Crickett accuracy?

[fatelk]

A couple years ago I bought my daughter a little pink Crickett .22 rifle. She enjoys shooting it and for close range plinking and such it is fine.

Lately she's come with me to the range and shot it from sand bags at 25yd targets, further than usual for her. The groups were not that great but I figured she's only 9. Then I let her shoot another .22 I have that I know is accurate, and she was nailing the bullseye every shot!

So I sat down with it, and the scattered groups ranged from just under an inch to over an inch and a half, depending on ammo. I thought maybe it was the cheap Chinese Crickett scope, so I put a good Leupold on it (looks funny- almost as big as the rifle), but no change.

I'm not finding any obvious problems. Scope and base are tight and solid. Barrel and crown look fine. Stock bolt is tight. Is this just how these little rifles are? anyone have one that shoots better? If this is typical accuracy for Crickett my little girl outgrew it pretty fast.

[silverado]

I have been eyeing a similar rifle...hopefully you get some helpful responses, other than mine ;)

[jmort]

I looked at the Cricket and got my daughter the Henry single shot, Mini Youth Bolt, official gun of the USA Olympic Shooting Team. Nice quality and very accurate.

[fatelk]

I've read a couple positive things about Henry recently, sounds like they've improved quality.

I unfortunately didn't consider Henry when I bought this one, because the only Henry .22 I'd handled was a lever action that a friend bought new and had trouble with over a decade ago. I was specifically unimpressed with the quality of manufacture. It reminded me of a Daisy BB gun, way too much plastic and pot metal for a real gun.

[MBTcustom]

Where's Jim when we need him! LOL!

I have one of these little Crickett rifles, and it's a fun thing. However, the accuracy is about 2" at 50 yards. That could be because of the short sight radius. It could be because those sights freakin suck. and it could be because the gun wasn't made for a big fat Arkansas boy to be shooting it.
I'm thinking about taking a shot out AR barrel and screwing it in place to see if that makes any difference.

At the end of the day, come on! It's a $100 gun that is just plain fun to shoot. Ya can't expect a total tack driver for that cost.

[texaswoodworker]

Where's Jim when we need him! LOL!

I have one of these little Crickett rifles, and it's a fun thing. However, the accuracy is about 2" at 50 yards. That could be because of the short sight radius. It could be because those sights freakin suck. and it could be because the gun wasn't made for a big fat Arkansas boy to be shooting it.
I'm thinking about taking a shot out AR barrel and screwing it in place to see if that makes any difference.

At the end of the day, come on! It's a $100 gun that is just plain fun to shoot. Ya can't expect a total tack driver for that cost.

Buy an old Mossberg .22 and you can. :D

[str8shot426]

I had a cricket for a short time to introduce my two boys to shooting. The accuracy you are getting doesn't sound strange. They are not that great, but they get kids shooting and learning.

[Dryball]

I bought a Cricket for my kids and after a couple trips to the range I had similar results like the rest. I promptly traded it in for a Savage Rascal. Besides being more accurate I like the fact that it's a whole lot safer to unload.

[Lefty Red]

I bought my son a Savage Rascal. Very accurate at 25 yards.
I have shot the Henry and very accurate.

[psweigle]

I bought my son acrickett rifle and it seemed pretty accurate to me. I think the difference for us was that it was only ever shot with cci minimags and my son was made to clean it afterwards. I felt the trigger was horrable but the gun shot better than I thought a $100 gun would. I hope this helps.

[fatelk]

Thanks everyone. I guess maybe I was expecting too much. I did notice that the ammo used seemed to make a difference. The bulk-pack Winchester we were shooting first scattered around 2" groups, at 25 yards with sandbags and a scope! My 10-22 at that range (heavy barrel, bedded stock, light trigger) makes one ragged hole. After shooting it she wasn't very interested in shooting her little pink rifle anymore. We'll try some Mini-mags next time we go out. I have a bunch of old T22 also, maybe try those.

I miss the place we used to shoot before we moved. We could put old cans or blocks of wood out and plink away. The only place I have to shoot here is paper targets only.


