Author Topic: Left Hand Shooters  (Read 1554 times)

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Offline longwalker

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Left Hand Shooters
« on: April 08, 2005, 10:53:41 AM »
I have a question for the left hand shooters out there. How many of you use right hand bolt guns, and why? My brother is a left handed and he refuses to buy a left hand bolt action rifle.

longwalker

Offline savageT

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Left Hand Shooters
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2005, 02:30:40 PM »
I've used right-handed bolt-actions, levers and semi-autos most of my life....but!  I much prefer to use lever actions in center-fire and Ithaca pumps in shotguns because of their bottom ejector.  A few years ago, I purchased my first Savage 110L in 30-06 (left-hand bolt) and to be totally honest, it feels ackward to operate the bolt for me.  Would I buy another left-hand bolt-action......not really.  I guess I'm with your brother there.  Just brought up in a right-handed world.  Tell him to try a Savage 99 Lever to really find a comfortable action for us "south-paws"!

Jim
savageT........Have you hugged a '99 lately?

Of all the things I've lost in my life, I miss my mind the most.

Offline dawei

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Re: Left Hand Shooters
« Reply #2 on: April 08, 2005, 05:30:17 PM »
Quote from: longwalker
I have a question for the left hand shooters out there. How many of you use right hand bolt guns, and why? My brother is a left handed and he refuses to buy a left hand bolt action rifle.

longwalker


My situatuation & experience is similar. I am right handed; but left eye dominate. I shoot a handgun (both eyes open); right-handed. Rifles & shotguns are another matter however. I MUST shoot a long gun left-handed; it's the only way that works for me. I use a Mossberg® pump 20GA (Top Tang Safety) and an Ithaca 16GA SxS (truly an ambidexterous gun). I had the safetys reversed on my Browning® Auto 5 Sweet-Sixteen and two Remington® Mdl 7600 Rifles (30/06 & 35 Whelen). Both of my lever guns are Marlins (30/30 & 444). The 444 has the Cross-Bolt-Safety; which is an absolute abomination for a "South-Paw" shooter. The C-B-S is a solution to a nonexistant problem; I deactivated mine.  My 30/30 is 30 years old & has no C-B-S. The next shotgun I buy will be a Browning® BPS or an Ithaca® 37. If I buy another center fire rifle it will be a NEF in 270 Win. Never had a bolt action center fire rifle; probably never will.

Offline PEPAW

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Left Hand Shooters
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2005, 02:10:28 AM »
I am also right handed and left eyed dominent.   I have rifles with bolts on both sides, but the right handed one seems faster.   My newest Handi-rifle should solve my bolt problem and my right-handed wife and kids can still use my rifle when they need to.

I seriously can't imagine anyone working a bolt any faster than I do cross handed.    I never realized this until I started killing several feral hogs at one time.

As long as there is no right handed comb, righty or lefty doesn't matter to me.


pepaw

Offline huntswithdogs

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Left Hand Shooters
« Reply #4 on: June 28, 2005, 09:43:07 AM »
I own all right handed long guns. The only one that I don't feel real comfortable with,is my 1100 12ga. I get powder back in my face when firing it. At night,while shooting skeet under the lights, I'll get flash blinded.I've tried shooting some lefty guns and  they feel weird. I had one gunshop owner talk me out of buying a 700 REM in 300 winmag because he knew that he wouldn't have a market for it when I came back trying to trade it on something else. He explained that 90% of the lefty guns he sold were replaced with righty gns within 1 year of purchase. If the gun was bought for a new shooter that had little to no experience,the gun was usually kept and that person only bought lefty guns afterwards.There's the other 10% that was missing.


HWD

Offline Savage .250

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Re: Left Hand Shooters
« Reply #5 on: July 22, 2005, 12:41:31 PM »
Quote from: longwalker
I have a question for the left hand shooters out there. How many of you use right hand bolt guns, and why? My brother is a left handed and he refuses to buy a left hand bolt action rifle.

longwalker




   That`s me.  I`ve always shot a right hand bolt gun.  At this stage of the game i`m not interested in a left handed gun.
    Over 50 yrs of doing it my-way and i`ve never had a problem. If fact operating a left handed gun seems weird.
   Course the "cure" for that left hand-right hand question is to get a savage 99.  They broke the mold when Savage made that puppy.
  Guys that own-um know what i`m talking about.  Life is good.

