[nwellons]

Do you know how hard it is to load using the 1 round box magazine? I've never seen one before. If too much trouble, it could take a lot of the fun out of shooting.

I know that most single shot bolt actions are very easy to load.

 

[Sophia]

The length of pull is a little longer and its a tad heavier than the other youth guns but definitly doable for him. I'm not seeing any real negatives. Thoughts?

The mag issue might be an issue but still doable, IMO. I wouldn't get a Cricket... nothing against them but he will quickly outgrow it.

I suggest you try to find a CZ-452 Scout. Short length of pull. Bolt action. Comes with a single shot adapter in lieu of a magazine but will accept standard CZ five and ten round magazines when he is ready to move up.

http://czcustom.com/92050.aspx

http://www.cz-usa.com/products/view/cz-452-scout/

 

[jbdesigns]

+ 1000 on the cz scout. it is small for a youngster to use, is usable with a single shot adapter or with a 5, 10 round magazine, and when the shooter gets older, they will not out grow it. I have one and love to plink with it and I'm 6'-4" 245lb man. just to prove that small or large can shoot this rifle. and it is a very high quality firearm that is essentially the same as the other cz 452 rifles. same receiver, same bolt and trigger and high quality barrel. it is just a short barrel, but very accurate. it will shoot side by side IMO with any of the other cz rifles if fitted with a good scope. the iron sights are not too good IMO since the rear blade is so close to the front blade. likely, young shooters will use a scope so that isn't an issue. and if desired to get better iron sights, the tech sights for the 452 cz's will work great and make the rifle into a fine scout rifle or appleseed rifle. I am seriously considering the tech sights for mine for some fun iron sight plinking.

 

[HectorFuego]

Also look at the Savage Cub. Not a cradle to grave rifle, but a great starter.
- Accu-Trigger.
- Manual safety.
- Peep rear sight, adjustable for windage and elevation.
- D&Ted for scope mount.
- Factory installed detachable sling swivel studs.

To me, the action and receiver appear to be the same as a full size Savage. Only differences are barrel, stock, and it's a single shot.

In my experience it's very accurate for what it is. My granson loves it, but he's ready to move to a full size rifle, so the next grandson down the line can learn to shoot on the Cub.

Hector

 

[Jeepergeo]

The mag issue might be an issue but still doable, IMO. I wouldn't get a Cricket... nothing against them but he will quickly outgrow it.

I suggest you try to find a CZ-452 Scout. Short length of pull. Bolt action. Comes with a single shot adapter in lieu of a magazine but will accept standard CZ five and ten round magazines when he is ready to move up.

http://czcustom.com/92050.aspx

http://www.cz-usa.com/products/view/cz-452-scout/

+1. The CZ 452 is an excellent beginner/youth platform, and is a gun your son can hand down to his own son or grandson some day. The bolt action / magazine fed if desired, is great for learning fundamentals.

I would avoid the semi-auto until your son is much older and has two or three years of experience on the bolt action.

 

[j.r. guerra in s. texas]

I hate to sound like scratched record, but . . .

. . . I also would vote for Scout. Nothing at all wrong with 10/22, but I think beginning shooters should develop some basic skills with firearms and manipulating an action that requires effort to load and eject the cartridge is part of it. As said above, the Scout is a very well made firearm, we have a pair of them in the family and enjoy them a lot.

Good luck with your choice.

 

[timberbeast]

I would vote for the CZ 452 Scout. It is a fine rifle, the barrel and action and trigger are all CZ 452 and it is an heirloom quality gun at a sub-$300 price. Your son can shoot it until he can pass it on to his son or grandson.

Get a scout and a nice little 4x scope and he'll love it. :bthumb:

 

[POWDER MONKEY]

Being "old school" I would recommend the Bolt Action Single Shot as a beginners gun.

You want to teach the rudiments of safety, sight picture, breathing, cleaning,etc.

Iron sights are what I would recommend and not the optics.

Respect for the gun is what I would consider paramount in training in any firearm.

I believe, like the others above, the CZ Scout would be a perfect choice but that's just a personal choice. There are many fine beginners rifle available.

My first rifle was a J.C. Higgins single shot where you had to cock the rifle by pulling back to knob at the end of the bolt.

 

[ejhc11]

Youth rifles also available from Marlin, XT-22YR, 7 shot magazine w/single shot adapter

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/xt/XTY.asp

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/72786

My son has the older version Marlin 915Y since nine years old, he's 12 and still enjoys the single shot only, he has choices (Henry, 10/22, Win Wildcat, CMMG dedicated 22LR Upper) but still goes back and picks up the simple single shot rifle. It'll be passed to my other son in a few years.

Also, bolt guns are easier to strip and clean themselves, all around good foundation for letting the young ones learn how to take care of a gun.