Buy an old Mossberg .22 and you can. :grin:
Yep, have one of those too. My Grandfather gave me his old Mossberg 151 many years ago. It shoots great, but doesn't like HP bullets- round-nose only.

I seem to accumulate old .22 rifles. I have an old H&R Leatherneck too, but it's real heavy and very picky about ammo.

I guess I expected a little more out of the Crickett because I have several old cheap .22 rifles that shoot better. I'll let you all know if it does better with good ammo.

[mold maker]

I am expecting better of the 3 I've bought for my Grand Daughters that are almost mature enough to shoot. I think one was called a chipmunk.

[Jr.]

Have both a wood stock chipmunk which is very accurate and a pink plastic stock Cricket for my daughter. Not as accurate as the chipmunk but good enough to hit a flip target at 30 yds so it makes her happy which makes me happy.

[southpaw]

2" at 50 yards seems about right for the one that I have for the kids. I don't recall shooting any targets with it but will have to give it a go soon. My boy didn't much like the cricket since I had him shooting my cz first. My daughter doesn't mind shooting it. She is only 4 so its accuracy isn't much of an issue. She likes shooting it is getting better with putting the sights on what she wants to hit. We have our own range so we can shoot cans or any other reactive target (clay birds are one of our favorites).

However, if she is like my boy and can pick off dimes at 50 yards then yes, it is time for a more accurate gun.

Jerry Jr.

[fatelk]

My son likes to pull the trigger to make noise and see dirt fly. My daughter is more interested in making nice little hole as close to the bullseye as possible. Having shot the 10-22 I think she's spoiled now; no going back to the Crickett. :)

She has a younger sister, maybe she'll start with it in a few years. Her brothers are a bit turned off by the stock.

[starmac]

I bought one years ago to get my daughters started, then several years later their little brother. It served it's intended purpose, and I feel it was a worthwhile purchase. I never understood having to pull the hammer back to cock it on a rifle built for kids the size it is. Looking at a rascal for the grand kids, because of that, if it is more accurate, that will be an added bonus.

[tbierley]

I got my 7 year old grand daughter a Crickett and Cerakoted it pink and put Hello Kitty on it for her to get her started shooting and installed a little 4 power scope. The gun was very accurate at 35 yds with CCI lead tips it was putting holes in holes. The lower two holes were the first two shots before the scope was set.

[fouronesix]

Try different ammo and don't be afraid to clean the bore! Use a bore guide or clean from the muzzle using a 20 cal 1 pc. rod. 17 or 20 cal jag and a guide made out of a 17 HMR case.

22 rfs will sometimes foul and/or lead badly- and lose accuracy. Who knows about the inherent accuracy of any one Cricket, but NO 22 rf rifle will shoot if badly fouled or leaded. Just a thought and wouldn't hurt to try.

[wrench man]

I have the stainless/laminate Cricket, I put a cheapo Center Point scope on it, shooting Winchester 333's it's a fairly accurate little rifle!, the trigger is HORRID!, I should take it apart and touch it up.

[fatelk]

Well I took it out again to see what it could do with better ammo. I shot a few more groups at 25 yards; the best were just under 3/4" and the worst just over 1". That's a lot better than the 1.5 to 2" groups with the bulk pack ammo. I'm surprised it made that much difference.

With the good ammo it's good enough for what it is- a cheap kids rifle that's great for plinking, and teaching little ones basic gun safety and marksmanship.

Tbierley- that's great shooting; you must have got a good one!

[latesvak]

The cricket I got for my daughter is a tack driver in my hands. I think I like shooting it more then she does. Mine was fine and accurate right out of the box.

[Texantothecore]

Thanks for the
recommendations for accurate ammo. My granddaughter was born yesterday and her first rifle at age three will probably be a crickett.

[Love Life]

Eley sport and Remington match shoot very well from two different cricket rifles...

[GT27]

Try Wolf .22 ammo,black box,if you can find it! Some of the most accurate ammo I have ever used,and I've tried pretty much all of the different brands!

