My sons first rifle

[coryb619]

My son is 7 years old and I want to purchase him a 22 for Christmas. I know youth sizes exist but I have absolutely no idea which are good/bad for the money. Most seem cheap but I don't want a pos rifle that won't function after a few hundred rounds. I'm hoping it will last him a good while. Any suggestions? Prefer under 400 if possible but willing to hear about all anyone has info or experience with thanks!

Oh and btw he shoots a 9mm pistol with ease so he's not a little guy and doesn't need a BB gun lol. With that said, any info would be great!

[Yerman]

How about a 10/22 and a youth stock? When he gets older, you can put the original stock back on and sell the youth stock in the marketplace.

[coryb619]

Excellent idea! I'm totally out of the loop when it comes to 22's. I had a Sig 556 and currently a few pistols but also nothing in 22.

What's the price for the rifle/stock on average?

[Yerman]

~200 for the rifle and I just saw the stock on Brownells for 86.54 http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1...eg-YOUTH-STOCK

Add 500 rounds of ammo and a few .22 targets from wallyworld and you should be under 400

[Quickdraw Mcgraw]

10/22 compact probly comes pretty close to what your looking for...around $250 and you could buy the standard size stock later when the kid outgrows the compact one.

[justjeff]

Cricket/chipmunk, cz 452
I bought my boys the chipmunk no semi auto fire power yet. They also have 10/22s but they have to prove themselves on the lil bolts first

[snypr]

another vote for the 10/22...he will never forget that lil carbine....

[dwh100]

cz 452 scout

[Hdawg]

I bought my son (he is 10) a CZ Scout for Christmas. Looks good, solidly built, and comes with a single shot adapter you can swap out for a magazine later. The stock is youth size and can be changed out later. I paid a little under 300 plus fees. I can't wait for Christmas. I want to give it to him now!

[Joe Register]

My son has been using a CZ scout the last year. It is still too heavy for him to shoot well off hand but the LOP is good for shooting off sandbags. It comes with a single shot mag that we replaced with a five rounder after a few months. He also likes to shoot my S&W 15/22 as we can adjust the stock down to fit him well. Now getting a 10/22 compact so we will see how that goes. At 7 you might want a bit smaller like a cricket.

[jonzer77]

I have heard good things about the Savage Rascal from a fellow calgunner. It is a bolt action single shot so they can learn the fundamentals before they start shooting 10 rounds as fast as they can with a 10/22. You could probably get both for a little over $400 and let them graduate to the 10/22.

[Jeff L]

Get your son a rifle with a youth stock you can switch later, since he will outgrow a youth stock in a few years.

[G-forceJunkie]

Used 10/22 wood stocks are in the market place often for $40. If you get a 10/22, I would not feel bad just sawing the stock shorter and buying a new one for when he grows.

[chozenfew805]

+1 for either a 10/22 or a MP 15/22 which are both on Sale at Turners

[RandyD]

I bought my daughter the single shot .22 Crickett rifle. It is light and has a short stock that will fit a kid. It is accurage enough that I can consistently hit shotgun shells at 25 yards. Teaching safety is easy with this rifle. It is easy to see that the bolt is open and the chamber is clear, and the shooter clearly understands where a cartridge has to be to make the firearm hot. A semi auto will not reinforce these important points. The only downside is the bolt and rear sight could be made to better standards.