Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Best .22LR rifle for my daughter to start with

I’ve been researching Savage, Henry & Keystone Crickett but as a loony I felt like there might be more to consider. Money isn’t really an obstacle but I don’t want to be ridiculous.

.22LR is preferred & she is right handed.

Any advice would be welcomed.

Crickets are very small. How old/big is she?

My 12 yo grand daughter just got a Ruger American. It should fit her a bit better by next year & there's an add on piece to extend the stock more in the future. She did very well with it from prone & sitting at the bench. Under $400 with sights.

I started my son with CZ Scout. Very accurate rifle. They outgrow them fast so you can always get a standard stock and switch them out. It's been a while so I am assuming CZ is still making the Scout?

Ruger American would be an excellent choice.I've owned and shot a couple and they were smooth and accurate.

I would opt for a Tikka T1.

Then put it in a chassis that has an adjustable stock, as the chassis' that fit the larger guns will work for the rimfires. This way she has a gun that will properly fit her and is not struggling as so many young shooters do, then lose interest. Then as she grows older, you can adjust the chassis to fit her growing size, and eventually put the full size stock back on it, or keep the chassis on if they enjoy it the way it is.

The Tikka rimfires are extremely accurate much like their centerfire versions.

I’ll second the Ruger American but in the youth/compact model. My son is now 11 and has had his since he was 6 and has put thousands of rounds through it with zero issues. You can also get a longer stock module to lengthen the LOP once she gets older.

That rifle shoots great with pretty much any kind of ammo you put through it and seems to shoot the Winchester white box ammo the best. I also have a Tikka T1X and the Ruger shoots just as good and sometimes even better with cheap ammo.

Ruger RAR compact (18.5").

Like the one in this vid (misidentified as a std.), including the TechSights Aperture sight.
(Just drill the aperture out to 1/16")


And, w/ the modular stock included, it will grow w/ her.
(although, I'm 6'-2 and like the compact stock - really handy carbine)




GR

Savage Rascal

How old is your daughter?

I started my son on a savage rascal and it was great while he was younger and smaller, but he outgrew it by the time he wis 9 or so

I have an AR with a PSA 22LR upper and it's pretty adjustable to any sized person.

Easy to use, and just switch uppers when she wants to go hunting.

What's not to like?

What DW said.

I have a Marlin single shot bolt, been through my kids an halfway through the grandkids. It has a 3x9 redfield scope on it. No trick to head shoot squirrels with it.

How old is your daughter???
Hard to recommend no knowing her size.

Wow. Outstanding, fellas!

She is a tall/lanky 6 year old so a rifle being too small was definitely on my mind. I hadn’t considered a Ruger but certainly will now. I’ve got a T1x for myself but again didn’t consider a youth stock or chassis for her - but will look into that. I’ve got an old Marlin 25 that I’d considered chopping as well but perhaps her ‘own’ rifle might allow me to teach several ‘maintenance’ lessons.

Thanks all!

My boys at around six yrs. old started with the Cricket and promptly out grew it, then I made a new Dakota stock for it and they out grew that before I even finished it. Then as they became more responsible we switched to a 10-22 and a .223 Kimber of Oregon bolt action. My youngest was ready for a .270 when he was about 10 or 11 years old with slightly reduced loads. Your daughter will be ready for a .223 or a 6mm fairly soon so think of the 22 lr rifle as a four year or so proposition and then a stock up grade will be in order. Girls usually have their major growth spurt earlier than boys but wait till freshman high school before doing the final forever stock.

The CZ 427 is a solid choice and I think there are some stock options for them as well.

I have a like new pink camo TC hot shot with 2 adjustable stock extensions

Pm me if interested

My daughters maybe shot it 300 shots

Been in safe ever sense

Best beginner 22 ever made IMO

Easy-Peasy choice.

Buy a compact and add the standard butt module when she grows or buy a standard and add the compact butt module now and save the other for when she grows.

drover

I'll kick this dead horse again. Got my little girl a ruger American. All around perfect starter. Plus it can grow with her.

I have one of the RAR rimfires with the shortened stock module. It works great for my wife (just over 5 feet) and I like it too. My RAR rimfire works very smoothly and is quite accurate. You can get the trigger easily to 2-2.5 lbs by putting in a lighter spring. I think they are great rifles and of course you can get them with threaded muzzle. Hard to beat for value.

Working with 5th grade and 6th grade Boy Scouts several times a year rimfire shooting . I will tell ya kids have an easier time reloading "Tubular Magazines." on their own rather than clip magazines......just sayin.

Give her the moon.

Cooper or Kimber of Oregon 22 LR

😬🦫

I'd get the Savage Rascal Target. Get a scope with long eye relief and a forgiving eye box. That is critical for kids.