[southpaw]

I shot my daughters yesterday. CCI standard velocity was the best at .401". Mini mags and federal american eagle were in the .5 to .6 range. The golden bullets were around .722". All shot at 25 yards with a cheap 4x barska that in a previous life was used as a hammer.

One thing to note is the was rather hard to close the bolt on. The ae was the easiest.

I will take pics latter and post.

Jerry Jr.

[southpaw]

As promised:

Jerry Jr.115503

[country gent]

My grandson has a Stevens Crackshot single shot here waiting for him to grow into it, he will be 3 in novemeber. Its a nice little rifle for smaller kids also. Not in the chipmunks price range but If its tken care of should appreciate some in his lifetime also. I have tested it and it groups very good at 50 yds with decent ammo. May hang a mid range tang sight and 17 a lyman globe front on it to give it the same looks as grandpas Sharps. Around here these are known by the term "butcher rifle: as most were used for that purpose. I havent found the 22 for little Avery but hes only 4 weeks old now so I have time/

[Multigunner]

Check the barrel channel. My Savage was putting bullets every where but the bullseye till I noticed a indentation in the outside of the synthetic stock and saw that there was a matching lump in the barrel channel.
I loosened the screw and slipped a piece of sand paper around the barrel working it back and forth till the lump was gone. The rifle is now a tack driver.

Cleaning the bore throughly has been mentioned. Some short barrel rifles collect vaporized lead near the muzzle. If the bullet is too soft and the pressure curve not suited to a short barrel the muzzle blast can vaporize lead from the bullet base. This works against accuracy in several ways.
I prefer CCI ammo in a short barreled .22, they are better suited to short barrels. The Viper works especially well.

[shooterg]

My daughter started with a Chipmunk - it's still here and still shoots. It's successor, the Crickett's are made cheaper, (plastic cocking piece !) and triggers are grittier as bought.
That said IMHO the little Savages are the best starter .22 single shot for wee people out there. Safer, better trigger, still have an aperture sight(on one I've got, it's called a Cub, I think). But, hey, they can hit a squirrel in the head at 25 yards with any of 'em ! And man, do they like the exploding targets - just keep moving 'em back farther !

[repair tech]

Hi everyone. I am new on here as of today after i read some of your posts. I see that some of you are finding out how the cricketts shoot as time goes by and just wanted you to know that if you are having problems with the accuracy of these rifles or any other problems for that matter keystone will take care of them.We have the best warranty in the business and if you have any questions you can always ask me and i will be happy to help out.

[mold maker]

Two weeks ago I took my Grandaughters with their Crickets for their first shoot. I was impressed with the ease both girls found and perforated the 10 ring. Both are begging me to return for more.

[foesgth]

My wife has one in pink that the girls like. Our accuracy is about what you mention above around 1" groups @ 25 yards. I have some 8" gongs I hang out at 50 yards and new shooters really like those. They don't seem to have much problem hitting them. The rifle I like for training young shooters is a Mossberg 801 plinkster. I don't think they made too many of them. I was their bolt action 802 plinkster cut down for youth shooters. I put Tech Sights on mine(I had to mill the top of the receiver). It is very accurate. It has one big advantage. It comes as a single shot. They do this with an insert. After the shooter progresses one can remove the single shot adapter and replace it with a 10 round mag. My grandkids love this rifle!

[Randy Bohannon]

Strarted my granddaughters with one.They were good enough to compete with kids their age on the .22 silhouette range with iron sights.I cleaned up the barrel channel and it shot pretty good with the Federal Auto Match.I think the Keystone was the better manufacture with nice walnut and nicely polished and blued.

[repair tech]

I dont know if you guys out there are aware of it or not but we have started putting feed ramps in 95% of the crickett and chipmunk rifles now as well as a free scope mount with every rifle and pistol. They all still carry the lifetime guarantee that they always did if they are made here in milton PA. As randy stated we do have some beautifull walnut that is amish grown and cut 15 minutes from the plant and we kiln dry it and make our own stocks out of it.

