Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Crickett, Savage, or what for the kids?

I'd like to get a youth 22 rifle for my kids to practice with, preferably a single shot bolt action. Right now they're 7 and 3. For now the practice will be with the 7 year old, but my son will get his turn coming up. I need something that's decently accurate, and has open sights with the option for a scope. I'd also like something that would shoot short, long, and long rifle ammo. What experience do you guys have with these?

We have the Kricket and it shoots and functions well. Small children will/may have trouble cocking the bolt. The Savage rascal cocks on opening. See review on Gunblast.com

Marlin 15y is an accurate little single shot bolt. Not sure if they are still made. Bought my sons at Wal-Mart around 10 years ago.

I'd get the new Ruger American in the 18" barrel, short LOP version.

Once the kid grows, merely change-out the "youth" butt stock insert for the longer LOP version and it's an adult rifle.

Adjustable trigger, tang safety, same rotary mag as the 1022, either 3/8" dovetail scope mounting, or use #12 Weaver bases for a better mounting system.

I bought the CZ scout.

It's a bolt gun with a single shot adapter. This can be changed out to a 5 or 10 round mag. later on.

I put a 1" pad on mine, so it would fit "Grandpa" a little better.

Makes a GREAT little "porch" gun for guarding my bird feeders.(grin!)

Virgil B.

How's the accuracy of these, guys? Maybe 1" at 50 yards?

Heres a good one in the classifieds. Ive got one just like it and it shoots great! Single shot, bolt action, open sights. Stock would be too long and I wouldn't cut an original but you might find a beater or after market one to cut.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...onew/1/WTS_Winchester_67_22_rifle#UNREAD

The Savage Youth Models are what we use and are very durable, and very, very accurate. IMHO the best choice.

I started my granddaughter out on a Cricket, and it worked great and accurate for starting off. After a couple years upgrade to a 10-22 and you will be set. You can buy a Cricket for about $100.00 and resale for $80.00

I bought my daughters a Chipmunk some 25 years ago. It's very similar to the Cricket. I bought the older daughter's son a TC Hot Shot break action when he was born. Unfortunately they stopped making it, apparently so they could make more desirable guns.

When her second son was born last fall, I started looking for another .22. I checked out the Savage Rascal and found that more effort is required to open the bolt than is needed to open my newest Model 70.

Although I haven't bought one yet I am impressed with the Ruger American Compact. The stock may be too long to start him on, but I can always break out the Chipmunk, which, by the way, is still made and comes with a wood stock in several configurations and stainless steel, if so desired.

My boys are almost the same age. I bought them a Crickett, Marlin buckaroo and a Savage cub with accutrigger. By far the best is the Savage. The savage comes with a peep sight and is very easy to load. The Crickett is just to big of pain in the azz to load.

My oldest sons favorite though is a Ruger 10-22T. I set it up on a bench and let him shoot all he wants. The only time he complains is when I slow down loading magazines and he runs out of ammo.

Dink

A buddy is starting his kids with a Savage. They can near shoot with my Ruger and Anschutz, as it carries the Accutrigger. I'd see no need to ever upgrade to a 10/22, especially with their mostly crappy triggers. Why step down in quality as the kids age. I've been around some really tricked out 10/22's that don't do near as well as my bolt action units.

My hunter ed experiences suggest most males are interested in getting ammo out and down range as fast as possible. The ladies want to hit stuff. It's my personal thing, but I refuse to go to our squirrel fields with young boys packing semi autos.

+1

My boys are 6yrs and 2yrs. Bought the Cricket used, sold it for what I paid and got the Savage Rascal. Much easier to load with feedramp, Accutrigger is better, etc.

Jason

I bought the rascal for mine. No problems so far.

Ruger American Compact will be my next pick for the boys. Nothing not to like about it.

All kids I've been around prefer an autoloader for plinking though.

Yeah, my kids love my custom 10/22 but I want them to learn the basics with a bolt. It's safer and easier for them (and me) to manage. The still get bench time with the auto, but for walking around and shooting they really need something in a single shot. Thanks for the help guys. It looks like I'll probably start at the Savage and Ruger lines unless I find something in the Crickett that is a deal.

OklahomaHunter,

Went through this with my kid's, either have or had; a couple of Crickett's, Savage Cub, Savage Rascal, Marlin Youth and CZ Scout. Started my boy at 4 and my girl at 5 years old. My girl is now 9 and shooting the Savage Rascal, which I feel is quite bit better than the Crickett due to it having a manual safety (a good thing to learn how to use), a feed ramp, more secure scope mounting (standard bases) and the scope height looks like it will be correct (If and when we ever mount one!).

For younger kid's I highly recommend a rifle in the Crickett, Savage Rascal size/weight class, that is if you want to get them shooting offhand after they have the trigger pull and sight alignment down. The CZ Scout weighs around 5 1/2 pounds and the Ruger American rimfire is a little more... my 9 year old daughter still prefers the Savage Rascal to the Ruger American due to it being too heavy for her to shoot offhand.

The CZ Scout and the Ruger American Rimfire were (and are going to be) the next step up for my kids. The CZ Scout is an excellent rifle, it comes with a single shot magazine but can use the other CZ magazines (about $35 each), wood stock, passable irons. The only negatives are that it will need some trigger work (easily done by the owner and in-expensive), cost of the magazines and the safety is the reverse of most (all?) American guns (to the rear is fire). The Ruger American seems to be ok, I like the tang safety, that it uses 10-22 and 77/22 magazines, and the scope mounting options (both grooved and drilled and tapped). Bolt lift is fine, needs a little use to wear in at first and the stock to my eye is ugly. IMO the CZ Scout is a nicer rifle, but for the above reasons I went with the Ruger American rimfire for my daughter.

All of the youth rifles I have/had I benched and tried with different ammo. All of the guns are capable of doing an inch and less at 50 yards, with ammo they prefer they will shoot around the 1/2 inch mark. The biggest trouble I had was shooting the tiny cricket and rascal as they are quite small and very light.

Enjoy this time with them,

Jerry