Youth .22LR ?

[JimPghPA]

We had a Savage 22 target rifle in our family when I was a kid. Many Boyscouts earned the Rifle merit badge with that gun. Even though it only had the peep site with the front post inside a cylinder, you could pick off pop cans at 100 yards with no trouble at all. I had sight settings for different ammo at different distances, and remember some nice shots I pulled off with that gun. Once there was a rusty piece of angle iron sticking up in the ground about 75 feet down range. The point of the 90 degree edge was facing me, and on the first shot I split the bullet and left marks on both sides of the angle iron where the bullet cleaned off the rust.

One time the gun malfunctioned and would go off with the slightest jolt without anyone touching the trigger if the safety was off. I figured out that the wood had worn where a screw went into the gun that came up to hold the barrel below the action. And because the head of that screw went further into the wood because the wood was worn, the end of that screw (where the threads first start) stuck up just enough to sometimes trip the action to fire. I cut down the length of that screw so it could not do that again. But when that gun malfunctioned, before I found out about it and figured out what was going on, the safety of keeping the gun pointing down range and only loading it and taking the safety off when you were ready to fire it really paid off, because there were several rounds that ended up going down range without anyone ever touching the trigger.

 

[userfriendly]

Only rifles? Single action revolvers are fun to learn with too.

In Canada I could buy a used M777 from the RCHA easier than a hand gun for a 7 year old.

 

[userfriendly]

We had a Savage 22 target rifle in our family when I was a kid. Many Boyscouts earned the Rifle merit badge with that gun. Even though it only had the peep site with the front post inside a cylinder, you could pick off pop cans at 100 yards with no trouble at all. I had sight settings for different ammo at different distances, and remember some nice shots I pulled off with that gun. Once there was a rusty piece of angle iron sticking up in the ground about 75 feet down range. The point of the 90 degree edge was facing me, and on the first shot I split the bullet and left marks on both sides of the angle iron where the bullet cleaned off the rust.

One time the gun malfunctioned and would go off with the slightest jolt without anyone touching the trigger if the safety was off. I figured out that the wood had worn where a screw went into the gun and came up to hold the barrel below the action. And the end of that screw (where the threads first start) stuck up just enough to sometimes trip the action to fire. I cut down the length of that screw so it could not do that again. But when that gun malfunctioned, before I found out about it and figured out what was going on, the safety of keeping the gun pointing down range and only loading it and taking the safety off when you were ready to fire it really paid off, because there were several rounds that ended up going down range without anyone ever touching the trigger.

Remington bought the copyright for that trigger.

 

[Lubener]

Just get it over with and get a Ruger 10/22 ... they are relatively small for a full sized rifle.

That's what I have had since I was a kid. Great rifle.

 

[Astro14]

Henry makes some very nice, youth sized, .22 lever actions. Heirloom quality guns.

For the money, it’s hard to beat a Ruger 10/22. They’re under $300 with a synthetic stock, though I’m partial to a wood stock, even if their wood stocks aren’t particularly attractive. Reliable, reasonably accurate guns with a huge aftermarket for parts support and customization.

 

[userfriendly]

Henry makes some very nice, youth sized, .22 lever actions. Heirloom quality guns.

For the money, it’s hard to beat a Ruger 10/22. They’re under $300 with a synthetic stock, though I’m partial to a wood stock, even if their wood stocks aren’t particularly attractive. Reliable, reasonably accurate guns with a huge aftermarket for parts support and customization.

Someone pm'd me about Henery levers. I was wondering about their quality compared to the BLR.
I reload about 600 rounds of center fire for my grown children and their spouses for free.
When the little ____ can afford his own ammo, he can have a semi auto.
I have a Reminginton model 77 that has been a closet queen for the last 50 years. Paid $69 for it in 1970 when they came out.

Astro; Brian May from the rock band Queen went back to school and got his Pile Higher & deeper in astro physics. I have one cousin with same.

 

[Astro14]

Brian May impressed me when he did that, at about my age, in fact...

Back to the Henry, brother has bought one for each of his boys. They don’t know about them yet, but they’re beautiful guns.

 

[Shannow]

REally, you can't go wrong with CZ...

