Which 22 bolt gun for a 6yr old?

[BikePilot]

Hi I would like to get my 6yr old a bolt gun that he can shoot prone, off a bench, etc. Any advice on what would be reasonably accurate, trouble free, and can be made to fit a 6yr old? Ideally under 1k excluding optics. The RPR looks enticing with the chassis stock and 10/22 mags, but looks like a lot of folks aren't happy with the quality. Maybe the CZ 457 Varmint Precision Chassis is what I'm after? I have a hard time telling how possible it will be to get the ergonomics right for a 6yr old.

I'll likely run a suppressor on it as well in case some take to that better than others.

 

[drew_235]

This is what I did and it's working pretty well.
Tikka T1x, XLR Element chassis, whatever buffer tube/castle nut you can find in today's market, and a CTR stock with a Magpul cheek riser. This gets the LOP as short as 10.25". The CTR lacks a really good "bag rider" for bench shooting, but that is a fairly minor critique. This one also has the MDT vertical grip with the adjustable position - small arms with short LOPs also come with short fingers that make it tough to have your finger on the trigger and any part of the hand referencing the grip at the same time. For similar reasons, I got a ~$10 foam ball for the bolt handle (I know, it's not quite Sterk....). For now, he's shooting a red dot, but the rail is 30moa and ready for a scope. I am also running a super cheap Amazon bipod that came with a pic rail adapter for ~$20.

 

[BikePilot]

That's awesome! The small hands point is a good one and super important.

 

[accurate obsession]

Maybe CZ scout to start. When he is older you can change the barrel and stock for full size adult.

 

[drew_235]

That's awesome! The small hands point is a good one and super important.

The T1x barrel is already threaded, too. You're going to be right at the $1k mark on this build before the optics.

 

[BikePilot]

The T1x barrel is already threaded, too. You're going to be right at the $1k mark on this build before the optics.

Thanks, this seems like the way we will go. Any reason not to get the 16” barrel? My rimfire experience is limited to plinking with a 10/22 as a kid.

 

[drew_235]

Thanks, this seems like the way we will go. Any reason not to get the 16” barrel? My rimfire experience is limited to plinking with a 10/22 as a kid.

I don't think there is really that much difference. When I put this together, I went with the barrel length I could find in stock. Given the climate right now, I would pursue the same thought process. With a little internet searching, I was able to find the 20" barrel in stock at a couple of places for $430.

 

[BikePilot]

I don't think there is really that much difference. When I put this together, I went with the barrel length I could find in stock. Given the climate right now, I would pursue the same thought process. With a little internet searching, I was able to find the 20" barrel in stock at a couple of places for $430.

Great thanks! I’ll also get the paperwork once can started tomorrow. Looks like Mile High has the oss 22 cans in stock so I’ll probably go that route.

 

[jbonnie]

I had gotten my kid a CZ scout. Small. Classic. But he is older now and graduated to Vudoo!?! It made me feel better getting one for myself if I did for him too LOL

 

[LuvDog]

Started my son with a scout as well. Great rifle and it can always be dropped in a bigger stock.

in my case though, by the time he outgrew the scout, I got him a 457 that’s going in an XLR

He’ll keep the scout forever and probably hand it down to his kids

 

[jbonnie]

Started my son with a scout as well. Great rifle and it can always be dropped in a bigger stock.

in my case though, by the time he outgrew the scout, I got him a 457 that’s going in an XLR

He’ll keep the scout forever and probably hand it down to his kids

I made another son so extending the use of the scout

 

[Forward543]

I am running a RPR. Shoots fine, and it goes super short for the wee ones. My kids are happy with it. If they start burning it down, I'll look at upgrading, but to learn on, it is more than enough.

 

[acudaowner]

ruger 10 22 cheap if he likes it then you can save for a few years down the road on something much nicer if that is what you want to do why spend 1k now only to find out he is or isn't into it at all unless its for you then you know you'll love it then get your self something nice . you can practice fundamentals on a 49.00 bb gun also safe gun handling and they are fun as hell as a little kid squirls , cats , field mice life is good . Good luck with what ever you decide to get may he have years of fun with it and with you build lasting memories .

