Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Chipmunk rifles?

I simply see the "Chickmunk" as a mandatory purchase...............

<laughing>

Yeah, I can easily understand that logic.

It's scaled to the task,offers a good value,shoots well,is gonna last forever and is something of which every kid can some day be rightly proud of.

Hard to go wrong,for an initial stepping stone.............................

I bough my son a Chipmunk 22 when he was 5. He's 28 now, and the grandkids are learning to shoot with it!
That sure was a good investment! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Virgil B.

Had a friend who's son worked for Chipmunk. When my boys were born I bought them each a rifle. They hadn't been home a week when the little guns went in the safe. The guy picked out some very nice wood for me too. About $90-95 each IIRC.
I have a full size 4x Weaver on one that I use to teach kids to shoot with. They really are great little guns. BT53

Is it wrong to want kids just so you can buy them Chipmunks? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I own a Chipmunk and a Cricket.
I'm 40 years old.
I have no children.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" />

Howdy Vanimrod
I bought one for my Daughter back in 1989 or so. I believe they were fairly new to the market at that time as well, I may be wrong on that but my supplier just got them in. She used to shoot baloons with it in the back yard and it was deadly accurate. I seem to remember it had an adjustable trigger as well, but have not pulled it from the back of my safe in years to look at. It came with a well figured walnut stock, oil finished and a decent peep sight. Someday it will go to a grand child to start out on, and no one should be without at least one, to pass on in there family. I want to believe the price was 129.00 when I purchased it, and it was the best rifle for the money back then to start a kid out on. Regards, thegeneral

I took my 8yr old son browsing on Thursday evening. Looked at the Cricket (99), Henry(169), and Savage Cub (129) ... boy liked the lightness of the Cricket but metal felt like a soda can. I hate the plunger cocking 22's they certainly seem to pose a safety issue.

The Cub was very well put together. Cocks on open. Solid feeling little gun. This one was without an accutrigger, so maybe that would give room to chisel. But 129 is a nice price to begin with, wonder when they will get one with an accutrigger?

Any other recommendations for mini-sized youth 22's?

According to the manual that came with my Cricket the whole idea behind the heavy spring on the cocking piece is that the rifle is only to be used with adult supervision and only the adult is to cock the rifle once the shooter is ready to take aim and fire. That is the way I have used mine with nieces, nephews, and friends.

Look in the new Handloader Mag. the got one for us grown people now a single shot pistol grey lam stock looks good I want to check one out . John

Looks like at least the on-line catalog has an accutrigger one now. In in the market for my nephews first.

Allen

...I bought two chipmunks with consecutive serial numbers for my first two sons (they are 31yrs&29yrs now).I found them irresistablely cute little guns,but not very practical in use. The stocks combs are so high that it's not possible to see through the peep sight,no saftey on the gun,so it's not usable as a hunting trainer either. Still they are so cute as momentos of a lads first rifle.

I agree that the Marlin model 15Y is much superior as a real usable first rifle for a boy. Easy to load single shot,has a good safety so it may serve for training a budding squirrel/rabbit hunter,and it is very accurate as most Marlins are. My critique of the Marlin is it's unnecessarily bulky stock design. The stock can be shaved down a bunch and you'll find a decent stock,more fitting for the gun under all that extra wood!. Cz makes the "Scout".A better youth rifle than either of the foregoing guns. Nicely proportioned,and EXCELLENT accuracy,with a good safety (although 'backwards' as most european safeties are).Some may not like the CZ as a starter because it's a 5 shot clip model> Finaly check out the Anchutz "woodchucker",a clip fed boy's size rifle,with no compromise accuracy,and a slim stock design fitting it's preportions,it has a good safety,but a very european one,it's much lighter, and fit to a smaller child better than the Marlin 15y. Any of these rifles could be a better,more practical choice than the cute chipmunk,carrying a lad further from the starting block to his development into a hunter.

I have to second the CZ Scout recommendation.

It is just a little bit larger than the chipmunk, but still small and light enough for my young kids.

It does come with a 5 shot clip, but it also comes with a single shot adapter. That is one of the things that sold me. The kids can start with a single shot and as they become more responsible I can let them have the 5 shot clip. They sell 10 shot clips as well is you really want one.

I was outshooting a friend on bunnies with his scoped 10/22. Not that he is the best shot to judge by, but I was impressed by the accuracy with open sights.

I absolutely LOVE that little gun. My favorite .22 to shoot.

I got crickets for my two oldest grandsons for christmas.
They are both doing very well with them. They have handled the cocking without any errors and are doing really good with the peep sights. tom

.....EddieR, I stuck an OLD Weaver c4 scope on my CZ Scout. Just an old relic lying around my gun stuff. That little rifle shoots 1/2" five shot groups @ 50 yards! (using Wolf Match ammo).It's so light and compact,i'm going to put a sling on it and make it one of my squirrel guns. It deserves a better scope too.

I handled a Chipmunk Target rifle last week, nice little gun,
but the price tag was steep, 325.95.

I just bought a Cricket for my mom. I'd bought her a Marlin tube-fed bolt, but she was concerned about the weight. She has difficulty holding a full size rifle steady. Back went the Marlin. I figure this should fit the bill. Now it'll just have to wait till I go to visit again.

I think those little chipmunks are great bacause you can buy the standard version with open sights and teach the little ones the true basics of marksmanship with a quality rifle and cheap ammo. Then once they have grasp the concept of open sights you can pick up the scope mount for around $ 12.00. But I recommend teaching iron sight shopoting to start with.