I took my son out the range in better days...my Kriko (too heavy, but it is what it is, I got it for 15th birthday), my 1967 Brno (Brno Factory, CZ), and Rossi break action.

I think forteaching a newbie, the Rossi is great...but still can't beat a Brno.

(Have a look at a Lithgow if you can, they are made here in town, and our exchange rate should be favourable...they take Brno mags.

 

[userfriendly]

REally, you can't go wrong with CZ...

I took my son out the range in better days...my Kriko (too heavy, but it is what it is, I got it for 15th birthday), my 1967 Brno (Brno Factory, CZ), and Rossi break action.

I think forteaching a newbie, the Rossi is great...but still can't beat a Brno.

(Have a look at a Lithgow if you can, they are made here in town, and our exchange rate should be favourable...they take Brno mags.

There is a CZ in .375 H&H at Canadian Tire ....... I loaded 150 rounds 5 years ago then didn't buy one.
Instead of a .22, I bought the grandson a full suspension Rocky Mountain brand, mountain bike for his birthday/Christmas present.
If he can go a year without shooting his sister's eye out with a pellet gun, maybe I'll get him a .22LR.
For center fire, the Browning Micro Composite, (comes with a muzzle brake) looks good.
For ammo availability, I would go with .308 Win., otherwise I would have to handload for the 7mm-08, 6.5 CM etc.

 

[Slick3914]

Ruger American is the way to go due to the interchangeable stocks and very good trigger.

 

[BHopkins]

Someone pm'd me about Henery levers. I was wondering about their quality compared to the BLR.
I reload about 600 rounds of center fire for my grown children and their spouses for free.
When the little ____ can afford his own ammo, he can have a semi auto.
I have a Reminginton model 77 that has been a closet queen for the last 50 years. Paid $69 for it in 1970 when they came out.

Astro; Brian May from the rock band Queen went back to school and got his Pile Higher & deeper in astro physics. I have one cousin with same.

I don't think the Henry lever .22 is in the same class as the Browning BL-22.

When I was shopping for my lever action .22, I was looking seriously at a Henry. The guy at the gun counter pulled down both a Henry Golden Boy and a Browning BL-22, and told me to handle both. He specifically told me to run the lever action several times on both. And then to pay attention to fit and finish of the stock and receiver.

What I found was that the Henry action felt rough and heavy, with a feeling of catching at points in the motion. But the BL-22 lever felt so smooth and light. There was none of the catching. And the throw was a lot shorter on the BL-22. Plus the BL-22 trigger is much smoother. The finish on the Henry is nice, but nothing special. Fit between the stock and receiver is good, but not perfect. Stock finish is nice. In comparison the BL-22 fit and finish seemed flawless. The fit between the receiver and the stock is seamless. The stock finish is beautiful, and the stock is of a much higher grade of wood. The barrel bluing is not even in the same class.

I was so mixed in emotions. I was disappointed that the Henry did not measure up, because I had my heart set on getting on. But I was so impressed with the quality that I decided right then that I had to have the Browning.

If you want a youth .22 that your son will use to train his children, then I would be getting a BL-22 Micro Midas. It will be in the family for as many generations as they enjoy shooting. Come to think of it, I think I need to get one for my grand kids.

 

[userfriendly]

I don't think the Henry lever .22 is in the same class as the Browning BL-22.

When I was shopping for my lever action .22, I was looking seriously at a Henry. The guy at the gun counter pulled down both a Henry Golden Boy and a Browning BL-22, and told me to handle both. He specifically told me to run the lever action several times on both. And then to pay attention to fit and finish of the stock and receiver.

What I found was that the Henry action felt rough and heavy, with a feeling of catching at points in the motion. But the BL-22 lever felt so smooth and light. There was none of the catching. And the throw was a lot shorter on the BL-22. Plus the BL-22 trigger is much smoother. The finish on the Henry is nice, but nothing special. Fit between the stock and receiver is good, but not perfect. Stock finish is nice. In comparison the BL-22 fit and finish seemed flawless. The fit between the receiver and the stock is seamless. The stock finish is beautiful, and the stock is of a much higher grade of wood. The barrel bluing is not even in the same class.

