"Once again, I am asking for your help"..... Youth Air Rifle

[AmbulanceDriver]

Aight ladies and gents, pretty simple.  Looking for a decent starter youth air rifle for my oldest.  She's 6, about 4'4" tall, and excited to learn.  I want to start with the air rifle to get the fundamentals down before we head to the range with her little Savage Rascal .22LR

She can already recite the safety rules by heart, and actually understands them and can explain them to me, so I want to go ahead and get started with the fundamentals.

[Hawkmoon]

At that age and size, I would be cautious about any break barrel air rifle. She may not be able to cock it, which would really be a disappointment (for both of you). I suggest either a multi-pump charging system, or one that runs off CO2 canisters.

[Boomhauer]

At that age and size, I would be cautious about any break barrel air rifle. She may not be able to cock it, which would really be a disappointment (for both of you). I suggest either a multi-pump charging system, or one that runs off CO2 canisters.

This is critical. I didn’t really like my bb/pellet Crosman 760 air rifle as a kid because it was pretty hard to pump. My cousin had a pump action daisy (back and forth like a shotgun) that was much easier. His wasn’t as powerful as mine when it was pumped up fully but then mine wasn’t exactly a powerhouse either.

[MechAg94]

4 feet sounds tall for a 6 year old.  

Random thoughts:
I think it might be best to start with one of the cheaper models at the sporting goods store.  When my brother and I were that age, we had the Daisy lever action that held a bunch of BB's.  It wasn't all that accurate, but in good light you could see the BB fly through the air and learn a little about shooting.  I think there is a Ruger or Remington that was about $40 last time I looked that would take pellets or BB's.  You could pump it up and it is powerful enough to kill snakes.  Lead pellets may be less likely to bounce back.  I think they are not as loud as the more powerful air rifles.  I was also thinking you didn't want to spend a great deal of money at first.  Later you can upgrade to a better air rifle or 22.

Also, save up a small pile of cans to shoot.  Shooting coke cans by themselves or stacking them up was a lot of fun.  Of course, boys may see that different, but shooting and knocking down stuff adds some fun to it.  Maybe just cut a 2x4 piece into blocks to shoot.

[lee n. field]

4 feet sounds tall for a 6 year old.  

Random thoughts:
I think it might be best to start with one of the cheaper models at the sporting goods store.  When my brother and I were that age, we had the Daisy lever action that held a bunch of BB's.

Yep, Daisy Red Rider or equivalent should be fine for the age.

Somewhat older, maybe a low end break barrel.

[zxcvbob]

Even lead BBs will bounce back.  You wouldn't think so, but I've seen it.  So use regular steel BBs and eye protection with a low-powered gun like a Daisy Red Rider, and lead pellets with anything more powerful.

I have a moderately-low end break action pellet gun, a RWS-34, and I love it but even adults find it hard to cock at first.  A kid wouldn't be able to cock it at all, and might hurt herself trying.  I was probably about 8 yo when I got a Benjamin pump-up pellet gun.  At 6, I probably could have pumped it up enough but I don't know.

I wonder if Crossman or Gamo makes a beginner break-action rifle with a long barrel that's easy to cock?  Or if anyone still makes a pump-up pneumatic?

[AmbulanceDriver]

This is critical. I didn’t really like my bb/pellet Crosman 760 air rifle as a kid because it was pretty hard to pump. My cousin had a pump action daisy (back and forth like a shotgun) that was much easier. His wasn’t as powerful as mine when it was pumped up fully but then mine wasn’t exactly a powerhouse either.

I've got a 760 which needs to have the seals redone - but I was hesitant on that one due to the multiple pumps (and once you get to about 7 it gets pretty hard especially for a kid).  I also have a larger Crosman break-barrel springer that is way too big for her.  I am ok w/ pumping it up for her, but I'm sure that will get old after a while.  :D

My only concern with a co2 system is that my experience with them is a lot of velocity variation and therefore inherently poor accuracy.   Temperature, pressure remaining in the CO2 cartridge (due to cheap pressure regulators), all of that is a factor.  I don't want her to be frustrated by getting good accuracy and then having the pellet barely leave the barrel on the next shot.

[AmbulanceDriver]

4 feet sounds tall for a 6 year old.  

Yeah. She's off the charts (>99th percentile) for height. 

[Hawkmoon]

My first BB gun was a Daisy Model 25 pump action: https://www.daisy.com/product/model-25-pump-bb-gun/

They discontinued it at some point, then they brought it back a few years ago. You don't "pump it it" ... it's a single stroke to compress the spring, and that's it. My recollection is that it didn't require a lot of strength. It has a large, tubular magazine, which makes it a lot more fun for plinking that a single shot, break barrel or even the ones that hold five pellets.

The model 25 only shoots round BBs, not pellets, and I don't think it even has a rifled barrel. That didn't matter to me as a kid -- it was minute of soda can accurate at plinking distances, and it was fun to shoot. IIRC, the rear sight should be adjustable.