   " The best part of the hunt is not the harvest but in the experience."
" The best part of the hunt is not the harvest but in the experience."

Offline kevin.303

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Left Hand Shooters
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2005, 05:48:48 PM »
i use right handed rifles on the left shoulder, not really a big deal, follow up shots are a bit slower. i've tried left hand actioned rifles, just feels wrong. i thought i might have a problem of getting spent hulls in the face when i started shooting my Auto 5, but never had one yet.
" oh we didn't sink the bismarck, and we didn't fight at all, we spent our time in Norfolk and we really had a ball. chasing after women while our ship was overhauled, living it up on grapefruit juice and sick bay alcohol"

Offline cal sibley

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Left Hand Shooters
« Reply #7 on: August 09, 2005, 11:20:55 AM »
I'm left handed but most of my shooting today is at the range.  A right handed bolt is actually an advantage as all the working parts are right in front of me.  When hunting it's a different story though.  Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal
RIP Cal you are missed by many.

Offline Raging480

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Left Hand Shooters
« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2005, 06:10:59 AM »
I'm left handed, and there are no bolt guns in my arsenal.  I primarily like to hunt with S&W revolvers, but for long guns, I use pumps, levers and autos.
Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition!

Offline dukkillr

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Left Hand Shooters
« Reply #9 on: September 27, 2005, 06:58:37 AM »
I'm right handed and left eye dominate as well.  I'd like to own a left handed rifle but I don't consider it important.  I grew up shooting right handed bolt guns and I've never found it to be a problem.

Offline field989

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Left Hand Shooters
« Reply #10 on: January 26, 2006, 11:14:32 AM »
I am right handed and left eye dominant.

I own 2 remington 870's 12 and 20ga. a henry lever .22, a marlin 917vs, and a muzzleloader
but all of them are right handed except muzzleloader(in line tompson center) It really doesn't affect my shooting much but I dont think that I would get a left handed gun.

I also shoot bow(right handed) its kinda awkward at first but you get use to closing your left eye and it is automatic.

Offline PEPAW

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Left Hand Shooters
« Reply #11 on: January 31, 2006, 06:38:04 AM »
You should try shooting out a lefty bow.   My groups shrank immediately.

Well, the Handi-Rifle didn't work out.   Not nearly accurate enough (without much time, effort and money) to live in my safe.  
So I bought another righty.   Stevens 200.   No cheek piece so it works for me.      Very accurate and when I am on the bench, it is easy to load one at a time because the bolt is on my side. :)
But if Stevens ever makes a lefty, I may buy one so the kids won't take it from me.   :)

pepaw

Offline kenscot

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Left Hand Shooters
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2006, 03:29:26 PM »
Grew up learning to shoot a righty bolt 22 rimfire Now as an adult I refuse to guess I will neverf no how nice those Tikka's shoot :x

Offline chico_cm

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Re: Left Hand Shooters
« Reply #13 on: August 21, 2006, 06:23:14 PM »
I guess I'm weird.  Being Left handed/left eyed, I was always pissed that I got shelled or smoked or the comb was in the way.
I have levers, semis, and bolts, and when I finally got a lefty bolt gun, I found what I had been missing--comfort.
Side note:  now that stag makes an AR platform that is truly lefty, I am in heaven.  no more powder and casing burns--oooh rah!
9-11-01.  Remember Dammit!

Offline coyote trapper1928

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Re: Left Hand Shooters
« Reply #14 on: August 22, 2006, 12:35:01 PM »
I am right handed and left eye dominant and shoot left handed. My Winchester Model 94 Legacy throws the shells on my shoulder when shooting it. Don't like the gasses in the face, either. Looking at getting a left hand bolt action rifle for fox hunting, but which one???
coyote trapper1928

Offline chico_cm

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Re: Left Hand Shooters
« Reply #15 on: August 23, 2006, 08:42:35 PM »
Savage.  Nothing better for the money plus they have the widest selection of lefty rifles I've ever seen.
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Offline ba_50

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Re: Left Hand Shooters
« Reply #16 on: June 17, 2007, 08:47:53 AM »
I'm left eye dominate and shot right hand bolt for years. It is slow bringing the rifle off shoulder to reload after each shot. Shooting prone with a sling puts the muzzle in the snow.

Last year I got a LH CZ 452 and like it much better. Wish I would have gotten a LH 700 years ago. If I was shooting from a bench than a RH bolt is better.