Recommendations for a .177 springer for my 9-year-old daughter?

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Glenroiland said:
I wonder about accuracy. My red Ryder adult version is definitely soda can accurate at 20 yards, but for target or paper punching I'm sure it would be infuriating.
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So many variables but if its traveling faster it could get to the target quicker, ie before bb starts to wander. But yeah id like to know how it shoots before i drop $100 on it. In the descrition it states that new red ryders actually only shoot around 250-280fps. They also sell just springs for a bit more power. Might be worth trying. Id also be interested if anyone has chrono from red ryders.
 
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The Lords Hand said:
So many variables but if its traveling faster it could get to the target quicker, ie before bb starts to wander. But yeah id like to know how it shoots before i drop $100 on it. In the descrition it states that new red ryders actually only shoot around 250-280fps. They also sell just springs for a bit more power. Might be worth trying. Id also be interested if anyone has chrono from red ryders.
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I ran my red Ryder over my chrony. I'll have to do it again, but if memory serves me mine was around 220fps I think...scratch that, mine may have been near 320. It is the adult version I have
 
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Glenroiland said:
I ran my red Ryder over my chrony. I'll have to do it again, but if memory serves me mine was around 220fps I think...scratch that, mine may have been near 320. It is the adult version I have
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I think the internals are identical. The adult 1 is a inch longer i think. Be nice if daisy would make us a stronger one.
 
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Nobody loves the Hw30s more than me. I have two and my wife has one. They are not sized well for children or even petite adults. The length of pull is 14" and the reach from the grip to the trigger is quite long for most full sized adults . You could shorten the stock if you wanted but that won't fix the trigger reach. There's set back triggers to fix that but that's not cheap. I'd steer clear of a Hw30 for a child. That little green Umarex looks like a good option. Kids are notoriously rough on things. A small inexpensive plastic rifle might provide piece of mind. I know I'd be watching the kids like hawk when shooting an expensive gun in a nice wood stock.

Fwiw when my boys were 11 and 13 they could shoot my Hw30 but still preferred to shoot either the late models of the Crosman 760 or Daisy 880. Not sure why but I was happy to have the 30 to myself so I didn't ask. When the got a few years older they took to 30 more.
 
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Mycapt65 said:
Nobody loves the Hw30s more than me. I have two and my wife has one. They are not sized well for children or even petite adults. The length of pull is 14" and the reach from the grip to the trigger is quite long for most full sized adults . You could shorten the stock if you wanted but that won't fix the trigger reach. There's set back triggers to fix that but that's not cheap. I'd steer clear of a Hw30 for a child. That little green Umarex looks like a good option. Kids are notoriously rough on things. A small inexpensive plastic rifle might provide piece of mind. I know I'd be watching the kids like hawk when shooting an expensive gun in a nice wood stock.
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+1 on this. And I'd avoid the BB guns - the accuracy sucks, the ricochet potential of a bb is too dangerous, and to top it all off, most of them have a full-size length of pull too (e.g., a Red Ryder is 14", just like a full-sized rifle).

I wrote a lot about this a couple years ago (on this same thread!) for anyone interested - Link: https://www.airgunnation.com/thread...for-my-9-year-old-daughter.744995/post-745816
Two years later, my kids are now 7 and 9 and I stand by my recommendations! A Slavia 618 in serviceable condition can be had for under $100 and is the ideal combination of weight, size, and accuracy - kids can shoot this offhand. The Embark (the green Umarex) would be my second choice, unless you're just going to have the little one shoot it off the bench, then I'd probably pick it first. Both can shoot quite accurately at shorter ranges. Only thing about the Slavia's is that many of them seem to have upward-bent barrels - my guess is it's a result of a hand slipping while cocking the gun at some point in its life. You can bend them back down fairly easily (just like many of us bend our droopers upward), but if that's not something you're prepared to do, than stick to the Umarex. I can't speak to the Crosman Tyro - curious if anyone has tried this and/or compared with the Embark (or mechanically similar Ruger Explorer).
 
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If you could find one, the older wood stocked Stoeger X3. Light, easy to cock, accurate and also easy to put a bit stronger spring in for a little more fps. Had one I bought and rebuilt for my great niece that was going to be the better upgrade from the Ruger Explorer her parents got her.
Used a cut down B3 spring and got it from 375 to 455 fps. Only shame was her loss of interest in shooting for several years and I ended up gifting the rifle to a friend to teach his grandkids to shoot.
Also can't disagree with the already mentioned, if budget permits HW30/R7 and own 2 myself in .177 and .20.

stoeger.jpg
 
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