First time 10 year old shooter. What gun?

[montana_native]

My 10 year old has expressed a lot of interest in shooting lately so I am going to buy her a gun to call her own. 22lr seems like the obvious choice but I am not sure which one to go with. Would a semi-auto 10/22 be appropriate? Open sights or a scope to start with?

My dad was way to busy to spend much time shooting even though he took me hunting a lot. I started on a featherweight 243 with a 4x Weaver and strange as it may sound it bucked pretty hard for a little guy from what I remember. As a result I wasn't a very good shot.

I just want to get her started right so she doesn't get intimidated.

Thanks.

 

[FryeGuy]

I think the 22lr would be best. I would be kind of torn on which action. The new father side of me thinks a bolt action. maybe a little safer in case they are trigger happy. but then again my dad gave me a nylon 66 for my first. sure it was fun shooting cans, etc. but every now and then just loading it up and seeing how fast one could "unload" it sure was fun!! I agree with you about a high power rifle & recoil. wouldn't even think about it yet. maybe a 22 hornet, a 222 rem, something like that would be good. savage makes a 22hornet varmint rifle, in a model 43 or something like that. it would be a good choice for a first rifle as well.

 

[HillbillySniper]

If your gonna be taking her hunting id git a bolt 22lr with a scope so she can not only practice the shooting but looking thru a scope and working a bolt like in a hunting situation.


Hillbilly

 

[trentalan34]

With my nephew, we started with a single shot, bolt action 22lr. The semi-auto is fine, but the bolt-action gave me more control in supervision. My brother insisted on open sights which worked OK. When my nephew lost interest in that, we moved him back a ways and let him use a scope. He developed skills with each. I too started with a 243, but I think we agree that recoil is a bit prohibitive.

 

[coyoteklr]

jmo.... start with a bolt 22... hardly ever jams... much safer that semi-auto.... when hunter safety comes can be used ..... economical.... and open sights if not wearing glasses.... glasses and open sights are a deal breaker most of the time....the ones designed for youngsters will be more appropriate and easier to handle.... but a ba-zillion of us grew up shooting full sized 22lr.... i still have my old rem. 512 tube feed and it still shoots starlings at 60 to 70 yards..... just went through this with my grandson 11 and granddaughter 10....they were useing my 22.....

 

[necchi]

I went with a bolt action and open sights when the boy was 7. I wanted him to learn the saftey and basic premise that one shot counts. We even loaded that bolt with 1 round from the top for several sessions.

He got a little bucky come gun saftey certification time when several of his school mates had autos and got to bang away quickly, but as a few years went by he and those others soon learned Dustin could hit what he aimed at! ;D He's now a trophy winning shooter.

I took pains to develop absolute saftey and marksmenship with this youngster, something my father didn't do, and because of this I have a trusted and successfull hunting/shooting partner.

(gotta add Pop wasn't a hunter or shooter, said he had enough of shooting in WW2, but he did git me started)

 

[jonbearman]

Get a new marlin oa savage as they are priced right with the new accutrigger and marlin has their own accuracy trigger. They will both shoot about the same but the savage has more aftermarket parts available and the ruger 10-22 is always a good platform as there are limitless things to do to them for accuracy enhance ment. With a semi you should only load a few rounds till thwe child undertsands the concept of the danger of shooting someone.I would start her out on a gallon jug filled with water an red food coloring to give her an idea of what it would do to a human if a stray shot got away.Stress safety at all cost and make her get used to putting the safety on after every shot to familiarizing her with safe handling practices.

 

[NCFrank]

Mine are grown but I started teaching with a bolt action air rifle, then came the bolt action 22LR, then followed with the 22LR auotloader. My primary concern was for safety and allowing them a little time to get familiarized with shooting. Regardless of how good an instructor or teacher a parent is the youngsters may not completely understand the attention to detail with autoloaders. I've seen plenty of unsafe situations from adults and I'm sure you have as well. Better safe than sorry.

Scope or iron sights: I started with iron sights. Teaching proper sighting with the open sights I think would be more beneficial then you can follow up with teaching the scope shortly thereafter.

Best to you and the youngster. Teach them well.

 

[deadlyswift]

I agree with everyone else on 22lr Bolt gun. I started my Daughter out when she was 5 with a 22lr. Bascily I had to hold the bottom of the butt for her and used a Front rest.