I was so mixed in emotions. I was disappointed that the Henry did not measure up, because I had my heart set on getting on. But I was so impressed with the quality that I decided right then that I had to have the Browning.

If you want a youth .22 that your son will use to train his children, then I would be getting a BL-22 Micro Midas. It will be in the family for as many generations as they enjoy shooting. Come to think of it, I think I need to get one for my grand kids.

(BH; My daughter's kids )I wanted a .22 BLR since I was 12 years old. One BLR in the family, a take-down in 300 WSM my son bought with my credit card when he was only 38. Any opinions on the Browning T-Bolt?

 

[ZeeOSix]

I don't think the Henry lever .22 is in the same class as the Browning BL-22.

What was the price difference?

 

[DuckRyder]

CZ is very good choice.

BL-22 is also a very fine rifle.

Most of the other mentioned rifles are rubbish in comparison.

 

[BHopkins]

(BH; My daughter's kids )I wanted a .22 BLR since I was 12 years old. One BLR in the family, a take-down in 300 WSM my son bought with my credit card when he was only 38. Any opinions on the Browning T-Bolt?

Interesting you should ask. I also have a T-Bolt Sporter in maple. I do have a thing for unique gun actions. It is such a gorgeous gun. But beyond the beauty, it is a very fine shooting gun. Very accurate, perhaps a hair more than the BL-22, which is very accurate. While I have never shot a CZ to compare, from what others have told me, the T-Bolt rivals the CZ in accuracy.

Feeds flawlessly. Compared to others I have handled, my T-bolt is a little tight in the last 1/4" of locking the bolt closed. But it has loosened up as I have shot it. The T-Bolt does have adjustable trigger pull. And the break away is so clean. The T-bolt uses a 10 shot magazine where the BL-22 is a 15 shot tube feed. As I'm much more of a target shooter than a hunter, I like both designs, but if you hunt, that may be a factor in deciding.

The T-Bolt is not currently available in a Micro Midas (youth gun), but I imagine one could be found.

What was the price difference?

It's been a few years so I can't recall exactly. But I think the the BL-22 was another $50 - $60 more. However, I didn't buy that one. I ended up falling in love with a Grade II BL-22, which has a checkered stock and engraved receiver. So I ended up spending another $100 on top of that. It is worth every penny of it. What a sweet gun. As I mentioned above, I do have a thing for guns that are a little different from the run of the mill.

 

[userfriendly]

Interesting you should ask. I also have a T-Bolt Sporter in maple. I do have a thing for unique gun actions. It is such a gorgeous gun. But beyond the beauty, it is a very fine shooting gun. Very accurate, perhaps a hair more than the BL-22, which is very accurate. While I have never shot a CZ to compare, from what others have told me, the T-Bolt rivals the CZ in accuracy.

Feeds flawlessly. Compared to others I have handled, my T-bolt is a little tight in the last 1/4" of locking the bolt closed. But it has loosened up as I have shot it. The T-Bolt does have adjustable trigger pull. And the break away is so clean. The T-bolt uses a 10 shot magazine where the BL-22 is a 15 shot tube feed. As I'm much more of a target shooter than a hunter, I like both designs, but if you hunt, that may be a factor in deciding.

The T-Bolt is not currently available in a Micro Midas (youth gun), but I imagine one could be found.



It's been a few years so I can't recall exactly. But I think the the BL-22 was another $50 - $60 more. However, I didn't buy that one. I ended up falling in love with a Grade II BL-22, which has a checkered stock and engraved receiver. So I ended up spending another $100 on top of that. It is worth every penny of it. What a sweet gun. As I mentioned above, I do have a thing for guns that are a little different from the run of the mill.