And it's affordable.

[RoadKingLarry]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgjPa5JkecA

[lee n. field]

All this reminds me, I snagged a Daisy Avanti target gun at a gun show years ago, for cheap.  No rear peep sight, alas, which I have not yet gotten around to rectifying.  Single pump pneumatic.

Doubt if it's age appropriate for your use, though.

[HankB]

My first BB gun (at age 4, a long time ago) was very similar to what is now the Daily Model 25. I liked it a lot.



ALWAYS REMEMBER EYE PROTECTION - BB'S WILL BOUNCE!

[Cliffh]

Does she like pink?

https://www.amazon.com/Daisy-MFG-Pink-Air-Rifle/dp/B001C0TUQM/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=red+ryder+bb+gun&qid=1598661814&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-12

[Hawkmoon]

Does she like pink?

https://www.amazon.com/Daisy-MFG-Pink-Air-Rifle/dp/B001C0TUQM/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=red+ryder+bb+gun&qid=1598661814&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-12

That's just a Red Ryder carbine that got faded in the sun ./..

[MechAg94]

That's just a Red Ryder carbine that got faded in the sun ./..

It is from Amazon.  Could be a Chinese copy.   

[AmbulanceDriver]

She and I went to sportsman's warehouse tonight and got her a Daisy Powerline 880. Good reviews overall,.some have a crap trigger but it's fixable apparently. Figure this will be useable by her younger sisters as well eventually.

I was surprised at how picked through even the air rifles were.

[Cliffh]

She and I went to sportsman's warehouse tonight and got her a Daisy Powerline 880. Good reviews overall,.some have a crap trigger but it's fixable apparently. Figure this will be useable by her younger sisters as well eventually.

I was surprised at how picked through even the air rifles were.

Got one of those for chasing off the neighborhood dogs.  Don't particularly like having to have the bolt open while pumping it, and 10 pumps gets to be a bit much if you're doing lot of shooting.  It has effectively reached out to ~40 yards though.

[AmbulanceDriver]

Tried it out yesterday.  6 pumps almost split an apple in half with a pellet at 10 yards.   

[MechAg94]

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/group/air-rifles-38?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Diana+Air+Rifles+Sale&utm_content=Happy+Labor+Day+from+Numrich+Gun+Parts!&utm_campaign=Labor+Day+2020&_bta_tid=34016870505476415340701079785507984403364743429669592914128892449721215077523906016100988546198620453638

Not really a youth air rifle, but I got this email from Numerich this morning.  Anyone heard of Diana air rifles?  That Mauser air rifle looks pretty neat.

[lee n. field]

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/group/air-rifles-38?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Diana+Air+Rifles+Sale&utm_content=Happy+Labor+Day+from+Numrich+Gun+Parts!&utm_campaign=Labor+Day+2020&_bta_tid=34016870505476415340701079785507984403364743429669592914128892449721215077523906016100988546198620453638

Not really a youth air rifle, but I got this email from Numerich this morning.  Anyone heard of Diana air rifles?  That Mauser air rifle looks pretty neat.

Diana == RWS, I'm pretty sure.

I've got an RWS 34 in .177.  Haven't shot it in ages.  That's a grown up gun, not a little kid's gun.

[zxcvbob]

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/group/air-rifles-38?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Diana+Air+Rifles+Sale&utm_content=Happy+Labor+Day+from+Numrich+Gun+Parts!&utm_campaign=Labor+Day+2020&_bta_tid=34016870505476415340701079785507984403364743429669592914128892449721215077523906016100988546198620453638

Not really a youth air rifle, but I got this email from Numerich this morning.  Anyone heard of Diana air rifles?  That Mauser air rifle looks pretty neat.

Like Lee said, Diana is the same as RWS.  I have a model 34, there's no way a kid could cock it.  It's hard for an adult until you get the hang of it (then it's not bad.)  I put a peep sight on mine and use it to kill rabbits. (the .22 version would be better for small game.  .177 is good for target shooting and birds)

[MechAg94]

How loud is it?  I have heard the amount of noise varies depending on type. 

[Cliffh]

She and I went to sportsman's warehouse tonight and got her a Daisy Powerline 880. Good reviews overall,.some have a crap trigger but it's fixable apparently. Figure this will be useable by her younger sisters as well eventually.

I was surprised at how picked through even the air rifles were.

What has to be done to make the trigger better?

[zxcvbob]

How loud is it?  I have heard the amount of noise varies depending on type. 

It's a lot louder than you'd expect.  Sorry, I don't have anything to compare it too.  About what I imagine a suppressed .22 rifle shooting subsonic ammo would be.

[lee n. field]

Not firearm loud, but you definitely hear it.  The piston, mostly, I think, and a tiny amount of natural dieseling.