Any lefty shoot right handed bolts?

[jfrey123]

So I'm fairly disappointed in the lack of support for left handed bolt action rifles. I understand my segment of the population is very small, so demand is low. It just sucks that neat, affordable (aka cheap) rifle/scope combos like the Mossberg 4x4 or some of the Savages aren't available left handed. Or if they are available, like some of the Savages, they don't have detachable box mags (just a preference I have right now).


I have shot right handed rifles in my lefty pose from a bench. I actually prefer it, since I don't have to move my trigger hand from the bench. I've shot a Remington 700 and old Model 40 like this and didn't hate it. But I'm afraid I'll be unhappy with this combination in the field. I'm not sure if this will be a burden when I start hunting in a year or two, having to lower the rifle and chamber a follow up shot with my forward hand.

How say you, fellow lefty's? Will I kick myself for buying a right handed bolt, or will I adjust accordingly and never miss it? First rifle given to me was a .22 Marlin with a right handed bolt (thanks gramps :rolleyes:) but I'm not hunting and needing quick follow up shots with it...

[elkman06]

I had a friend agonize w/ this decision for quite a while. He finally heard me and bought a nice lefty 7mm. for the price, for the value, for the quality, there is only one choice in my mind for you..Tikka has a nice line of lefty rifles. Prices are very comparable to Savage and IMHO..a better rifle.
elkman06

[U.S.SFC_RET]

I noticed a very few who reach over and action the bolt with the left hand.
You can train yourself to fire right handed like I did but your natural tendendancy will always to be to shoot left handed. On a positive note. It is very possible to shoot right handed. I shoot better right handed. Get the mechanics down with a .22 rifle and practice alot.

[davlandrum]

My buddy is technically left handed, but out-shoots me with either hand :o. He runs his bolt with his right hand and is as fast as anyone with a follow-up. Not that he really ever needs it...

His dad made him learn both ways, so he has years and years of practice.

[BIGR]

Every bolt rilfe I have is right handed and I have hunted several years with them. At one point I started to sell some of them and try a few lefty rifles but never did. It would probably seem odd to me working the bolt with my left hand. The strange thing about it is I shoot a pistol right handed and my right hand is alot stronger. I even write right handed. Don't ask me how I started shooting long guns left handed, but I am left eye dominant and that might be why. Last year I bought a Remington 700 XCR in 30.06 at a good deal and almost waited because I thought they might make a lefty version. Well I'LL be a son of a gun, Remington came out with a Model 700 XCR left hand rifle this year. Guess I'LL just keep shooting the right handed rifles for know. Left handed versions cost more and would be harder to sale.

[Kreyzhorse]

How say you, fellow lefty's? Will I kick myself for buying a right handed bolt, or will I adjust accordingly and never miss it? First rifle given to me was a .22 Marlin with a right handed bolt (thanks gramps ) but I'm not hunting and needing quick follow up shots with it...

I'm totally left handed. Shooting my "right handed" guns has never bothered me and as you have, I've pretty much adapted to a right handed world (except for my left handed guitars). For years I even shot and hunted with a right handed bolt action. To chamber a new round, I dropped the rifle from my left shoulder and worked the bolt left handed.

Finally I stumbled across a left handed Savage 7mm Rem Mag and bought it on sight. It is night and day. I will never hunt with a right handed bolt again. Working the action is finally "right" and natural.

If I were you, I wouldn't pass up the chance to buy a left handed bolt. You won't regret it and you'll really notice the difference in the field where follow up shots count.

[HOGGHEAD]

How about this one?? Tom.

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o223/HEAD0001/IMG_0405.jpg

[73-Captain]

"You can train yourself to fire right handed like I did but your natural tendendancy will always to be to shoot left handed."


Have to disagree, it depends on the person...

I am left handed and deliberately forced myself to shoot right handed.

Have absolutely NO TENDENCY to shoot left handed.

