Friends,

The happy day that I get to introduce my little girl to shooting is approaching! I should be able to buy or borrow from my dad the old Marlin youth model single-shot .22 bolt action rifle that I learned to shoot with. But, that gun is in rough shape, and may not be worth rehabbing.

So, if I want to start fresh, and get a .22lr bolt gun to use to teach my baby girl the fundamentals, what would you recommend?

Ruger American compact. Rear part of stock is easy to swap as they grow. Good sights, easy to mount scope or dot, uses 10/22 mags. Might as well get on that is threaded whether you have a can yet or not.

https://ruger.com/products/ame...eCompact/models.html

My little boy loves his.

In a similar position (my daughter is 7) I bought a CZ 455 Scout.

http://cz-usa.com/product/cz-455-scout/

There's a lot to like about it.

It comes with a reduced-size, but not absolutely tiny, stock (12" length of pull - my tall 7-year-old didn't have any trouble, but I can also shoot it without feeling like it's a toy gun) and a 16.5" barrel. The barrel is threaded if you have a suppressor. It comes with a decent barrel-mounted notch sight with hooded front blade, and dovetails on the receiver for scope rings. The trigger is surprisingly good. The CZ455 platform is modular, so you can easily swap in a full-size stock or longer barrel later. I haven't shot it for accuracy, but it's certainly accurate enough for plinking and learning to shoot. It comes with a single-shot adapter (basically a dummy magazine with a little feed chute) and a magazine and you can get magazines from 5 to 25 rounds. It's also not terrible expensive, at $339 MSRP.

So much for the pros, what about the cons?

There aren't a lot. I don't like the safety. I don't like that it's mounted on the bolt shroud, and to me, it's backwards (the forward position is safe). The action functions perfectly, but operating the bolt isn't as smooth as I like.

455 Scout, I have 2 with Fastfires on them.

I got my son the Ruger American Rimfire suppressor ready version. It shares mags with his 10/22.

My brother-in-law has a synthetic stocked Marlin 22lr bolt rifle. The tiny (7rd?) magazine is the only 'complaint' I had with it.

Another option is something like the Cricket? Single-shot, safety & bolt lock.
My sister gave my girls hers when she got a 10/22. Looking forward to taking them to the range with it.

CZ 513 Basic (farmer) predecessor to the 452 and 455. Nice "basic" rifle. No threaded barrel though.

I'm liking the youth models that I'm seeing which have single shot conversions as well as magazines.

I also see tube-fed bolt actions from Marlin. That's intriguing. Anyone have any experience with those models?

If you can find one, get a Ruger 77/22. It's an heirloom quality .22 and will feel like a real rifle.

If you don't want to spend that kind of coin, the CZs look nice, as does the Ruger American.

quote:

CZ 455 Scout

I did a bunch of research for when it's time with my son.

Why I narrowed to this one:
- Bolt gun capable of Single load or mag fed.
- Scout stock with short LOP
- Can add a regular stock later for full size rifle.
- Iron sights
- Can convert to 22 WMR or 17 HMR for around $150 if wanted.
- Comes threaded so I can use my 22LR can. (Son's ears are sensitive)

CZ can't be beat for the quality or price.
Not the deal they once we're, they can be had for a good price.

I'd take CZ over a Ruger any day.
Ruger rimfire bolt prices are expensive.

Very good rifle, the CZ is a charm.

Other than that, I tend to like the vintage Remington, Winchester and Marlin bolts just fine.

Savage makes an extraordinary bolt. 22 or, so I have heard. No experince with them.

Good luck with your search!

In case nobody has mentioned it....CZ!

Can't be beat in terms of accuracy, build quality, durability, and sheer cool factor for the price. The newest model is the 455 which is switch barrel capable. The Scout has a shorter stock which allows young shooters to get comfortable, but you can actually put the action into any CZ 455 compatible stock. A lot of folks find a CZ American stock to put the action into once the shooter gets older/bigger. Also makes one hell of a squirrel gun with an adult sized stock. Bought my daughter a 452 Scout years back and critters had better stay well beyond 100 yards of me when I have it in my hands.

Here is what my daughter can do at 50 yards with her scoped CZ.


As for the bolts being rough on the CZ: The newer 455 is rougher than the older 452. Not quite as refined, but still serviceable. A bit of time with a dremel, felt polishing wheel, and some Flitz turns them into buttery smooth goodness. The safety is backwards as hell and very stiff when new. Gets easier to work the more you use it.

Or you could find another Marlin. I found a 981t at a local pawn. I tend to check out 22lr rifles more than handguns these days.

I just picked up a CZ455 last week ago and it's a very nice rifle. It's my first CZ but probably not my last.

I have an old marlin 881 I believe. Have an inexpensive scope on it and it’s an absolute tack driver and smooth to operate. Very nice build quality on these old Marlins.

CZ without a second thought.

In my opinion the 77/22 is pretty much the best thing out there. The CZ455 is nice but I prefer the magazine system of the 77/22 any day of the week and twice on Sunday. It’s the same magazine as the 10/22.

I’ve found my 77/22 to be more than accurate enough and it’s pretty much a full size rifle so it dosent feel like a toy like my old 10/22 did. My only regret is that I passed on a stainless synthetic model thinking I’d get one later, then Ruger discontinued it, I had to settle for a blued synthetic model.

I’ve got a leupold vx1 rimfire 2-7x28 on it and it’s an awesome rig, lots of envy from all my friends that shoot or handle it.

I sort of think that people recommending a 455 over a 77/22 are doing shout out of jealousy since they can’t get their hands on a 77/22......of course it joking.......sort of......

Savage Little Rascal. Using 2 of them with my 8 grandkids. (Only one child shoots at a time.) Very short stock for little ones.

Small and light, with a short length of pull will be preferable. My little one is rather petite and is probably going to remain so.

I'm getting excited, even though her first range trip is probably a year away.

I have a CZ 455 American Combo rifle with 2 barrels a 22LR and a 17 HMR barrel.