Thoughts on a first .22 rifle

[bsa1917hunter]

Guys, one thing you don't want to do is start them off on a poorly fitting rifle. It teaches bad habits and improper form, which can also create an unsafe condition. A good example of this was the other day I had my 10 year old daughter out at the range and she wanted to shoot my 10-22. It's a target model and it has a longer stock than the regular ol carbine type 10-22 you generally see. She was all contorted when she shot and the rifle was too heavy for her to shoot safely in any position other than off the bench on bags. She loved the hell out of it though and wanted to "shoot until all the bullets were gone". Her exact words. With that being said, the 10-22 is a wonderful rifle. However, I don't think it's the perfect kids gun. Start her off with a bolt gun and iron sights. Teaching safety, marksmanship and fundamentals and keep them interested in the shooting sports.

 

[The Heretic]

I've been impressed with the Ruger American Rimfire, quite a nice gun for the price - the fact that you can shoot single shot with shorts, longs or long rifles makes it more versatile. And the fact that it uses 10/22 mags is just a bonus.

Is that true?

I thought it wouldn't feed shorts or longs?

Have you confirmed that?

 

[etrain16]

Is that true?

I thought it wouldn't feed shorts or longs?

Have you confirmed that?

Confirmed by Ruger, no, and I don't expect them to. I did some research on this about 2 years ago before I bought mine. I don't think you'll find anywhere where Ruger will official say you can do this. But, if you look at the manual, the only thing they say is to not load .22 shorts or longs...into the magazine. I've read from folks at gun mags and talked to folks with long years of experience and all have said pretty much the same thing - excessive shooting of .22 shorts or longs in a .22lr gun can cause additional fouling in the chamber. So it may be better to say you can shoot them, but you do so knowing that the gun isn't specifically chambered for them. I grew up doing it myself in a variety of guns with no issues, so I don't worry much about it. Really the only time I would do it myself is if I couldn't find .22lr ammo and wanted to shoot what was available - otherwise I stick with .22lr.

That said, perhaps it would be good to get a more professional opinion from someone like @Velzey and see if it's something that should be avoided.

BTW, though I haven't tried it, nor planned to, there is a mod you can make to the 10/22 style rotary mags to get them to actually feed shorts - here is one guy that did it:

 

[The Heretic]

Confirmed by Ruger, no, and I don't expect them to. I did some research on this about 2 years ago before I bought mine. I don't think you'll find anywhere where Ruger will official say you can do this. But, if you look at the manual, the only thing they say is to not load .22 shorts or longs...into the magazine. I've read from folks at gun mags and talked to folks with long years of experience and all have said pretty much the same thing - excessive shooting of .22 shorts or longs in a .22lr gun can cause additional fouling in the chamber. So it may be better to say you can shoot them, but you do so knowing that the gun isn't specifically chambered for them. I grew up doing it myself in a variety of guns with no issues, so I don't worry much about it. Really the only time I would do it myself is if I couldn't find .22lr ammo and wanted to shoot what was available - otherwise I stick with .22lr.

That said, perhaps it would be good to get a more professional opinion from someone like @Velzey and see if it's something that should be avoided.

BTW, though I haven't tried it, nor planned to, there is a mod you can make to the 10/22 style rotary mags to get them to actually feed shorts - here is one guy that did it:

Interesting. Thanks. I knew shorts couldn't feed from the mag in my 10/22, so I assumed they couldn't in the bolt action either. Interesting mod - I will have to try that, but I prefer rifles that don't need a separate mag to shoot shorts or longs.

As for the chamber - that is true of any firearm that can shoot .22 LR. The only one I had a problem get sticky with any ammo after a very short period of time. I tried polishing the chambers but that didn't help - maybe made it worse.

 

[etrain16]

Interesting. Thanks. I knew shorts couldn't feed from the mag in my 10/22, so I assumed they couldn't in the bolt action either. Interesting mod - I will have to try that, but I prefer rifles that don't need a separate mag to shoot shorts or longs.

As for the chamber - that is true of any firearm that can shoot .22 LR. The only one I had a problem get sticky with any ammo after a very short period of time. I tried polishing the chambers but that didn't help - maybe made it worse.

I consider the ability to shoot the other cartridges as more of a prepper/SHTF kind of option rather than a regular plan. It might be fun to try buying some cheap after-market 10-round mags and try that mod, just to see if it really works, beyond that, I'll stick with the .22lr for 99% of my shooting

 

[The Heretic]

I like shooting shorts/et. al. in a rifle because they are usually pretty quiet.

