.22LR rifle

[Chuck Haggard]

I'll throw out that the second gun I got for my girls was a Henry youth model lever action. They really enjoyed the "cowboy" aspect of the gun, and thought racking the action for each shot was very cool. The example I bought has been very reliable, decently accurate, and a lot of fun.

[littlejerry]

That.

I vote for a CZ training rifle.

Accurate rifle with excellent sights. Accepts single shot adapters, 5 and 10 rd mags.

[BN]

How big is your boy? Full size stocks can be a problem. The 15-22 has a collapsible stock.

[jc000]

He's 7 with a pretty slight build. The CMP Daisy 853 is a beast for him to deal with but we manage. Something lighter and handier would be nice but we'll mostly be shooting at the bench / prone.

[BobM]

I picked up a Ruger American compact a couple weeks ago. It has a short LOP but can accept a module that gives it an adult LOP. I haven't shot it much yet.

[Alpha Sierra]

OP, what is your all up (rifle, scope and rings, accessories) budget?

[SLG]

Strictly for a child, I'd lean towards a bolt for a first gun. But, since its mostly for you, I find the M&P15-22 to be vastly superior to my Ruger 10/22's. Much more accurate, and since its a semi to semi comparison, it will also fit your son easier and teach him to use our nations fighting rifle, a point not to be overlooked, imo.

[45dotACP]

I loved my Mossberg 44, but that was an old and H-E-A-V-Y gun...had to weigh as much as a full sized rifle in 30-06. I love bolt guns because it makes newer shooters slow down.

For the guns you are looking at, I'd go for the 10-22. Just that and a Williams rear sight and you have a great little gun that hits what you aim at. If he's going to shoot CMP matches, I'd get that and a sling. But I still look at CZ-rifles and drool a little.

[SJC3081]

I like the 10/22 over a bolt gun. If my boys ever have to defend their mother, I prefer they have a semi auto. A 10/22 with a H-1 and 25 rounds of Interceptors makes a ten year old very effective partner to his mother.

[LittleLebowski]

I vastly prefer the 15/22 to the 10/22.