TargetTalk

Our club junior program is looking to add some new(er) .22 single shot target rifles.

The budget is very limited.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Is your program registered with the NRA and CMP? These organizations both offer grants to Jr programs for the purchase of guns, ammo, targets, and equipment. I suggest getting money from them and getting some of the Jr size anshutz and get on the cmp web site and order up some of ther m12's for the older kids.

I have heard good things about the Izmash CM-2's. I plan to pick up a few this year for my program.

I think the H&R M12's, the Rem 540's, and the Kimber 82G's are fine for the much older kids, but are just waaaayyyyyy too heavy for the smaller kids.

I am borrowing a Remington 510X that had a rail attached, and it really is wonderful for my 9-11 year olds, but I cannot find them.

The Youth CM-2's are about the same weight as the Daisy 887's, so I fugure that most of my younger shooters should be able to handle them as well.

My older shooters (14+) prefer the Anschutz 1912, the Marlin 2000, and the Remington 513T that we have. I had borrowed a 1907 club gun last year and while the shooters liked it, when I juggle the number of guns for the $$ I have available, they are a mite expensive....

If you're going to buy rifles for a junior rifle program, you're wasting your money and everyone's time if you try saving money on guns that aren't suited to the purpose or the shooters. Better to buy half as many guns and make them shoot in twice as many relays.

For smallbore rifle, it needs to be a bolt action with an adjustable rear peep and front aperature and it needs an accessory rail that can take a handstop for a sling. And it needs to be sized right. A little too small for the bigger kids is better than too big for the small kids.

Basically, Anschutz owns the market for junior rifles, same as they do for us grownups. They used to make a model 1451 for $500 + sights and sling. Great gun for juniors. I bought one for my younger boy when he was in junior rifle several years ago. These days, it comes out of the safe when I teach basic rifle; there's always at least one young teen in the class who needs a smaller gun.

Unfortunately, the 1451 was discontinued, I think, so you'd likely only find one used. The replacement appears to be the 1903 Junior, though it looks to be more expensive, at about $700 + sights and sling.

But I'll say again: Don't buy the wrong gun just to save money. Buy fewer if you have to.