22lr Savage Rascal, worth it?

I bought a pink one for my girlfriend's daughter.

If a single-shot rifle sized for a 7 year old will fit your needs, it's decent enough.
 
It's a great little (emphasis on little) gun. My son loves to shoot the one they have at MFS but it's really sired for a smaller kid. I was considering getting him one but a he grows it's obvious that he'll be too big for it soon (or already is). I ordered him a Savage FV-SR instead. Hopefully we'll have it before Christmas! :D
 
6 yr old daughter shot hers for the 1st time today

I purchased a pink one picked it up Friday. I sighted it in Saturday after cmp....well I did not need to do anything. 25 yards off the bench it was on center. Even though the rear peep is stamped steel its pretty good for what it is.
Well today the daughter and I went to the range. Indoors we went over the function (up to this point shes been shooting my pelletguns best she can). About 20 shots she had the function down and was hitting the SR 1 repair center target @ 50 feet.
Moved out side as the lighting sucks inside. Just grabbed a target stand with a standard torso target with just a few holes. She managed 2/X 4/9 first 6 shotz out of ten shots. Others where 7s HLxLR
If I can get my phone to send pics to my email I will post my sight in and her results.
I looked for a used one with no luck. I couldn't do better than 180.00
between transfer fees and taxes.
Great little rifle so far. My daughter has vission problems and said she was having trouble seeing. Might end up with a reflex sight on it like the pellet guns. I'm just glad @ 6yrs old she picked up on the concept of looking through the peep and aligning the front sight up with the target.....happy moments, I brought my 1st with me. . Glenfield 25 still groups nice....thanks dad.!
My only complaint is this rifle is very light. So light manipulation from small petite hands rifle can flop around.
 
Last edited:
EddieCoyle said:
I bought a pink one for my girlfriend's daughter.

If a single-shot rifle sized for a 7 year old will fit your needs, it's decent enough.
Click to expand...

Though I am aware that this post is almost 7 months old...

Not exactly high praise for the gun. I have a Rascal still NIB in the safe, awaiting the time when my boys are mature enough for it. EC, would you (or anyone else) have a better suggestion to fill that niche?
 
Dream to Dream said:
Though I am aware that this post is almost 7 months old...

Not exactly high praise for the gun. I have a Rascal still NIB in the safe, awaiting the time when my boys are mature enough for it. EC, would you (or anyone else) have a better suggestion to fill that niche?
Click to expand...

I think its more of lack of actual owners here on nes. I will say mine is pretty darn good. I could cover the first five shots I took @ 25 yards with a quarter.
 
Dream to Dream said:
Though I am aware that this post is almost 7 months old...

Not exactly high praise for the gun. I have a Rascal still NIB in the safe, awaiting the time when my boys are mature enough for it. EC, would you (or anyone else) have a better suggestion to fill that niche?
Click to expand...

I didn't mean to denigrate the gun. It's fine for a kid. Accurate and with a decent trigger.

The OP is a grown man, and he did not state the intended purpose. I wanted to make sure he knew he was getting kid's gun with a colored plastic stock and not a a CZ-455.
 
mac1911 said:
I think its more of lack of actual owners here on nes. I will say mine is pretty darn good. I could cover the first five shots I took @ 25 yards with a quarter.
Click to expand...
EddieCoyle said:
I didn't mean to denigrate the gun. It's fine for a kid. Accurate and with a decent trigger.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the replies. It seemed to fit the bill for a good first gun for a 6 or 7 year old. I was hoping there wasn't some issue with the gun that I overlooked. So I don't need to pick up something else for that niche, and I can go buy a new 15-22 for their next gun. [smile]
 
Dream to Dream said:
Thanks for the replies. It seemed to fit the bill for a good first gun for a 6 or 7 year old. I was hoping there wasn't some issue with the gun that I overlooked. So I don't need to pick up something else for that niche, and I can go buy a new 15-22 for their next gun. [smile]
Click to expand...
I will add that is is small. I dont know how "big" your child is but I would go handle one first. Might save yourself some time and get the savage "youth" model which is slightly bigger.
 
Dream to dream,

I think the rascal is a GREAT gun. I compared it to the Cricket (piece of crap) and the Thompson Center Hot Shot. (nice gun, just a bit more money and heavier)

Before I let my 6 year old shoot her Rascal I decided I needed to break in the barrel. ;-) At the 50 foot line, with my elbows on the bench, but no other aids, it put a half dozen shots into a dime sized group.

I can't complain. The sights are a bit of a pain to adjust but work great once set.

The accutrigger is great. I won't shoot a gun with a crap trigger, why should my kid. I left mine at the stock weight, which measured a bit over 3 lbs on my Lyman trigger gauge.

I originally got her a right handed camo one, but then figured out that she was left eye dominant. So I picked up a wood stocked left hand one.

Anyone who tells you to get a 10/22 or similar repeater doesn't know what they are talking about. Why? Because the 10/22 is much much larger and almost twice the weight. This gun is all about being manageable for a small child while also being accurate enough so they can actually learn with it.

Don

p.s. Just because she's so damn cute:



 
a step up in size from the henry might be the little CZ. I've never handled one, but the people who own them love them.

Squire - I looked into a small packable rifle for my kit when I agreed to ferry a single engine airplane from Seattle to Bridgeport, CT. (any excuse to buy a gun). I looked at the survival rifle. I didn't like the way it felt. I instead bought a Marlin Papoose. I like that much more. Its a great little gun. I actually sent it out to YHM to have them thread the barrel for a suppressor. It weighs more than the Rascal but less than a 10-22.
 