Some say they don't like maple. I have a vacant lot in Manitoba that has several slow growing maples with very dense grains. A gun stock made from one of my own trees would be cool. Too nice, and a rifle will spend most of its life in the closet. I have an unfired 686E Beretta that fits that role.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I started out with a Remington model 514 single shot bolt action rifle. My brother bought it new and I purchased it from him after a short period of time. I shot thousands upon thousands of rounds through that rifle including birdshot. It is probably the only thing I still own since I was a kid and wouldn't sell it for anything and it's not worth much anyway as far as high resale. I cannot believe how nice it still looks after being in the field almost every day certain times of the year. I would start out with an inexpensive gun that he would want to keep forever. If you buy one too expensive he will most likely trade it in because it would be worth a lot of money. The inexpensive guns are nice to hold on for life. There is always a history with every gun owned and getting rid of them is a piece of history gone. Guns have a way of following me home. BTW I am going pheasant hunting at 8:00 a.m. this morning with my son. I have Gatorade, Diet Mtn Dew, water, homemade smoked salmon and beef jerky as well as homemade caramels in the cooler. Anyway buy your son a rifle and have some fun!

 

[pghvolvo]

The best thing to do is go look at .22's at several dealers around you. My dealer for example in used inventory has an Anschulz 1422D $1695, AM Tactical .22 STG 44 Carbine $395, Browning BL-22 GRD 1 for $525, Browning BM STD URX $345, A couple of Colt Frontier Scout single action .22 revolvers two at $495 and one at $895, Colt Peacemaker .22 $795, Several H&R .22 Revolver $145-$595, H&R Hunter .22 $595, H&R Trapper $295, Henry Golden Boy $395, Keystone Cricket Alloy .22 $265, Kimber SPR .22 $995, Marlin 81DL $215, Remington 511,514,572 at $115, $95, $495, Savage 40 $115, Savage 62 $165, Stevens 125 $125, Winchester 67 $295, Winchester 9422 Spl edition BSA $1195.

This is just a sampling of what my gun dealer has in stock used. Ace Sporting Goods Washington Pa. if you want to check out their used inventory.

Again go spend sometime at a couple dealers around you and see what you like. It's a personal choice, what I may suggest may not be what you or others on the board want.

 

[userfriendly]

The best thing to do is go look at .22's at several dealers around you. My dealer for example in used inventory has an Anschulz 1422D $1695, AM Tactical .22 STG 44 Carbine $395, Browning BL-22 GRD 1 for $525, Browning BM STD URX $345, A couple of Colt Frontier Scout single action .22 revolvers two at $495 and one at $895, Colt Peacemaker .22 $795, Several H&R .22 Revolver $145-$595, H&R Hunter .22 $595, H&R Trapper $295, Henry Golden Boy $395, Keystone Cricket Alloy .22 $265, Kimber SPR .22 $995, Marlin 81DL $215, Remington 511,514,572 at $115, $95, $495, Savage 40 $115, Savage 62 $165, Stevens 125 $125, Winchester 67 $295, Winchester 9422 Spl edition BSA $1195.

This is just a sampling of what my gun dealer has in stock used. Ace Sporting Goods Washington Pa. if you want to check out their used inventory.

Again go spend sometime at a couple dealers around you and see what you like. It's a personal choice, what I may suggest may not be what you or others on the board want.

I bet that Kimber looks good.

 

[userfriendly]

I started out with a Remington model 514 single shot bolt action rifle. My brother bought it new and I purchased it from him after a short period of time. I shot thousands upon thousands of rounds through that rifle including birdshot. It is probably the only thing I still own since I was a kid and wouldn't sell it for anything and it's not worth much anyway as far as high resale. I cannot believe how nice it still looks after being in the field almost every day certain times of the year. I would start out with an inexpensive gun that he would want to keep forever. If you buy one too expensive he will most likely trade it in because it would be worth a lot of money. The inexpensive guns are nice to hold on for life. There is always a history with every gun owned and getting rid of them is a piece of history gone. Guns have a way of following me home. BTW I am going pheasant hunting at 8:00 a.m. this morning with my son. I have Gatorade, Diet Mtn Dew, water, homemade smoked salmon and beef jerky as well as homemade caramels in the cooler. Anyway buy your son a rifle and have some fun!

Grandson> I'm older than dirt. I paid $10 in 1965 when I was 10 years old for a Cooey Jr single shot .22. It's mint in my eyes.
Speaking of pop... The first time I tasted Dr Pepper was at a bowling alley on the north end of Minot, ND in 1969
. Not far from the USAF base.