In fact, I have a very hard time shooting anything left handed including my back-up S&W 342 which I ONLY shoot left handed.

C.

[Stagger Lee]

I am left-handed, and I shoot bolt-action Springfield rifles in CMP matches routinely, just be reaching over the rifle to work the bolt. It's really not that big of a deal, and I got so used to shooting right-handed bolt rifles that way that when I actually went out and bought my first left-handed bolt, it was weird and awkward to shoot.

[Jimro]

The weirdest thing I ever saw was my right handed, left eyed buddy shoulder the rifle to his right shoulder, and sight through the scope with his left eye. He had to damn near squish his nose into the stock.

I showed him how to hold the rifle left handed, but he said it felt unnatural.

Jimro

[17ghk]

shot left handed for 25 years but got tired of reaching over and could not shoot a thumb hole,so I learned how to shoot right handed and it was the best decision that I made. Much quicker follow up shots on vermin.

[stevelyn]

I've adapted to shooting right-handed bolts left-handed and cycling the bolt by canting the rifle to the left and reaching over cycling the bolt with my left hand.

However, most were loaners. After shooting a true lefty bolt, I'll never spend money on a right-handed rifle for myself.

I have two Chuck Daly LH Mausers I'm getting built (I'd like to find another one or even a finished rifle) and I'm going Tikka and scope shopping tomorrow.

[Huntergirl]

I have a Swede sporterized mauser that I shoot and use sometimes for antelope hunting. Otherwise my bolts are all lefty's. I've never had a particular problem getting what I want, but bear in mind, 3/4's of my rifles are lever actions, which I absolutely love. Way more than I need, but I pick out what I'll use for the hunting season and conditions and practice with them. Gotta Rem7600 and Contender pistol as well. A good rounded variety, I love em all. Steve, I just love my LH Tikka 30-06, more than my LH Abolt 30-06. But they both shoot really well.

[Curtis(USAF)]

I've got a Mosin Nagant and a Lee Enfield. I shoot both left handed. Granted, I almost always shoot prone or supported.I bring my arm over the top of the buttstock, its awkward to watch, but I'm pretty good at it.

When I shoot standing,

I move my left hand forward while supporting with my right.
Run the bolt with my right hand while left hand supports.
swap my hands back to original position.

Coordination: I has it!

Its slow, but if I wanted to shoot fast I'd break out a lever action or a Semi.

[johnwilliamson062]

uhhh I am no genius when it comes to this but I thought hand was irrelevant. I thought your choice depended on dominant eye. I knew one right handed shooter who had dominant left eye and shot left handed. He was on a college rifle team. I thought it totally depended on your eye.

[JP Sarte]

I am a left handed shooter with all long guns but I shoot right handed with handguns. Never been able to explain it. I have just dealt with it over the years. I either reach over with my left hand to work the bolt or I drop the gun down, work the bolt with my right hand, and re-shoulder it.

I am so used to it now that I wouldn't know how to shoot any other way. I have never bought a left handed long gun. Although I don't sell guns as a general rule it does make it easier when I do. More righty's than lefty's.

JP

[Sportdog]

I'm right handed but left eye dominant so I shoot left handed. All of my rifles except one muzzle loader are designed for right eye dominate shooters. I guess that I'm so used to the standard "right handed" rifle that to me the lefty versions look strange and I want nothing to do with them. I believe that the Hunting Gods have smiled down on me because follow up shots have never been an issue. It works for me.

[butta9999]

I have shot righthanded rifles my whole life. Calibers range from .22 rimfire to .300 magmums. Using the action has never been a problem. The only downer for me is not being able to use the cheek pieces on my winchester model 70 and my weatherby. In saying that ill always shoot right handed rifles just used to it. Make that first shot count too, placement is the key. The follow up shot will come quick enough if need be:)

[butta9999]

I have never heard about the dominate eye thing. I can shoot from both eyes no problem but i am left handed.

