.22 for my little man: Savage Rascal or cut down the stock of my 10/22?

[wombat13]

My son is 7yo and I want to get him shooting this summer (he will be turning 8). I had been leaning toward getting him a Savage Rascal. A poster in a thread similar to this one recommended against such a small rifle and suggested cutting down the stock of an adult rifle.

My son shot the 10/22 twice last year. The first time I was able to help him and he had a great time hitting the steel spinner target. He just could not get comfortable the second time. The rifle stock is just too big and the scope is too high and far from his eye. The rifle is currently in a Hogue overmolded stock. The original stock has been collecting dust for several years.

Which peep sight should I use if I pull the scope off? Have you cut down a stock? How did you do it? How do I determine the correct LOP for a growing boy? I'd like to cut it in sections so I can add back an inch or two at a time as he grows. Have you done anything like that?

 

[Howland937]

I haven't cut down a stock, but if your 10/22 is like just about every other one except the take down version, stocks are cheap and plentiful. I thought the stock stocks had a shorter LOP than the aftermarket ones. You may already have one sitting there that would fit him.

If it's a rifle he's going to grow into, find a decent scope with generous eye relief and the lowest rings you can get by with.

 

[someguy2800]

My 6 year old loves her rascal. 10-22 would be way to heavy to shoot without a bipod and a 5 lb trigger pull is a lot for tiny hands.

 

[doubleh]

Kill two birds with one stone. Keep the 10/22 as is and get the rascal. When he outgrows the rascal he should be big enough for the 10/22 and the rascal can be passed to another small shooter. The crickett rifle I bought for my oldest GG daughter has made its way down thru her, her younger sister, and is being used by two more now with another waiting in the wings.

 

[Varminterror]

I had been leaning toward getting him a Savage Rascal. A poster in a thread similar to this one recommended against such a small rifle and suggested cutting down the stock of an adult rifle.

Wonder who that might have been…

Buy the kid a rifle they’ll keep and use forever - a couple Boyd’s stocks allow any rifle to grow with a kid through time, and then in teen and adulthood, they don’t have some under-capable mini rifle with little to no utility, and an embarrassing “little kid” vibe.

So…

Buy a Boyd’s stock in a color your kid likes with their standard recoil pad. Personally, I use a jig made from 2x4’s to clamp on my miter saw, screwed to the stock in the buttpad screw holes, wrap the stock in masking tape to prevent chip out, and cut with a finishing cut blade. Sand the buttpad to shape on a combo sander - I start with the toe angle, then roll around from there. I leave the tape wrapped on the stock, during this step to let me sand the pad without sanding much of the stock (if any). Spray with satin polyurethane.

My jig is simple - two pieces of 2x4 about 6” long. I draw a level line on the face (flat 4” side) of a 2x4, and I use the buttplate to mark the screw spacing on that line and drill through that 2x4. I screw the other 2x 4 to the opposite face, edge to face, turned 90degrees, so it’s making an L, but like this: _| Then I screw the stock through the back of the upright and screw it to the buttstock. Clamp the L jig in the miter saw and bob’s your uncle, one cut and it’s done.

For measuring… if he’s normal height among classmates at 8yrs old, cut to 11”. If you want to measure, put a hammer handle in his hand and tilt the head forward so the handle is about 135 degrees to his forearm bones, have him make a Captain Hook finger with his trigger finger (~90 degree finger, bend his elbow to 90 degrees - measure from finger pad to the crook of the elbow. I measure the buttpad, subtract that from the total LOP current, then subtract my target LOP - that tells me how far from the current end of the wood to make my cut. So I pull the buttpad to reveal the square end of the butt, wrap my tape around the stock in approximately the right spot, use a square to mark the tape in a few places, then use a curve gauge pressed 90degrees to the stock to create a solid line. Cut on the jig side of the line.

BE SURE YOUR JIG SCREWS ARE SHORT ENOUGH THEY DON’T REACH YOUR BLADE.

Add a Victor Company Universal Cheek riser to raise the comb for proper cheek weld, whether using irons, red dot, or scope (I wouldn’t burden the kid with irons, personally, unless you’re specifically planning competition which requires them).

