Need help for my soon to be 9 year old 1st rifle

[Frankr]

Need some help deciding for my youngest boys first rifle.

Average 9 yo. Looking for a gun he can grow with that isn’t a POS

Narrowed down to two but willing to hear out other suggestions.

Trying to keep it under $750

He will be using it for target shooting, small game hunting.

Choice 1

TacInc 10/22 left hand receiver & bolt, Kidd ULW barrel, Blackhawk axiom stock (have gift card to cover that), trigger group (got to shop around). This gun is super modular and can be upgraded as he grows. Stock should fit him and the entire gun should be light enough for him to shoot.

He likes semiauto - who doesn’t

Choice 2

CZ 457 scout + Acculite/whistlpig 16.5” fluted, threaded barrel, aftermarket boltknob. The barrel channel will need to be sanded out on the stock. Don’t know if the stock fits him though. Should be pretty light.

he can use a bolt action and it will make him choose his shots. Not quite as fun as a semiauto especially when jackrabbit hunting.


The cz would be the easiest and cheapest but is that really the best option?

Bought my oldest a RPRr and it has been accurate but picky on ammo sticking and it was heavy.

Could get a new Ruger carbon but I’m not sold on Rugers accuracy and their triggers have been crap imho.

 

[Kickin45]

Were it me, I’d go bolt action. Will teach patience, breathing, practical skills etc.
But, what is he going to have the most fun with that will keep him interested?

 

[oldrifleman]

Go with the scout. I used a 452 scout to bring in both of my kids. It is a great starter. Some may disagree as it isn’t a single shot rifle but train them in safety and to load one at a time, then move to using the mag.

 

[plt228]

I started both of my girls with a regular 10/22 with the stock cut down to a proper length of pull. Both are right hand but left eye dominant so I started them off as lefties. Never had an issue with the ejection of a right handed model. I moved my oldest(15) to a Tikka T1 when she got old enough to fit the LOP of the stock, not a lot of options for left handed bolt guns with a threaded barrel. My youngest switches between the 10/22 and a S&W 15-22. The adjustable LOP on it is very nice. She's still at the age(11) of just plinking steel for fun and doesn't want anything to do with shooting slow with a bolt gun.

 

[375fan]

A CZ bolt rifle would be a great starter rifle, Timney makes a nice after market trigger ( have one in my 455)
Lots of positives for going with a bolt as mentioned by other posters.
A 10/22 lot of fun , who here doesn't have or has had one? 22's are great in so many ways.

 

[John?]

We recently went down this road for our twin boys. Got them Ruger American Compact rimfire rifles. The stocks are modular so longer LOP insert can be purchased as they grow. Rifles are minute of squirrel, bunny, and coon accurate. All my boys can hit 2” shop made poppers at 50 yards with them. The triggers are decent. Tang safety is a plus for us. Hard to say what a target rifle means for you; these aren’t NRL rifles for sure.

Recently bought 3 new 10/22’s for the boys to participate in steel challenge. Those rifles are a huge disappointment compared to my 1970’s vintage 10/22 carbine. The triggers are horrendous by any measure. If I were starting again I would buy receivers only and built up rifles from components. That’s basically what I will end up doing anyway.

Of your choices, I would go with the CZ. I’ve liked every CZ that we’ve owned over the years.

 

[oldrifleman]

I like ideas of the growable stock! That is the biggest disadvantage with the small rifles. Fortunately my 2 kids were far enough apart that when it was time to introduce my son to shooting, my daughter was ready for a bigger rifle. That repeated itself when my son outgrew the scout, my daughter was ready for her own next (Kidd).

 

[Drew M]

Eldest son started with my Howa .223 sporter.
Middle boy with an Aussie made Sportco 62s, open sights bolt action .22lr.
Started my youngest with a Ruger American thumbhole target, only mod was to the trigger spring which bought it down to 2lb, it was great for what she wanted which was just something to plink with off a bench.
too heavy for a small framed kid to walk around with to hunt.

Have got a CZ457 royal put away for No1 Grandson + a new take off scout stock for it, still looking for a scout barrel to start him off with open sights. (it was the only 457 I could get that was made in his birth year)
Have been looking for another 457 scout for No2 Grandson, last time I checked with the only shop in the country that brings them in they had 8 but none the right year so its either wait or buy a varmint the right year & play CZ lego again.

Went with the 457's as I can buy barrels stocks chassis etc to have ready to change parts etc with the boys as they grow so we can spend quality time tinkering as well as shooting.

 

[kmckinnon]

Need some help deciding for my youngest boys first rifle.

Average 9 yo. Looking for a gun he can grow with that isn’t a POS

Narrowed down to two but willing to hear out other suggestions.

Trying to keep it under $750

He will be using it for target shooting, small game hunting.

Choice 1

TacInc 10/22 left hand receiver & bolt, Kidd ULW barrel, Blackhawk axiom stock (have gift card to cover that), trigger group (got to shop around). This gun is super modular and can be upgraded as he grows. Stock should fit him and the entire gun should be light enough for him to shoot.

He likes semiauto - who doesn’t

Choice 2

CZ 457 scout + Acculite/whistlpig 16.5” fluted, threaded barrel, aftermarket boltknob. The barrel channel will need to be sanded out on the stock. Don’t know if the stock fits him though. Should be pretty light.

he can use a bolt action and it will make him choose his shots. Not quite as fun as a semiauto especially when jackrabbit hunting.


The cz would be the easiest and cheapest but is that really the best option?

Bought my oldest a RPRr and it has been accurate but picky on ammo sticking and it was heavy.

Could get a new Ruger carbon but I’m not sold on Rugers accuracy and their triggers have been crap imho.

I think either rifle would be a good choice but I lean toward the bolt gun for the same reasons as stated in previous replies. However, I would start him off with bone stock rifles. This would allow him to shoot and have fun with the rifle while learning how to maintain it too. It would afford you the opportunity to reward or gift him with an upgrade part over time and develop additional maintenance skills installing and fine tuning those upgrades. I'd suggest that whatever bone stock rifle is chosen it come with plain old iron sights. Hone that fundamental skill before moving on to optics.

 

[Zemplar]

Nobody's mentioned a .22 lever action yet? Perhaps a bit more fun starting out.

Do you have any buddies locally you could borrow different .22 action types and see which one your young one seems to enjoy the most?

 

[Frankr]

between me and his grandpas we have a decent assortment of 22lr actions and makes.

Everything from the AR15-22 to a lever action.

Don’t know if we have a single shot cricket but my brother does and I’m not a big fan of them because he will outgrow it and only a single shot.

 

[MO Fugga]

I've had the most luck with an AR15 with CMMG .22 kit and a tripod. Kids are more interested and enthusiastic when they're getting hits fairly quickly.