[CPTMurdoc30]

My brother is right handed but shoots left handed. He can't stand using left handed guns. Talk about odd it is funny to see him shoot and hear him complain when a shooting buddy who is fully left handed lets him shoot his rifles.

[Txhillbilly]

I have always been left eye dominate,and shoot left handed.I can shoot fine right handed but always seem to pull a gun up to my left shoulder. I am right handed and own both left and right handed rifles and shotguns.
To the origanal thread-There are many fine rifles that you can get in left handed versions but I can't see spending that kind of money for a hunting rifle. Go to Gunbroker.com and type in left handed.

[davlandrum]

thought hand was irrelevant. I thought your choice depended on dominant eye

The thread's question was about the action and how people run the bolt if they shoot lefty.

Eye dominance "should" dictate if you shoot lefty or righty, but as many have posted here, not always the case. Practice can let you do things different.

There is a wide variation in how dominant one eye is over the other as well. I am technically right eye dominant, but not by very much.

[Limeyfellow]

I am left handed and operate the bolt with my right hand. It easy enough. I can shoot right handed with peep sights, but with notch sights I have so much trouble, since my eyes are kind of weird, that I can't get the thing lined up.

[nbkky71]

Another southpaw shooter here. The only time I really shoot bolt-guns is in the Springfield match at Camp Perry. I've had to train myself to work the bolt while slung-in and in position. It took a while to work out a good system, but here's a video clip of how I shoot lefty with a right-handed bolt gun.

http://home.carolina.rr.com/nbkky71/MOV05615.MPG

If I ever decided to get another bolt gun, I'd probably buy a left-handed model. I've got a couple of rimfire bolt guns, but they mainly get shot off the bench.

[jmr40]

My brother shoots right handed bolt guns lefty. He has tried several options including Remington 7600's and even bought a left handed Ruger at one time. He finally decided to just practice until he became good at it. He gets a kick out of watching the sniper in "Saving Private Ryan" shoot his right handed rifle lefty.

[ryalred]

My brother-in-law is left handed but has always shot right handed rifles. He has become very comfortable and proficient doing do. He decided to buy a left handed .243 and he was disappointed that it didn't feel more natural for him to shoot. He is discovering that he has shot right handed rifles for so long that the left handed (even though he is left handed) feels awkward. He may get used to it and it may work better for him, but for now he's a little disappointed.

[Mike40-11]

Interesting, nbkky71. Sucks a lot of time out of the rapid fire portion coming out of battery like that, but I don't know how else you can do it.

I'm right handed, but lost the sight in my right eye so have had to learn long guns left handed. I've gotten the hang of it, but I'm certainly not fast. Shot an '03 for time once in a CMP match. Never got the second clip in on the rapid fire segment. Didn't do my score much good. I've finally managed to change clips and get all the rounds out of the Garand in time at least.

I did wind up buying a lefty bolt though. Wasn't really looking for one, a guy happened to have left handed M77 he had no use for. In .300 Win Mag. No idea what I'm going to shoot with it, but it sure is easier to run the bolt even if it does look weird.

[aggie01]

I, like my father, shoot rifles left-handed and pistols right-handed, only I'm actually left-handed. My two uncles are right-handed, so they inherited all the bolt actions from Grandpa while me and my dad got the lever actions and pumps. If I were you, I'd get a left-handed bolt. Dad and I both have Rem 700 bdl in .270. I've killed deer, elk, antelope, coyotes, prairie dogs, and even a skunk with it. The best part of having a LH bolt is that no one asks to borrow or shoot it.

Another option is a single shot. I bought a T/C Encore recently, and like it as well. With a little practice, you can get that follow-up shot in pretty quickly.

Don't compromise on a RH bolt. I bought one, and it's now locked up in the gun case, rarely used, waiting for my right-handed son to use it some day.

[Jseime]

Speaking as a left-handed shooter I would strongly advise you to spend the extra cash and buy a left-handed rifle. I have owned two left-handed bolt actions in .270 and I will not even consider a right-handed gun with the exception of a semi-auto or pump.