 

[wombat13]

Wonder who that might have been…

Buy the kid a rifle they’ll keep and use forever - a couple Boyd’s stocks allow any rifle to grow with a kid through time, and then in teen and adulthood, they don’t have some under-capable mini rifle with little to no utility, and an embarrassing “little kid” vibe.

I thought it was you, but wasn't sure. Looks like the cheapest Boyd's stock is $169. Brownell's has this Wood Plus stock with 11-1/4" LOP for $94.

https://www.brownells.com/rifle-par...2-standard-youth-stock-sporter-prod16635.aspx

Would 1/4" make that much difference?

 

[wombat13]

I haven't cut down a stock, but if your 10/22 is like just about every other one except the take down version, stocks are cheap and plentiful. I thought the stock stocks had a shorter LOP than the aftermarket ones. You may already have one sitting there that would fit him.

If it's a rifle he's going to grow into, find a decent scope with generous eye relief and the lowest rings you can get by with.

Just compared the original and the Hogue. Both measure 13" from the back of the receiver to the butt. That's about 13-3/4" LOP.

 

[Varminterror]

Would 1/4" make that much difference?

No.

I cut one set of stocks for my son when he was 3yrs old at 8” LOP, then cut the set pictured above when he turned 7yrs old at 11”. 8” was about a half inch too long when I cut the first set of stocks, but he quickly grew into and out of them, so then at 7, he was really ~10.25-10.5” LOP, so I cut to 11, and his 8” LOP’s were notably “scrunching” his posture. He’s about to turn 9 now, and he’s still comfortable in 11”, but could really shoot a 12-12.25 now, but still too short for full length ~13.5” stocks I use… but it won’t be but another year or so. I generally think kids can tolerate about 1/2-1” too long, and about 2” too short - and “too long” is not too long for very long as they grow. So a quarter inch isn’t anything.

Another option, of course, for the ubiquitous 10/22, is to grab up a chassis which uses an AR type carbine stock. He’ll certainly be big enough already for the shortest position LOP, and then have likely 3-4 positions left before reaching the max extension as he grows (someday I expect to finally grow into a fully extended AR stock, but it hasn’t happened yet…).

 

[Varminterror]

Looks like the cheapest Boyd's stock is $169.

Woof… man… I ordered 2 each of that red Rimfire Hunter on his 60 and that purple ProVarmint when my boy was about to turn 3… that was only ~6yrs ago… those stocks were $97 each…

 

[wombat13]

Thanks everyone. I bought the Wood Plus 11-1/4" LOP stock and the Victor Company cheek riser.

 

[wombat13]

Woof… man… I ordered 2 each of that red Rimfire Hunter on his 60 and that purple ProVarmint when my boy was about to turn 3… that was only ~6yrs ago… those stocks were $97 each…

What red dot is that? How did you mount it. I have two Burris FastFire II's. One on my turkey shotgun and one on my .44mag lever. I could move one over the the 10/22. My scope is a cheap Tasco Pronghorn so eye alignment is not as easy as a better scope. Also, the eye-relief range is narrow. A red-dot would be a lot easier.

 

[Varminterror]

What red dot is that? How did you mount it. I have two Burris FastFire II's. One on my turkey shotgun and one on my .44mag lever. I could move one over the the 10/22. My scope is a cheap Tasco Pronghorn so eye alignment is not as easy as a better scope. Also, the eye-relief range is narrow. A red-dot would be a lot easier.

That is a FastFire - I can’t recall if II or III at the moment… I used a UTG 3/8” dovetail to Picatinny adapter. Cheap, easy, functional.



I absolutely love red dots for kids. With the youngest kids, I use a cheap Sightmark red dot + laser combo so I can see how the kid is holding and where they are aiming - even nicer that it has a circled dot reticle, so I can coach the kids to put the circle on the target - instead of just the dot itself - to promote centering the center dot on target.

