Rascal or Crickett for an 8 year old.

Knob Creek

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So Rascal or Crickett or Henry Mini-Bolt or Chipmunk for an 8 year old? Looking for a single shot with shorter LOP than my other .22's.
 
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We bought my girls 8 year old the cricket and it’s a great introductory rifle for a youngster. I’m sure you can’t go wrong with either one though
 
I borrowed a cousins rascal for my son- decent rifle for what it is. He never go into it and like the pellet rifle better. probably because it was less of an event and something we could do almost anytime.
 
My son had the Henry mini bolt, used it for a couple of years and I sold it to a board member. Easy gun to take care of and you will sell it quick when the kid grows up.
 
my daughter has the cricket and it has been a good rifle to introduce the basics. They do make the Rascal in lefty if that is a issue.
 
I picked up a Savage for my daughter‘s 8th birthday.
I was told the cricket had a plastic cocking piece and the Savage was a better choice. I never looked too deep into it but she loves the Savage and shoots it really well.
 
Neither. Marlin 15Y is a real gun with short barrel and small stock. Vastly superior to the cricket, etc.

Started my eldest on a cricket at 6. He was better than the gun after a week. Found a used Marlin 15Y for $100 and never looked back. I’m saving it for teaching grandkids if my boys ever decide to procreate.

if you’re in NH, you’re welcome to borrow it.
 
Go 10/22 and let him grow into it. They will have it forever.

This.

We use a Chipmunk rifle, because that’s what my Dad bought me 40 years ago. My kids used it maybe two years before graduating.

My daughter is on my 10/22 and my son is eyeing my BL22, so I gotta get him something while install with shotguns.

The made for kids guns are great but they become too small fast. A 10/22 with a hacked down stock will do fine until you replace the stock. In a free state, a collapsible stock would be perfect.
 
Go 10/22 and let him grow into it. They will have it forever.
I like 10/22s. I’ve got a half dozen or so. With six Grandchildren at eight years old and younger my plan is for them to start with a Rascal or equivalent. Then move to a 10/22 with cutdown stock and eventually to a full sized one. So this bolt action will get handed down.
 
I shopped around a lot before buying my daughters single shot .22s.

A lot of the guns suggested are great guns. But they are too heavy for a small child to handle. The cricket and rascal are both in the 2 1/2 pound range.

Of the two the Rascal is vastly superior. It has great aperture sights so you can start the kiddo out right. Its also got a Savage Accutrigger that is just the right weight out of the box.

Finally, it operates like a real bolt action gun. It cocks when you open the bolt and you can release the striker slowly by lowering the bolt handle. Two things you can't do with a cricket. Go watch some youtube vids on how you cock and uncock the cricket. You will buy a Rascal just based on that.

Finally, both of my girls were left eye dominant, so i got them left handed Rascals. Something I don't think any other makers make. left handed single shot kids guns.
 
I have a youth rossi single shot .410/.22 combo set I bought with a couple gift cards at dicks way back before we boycotted them. (I had two gift cards to burn and nothing else in the store I really needed so I figured any free gun is a good gun) In .22 mode it's perfect for teaching kids, but in .410 mode watch out, it's so lightweight it's pretty snappy for a kid with anything but light birdshot loads. Once they get to be about 10-12 it would be fine with high brass stuff though. Thing I like about it is that it also makes a good little gun for an older teenager or even an adult to throw in a pack, maybe in the dry box on the atv, for random out in the woods/walkabout duty. I keep it broken down in the soft case with a box of mini mags and some random .410 shells so I can grab it and go. It will also fit in a backpack no problem. The length of pull is obviously kind of short, so it ain't the greatest to shoot at birds with, but it's definitely usable, and a .410 slug or a 40gr cci mini mag will knock a coyote on his ass just fine if I come across one. I'll definitely be looking for an identical pink one for my daughter in the next year or two. She turns 5 next year, I plan on introducing her to some .22 shorts at 5 or 6 anyway.
 
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M&P 1522 with a red dot and bipod. Collapse the stock for the little ones.

I think a cricket would get boring fast

Lets parse this out.
Red dot - so they never learn to use or appreciate iron sights.
Bipod - so they never learn to shoot offhand, kneeling, prone, seated, etc.

Aperture sights are very easy to teach and several guns come with them. 20201101_180202935_iOS.jpg
 
Lets parse this out.
Red dot - so they never learn to use or appreciate iron sights.
Bipod - so they never learn to shoot offhand, kneeling, prone, seated, etc.

Aperture sights are very easy to teach and several guns come with them. View attachment 423491

That is one way to look at it.

My goal is for the kids to have as much fun at the range as possible. They have a blast knocking down steel targets with the M&P and picking off clay pigeons at 50 yards. Plus, the rifle can grow with them and teach them the AR platform.

We started with the Red Ryder, shooting paper but they got bored real fast and the littlest ones had a hard time holding up the gun and aiming. They were a lot younger than 8 though.

I’ll shut up now, just my experience. If you want to hook the next generation, make it fun (and safe of course)
 
Have a Cricket that I bought for my son in ‘89. It worked well and he still talks about it. We’ll be using it with the grandkids. If I was buying today I’d look at the Henry.

I agree with Tuna in an above post. Small guns get small very fast . My kid, now 37, says, “I can’t believe how big this once felt! 😎
 
I started our boys on a Chipmunk, beautiful, BUT our oldest outgrew it in 2 years, our third in a year, our fourth, the smallest use it for a few before it became too small for him. I'd think about their size, rate of growth, then decide. Can't go wrong with a Crickett, Chipmunk or 10-22.
 
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