And yes, I am a prepperererererererer.

 

[etrain16]

I like shooting shorts/et. al. in a rifle because they are usually pretty quiet.

And yes, I am a prepperererererererer.

I hear they're even better with a can...

 

[Bon Sauvage]

An ignoble thought would be to buy yourself the 22 of your dreams and then let her use it upon occasion.

 

[Joe13]

I'm thinking about a Browning BL-22 Micro Midas. Awesome little gun. One draw back is no safety. On a regular lever gun I prefer no safety, but for a kids 22 I am a little leery of teaching her to drop the hammer.

Just teach her to not cock the lever until ready to shoot.

Dad is there to decock the hammer if needed and the Henerys have the standard '1/4' hammer cocked safety so it has to be cocked all the way before it will fall after that.

Not my kid but personally I don't use safeties and don't train new people / kids to use them.

The gun is either chambered or it is empty - no relying on a mechanical safety and possibly making a mistake.

Only guns I use with safeties are hunting guns for hunting but only because it's safer then unloading then if you need to set it up against a tree or climb over something.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Teach her off the bench, without the weight of the rifle being a factor! Let her have some immediate success. Off hand and prone, etc after she has some confidence in herself and the firearm! Good luck to her! SRG

 

[USMC-03]

Teach her off the bench, without the weight of the rifle being a factor! Let her have some immediate success. Off hand and prone, etc after she has some confidence in herself and the firearm! Good luck to her! SRG

Agreed. Make sure novice shooters have a good grasp of sight alignment, sight picture, breathing cycle and trigger manipulation, then get them off the bench and keep them off other than for load/rifle testing.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Another thing I found when teaching kids as well as new adults is to have "fun" targets, things that blow up like old milk jugs filled with water and food coloring, or fruit that't starting to go bad! Seeing a hit like this makes instant success and is much less strict then trying to hit the bulls eye! I find that if its a fun experience it will also be a better learning experience for new shooters! Fun translates to a pro gun attitude later in life, and less chance of some one being turned off by shooting and guns!

 

[The Heretic]

Agreed. Make sure novice shooters have a good grasp of sight alignment, sight picture, breathing cycle and trigger manipulation, then get them off the bench and keep them off other than for load/rifle testing.

Bench shooting is good for warming up and making sure you can still hit the target and just need to work on your technique off the bench. It also provides some variation and some rest when you get tired, and it builds confidence.

 

[Joe13]

Another thing I found when teaching kids as well as new adults is to have "fun" targets, things that blow up like old milk jugs filled with water and food coloring, or fruit that't starting to go bad! Seeing a hit like this makes instant success and is much less strict then trying to hit the bulls eye! I find that if its a fun experience it will also be a better learning experience for new shooters! Fun translates to a pro gun attitude later in life, and less chance of some one being turned off by shooting and guns!

10 lbs of potatoes are $3 and explode like the Death Star more often then not. Sometime it sill split it in 2 and then you have 2 sallee targets - and no cleanup later.

The cheap steel 22 plinking target with 4 plates and a reset plate is one of my favorites too - just make sure to have some orange or whatever color stands out to spray the plates cuz the target stickers come off after the first few hits an then you have a black target... If you need it a little closer, angle it 30-45 degrees instead of perpendicular to you so you don't get splash back IMO, just be safe with the steel stuff, I'm no expert so use common sence and let us know what you end up with.

 

[Joe13]

My bad on the Henery - it's $289 but goes on sale at times for $239 so I think they had the gun in the wrong slot at Falk Bimart.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I wish Savage did the MK-II in a tube feed mag and had a nice wood stock, that would just about be my dream .22! I also hear rumors that Winchester may bring the Mod 52 back, that would give me a JoyGasim!

 

[Rykdean]

A question for you all on the Ruger American. Can you leave the empty magazine in and open the bolt and drop a bullet inside, then close the bolt like you would if it was just a single shot bolt rifle? Or does it not work like that and you'd have to load it into the magazine?

The CZ 452 scout comes with a single shot magazine adapter, wondering if the Ruger would be able to work in a similar way. Does that make sense?

 

[edslhead]

You can load a single with the empty mag in.

 

[808hondacrguy]

The CZ 452 scout comes with a single shot magazine adapter, wondering if the Ruger would be able to work in a similar way. Does that make sense?

.22 LR 1-Round Rotary Magazine-ShopRuger
Ruger single shot magazine BX1-1

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

ShopRuger stuff is free shipping this weekend, the code should be on the site, but let me know if anyone wants it, i'll dig it out.