Savage Rascal Youth 22 LR Single Shot Rifle 16.1 in. – Superb First Rifle

Description

The Savage Rascal Youth 22 LR weighs two pounds and ten ounces. That number is the whole design brief: a rifle a small child can actually hold up, aim and shoot without an adult propping the muzzle.

It is a single shot bolt action with a 16.13-inch barrel, thirty-six inches overall, and iron sights fitted from the factory. The Savage Rascal Youth 22 LR has been the default first rifle in a great many American families for over a decade, and the reasons are all practical rather than sentimental.

Why single shot is the right answer for a first rifle

• One round at a time means an adult can see, every single time, whether the rifle is loaded.
• It forces deliberate shooting. A new shooter thinks about the shot because there is no second one waiting.
• There is no magazine to lose, drop, or load incorrectly.
• Loading and unloading are visible, teachable actions rather than something that happens inside the gun.
• When the child is ready for a repeater, this rifle still has resale value and younger siblings.

Size, weight and handling

• The Savage Rascal Youth 22 LR weighs two and two-thirds pounds, lighter than most air rifles and a fraction of a standard 22.
• Thirty-six inches overall with a 16.13-inch barrel, scaled properly rather than being a cut-down adult rifle.
• A peep-style rear sight and a post front, both fitted and usable straight out of the box.
• Sling swivel studs are installed, so a sling can be fitted without a gunsmith.
• Black synthetic stock, which shrugs off the treatment a first rifle receives.

Savage Rascal Youth 22 LR specifications

• Caliber: 22 Long Rifle
• Capacity: single shot
• Barrel length: 16.13 in, matte black
• Overall length: 36.00 in
• Weight: 2.66 lb
• Rate of twist: 1:16
• Receiver: matte black carbon steel
• Stock: black synthetic, fixed, sling swivel studs
• Sights: fitted
• Action: bolt
• Manufacturer part number: 13775
• UPC: 062654137754

22 Long Rifle is a standardized cartridge with dimensions and pressure limits published by SAAMI. A single shot bolt action does not depend on the cartridge to cycle anything, so the Savage Rascal Youth 22 LR will fire standard velocity, subsonic and CB caps as happily as high velocity. That matters more than it sounds: the quiet loads are what make a first range session pleasant rather than intimidating.

Start a new shooter on the Savage Rascal Youth 22 LR with the quietest ammunition that works. For volume once they are past that, a 1,500-round jug of Winchester Wildcat 40 gr is the cheapest way to keep going, and Armscor 36 gr high-velocity hollow point is the step up for small game later.

When they outgrow single shot, the Henry H001 Classic lever action and the Ruger 10/22 Carbine are the two obvious next rifles, and both hold their value about as well as anything in the category.

Hearing protection matters more for a child shooting the Savage Rascal Youth 22 LR than for an adult, and a rimfire is still loud enough to do damage. Buy proper muffs before the first trip, not after it.

Why the Savage Rascal Youth 22 LR earns its place

• Two and two-thirds pounds, which is the single most important number on the page.
• Single shot, which is the safest and the most teachable action for a first rifle.
• Sights fitted and usable, with no optic required to start.
• Cheap enough that nobody worries about the first scratch.
• Made in the United States with Savage parts and service behind it.

Be realistic about what this is. The Savage Rascal Youth 22 LR is a training rifle, and an adult will find it short, light and slow. If you want a 22 for yourself, buy a full-size one; this is scaled for someone around eight to twelve years old, depending on the child.

Used for its purpose it is close to perfect. It teaches muzzle discipline, deliberate aiming and the habit of accounting for every round, and it does it in a package a child can carry. Thousands of American shooters learned on one, and there is a reason it has barely changed.

In stock now at MAG5 Firearms in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Transfers to your FFL, and we answer the phone.