Thread: Small 22 for kids

Easy way to figure out which eye is dominant is to have both eyes open and raise your finger and point to an object at least a couple metres away e.g. corner or window (make sure your pointing finger is in your line of sight. Now keep pointing and close one eye in turn keeping the other open. Whatever eye is closest to the finger aiming point is the dominant eye. Turns out I'm left eye dominant.

really really important for shotgunning..you CAN shoot with offside eye..if you can wink...but nowhere near as good as both eyes open.

Originally Posted by Moutere

In addition to short length of pull, the Rascal:
▪️ Light weight and balanced, little kids are able to shoot it off hand.
▪️ Aperture & blade sights seem easier to get their heads around.
▪️ Real slender through the wrist and fore end for their little hands.
▪️ Cocks conventionally on bolt open for good muscle memory development from the get go.
▪️ Better more enjoyable experience using it.

These points are really noticeable with children under about ten years. An old cut down single shot just isn’t the same without additional modification.

The Rascal is definitely a good kids rifle, for all those points. It is important when teaching little 'uns to shoot that the pistol grip is small, and close to the trigger. The Rascal looks kinda weird, but it works well for what it was made for.

An aperture rear sight is always going to be way more accurate than V-sights and the point of aim faster to establish. Shame more .22s don't have them.

thinking back I must be one of the backwards children....I was using the .410 from 7-8 yrs old by 10 was using it solo...didnt really use the .22lr much at all,that was used by adults,I did get the odd very well supervised shot but the .410 was ,and still is the first love.It sure taught me to stalk and enjoy doing so,most rabbits were shot at under 10 yards in the gorse and inkweed patches...happy memories of happy times.

I'd also consider the Chiappa Little Badger.

Went through the same thing with my kids. Went through a few single shots as they out grew them. Ended up with a ruger American bolt action as you can change the length of stocks. I would suspect that someone with a 3d printer might be able to make a block so you can us it as a single shot.

I bought a marlin XT 22 youth model it came with a 7 shot mag and a magazine blank to make it a single shot. It was a great gun for the kids and they got quite good with it. I ended up putting a scope and slip on suppressor on it and filed of the front sling mount off and screwed in a swivel stud to mount a bipod.
I was going to buy a rascal but decided that it wouldn’t be as versatile for the kids as they age.

I’ve got a brand new Savage Rascal in red that’s surplus to requirements. Kids never showed any interest in it.
Had a scope rail fitted, but it also still retains the open sights.
Make an offer if you’re interested.

Ftx has just put up an old single in forsale section with $hundy price tag.....simply cannot go wrong at that.

I'm going to go against the grain here and say go scoped from the get-go. Use a semi decent scope rather than a $50 turd that typically comes with .22 packages and it will be easier and more accurate than opens.
Getting it set up so the eye relief is right is also critically important.
That's been my experience teaching younger cousins to shoot anyway.
Since most rifles are scoped these days I figure they can learn opens latter if they need to.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Ftx has just put up an old single in forsale section with $hundy price tag.....simply cannot go wrong at that.

I can get that down to Oamaru over Easter

The Marlin XT-22 Youth is a proper scaled-down size to fit young kids, my kids fitted it well from 5 years old. The Marlin is a bit more versatile as they grow compared with the Rascal in my opinion. Easier to mount a scope on, also the Marlin comes with a 5 round mag, and a mag replacement single shot follower insert, and the standard size XT-22 stock fits the barreled action too, so as they grow the rifle can too.

Our's is also insanely accurate, i think it shoots better than my CZ452

my 2 cents..

1. Buy a good gun. Most "kids things" - be it guns, bikes, binoculars, etc, are pretty crap, made of low end parts that are neither perform well nor feel good. You would not enjoy shooting a "kids gun", nor will your kid.
2. Get a semi. Some bolt guns can be hard to open and close the bolt. a semi makes the whole experience a lot better.
3. Get a light trigger. 3 pound trigger will feel like 10 pounds for a kid.
4. Keep your good stock for resale, get a cheap stock and cut it down.

I have 2 guns set up for my kid. One is a single shot Anschutz. It has excellent and smooth bolt, light and crisp trigger, and is very accurate. I removed the stock extension spacer, raised the cheek piece, and moved the scope back. It is heavy (even by adult's standard) with a 6-24x50 cope. He shoots that off a rest, hitting little gongs between 50 to to 150 metres.

The other one is a Ruger 10/22 with a 18 inch aluminium sleeved Whistlepig barrel and Kidd trigger. I cute down the plastic stock by about 8-10 centimetres, covered the back end with clean old socks. The rifle weighs 2.2kg with 3.5-10 scope and suppressor. he can shoot this off hand.

Originally Posted by vulcannz

I'd also consider the Chiappa Little Badger.

i wouldnt go near a chiappa product , expensive and awful product