Best rimfire set up for a child

[bigboarstopper]

What is the best 22 set up for a small child?

I got my hands on a used chipmunk single shot 22lr for my 4year old daughter. We own a ranch so she has been around (never shot or handled) firearms since she was a baby. She has expressed an interest in hunting and shooting since she could talk and has been my “spotter” on lots of ground squirrel “hunts”.

I put a red dot sight on the rifle with the thought process that it should be the easiest possible way for an entry level shooter to actually hit a target. Other than that I’ve bought her a toy rifle that she must carry for a few months and treat as a real rifle to use as a “muzzle awareness” tool and basic safe handling before I even assist her with handling the real thing under extreme safe and supervised circumstances.

Thoughts and ideas for making the rifle a better entry level firearm? Ideas for creating an additional way of training prior to live fire in the future?

[KSH]

I let my daughter use my 17hmr. Don't have a 22. She does great with it. Clearly with very close supervision. Same age.

[arrowshooter]

I gave my 6 year old grand daughter a Savage Rascal for Xmas last year which she loves. My son had been going over the essential safe handling rules by number with her for about the year prior and she pretty much can recite and demonstrate them by individually starting with number one which is "do touch any firearm without adult supervision". I was very impressed when I handed her the rifle for the first time and she instinctively kept the muzzle up and her trigger finger was up on the stock. When I asked her to check if the rifle was loaded she opened the bolt, looked inside, closed the bolt, put gun on safe and trigger finger went right back to the stock.

I also left the stock sights (rear peep) on so that she can get the hang of irons first. This will give her the ability to pickup and shoot any firearm as she gets older. Now if we can only get her to start using her right eye instead of the left one (she is right handed) LOL. The problem is the ear muffs being too large and when she moves her head to clear the muffs her left eye is right in line with the sight. The next time out she'll be wearing plugs.

[sonofeugene]

I don't know anything about the rifle you have for her now, but if it fits her, stick with it rather than getting another unless there's something fundamentally wrong with what she's got now. She's going to grow like a weed and out grow the rifle in short order. You can upgrade then.

Sounds like she's getting some good grounding.

[G-forceJunkie]

I would think length of pull would be the only issue. Perhaps buy a common gunlike the 10/22 and buy a takeoff stock ($40 oftenon calguns) and cut it down. Put the full size stock back on when she grows.

[bigboarstopper]

It’s a kid sized 22 rifle. Single shot, needs to be cocked. Numerous mechanical functions in order to fire.

[MyOdessa]

I taught my kids when they were 4 and 5 yrs old on Ruger Bearcat, the easiest handgun trigger for them to reach, on Ruger 10/22 with shortened stock and on TC Contender with youth stock. All worked great for kids. Especially Contender and Bearcat due to light weight and great triggers.

[luckylogger6]

I have found that the sight aliment "concept" is challenging for youngsters in that age range so I think you are on the right track with some sort of sight or low mag scope. Also with that young of a child she is going to struggle with her hands being large enough to grip the stock and reach the trigger. At least my 6 year old son does...

As for training tools its tough to beet the daisy bb gun.

[DanGunner]

I have a Remington rolling block single shot .22 that's perfect for a child. I also have a single-shot Stevens "boy's rifle" that my grandfather used to hunt jackrabbits in Colorado about 110 years ago. Still works. Perfect beginner rifle.

[njineermike]

Crickett. Single shot bolt action. 22.

https://www.academy.com/categories/crickett-brand.jsp

You can even get it in pink.

[bigboarstopper]

Crickett. Single shot bolt action. 22.

https://www.academy.com/categories/crickett-brand.jsp

You can even get it in pink.

Chipmunk and the cricket are basically the same

[joe47]

CZ 452-455 Scout. When the child gets grown replace the short stock with a longer one. The Scout is the same quality/accuracy as the other CZ rimfire rifles. I bought my twin grand daughters one when they were born. Great little rifle, and very accurate.

[MJB]

Start with the Red Ryder in the backyard for practice

[Dvrjon]

I'd lose the red dot and introduce the sight picture...a lollipop on a stick...

Keep the ranges close and the targets big and reactive so they move when hit. Otherwise, it gets boring real quick.

I've taught all of my grandkids on open sights using BB and pellet guns, and they did well. They now think red dots are cool, but they'd all prefer a 4X scope because it takes a bunch of the guess work out.

The 18-year old has figured it out and always asks to use the AR with the red dot and 3x magnifier.

But, when I turn off the optic, they can still drive tacks with the irons.

(None of the guns are in pink.)

[CSACANNONEER]

I've looked at all the currently manufactured small, .22lr rifles and I like the Savage Rascal the best. It has a great trigger and peep sights.