Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Kids at the Campfire Child sized 22 hunting rifle & hearing protection

My 10yo was breaking clays at 50 yards with his Cub off a standing forend rest with pretty good regularity today...I was quite happy/proud to see him shooting that way and having a great time doing it. He uses Peltor kids muffs, but I have him put in the soft foam plugs also as we shoot at a public range 95% of the time and his .22 isn't the worry as far as volume goes...lot's of tacticool types wringing out their compensated AR's on the 50 yard range I typically take him to. I have to laugh as most of them can't hit any better at 50 yards with a optically sighted AR than I do with my 617 with no rest.

He wants to go deer hunting next year, so the Marlin Spikehorn also sees some use with a dot sight and some reduced loads with the 130gr Speer FN

I couldn't find a better rifle, sights taken into account, when I got him the Cub and it has proven to be a quality rifle for the resource outlay.

Here is my 6 year old boy shooting his Crickett. Foam ear plugs work fine for him. Ear muffs hurt his ears when he wears safety glasses with them. He picked up how to use the apeture site quicker than I thought he would. He was popping water bottles at 25 yards in no time.

Is that the new Caldwell convert-a-bench?

My son received a Crickett from grampa last year. He's only 4 years old and about 43 lbs. The LOP was too long. I quickly carved a stock out of scrap pine that has a pistol grip because the hand placement for the trigger pull was all wrong. There's no way a kid can really hold the stock and pull the trigger if they are small. A pistol grip puts the hand at the right angle so a kid can apply finger strength more correctly - with the hand more closed. I also snipped off a coil or two from the trigger spring because it was too heavy even for me.



The ear protection is a regular, slim profile, folding Caldwell electronic. Like THESE . I got them for $25 each. Those are adult units but they fit kids just fine because of the amount of adjustment built in by the folding feature. I had gotten two of them so we match. Also, they are the electronic ones so I know for sure that he can hear all my range commands. BE SAFE!



PS. He shoots Colibris too

Yup but have not found the adult size yet

I do hunter ed here and have watched a few kids shoot a .22 for the first time. I notice they all lean away from the gun backwards. I see it in your pic, and wonder if it's because the stock is too long. I was taught by the older Scout leaders when I was 10 to shoot, which I don't remember of course, but I have to wonder if it's a natural response to lean back. I watched my best friend and his brother's daughters shoot two weeks ago and they did the same. I'm looking into buying an adjustable youth rifle to play with. A lot of guys recommended the TC. I've been on the website. I need to see one for real first. I'd like to see them shoot a little gun too. You cut that 2x4 stock down pretty short too.

They are usually leaning back to counterbalance the weight of the rifle - usually meaning it is too long and front heavy for them. I've taught Scouts and others (including small women, who share this problem) for years, and that is a common problem. Stock length is not the only factor.

Yeah, I think it's only something like a 9" LOP now and it can even probabaly get another 3" whacked off of there but then the pistol grip/wrist angle will be all wrong. It also needs another 3" of toe so the stock can be brought up for a proper cheeck weld. The thing with kids is that they have HUGE heads compared to their bodies so one cannot just symmetrically scale down a stock and trigger placement.

It's wasn't a 2x4 BTW. It was a real 1" x 6" that I ripped. The Crikett stock only need 1" width. I don't mind making another one because it was very quick and rough whittling with an axe, some drill work to start off the trigger area then just knife work.

Get a 10-22 and I'll send you a stock that I cut down for my son. He has outgrown it and I'd love to see it get used by another young shooter. PM me if you want it. It fit his 5yr old frame perfectly!

thompson center makes a kids version of their contender carbine in 22. it is tiny. my brother bought one a couple months ago with a t/c scope and rings/mounts for $289 OTD. it shoots very nice and would fit any kid. the stock adjusts too. for hearing protection i recommend howard leight impact sport shooting muffs. you can use them for bench or field. the sound quality is very good too in the woods. they have a lot of adjustment in them. they are about $45 shipped on amazon.

Just noticed the booster seat rifle rest! That is priceless!!!

Hadn't noticed that either, thanks for pointing it out! Love it!

What is the difference between the Cub and the Rascal? I only see the Rascal on the Savage website. I checked out the Henry mini-bolt already, but this thread has me looking at the Savage as well.

I like the idea of a peep-sight for the little-guy when he starts shooting.

Started my grandson with a Chipmunk at age 5.
He is now 10 and shoots a Browning BL-22 with a rear peep and a frt globe site.
Also use a CZ Scout with a 4x Burris scope.

Coach

+2 on the CZ Scout.

I bought one for ME, and added a 1" pad so it would fit.

Best "porch gun" I've got!

I mounted a Leupold 4X rimfire scope on it.

Virgil B.

I looked every where for a scout and couldn't find one for my son. I ended up buying him the TC youth single shot. It is a good bargin on a quality rifle. The entire rifle looks just like my Contender,which the little one thinks is great. All bolt action youth models seemed too long for him.

My boys are 8 and 9 and both fit in on the tall end of the line at school. The Rascal is almost too short and will be getting a flip flop pad on the end but the acutrigger is light and so is the rifle. comes with a peep and is loads of fun.

We shot at a sand pit and didnt use hearing protection (sub sonics dont make much of a pop) but Ill have to look into it before we hit the public range. In the past I have taken the foam plugs and split one lengthwise into two for small ears.

I have one on the TC hotshots for my kids, it works well and is alot like their single shot H&R.410 and .223

Big +1 on the T/C !

The Rascal replaced the Cub, as far as I can tell. My first boy got a Henry Mini Bolt Youth, and it has excellent Williams Fire Sights on it. However, I think my second little rifleman may end up with the Rascal. The bolt also acts as a cocking mechanism, so the kid doesn't have to fight with a little plunger doohickey to manually cock it and perhaps not exercise proper muzzle discipline. We use both foam ear plugs and Redhead youth earmuffs, because even a minor report like a .22 can produce a "training scar" in very young shooters.

Also, aperture sights rock.