Daughter needs a "mini" 22lr.

[Newtire]

I have a set of the 22lr scale metallic silhouette targets. I set them up fairly close and let the kids shoot at them from the bench. They get a big kick out of hearing them go >tink< and watching them fall over.

A lot more interactive and rewarding than shooting at paper targets for someone their age.

-ktw

I took my daughter to the range with a chipmunk the first time and set up a pie plate at 25 yds. She shot the big 4" bull and put em all in. that made her day I could tell. She was only 10 yrs. old. My son started at 8.

I think setting them up for success is the way to go. We mostly go to the tin can range when I take her anymore (which was 2-weekends ago and she's 23 now). She loved shooting the FN Mauser and Turk with mild cast boolit loads. Those slow moving cast boolits really make the tin cans fly! Start them young and make shooters out of them. You don't hear my kids bad-mouthing shooting and they are only going to help others have fun and serve to promote our sport. Good going!

[schutzen]

Years ago I purchased a Marlin 15YN for my boys. It has been a very reliable gun with thousands of rounds shot through it. The one fault it had was the trigger pull. I had to have the trigger polished before anybody could shoot it with any accuracy. It came with a 15-16 pound trigger pull and I had it honed to a crisp 5 pound pull. I suspect this was a "lawyer fault". The hard trigger pull was probably some non-shooters idea of safety. I have also used the Anchutz Woodchucker in a youth configuration. It was a great rifle, but 3 times the price of the Marlin.

[Calhunter]

I bought my daughter the pink Crickett for her 10th bday. She loves it. Took it out the same weekend and she must have shot half a box of bulk federal through it. The peep sight works great too. Like others have said, it's not a weatherby or kimber but shoots great. The workmanship on them is a little rough but for around $100 it's worth the price for something that she will grow out of in a couple years.


Calhunter

[7br]

I am going suggest a different direction. I have ratholed T/C Contender frames for all of my kids. The biggest problem is the older style is harder to open than the newer G2 model. Not necessarily a problem if you are right beside them shooting. The G2 will also accept a muzzleloader barrel. I have 2 .22 carbine barrels and looking for a third, a 18.5" 7TCU barrel, two 10" .22 match barrels, and a 10" hornet barrel. If my 12 year old decides to deer hunt this year, he can use the 7TCU. Squirrel hunting, he can use the .22 carbine. If they decide to silhouette shoot with me, they can. When they get older, I'll swap the buttstock and they can still shoot it. Buy the rynite stocks and paint them pink camofluage and you have the cats pajama's for a little girl. At least my 8 year daughter is begging me to do that when I finally locate her barrel.

My experience with the Charles Daley youth model was less then great. The trigger was heavy to the point that I had a hard time shooting it accurately. When I took it to a gunsmith, it came back with an unsafe safety. (Symptoms: Put the safety halfway between safe and fire, pull trigger, sear would release, but safetly would block the firing pin. Push safety forward, and the pin would drop and fire the gun)

I also had issues with the rossi .22/20ga switch barrel combo. The 20gauge kicked like a mule and I had the contender frames for a much better rifle. The safety is awkward and not very good for field shooting.

Now for my unsolicited comments on shotguns. When I was single and had way too much money, I purchased a Rem 1100lt special field. I bought a youth stock and think it is pretty sweet for a kid's gun. If I don't want him chewing up ammo, I let hime load it singly.