the track. Check out my photos of my 7,5 and 2 year old in the prone position with the Rascal in the "Savage Rascal" thread. Should help with comparisons as your kids are 7 and 5?

Keeping it interesting is in my opinion key especially when it comes to targetry... Here are a few we used the other day + a metal spinner set-up.

The cut out of the peep sight and fore sight (to the right of targets) is to get my kids to show me what they are aiming at and to help me explain points of aim etc...

The Thompson is very small and light, so small in the grip area that it's hard for me to shoot.
I like that it breaks open like shotgun so it's very obvious when it's safe.

Only downside is that it didn't teach how to operate a bolt, something I hadn't thought of until it was brought up in a thread a week or two ago-but to be honest with the stock spacers that come with it I feel that by the time they upgrade they will be old enough that learning how to use a bolt/semi will be the task of one range trip

Originally Posted by res

The Thompson is very small and light, so small in the grip area that it's hard for me to shoot.
I like that it breaks open like shotgun so it's very obvious when it's safe.

Only downside is that it didn't teach how to operate a bolt, something I hadn't thought of until it was brought up in a thread a week or two ago-but to be honest with the stock spacers that come with it I feel that by the time they upgrade they will be old enough that learning how to use a bolt/semi will be the task of one range trip

The only problem I know of with these appears to be that the hammer spurs can snap off. Have seen two new in a shop on display, both missing their spurs.. Wouldn't be too hard to braze them back on though. No way small thumbs would be able to cock them with the spur gone like that either, there's only a little stump left. Worth being careful I guess.

Dare I say it but Ruger does a bolt action with an insert to alter length of pull that may be an option.

And personally I dont think scaling will be much use with the likes of a 22 and small hands. Realistically 22LR actions are scaled down when compared to centre fire. If you modify a stock for small hands and shorten the barrel for weight reduction, a normal action 22 is fine. Nothing wrong with reducing a Norinco JW15 down to kid sizes. And the upside is if you buy an old stock for a rifle you can retro fit the original stocl later to make it bigger as they grow. This has the advantage of already being a rifle they are familiar with but that grows with them.

Sure spend hard earned on a youth rifle if you want. It is your money and you are more than welcome to support any business this way. It is just not what I would do if in the same position.

Originally Posted by timattalon

Dare I say it but Ruger does a bolt action with an insert to alter length of pull that may be an option.

And personally I dont think scaling will be much use with the likes of a 22 and small hands. Realistically 22LR actions are scaled down when compared to centre fire. If you modify a stock for small hands and shorten the barrel for weight reduction, a normal action 22 is fine. Nothing wrong with reducing a Norinco JW15 down to kid sizes. And the upside is if you buy an old stock for a rifle you can retro fit the original stocl later to make it bigger as they grow. This has the advantage of already being a rifle they are familiar with but that grows with them.

Sure spend hard earned on a youth rifle if you want. It is your money and you are more than welcome to support any business this way. It is just not what I would do if in the same position.

There is no way my 4 yr old can hold the pistol grip and reach the trigger, not a shit show in hell (therefore doesnt want to do it) but with the Marlin youth she can. If you can't spend $300 (mine was $292 2nd hand) on ya kids for something that will help them join in with our own interests then i reckon there's something wrong (compared to what we spend on gear and hunting trips etc for ourselves). 300 bucks doesn't buy much today.

And when they are finished with it, chances are you will get most/if not all ya money back when you sell it.

I know this will probably come across the wrong way, but that's the way i see it.