 

[BikePilot]

He shoots his BB gun all the time! I have a 10/22 that I got when I was about 9. I think it would physically be pretty big on him but truth be told we haven’t tried it. I think I’d rather start him on a bolt gun, but the 10/22 will definitely come out to play as well!

 

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

I’ve been absolutely thrilled with the results of setting my son up with a CZ 455VPT, Timney trigger, and a 10 power super sniper scope. He is a big kid and we started about two years later than you, so the size was never an issue. You could get a CZ action and then just put it in a adjustable length manners stock. So many more options than there were just about 10 years ago. Really pretty amazing.

 

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

This is what I did and it's working pretty well.
Tikka T1x, XLR Element chassis, whatever buffer tube/castle nut you can find in today's market, and a CTR stock with a Magpul cheek riser. This gets the LOP as short as 10.25". The CTR lacks a really good "bag rider" for bench shooting, but that is a fairly minor critique. This one also has the MDT vertical grip with the adjustable position - small arms with short LOPs also come with short fingers that make it tough to have your finger on the trigger and any part of the hand referencing the grip at the same time. For similar reasons, I got a ~$10 foam ball for the bolt handle (I know, it's not quite Sterk....). For now, he's shooting a red dot, but the rail is 30moa and ready for a scope. I am also running a super cheap Amazon bipod that came with a pic rail adapter for ~$20.

View attachment 7466176

Out of curiosity, there seem to be a fair number of bag riders, what do, you find deficient? Interested since I have a 3d printer and like projects like this.

 

[natdscott]

CZ Scout is the winner in this sector. And it’s actually small and light enough that a kid can reasonably **gasp** stand up and shoot it like a rifle, instead of using it as a pillow.

 

[BikePilot]

The Scout does look awesome. I think it may be too big for a 6yr old from what I’ve read though and adjustable lop and cheek riser would make a ton of sense for a fast growing kid. We will try and find one to size up.

 

[drew_235]

Out of curiosity, there seem to be a fair number of bag riders, what do, you find deficient? Interested since I have a 3d printer and like projects like this.

Let me clarify...the way I have that .22LR set up right now, there is not enough surface area on the bottom of the CTR stock to make it work like a typical bag rider. I haven't even gotten as far as looking online for a solution, but I would not have guessed that they were available. I chose the CTR because it can be locked in place to take a lot of the slop out of the MOE style stock and it has a very, very short LOP. The Luth AR minimum LOP is ~1" longer.

 

[natdscott]

For what it’s worth, too short is pretty manageable. I can hammer pretty hard with the Scout...3” steel at 50 yards isn’t bad, and the 2” plate is far from safe.

And that’s an indication of well-regulated factory sights as well. They aren’t suuuper elegant, but they DO put a bullet where I tell them to.

 

[MK3XXX]

Savage rascal is small enough to teach a 6yr old a bolt gun and cheap, i got one for my step daughter to learn on, now that shes on to bigger guns i use it for carpenter bee’s while i wait for my 3 yr old nephew to take an interest, might as well get them something cheap they can learn on then move up to the nicer guns after

 

[natdscott]

Savage rascal is small enough to teach a 6yr old a bolt gun and cheap, i got one for my step daughter to learn on, now that shes on to bigger guns i use it for carpenter bee’s while i wait for my 3 yr old nephew to take an interest, might as well get them something cheap they can learn on then move up to the nicer guns after

Not a bad recommendation at all. I’m just not a fan, despite ~15,000 rounds through a Mark II BV.

 

[BikePilot]

Thanks for all the advice. I decided to go the tikka + chassis route and scored a chassis in the px here. A few more question...


Do we have a hide vendor that’s preferred for Tikkas? I have not purchased the gun yet. I usually get all my stuff from Mile High but they don’t do Tikka.

Any advice on the optic? I was leaning toward the Athlon Ares BTR GEN2 2.5-15x50. I want to teach my son wind and elevation in mils. So a milrad reticle and decent turrets would be good. I’ve been a bit spoiled with optics on my stuff (zco and razor amg), but might start more modest for the 22. Still I want it reliable and with the functionality so he can learn on it. Glass quality is less of a concern.

I’ll want a rail for the T1x. Is one clearly better than another? I had my eye on the 30moa rail from A419.

