Posted on 04/17/2002 1:32:29 PM PDT by PaulJ
http://www.ruger-firearms.com/rfrimfire_auto.html
Ignore the prices on the website, you can get one at Wal-Mart for about $150.
advantage of a single shot is it teaches concentration, and lends itself to focusing on each shot. Wait until you both have some experience before going to a semi-auto and hsoing down the tin cans. Also, make sure and get some training in gun safety from an NRA certified trainer.
have fun!
Well, I like you're idea of a single shot for the concentration aspect over a semi-auto, but I would still make it a repeater. My first .22 was a Marlin lever action model for .22 short/long.
You still get the concentration aspect of a single shot, but not the hassels of having to reload all the time. Such a rifle is longer than the Ruger 10/22 of which I also have one, and a little heavier. Still, it was a good first firearm for me.
I remember many times of going out to the junkyard to shoot rats. I killed many more rats with my single shot than I ever did with my semi automatic. It's all about the discipline of picking your shot carefully to make it count.
Speaking of first rifles, my 4 month old daughter already has her first rifle in the safe at home, a single shot Remington 22.
Semper Fi!
Many a charging rat fell, stopped in the very nick as they attacked, with their blood-chilling squeals, as they burst out of the undergrowth...
We got our youngest a Keystone Cricket single shot when he was six. It is a small framed .22 and still fits him at nine years old (a big nine). The Ruger 10/22 is the best .22 for the money, and if the reach to the trigger is too long you can find a youth sized, after-market stock for it in the Shotgun News (a periodical which can be picked up at your local WalMart or gun shop).
The only disadvantage that I would see with starting your son or any child off with 10/22 is that it is a semiauto. I like the disciplined procedure that a single-shot forces a kid to go through.
Just my two centavos on the subject. I hope you find a good deal on a firearm and that you and your son enjoy many hours of safe shooting.
I'm with these guys - the discipline of a single shot is very important to learn as young as possible. Otherwise a young shooter gets the idea that "If I miss the first shot - no big deal, I've got plenty more."
He'll "grow into" a semi-auto soon enough!
You can load one round at a time and use it like a single shot if you want or load it with 10 rounds and fire it semi-auto.
The Ruger 10-22 is tough to beat and will be something he'll never outgrow. Used bolt action .22's about and are cheap.
Also, consider a handgun in .22 as well. The Ruger Mark II is another reasonably priced .22 that will last a lifetime. With either of the two, buy extra magazines so that when you go shooting someone can be loading while waiting their turn to shoot. I've got 4 mags for the 10-22 and 5 for the Mark II and that keeps everyone occupied when we go out shooting.
This may be one of the few threads where people aren't shouting out recommendations for Kimbers.
Get him a cannon.
Tight budget? Try a bazooka.
A bolt action, either single shot or repeater (I personally like a repeater, but my first was a single shot). Depending on the size of the kid, you should consider a "youth" model. If the kid is large for his age, then a standard model would be logical.
Would be a good starter rifle. I have developed an affection for Savage rifles. My most recent aquisition is a model 93 in .22 Magnum. The thing shoots so well, I really want a .22 LR.
Save the Ruger 10/22 for after you both have gained experience. Although a reliable (and fun to customize) gun, it is not for beginners.......
Also, big dittos for the safety course (NRA does some really great courses).
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