[rfd]

love my older crickett, she's a tack driver out to 50 yards. wish there was a way to add a feed ramp to it - hard to feed the chamber with adult sized fingers. i can attest to the purty walnut stocks, too!

223305

[repair tech]

rfd. What you have there is an adult walnut model KSA300. There is a way to install the feed ramps in the older rifles. Only downside is they need to come to the factory to have it machined in and there is a charge for that. For what you pay for them they really shoot well.

[singleshotcajun]

Howdy. can the feed ramp be installed in the Chipmunk pistols ? I love my pistol but since I installed a scope it is a pain to load. What models currently do not have a feed ramp ? Lastly what is the charge to have a feed ramp installed ? Thanks much.

[repair tech]

Single Shot. It depends on where your chipmunk was manufactured and how old it is.Currently the only models we are producing without the feed ramp are any of the magnums and a few that are sold to academy sports and walmart. If you can give me some information on your pistol i can let you know for sure if it can be done or not. We require that shipping be paid both ways and there is a 30.00 charge for parts and labor. Quick note: an easy to remember way to know if one of our rifles has the feed ramp or not is to check the SKU#== for example a KSA238 does not have the feed ramp. a KSA#2238 does have the feed ramp and also comes with a scope mount eye and ear protection a lock and installed swivel studs.(3) numbers --no ramp (4) numbers with ramp

[LIMPINGJ]

repair tech I have a Chipmunk that the kids have outgrown. You mentioned that rfd had an adult stock on his Cricket. Do you offer an adult size stock we can order for this older Chipmunk?
Thanks

[jmort]

Went and got myself a Henry Mini Bolt
Pest control
Short LOP no problem for me and dead-nuts accurate
Recommended

[NyFirefighter357]

I looked at the pink Cricket for my daughter, I decided to paint a Remington 33.

https://i.imgur.com/oEvMcCi.jpg

It's pretty accurate for an 85 year old gun.

https://i.imgur.com/RYW8kGz.jpg

[repair tech]

Limping. Unfortunately the full adult size stock is not available for the chipmunk rifles. There is a barracuda style that will add 3/4 of an inch of pull but does not make it a full adult size. You could always add spacers to the back of the stock to make it longer.

[repair tech]

Jmort. The henry is a good rifle. It should give years of service. Hopefully you will never need the customer service department at henry.

[repair tech]

NY Firefighter 357. That stock is awesome. You did a very nice job on the rifle.

[Combat Diver]

Got 3 of the Cricketts in the family with a 4th along the way. Size wise great to get the small kids involved in shooting. Accuracy is what I expect for such a small gun.

CD

[Combat Diver]

Youngest son's 96' vintage and grandson's 10' vintage. Got twin granddaughters so...….

CD

[kenyerian]

Started out my grandson's with a chipmunk about 25 years ago. Great little rifles.

[Combat Diver]

Picked up another few weeks ago and another today. Rattle canned the stocks to suit the twins colors. Camo'd purple and pink.



CD

[NyFirefighter357]

NY Firefighter 357. That stock is awesome. You did a very nice job on the rifle.

Repair Tech, Thank you. If you look close under the action her initials are on both sides MK

I got a pair of those Rem. 33's for a total of $100. Figured I'd rather work on an old rifle than buy a new one. I chose that one because it was stamped with someones name.

https://i.imgur.com/UTgtNqv.jpg

[repair tech]

LIMPING. The adult stocks are only made for the crickett rifles. There is a barracuda style that will give 3/4 inch more LOP- But even with that it will not be a true adult length.

[repair tech]

NYFIREFIGHTER357. I cannot argue that point. Cant beat those older rifles. That is definitly a keeper

[repair tech]

COMBAT DIVER. Chipmunk in brown lam and a black syn that was originally sold to a walmart or a cabelas. it has the lock. Nice pair

[repair tech]

Looks like someone has been doing some custom work out there. They did not come from the factory like that but they look nice.