Thanks!

 

[Criver600]

Perfect rifle and optic for a 6 year old

 

[BikePilot]

I ordered this stock

https://www.luth-ar.com/product/mba-3/

Seems like it should have enough lop adjustment and maybe play a bit nicer with a bag.

 

[drew_235]

Thanks for all the advice. I decided to go the tikka + chassis route and scored a chassis in the px here. A few more question...


Do we have a hide vendor that’s preferred for Tikkas? I have not purchased the gun yet. I usually get all my stuff from Mile High but they don’t do Tikka.

Any advice on the optic? I was leaning toward the Athlon Ares BTR GEN2 2.5-15x50. I want to teach my son wind and elevation in mils. So a milrad reticle and decent turrets would be good. I’ve been a bit spoiled with optics on my stuff (zco and razor amg), but might start more modest for the 22. Still I want it reliable and with the functionality so he can learn on it. Glass quality is less of a concern.

I’ll want a rail for the T1x. Is one clearly better than another? I had my eye on the 30moa rail from A419.

Thanks!

The A419 30moa rail is the way to go.
I got one of my T1x rifles at Cabela's using points. The other I got online and had it shipped to a local FFL. I check prices on gun.deals and go from there. The best price is often gunzonedeals.com out of Indiana (currently sub $430), and they don't charge sales tax when shipping to my state. The downside is that they often take a couple of weeks before shipping due to having tons of business.

I am not familiar with the Athlon optic that you listed. One of the scopes getting a lot of attention on the local .22LR competition circuit is the Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25x56.

 

[BikePilot]

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it!

 

[drew_235]

My kid is a little younger than yours and I will eventually move him to that Strike Eagle but for the time being he is shooting with a simple red dot (Sig Romeo 5).

 

[drew_235]

I'm really good at spending other people's money, so my final recommendation for the evening is to get some extra magazines. Maybe an extra 2 or 3.

 

[BikePilot]

Thanks! I have a mro I can put on if the optic gets too confusing. He’s been “practicing” (looking at things through the scope) with my ax and zco and seems to understand the reticle so I think we will give it a shot (ha!).

The strike eagle looks great, I might go that route. I have a amg with the same reticle so that’d be convenient. I would have guessed that 5-25 would be a bit more magnification than ideal within the range of a 22, but maybe the extra helps spot those little holes.

 

[drew_235]

Just because you have all that magnification....doesn't mean you have to leave it cranked up to 25x all the time. I have one of the Strike Eagles on order and there are a lot of positive reviews of it. My local club has a .22LR league and they shoot at 100 yards and one of the rules on optics is that you can't crank them up past 20x, and a lot of people I see shooting on that league have scopes that go up to 25x.
My T1x had a Viper PST Gen2 3-15x44 FFP and I did not have any trouble seeing holes at 50/100 yards.

 

[BikePilot]

Thanks that’s super helpful. I’m not sure I’ve shot inside 100yrs with a scope in a few decades. I rarely use more than 15 or 20 on my guns regardless of distance. Seeing my wiggles at closer ranges seems to make me shoot worse, and stretched out there’s usually too much mirage. Do you find that being able to go down to 3x vs 5x is helpful at closer ranges?

The 419 rail is ordered!

 

[drew_235]

Thanks that’s super helpful. I’m not sure I’ve shot inside 100yrs with a scope in a few decades. I rarely use more than 15 or 20 on my guns regardless of distance. Seeing my wiggles at closer ranges seems to make me shoot worse, and stretched out there’s usually too much mirage. Do you find that being able to go down to 3x vs 5x is helpful at closer ranges?

The 419 rail is ordered!

I don't dial down the power very often. I use my rifle in 2 scenarios - on the 50/100 yard range and shooting from a tripod, out my sliding glass door in the kitchen at squirrels at the bird feeder 30 yards away. I like 15x for both.

 

[Ruger1300]

I bought a savage rascal for $50 off a guy because he let the outside of the barrel lightly rust. The kids like it but outside of 10-15 ft have trouble aiming and holding it right. My 5 soon to be 6 year old can't shoulder the rifle yet.

 

[Spartan67]

BikePilot. Let me give you something to think about.