It is so much nicer to have that bolt where it should be and the spent casings fly out the right direction and the stocks fit properly. The only right handed gun I would consider is a semi-auto .243 for shooting coyotes... other than that... no way jose.

[Yellowfin]

I've been a lefty all my life and have no problem shooting right handed bolt guns, and given my love for a pre-64 Model 70 .264 I get over having the extra step REAL fast.

[gak]

Like a lot of others here - right handed in most everything else I do except long arms due to left-eye dominance. I shoot pistols right handed (but "using" my left eye, just cant the stance/head relationship a notch--jsut a very minor adjustment). I too cried out for years for manufacturers to step up more to us in the minority and lamented the lack of LH Remington Mountain Rifles, for instance (even though Rem makes a standard 700 action in LH - so you'd think it'd be simple enough to modify accordingly) -- or even more recently before the plant shut down, repeatedly suggesting to Winchester a LH MOdel 70 Classic Featherweight. But after awhile of those dead-end attempts, decided like a lot here that it just plain felt more natural after all these years shooting (some 45 or so) right-handed long guns, left handed.

The bolt operation's not a problem for me, though onlookers go "huh?"--though like others here, I probably won't win any timed speed contests, I'm not bad. (When I think about it it bugs me a little...so I tell myself not to think about it!) These days I still beat the LH drum re manufacturers - but mostly for friends who are "truly" left handed. Now that I've decided RH is the way for me anyway, it sure makes finding guns a lot easier though!

[U.S.SFC_RET]

I quoted ]"You can train yourself to fire right handed like I did but your natural tendendancy will always to be to shoot left handed."

'73-Captain
Have to disagree, it depends on the person...

I am left handed and deliberately forced myself to shoot right handed.

Have absolutely NO TENDENCY to shoot left handed.

In fact, I have a very hard time shooting anything left handed including my back-up S&W 342 which I ONLY shoot left handed.

C.

Point well taken. I don't mean to put anyone else in my shoes.

[butta9999]

what is being left or right eye dominant. i can close either eye and shoot either shoulder. As i am a true left hander i feel more comfortable holding a rifle left handed. Excuse my ignorance but i dont get the eye thing.

[KurtC]

what is being left or right eye dominant

One eye (dominant) sees straight ahead. The other eye sees at an angle, giving you the ability to judge distance.

Hold a finger up at arms length. Look at it with both eyes open. Close one eye at a time. With the dominant eye, the finger appears in the same place. With the weak eye, it appears to move slightly towards the opposite side, since the eye is looking at an angle.

[butta9999]

Well when i close the right eye my finger does not move to i am left eye dominate. So me shooting left handed is right then.:confused: Being left handed has nothing to do with it. Am i just lucky that it fell into place for me.

[thallub]

You can buy a Savage left hand bolt action for about $400. Get a $150-200 scope for it and you are in business.

For a couple of decades I shot right hand rifles and it felt clumsy as heck. In the early 70s I traded for a Mathieu: What a difference. Now have a bunch of left hand bolt actions by several makers.

Today I refuse to hunt with a right handed gun: Don't shoot them much either. They gather dust in the back of the nsafe.

[butta9999]

i just cant bring myself to buy a lefthanded rifle as my other 10 rifles are all right handed. I am so used to it now. :)

[spctim11]

I have right handed rifles for the resale options only.

[Groundhog34]

There are many good quality left handed rifles out there: Weatherby, Mauser, Remington, Browning even BAR, Tikka, Savage. Buy one of these. A problem shooting a right handed rifle left handed is cast that is the stock is made to be shot off the right shoulder. Double barrel and OU shotguns also have right hand cast. There are left hand models of doubles and OU out there but they are hard to find.

[TPAW]

My son is a lefty. I taught him how to shoot righty. Today, he is a right handed shooter who is a certified marksman. I am quite proud of him.