If you're going to continue buying replacements as she grows, I would go for the Cricket or something similar. If you want one and done, I'd look for a CZ 452 in just about any flavor.

Mine has also a Henry 22lr lever gun with a youth stock, that became a full-size stock when she turned 14.

+1 for CZ 452

As much as I love my 452s . it's 2021.

The correct answer is CZ 457 for training a new shooter.

It has a forward to fire Safety (CZ 452 safety runs backwards), fully adjustable trigger and 60 degree bolt lift (no more bolt handle interference with the scope oculars)

My daughter started out at 6 with a savage rascal. In a couple years she was shooting a MP 15-22 and never shot the rascal again. Easy move to a 5.56 after that.

Picked up a rascal for my boys recently. Put a red dot on it and they were big fans. I have a CZ455 for when they get big enough for the stock.

Got the Marlin youth model and it shoots 3/8 groups at 40 yds with a cheap Simmons 4x...Has a feed ramp so you just drop a bullet and close bolt..Taught 2 generations of grandkids and made great shooters....Federal 36 gr. cheap ammo..

The CZ 457 is about perfect. The safety is easy to operate. Switching the magazines out gives you the option of single shot or repeater. As a single shot it loads easy. Point a cartridge the right way and drop it in and it will feed with ease. Comes with iron sighs and the receiver is grooved for scope rings, gives a kid a chance to master both. Ours is very accurate with the cheapest bulk ammo we can find.

My boys do a lot of shooting. They started out with a Cricket. It was fine for a trip or two the range. I quickly found that they were a pain to load for my fat fingers, the boys also struggled at times to get them loaded. The next issue was the cocking of the bolt. They are hard to cock, for a kid almost impossible for them to get it done while keeping the muzzle pointed in the right direction. The Cricket quickly went down the road.

Marlin Model 915Y, sometimes called a Boy Scout Trainer, due to their frequent use by the Scouts. Henry Carbine works pretty well too. These are the guns we start our 4-H kids with, and have good success. My son made it to state level competition with the Marlin.

Santa was good in 2019

I suggest one with open sights. Not many new ones being made that way, but a good older one is a great starter gun. It teaches the basics and has makes them better shooter in the long run. In my opinion anyway.

I started my son and daughter off on the CZ 452 Scout. Now it’s waiting in the safe for future grandkids to start on.

I started my son with a 10/22 that I cut down a old wood stock to fit,
When bigger, put full size stock on. Still has it 30 years later.

Go find a used 10/22 and do a p to p transfer. Buy a dozen Bx-25 ruger mags for it. Lay in lots of 22lr. The daughter will be first line defense age in the coming civil war before you know it might as well prepare her to survive it. That old single shot nonsense is out the door.

Must be a big ol boy...

I'm 6'7", 375 lbs and I use a savage cub mini (immediate predecessor to the rascal) more than about any of my other rimfire rifles.

All my kids use it when they're home as well. Got grandkids who try to wear it out...

Tikka

I picked up a Ruger American Rimfire and put talley rings on it and a scope. It flat out shoots! Even cheapo Thunderbolts were sub MOA at 50 yards. I could not believe it. For the money I think it is the best bolt 22 out there.

That's why I didn't go with the Cricket. My understanding is once that bolt was cocked, you had to hold it and ride it down by pulling the trigger, like the hammer on some lever guns. I ended up going with the Savage, great little gun.

Yep. Tikka first choice for the money

American for back up

Bought my son a CZ 455 Scout he used until we went with a 455 American. My daughter took over the Scout and likely will stick with it. At 15 she’s mostly done growing, I bought an Allen slip on pad for it last year and the fit is now perfect at 12.75” LOP.

That's a great pic.

Thanks Paul, he was pretty excited. He sold it for $10, the Indians use the guard hairs and quills for ceremonial swag.

Not to derail this thread but as a former rifle shooting instructor for the BSA, single shot rifles only are what are allowed. If you’re shooting repeating rifles I wouldn’t broadcast that info. For whatever that is worth.

Agree single shots are safer and they help to teach making the first (only) shot count. When they first got a semi auto they really went through the ammunition and took awhile to get them over the rapid firing thing. The cricket was a little awkward but both boys mastered the cocking/uncocking thing early on.

Great thread full of solid suggestions & experiences. Thank you all! I’m looking at a Savage but prefer a CZ Scout to match my 455. I may start her on my old 67A boys rifle to get a better idea of her stature related to gun size before I invest right off.

Hard to find, but a Winchester model 47 single shot is awesome. No cocking pin to pull and the safety goes on automatically ever time the bolt is used.

510 Remington

CZ-455 scout. but be super careful as your CZ collection WILL grow.
Big Ed

An AR stock can continue to lengthen as the kid grows.