1st. Your child is only 6 years old. Proper fit of the rifle is extremely important! As he grows, he can grow into a rifle with larger dimensions to fit him. Its not a 1 size fits all type thing. My 6 year old didnt enjoy shooting My MkII .22 , But he loved shooting HIS single shot Chipmunk ! Why? It was light, and it fit him!

2. Safety, safety,safety. Keep it simple. Single shot bolt actions, with iron sights are still king! ( once again, he can grow into optics as he gets older).

3. And most important.... Its all about keeping your Son wanting to go spend time with his Dad!

Now go build those great memories! And but more ammo!

 

[BikePilot]

Thanks, a lot of wisdom there for sure. I might also pick up a simple single shot iron sight gun as well. I think he’s ready to use an optic though so we will see how that goes. Agree completely that the ergonomics have to be right. This chassis arrangement should have enough adjustability to grow with him for life. He’s an unusually thoughtful and coordinated kid for his age. He has used a BB gun with iron sights a lot and is super responsible and thoughtful about safety.

I’ve for most of the stuff ordered now. Just need to get actual gun and some extra mags. Looks like a local Cabellas might have one. If no luck I’ll order one online.

I came across an athlon ares 2.5-15 in the px here that was too good to turn down, so that’s on the way. A419 30 moa rail is ordered, mdt chassis from the px here is on the way as is a luth-ar MBA-3 stock, and a rad-22 is in jail at mile high.

Looking forward to build this with him. He noticed an increasingly large pile of AR parts and asked if he could help with that build. He will love building his own!

 

[drew_235]

Do you have a buffer tube and castle nut to go with that Luth AR stock? Otherwise, I think you're sitting pretty right now.

 

[BikePilot]

Do you have a buffer tube and castle nut to go with that Luth AR stock? Otherwise, I think you're sitting pretty right now.

Thanks. I think one is coming on the chassis I snagged from the px here.

 

[BikePilot]

Didn’t find one local so ordered a 20” 22lr from gunzonedeals along with a few extra mags. I was at Mile High today picking up other stuff and managed to snag some nightforce rings and 2 bricks of sk long range match, which I think completes the package. Now just have to wait for everything to show up!

 

[NewsShooter]

Thanks for all the advice. I decided to go the tikka + chassis route and scored a chassis in the px here. A few more question...


Do we have a hide vendor that’s preferred for Tikkas? I have not purchased the gun yet. I usually get all my stuff from Mile High but they don’t do Tikka.

Any advice on the optic? I was leaning toward the Athlon Ares BTR GEN2 2.5-15x50. I want to teach my son wind and elevation in mils. So a milrad reticle and decent turrets would be good. I’ve been a bit spoiled with optics on my stuff (zco and razor amg), but might start more modest for the 22. Still I want it reliable and with the functionality so he can learn on it. Glass quality is less of a concern.

I’ll want a rail for the T1x. Is one clearly better than another? I had my eye on the 30moa rail from A419.

Thanks!

I have that scope but haven't mounted it yet so no good intel, I also have the higher mag model on another rifle. That one has a tight eyebox and max power but is fine closer to 20 X and has tracked accurately. I like having more magnification on my .22's for bullseye/group shooting. I have a cronus on my bergara and can often see the bullet hitting the target at 100 yards. I put 4-16's on my nephew's 10/22's to teach them how to use the reticle, they only shot at 25 yards once and now think 100-250 with a .22 is normal.

 

[BikePilot]

That's awesome! Love kids getting it done. They can do so much with the right gear and instruction. My little dude skis basically everything that's lift accessable in Colorado. Clif drops, steeps and trees, cornices, etc. all very normal to him.

 

[brianf]

Around that age in the early 80’s my father bought me a chipmunk 22lr (brothers were bigger so they got marlin bolt guns model 38 or 39 if I remember.)

peep sight
Bolt action
Load one shoot one
Pull back firing pin each time
Nothing safer
Great for fundamentals

it’s made for small kids
Short LOP
Feather weight

just got the extractor replaced and started letting my son shoot it.

 

[jbonnie]

The scout had a peep sight and for the Vudoos I went with Cronus from Grateful Doug. Eventually there will emerge from gaol optimus micros