If you plan to scope the rascal DIP Products make a one piece mount. Its a tad high. I have old low power scope I may try. I purchased the mount ahead of time incase my daughter struggles with her vision. I most likely put the reflex sight I have on the pellet gun if she struggles. She cant see the front sight with her. Glasses off. Her eyes get tired trying to look at the target with them on. Her eye sight suffers do to complications of premature birth. They are getting better though.
I hope iron sights help improve her vission as a lot of the eye exercises have to do with focusing on changing distances.


The dip mount claims to be able to see through for iron sights. Not so much.
Just the very tip of the front sight can be seen and if you need to adjust front or rear sight for windage all is lost. Still a nice mount though.
 
The problem with see through mounts is that they put the sight up so high that you can't get a good cheek weld. And if the comb is high enough so you CAN get a good cheek weld, then its too high to see sights through the mount. You can't have a decent cheek weld and have it both ways.
 
dcmdon said:
I have. The only thing I've added is a hello kitty sticker. I haven't even tweaked the trigger on her Rascal.
Click to expand...
My rascal was a tad under 4lbs from the factory. It feels really nice smooth and crisp....I ain't touching it!
As for the mount. I pre purchased with my daughters vision problems in mind.
She just cant shoot with out her corrective lenses... with a red dot on the pelletguns she can shoot much longer. So if her eyes are not gettting better. Check up soon. I am at least prepared to swap out the red dot from pelletgun to rascal.
She likes shooting. She likes to lay on my back when I try to practice prone with the pellet gun. Likes to call out hit or miss when she hears the ding of the spinners I use.
 
Ok so 2nd range trip . My daughter graduated quickly to busting clays on the 25 yard Berm. She is doing well with the irons. Took her all of 20 shots before she started picking off the clays with consistant shooting. Popping cans into the air.....whoohoo. 50 rounds in she loving it. Last 6 out of 10 shots nailed the last 5 pieces of clay targets we laid out.
So for all of you with small young kids. I think its a great choice. My daughter is turning 6 in 2 weeks is 3'8" tall. Gun still seems a tad long but shes growing fast. Depending on here interest and how far she wants to shoot I will just keep irons on until she wants to try picking clays at 100 yards!!!!
 
dcmdon said:
I shot the rascal at 50 yards last week. I did as well as I did with my 10/22. I actually think its more accurate than my stock barreled 10/22.
Click to expand...

Yes I found the rascal to be darn good for what it is. Right out of the box I nailed 5 shots in the X rings of a 5" shootNc about 3/4" or so
The trigger is nice for the price. I think that helps. Along with the peep sight.
I don't think as irons go there is anything better than a peep sights.
 
Peep sights are great for kids because they don't have to line 2 thngs up. They just look through the aperture and put the front sight on the target.

actually peep sights are great for everyone for just that reason.
 
How do the primer strikes look? My firing pin barely dents the rim and I have gotten several failure to fires. I have never owned a 22 with such consistently light strikes before. I am wondering if anyone else is getting a healthy strike or is it by design and mine is on the wrong side of the spectrum...

I had had contacted Savage over the holidays by filling out a service request form describing the problem and submitted it only to be told that they were out for the holidays and to try again in a week. So an email inquiry using their service dept form online complete with an order number needs to be resubmitted because there is not a warm body on the other side at that moment?
 
Nick,

I got some misfires because of light strikes.

I removed the firing pin and made the tip into more of a chisel, then oiled it and reinstalled it. My daughter and I only shot 15 rounds last time, but it worked every time. I'll report back when I get a few more rounds through it.

Just for yucks, I checked Wolff springs to see if they offered an extra power striker spring. They only make this one

http://www.gunsprings.com/Rifles & Shotguns/SAVAGE/23A/cID2/mID54/dID244

I'm not sure this model is a .22. If its a fit, I'd buy that spring in a heartbeat.

Don
 
Nick Fury said:
How do the primer strikes look? My firing pin barely dents the rim and I have gotten several failure to fires. I have never owned a 22 with such consistently light strikes before. I am wondering if anyone else is getting a healthy strike or is it by design and mine is on the wrong side of the spectrum...

I had had contacted Savage over the holidays by filling out a service request form describing the problem and submitted it only to be told that they were out for the holidays and to try again in a week. So an email inquiry using their service dept form online complete with an order number needs to be resubmitted because there is not a warm body on the other side at that moment?
Click to expand...

I have put 75 rnds through it with out issue. Only thing I wish was a bit better was ejection. Wish it was a bit stronger.
I found the action to be rather dirty right out of the box. I always clean new guns before I shoot them. Glad to not find any metal bits left over from machine work.
I have found over the years its the ammo more than the gun when it comes to misfires.
 

Similar threads

S&W I Frames, worth considering?
Replies
3
Views
747
RKG
R
Finally did it
Replies
18
Views
978
pastera
pastera
Is a gun built off an 80% lower worth more or less than a branded complete gun?
2
Replies
30
Views
2K
Yotacrawler
Yotacrawler
Savage Impulse Predator
Replies
2
Views
384
union
U
Old 45 Colt Lever Gun- What is it?
Replies
9
Views
1K
Mountain
Mountain
Back
Top Bottom