 

[Oldrice]

I would vote for the CZ 452 Scout. It is a fine rifle, the barrel and action and trigger are all CZ 452 and it is an heirloom quality gun at a sub-$300 price. Your son can shoot it until he can pass it on to his son or grandson.

Get a scout and a nice little 4x scope and he'll love it. :bthumb:

+1 on the CZ Scout. Start him out with iron sights and then purchase a nice little 4x scope, like Timberbeast recommended, once he becomes proficient.

There are some fine rifles out there, but it's hard to beat the quality, versatility and convertability of the CZ 452 Scout.

 

[BrokenSpoke]

You don't say how old your kid is but I went through the same thing last year with my 9 year old. I settled on the Savage MK II FVT. 5 shot magazone, decent peep sights, sling swivels, heavy barrel, accu-trigger and the pull is adjustable. My son has been very happy with that rifle and has been earning his NRA rankings with it.

 

[satchel22]

I read somewhere that the cz safety is backwards from most rifles is that true? I want peep sights for whatever gun I get him can I get some for the cz? Got to be honest still think I'm going with the 10/22 though

 

[pump .22s]

Another big :t for the CZ scout. High quality gun at a reasonable price that will shoot with the rest of the CZ guns (and those aren't slouchy). Great bang for the bucks. :bthumb:

 

[j.r. guerra in s. texas]

I read somewhere that the cz safety is backwards from most rifles is that true? I want peep sights for whatever gun I get him can I get some for the cz? Got to be honest still think I'm going with the 10/22 though

True, the wing safety does operate opposite the norm. You easily learn to get around that, a non issue with a new shooter.

 

[jbdesigns]

Tech sights are available for the scout.

Keep this in mind and I must confess that I own CZ's and 10/22's. The stock CZ scout will out shoot the stock 10/22 in terms of accuracy by a wide margin. The stock sights on the 10/22 are not very good nor are the stock sights on the scout. Both can be up graded with tech sights.

To get a 10/22 to shoot as accurate as the scout you will have to spend money. Either to rework the barrel or upgrade the ruger barrel. Plus the stock ruger trigger is not good. $35 fixes that but it needs to be noted.

So if your son will be wanting accuracy and you are not prepared or desire upgrading the rifle, scout is best choice.

If having fun with a semi auto is desired, the 10/22 is hard to beat. I have a accurized my rugers and love them. Fun and accurate. They have slick triggers, new barrels bolt rework and new stocks. And they all cost more than a scout by a large margin. I will never sell my Rugers, I love them. But they're more $$ than the scout. But the scout is a bolt which I also love to shoot. Just different. Scouts trigger stock is much better than ruger. And for $1 the scout can be improved.

 

[Tomcat21]

The mag issue might be an issue but still doable, IMO. I wouldn't get a Cricket... nothing against them but he will quickly outgrow it.

I suggest you try to find a CZ-452 Scout. Short length of pull. Bolt action. Comes with a single shot adapter in lieu of a magazine but will accept standard CZ five and ten round magazines when he is ready to move up.

http://czcustom.com/92050.aspx

http://www.cz-usa.com/products/view/cz-452-scout/

Another vote for the Scout. I got one for my seven year old grandson. Grandma went with us the first time to help out and now she shoots it too.
Maybe you can take your wife along too and let her try shooting. It's a fun family outing.

http://markbondffl.com/cz-452-scout-22lr-rifle-2/

 

[satchel22]

I'm not a fan of the safety being backwards I know it won't be an issue as it will be his first gun but it will be an issue when he switches to a gun with the safety that goes the right way. Ill see if I can find one locally to look at just to give it a chance.

 

[jbdesigns]

Don't get caught up in safety. Biggest safety is finger out of trigger and not chambering a round until just ready to shoot.

Safeties get used more on semi autos since they are ready to fire again and are loaded more often. So you shoot 3 shots and put safety on so as to not accidentally shoot again as you walk or look through spotting scope or similar. With a bolt, you fire and don't rack another round until ready again. My opinion.

I can go from one style to another with ease and I'm not as sharp anymore. Teach to not walk without a round chambered. When you get to shooting spot in woods, then you run the bolt.

 

[toomanyguns]

Don't get caught up in safety. Biggest safety is finger out of trigger and not chambering a round until just ready to shoot.

Safeties get used more on semi autos since they are ready to fire again and are loaded more often. So you shoot 3 shots and put safety on so as to not accidentally shoot again as you walk or look through spotting scope or similar. With a bolt, you fire and don't rack another round until ready again. My opinion.

I can go from one style to another with ease and I'm not as sharp anymore. Teach to not walk without a round chambered. When you get to shooting spot in woods, then you run the bolt.

Also, with a bolt gun you can just lift the bolt if you've already chambered a round. With this method you don't have to worry about different types of safties. I use this method a lot.