 

[1942bull]

When it comes to gun sizes for kids it’s. Like clothes. The grow into the larger sizes. Don’t cut down the rifle. The lad will be able to use it as is sooner than you thin. I started shooting at age 7 with a Savage model 29. It was way to big for me but at 9 it was fine.

 

[Mn Fats]

I'd buy the Rascal. 22lr rifles are cheap enough to the point where you don't really need to worry about a "lifetime" investment.

And the main reason for me is that a Rascal is a bolt action. I believe a young person should start off with a bolt or even a single shot. A semi auto like a 10/22 can lead to careless pulls of the trigger with a young person (or old). Make them work a little and take some time to appreciate each pull of the trigger.

 

[d2wing]

Having been through that I would by the rascal. Kids learn bad habits trying to shoot a gun too big and too heavy.

 

[Skylerbone]

I'd buy the Rascal. 22lr rifles are cheap enough to the point where you don't really need to worry about a "lifetime" investment.

And the main reason for me is that a Rascal is a bolt action. I believe a young person should start off with a bolt or even a single shot. A semi auto like a 10/22 can lead to careless pulls of the trigger with a young person (or old). Make them work a little and take some time to appreciate each pull of the trigger.

Someone here...wonder who it could be...once noted that if you would not trust a person with a semi-auto, the same level of trust should be bestowed on them with a single-shot (I’m paraphrasing).

 

[Skylerbone]

I did the Rascal thing and a Savage Cub, its predecessor. The Rascal lasted a year and a half before being gifted to a friend’s daughter, the Cub is now too small as well and awaits my future use as a lightweight squirrel rig.

Considering base, scope, and ammo costs, money thrown at a kid’s rifle is, IMO a wash with just purchasing another stock or adjustable chassis and in the end, a Cricket or Rascal is still handicapped for practice being a single-shot.

 

[Patocazador]

A cheap single shot with iron sights is what I would recommend. Kids have good eyesight and don't need a scope or red dot. My Boy Scout troop introduced us to shooting with single shots and it set us "on fire" to attain better scores and more practice. One night/week at a YMCA was the main thing we all looked forward to when we were 11 y.o.

 

[Varminterror]

A semi auto like a 10/22 can lead to careless pulls of the trigger with a young person (or old).

Bull.

Spoons don’t make people fat. Sports cars don’t make people speed on the interstate. Guns don’t kill people. Semiautos don’t make people spray and pray.

Discipline is discipline.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

I don't know if this helps, but I think I may still have a spare 10/22 stock or two around you could have for postage. I'll have to rummage to be sure. PM me if interested and I'll see what's still in my attic.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Bull.

Spoons don’t make people fat. Sports cars don’t make people speed on the interstate. Guns don’t kill people. Semiautos don’t make people spray and pray.

Discipline is discipline.

Sigh...

There is a thing known as progression.

Kinda like how you don't responsibly start a 16 year old driver on a Mustang GT before they demonstrate competency with a basic sedan.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

If you want your son to become the best shot he can get him a single shot. He will learn pretty quick how to shoot. Make him do chores to fund his ammo purchases and he will become an outstanding shot.

 

[Roverguy]

I got the then new Rascal for my kids. Weight was perfect and I wanted them to learn iron sights. The rear peep is fiddly to adjust but works well once adjusted. I really like the single shot aspect from a safety perspective and, a bit like the Army Ordnance Board of yore, the ammunition consumption level ;-)

 

[okie ruger shooter]

I put this 10/22 together for my 12 year old daughter to shoot.
She loves it and shoots it very well.

Samson Btm stock
Ruger BX trigger
Holoson 403 optic
Ruger BX-25 mags

 

[Mn Fats]

Bull.

Spoons don’t make people fat. Sports cars don’t make people speed on the interstate. Guns don’t kill people. Semiautos don’t make people spray and pray.

Discipline is discipline.

Spoons? Ok then. Way over simplifying. Plus you state this like it's an actual proven fact when it isn't. My statement is based off teaching my son's friends how to shoot, it's just something I've witnessed. I have nothing against semi autos. But I've noticed a kid can lack the reserve sometimes when he/she misses and knows the next round is right there.