Do you have a young one on your shopping list this holiday season that wants to learn to shoot?  Helping young shooters learn safety and skills is one of the most important things we can all do to keep our shooting sports alive and well. Everyone of us had someone teach us either as a kid or an adult. This is the season of giving and giving the gift of a firearm to a kid is a great way to give back to our community and to the kid.

Here are 5 solid choices for the young shooter.

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The Rascal may be too small for some shooters, but it is still easy to learn on.

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The Savage Rascal

Buy one on GunsAmerica: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=rascal

The Savage Rascal is a great choice for the younger shooter.  This is a little rifle with a short 11.25 inch length of pull and it only weights a little over 2.5 pounds.  The Rascal is a single shot bolt action.  Bolt actions are, in my opinion, the best to start a shooter on. They make you slow down and make every round count especially one like the Rascal that does not have a magazine. The MSRP on the Rascal is under $200 but even though it is small, it shoots like a much more expensive rifle.  One of the great things about the Rascal is the trigger.  Savage put on of their Accu Triggers on the Rascal, the same trigger that is on their “adult” guns.  I have a bit of trigger time on a Rascal and you can check out my daughters review of her’s here.  These are great little rifles with an even greater trigger.

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There are more versions of the 10-22 than there are stars in the sky, so finding the perfect one should be easy.

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The Ruger 10-22

Reader more at Ruger: Ruger 10-22

Buy one on GunsAmerica: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=10-22

You can’t write a best .22 list without having a Ruger 10-22 on it.  Ruger has been making the auto loader for over 50 years now.  They come in all shapes and sizes from the classic wood stocked to a tricked out tactical one.  For this list, geared towards guns for younger shooters, the Ruger 10-22 Compact is the winner.  It has a slightly shorter length of pull, 12.75″ vs 13.5″ and a 16″ barrel.  The compact model is also a bit lighter than other 10-22s it weighs in at 4.5 lbs.  Another great feature on the Compact for learning shooters is the fiber optic sights that are very easy to see.  The MSRP on the Ruger 10-22 Compact is $339.

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The Henry will even make you feel like a kid. A great gun, but it isn’t light. Keep that in mind.

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 Henry Pump Action Rimfire

Reader more at Henry: Henry Pump 22

Buy one on GunsAmerica: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=henry%20pump

I just recently did a full review of the Henry Pump 22.  It is a great shooting rifle that is reminiscent of the old shooting gallery guns. This Henry is bigger and heavier than the other guns on this list and would be better suited for bigger kids.  Or adults, this is one fun rifle.  The Henry Pump has a 20″ barrel with an overall length of 38.5″ and tips the scales at 6 pounds.  This is an old school gun with classic buckhorn style sights. The action is a little stiff out of the box but quickly turns into an easy to work smooth action.  When loaded with 22 Short CBs you have a rifle that is so quiet you don’t need hearing protection.  The MSRP on the Henry Pump 22 is $550.

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The Blaze 47 is a fun-gun, and has rewarding accuracy.

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Mossberg Blaze

Reader more at Mossberg: Mossberg Blaze AK

Buy one on GunsAmerica: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=mossberg%20blaze

If the Henry Pump is old school, the Mossberg Blaze is a freshman.  There are two different models of the Blaze but the AK-47 dressed one is probably the coolest.  The cool factor of the AK looking Blaze will appeal to a lot of young shooters. These are very light rifles with the synthetic stocked ones coming in at 4.5 and the wood furniture at 4.75 lbs.  The Blaze has a 16.5″ barrel with a 13.5″ length of pull. They come with either 10 or 25 round magazines and have an MSRP of $375.

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There’s nothing wrong with a heirloom gun. And some classic guns offer tremendous accuracy at bargain basement prices.

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Something Old

Buy one on GunsAmerica: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=stevens%20bolt%20action%20.22

You don’t have to go with something new as a gift.  There are a ton of classic .22s out there that will fit the need at all price points.  I have an old Steven’s bolt action that was left to me by my great grandfather.  There is nothing fancy about this 100 year old gun, but it is a tack driver.  There are tons of little single shot and bolt .22s out there that are perfect for young shooters.  Just take a look at these search results on GunsAmerica for over 1000 listings that might fit the bill.  There are some rare old guns in there too!