Bolt action, semi-automatic, or ??

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cvander

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Since we are talking .22 rifles in another thread, what are your thoughts on bolt action or semi-automatic for a beginning shooter? When I bought the Savage, my thinking was that having to work the bolt would help my daughter to take her time and build discipline. Now I'm wondering if I should have gone the other way.
 
I chose bolt. A single shot being available should prevent the kids from seeking out an opportunity to do a mag dump. Once they prove proficient and safe...understanding that the bullet may keep on trucking after it hits/misses the squirrel/target if there's no dirt hill behind it I'll move them over to semiautomatic.
If money is tight an you're buying the gun and only want to buy one, get a semi and a single shot magazine. The kid doesn't need to know about the 5/10/15/20 round mags right away.
 
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im buyin a youth lever gun in 22 for my son....same reason i bought him a youth pump gun....of course hes only 4 months old so im not sure if he is gonna be left handed or right so i didnt wanna buy him a bolt gun until i knew for sure but the concept is still the same

I have a nephew who is left handed and find that things like pumps. single shots and lever guns are easier for me to teach him then how to work a bolt wrong handed...I have to bring in my dad for those lessons.
 
Rossi makes a line of rifles that include a lever, a pump, a bolt, and a semi-auto. Same sights and feel for all of them. I have three of them. Only reason I haven’t bought the fourth (the semi-auto) is it doesn’t use the same mags as the bolt, which is annoying.

They’re all fairly budget friendly.
 
Going to go out on a limb here and suggest a bolt action. Hope that I’m not heckled to bad 🤣. In all seriousness, bolt is a great choice. Easy to teach all shooting positions, (prone can be difficult with a lever, pending size of the gun and shooter). You can single load, load the magazine completely, or somewhere between to teach reloads and malfunctions. With the delay of a follow up shot they learn patients, and wait on the right shot. Now like @kcult said, add a suppressor and the squirrels. You will have a great time and some fine eating at supper!!!
 
No need to go all the way to a single shot but a full sized bolt can be single loaded until the magazine is needed. Bought my son a chipmunk .22 and he outgrew it so fast he hardly shot it. Wound up selling it to a coworker.
 
For a very first 22, single shor or bolt action, with a semi auto planned for fairly soon after.
 
Semi or lever - if kids aren’t capable of learning the manual of arms for a semi then they shouldn’t have a gun in their hand at all. This is carry over gun shop type advice that resulted in every woman walking out the door with a snub nosed 38. If you think that rifle is complicated have you watched the kids with video game controllers and smart phones ?
This is based on my experience with my daughter- i tried the bolt gun and she thought it was boring. We didn’t shoot for almost 2 years after that - then I stuck a M&P15-22 in her hands. It had that cool look and wasn’t boring - that was 4 years ago. She is now an accomplished competitive shooter with over 100 matches under her belt in the last 3 years

Edit - I realize I am the only one with this view, but I can respect everyone’s thoughts
 
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BrettB said:
Semi or lever - if kids aren’t capable of learning the manual of arms for a semi then they shouldn’t have a gun in their hand at all. This is carry over gun shop type advice that resulted in every woman walking out the door with a snub nosed 38. If you think that rifle is complicated have you watched the kids with video game controllers and smart phones ?
This is based on my experience with my daughter- i tried the bolt gun and she thought it was boring. We didn’t shoot for almost 2 years after that - then I stuck a M&P15-22 in her hands. It had that cool look and wasn’t boring - that was 4 years ago. She is now an accomplished competitive shooter with over 100 matches under her belt in the last 3 years

Edit - I realize I am the only one with this view, but I can respect everyone’s thoughts
Click to expand...

If you REALLY want to keep the kid entertained:
gunmagwarehouse.com

Tippman Armory .22LR Belt-Fed Gatling Gun

Ever want a Gatling gun with the cheapest ammo possible? Well, Tippman Armory has you covered - with a belt-fed in .22lr!
gunmagwarehouse.com gunmagwarehouse.com
 
What do you mean keep the kid entertained, keep ME entertained!!! But the full auto scaled down knockoffs of the 1917 water and air cooled Brownings are da bomb.
 
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dbarale said:
If you REALLY want to keep the kid entertained:
Click to expand...
We would BOTH be entertained by that.
Each kid is different and I started slow with her, but she wanted to shoot “cool” looking guns. We have both completed range safety officer training, and are lucky enough to have a great range with lots of cool matches for us to shoot with lots of great people. We usually spend every Saturday shooting a match and sometimes Sunday too. I wouldn’t change any of it for the world.
In addition to her 15-22 , she also has a S&W model 15 complete with speed loaders, a Mosin Nagant , and a Kalashnikov KP9. Show up at one of our matches. You may in fact beat her - but I assure you it wont be easy
 
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