I started with a unloaded gun on the kitchen table and went over the basic parts of the gun. Muzzle, Bolt, Stock, Butt, Fore arm, tigger, etc. I explained these things to her with several reviews for about two weeks. I did this just so it would allow her to develop to a point some kind of volcabulary. So when I was instructing her once I started her shooting I could better conmunicate with her and she would at least have some idea of what I was talking about. As well it did help her get the idea of Safety.

Once I got her shooting I tried my best to get her to understand how to aim. I could see she was getting aggervatied. Ok she was only 5 so I kept my hand on the butt and let her do her best and just pull the trigger. So it would go bang. She like the idea of doing something that dad does so she was having FUN! This IMO is the most important thing when teaching a child to shoot. Keep it fun for them and have lots of patience.

My daughter is 9 now and she does shoot what was my 220 swift, but now hers ;D However the 220 swift did not happen over night. My daughter usally shot with me every time I shot. Even when I was trying to do load development. I would stop and make time to allow her to have fun and get a few rounds off with the 22lr then a 22 hornet, then the 220swift. She is actually a pretty good shot! All I have to due is just set the rifle in the bags for her now and she does the rest. If I could just get her out of those dance shoes and into her rocky boots more often now days ??? ??? Oh well she'll alway's be my princess!! There is hope! I do have a son that is 18 mouths! If I catch him in a pair of Balet shoes you guy's swing by and see me at the metal hospital every now and then ;D ;D
Mark

 

[deadlyswift]

The first real (as in not a Red Ryder) gun I bought my granddaughter was a CZ 452 Scout and it worked out great. It comes with open sights and a single shot adapter. Added a scope and a five round clip after a few months. It's actually quite accurate with Wolf Match Target but she was happy with Winchester 333 milk carton stuff. They used to make the rifle in pink but she didn't want a girls gun.

After that it was a Remington 870 Junior turkey gun and now she thinks one of my bench guns is hers. Her young eyes keep me scramblin' to keep up. She just turned sixteen and would "really, really, really" like a Camaro convertible and wants to go to Duke. Apparently granddaughters can be expensive.

Dave, WOW! You poor soul!!! Hope you can change her mind and send her down the road to Chapel Hill ;D ;D
Just Kidding! I'm sure your proud of her!! Sorry couldn't help myself on that one! ;D
Mark

 

[cfvickers]

My 4 and six year old daughters have a pink cricket .22, my youth stocked Anschutz 1452 from my childhood and they like shooting the encore 22-250 more than any of them. I think it is good for them to learn to shoot with both a scope and open sights, but with their ages the scope is a little easier to teach. However in your position I would let him learn on open sights first. By the time I was ten I would take off on the four wheeler with that anschutz and go wherever I ended up, be back by dark. I would definitely recommend a bolt first. that 10/22 can rattle off ten rounds in about 5 seconds or less and a young kid doesn't need to figure that out.

 

[cfvickers]

I agree with deadlyswift on the fun thing. don't complain when they miss by a long way. let them keep trying. The four year old first shot the 22.250 and I told bher which target to shoot at 100 yards! She shot the wrong one and we looked and I said "you missed but thats alright" then there was a loud and irritated "No I didn't I was shootin that target!!!" And there it was 1 inch below the red dot on a target that had been clean. they have been watching me shoot pretty much since I could keep ear plugs or muffs on them, (about 2 yo) and now the three year old is wanting to shoot like her sisters but I am making her wait another year, her third birthday isn't until saturday, and I am not reall comfortable with it yet. But I say start them young!!! She is the most well rounded of the three and will probably be ready by fall if she is big enough to hold the gun.

the six year old is a lefty and I have had to learn to shoot left handed so I can teach her. I was originally a lefty but was forced to do everything right handed, so I am at least left eye dominant, that helps.

 

[Rock Knocker]

Not to discourage "true firearms" but going along the lines of what Necchi was saying one shot at a time, i learnt on a pump daisy pellet rifle(and i had to get an A on a math test to get it.) There is some work between each shot, it teaches you to shoot. I remember me and my brother throwing crushed pop cans in the air and hitting them, talk about trap shooting. But the interest has to be there.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

22Lr bolt single shot is a great starter gun for kids for a lot of reasons.

 

[RonAKA]

I would suggest a Savage Mark II BV or similar in .22LR. It has a heavy barrel and some weight for accuracy, as well as the light pull AccuTrigger.

Savage Mark II BV