The Accurate Reloading Forums
Lefty's shooting Right handed bolt guns
28 September 2004, 04:35
Mark GLefty's shooting Right handed bolt guns
I was just wondering how many Lefty's shooting Right handed bolt guns out there? And by that I mean holding them on the left shoulder.
I've been looking for a lefty bolt gun, and I have checked out Winchester, Ruger, Savage, Rem., etc. I just see more of the stuff I want in the "Righty" guns.
I have always shot Right handed bolt guns off my left shoulder with no problems at all. Of course I have to lower the rifle to cycle the bolt, but being left handed a follow up shot is never required

.
Just wanted to know who else is arse backward out there or am I the only one. lol
28 September 2004, 05:39
buckeyeshooterI took option 2. I am lefthanded and when learning to shoot, I looked around and found left handed weapons hard to find. So, I just start shooting right handed. With practice, you will shoot as well or better than everyone else and not have the problem that most leftys face.
28 September 2004, 06:32
acsteeleI am right-handed, but due to an eye injury at 13, I had to learn to shoot lefty. I like Savage rifles, the tang safety is great for left handed users. That's another reason for me to like the Savage, in addition to the great accuracy, and modest price.
I guess I'm kind of unusual, long guns and archery, lefty. Pistols and golf, righty.
28 September 2004, 07:09
TomPMy brother shoots right-handed guns off his left shoulder, my hunting partner is left-handed but right-eyed and shoots off his right shoulder.
Phillip has a Savage .222 that I set in a left-handed Anschutz target stock ( made for .22 but near-ideal for the .222 conversion, plenty of thickness with an exquisite vertical grip ).
Victor shoots a Model 70 and cants his scope a little to suit his grip ( thought it was heresy until we did some calculations and a little shooting to determine the extent of offset - turns out it's not so much ).
28 September 2004, 09:52
Elk CountryI throw, bat, golf right handed but everything else is lefty (eat, write, shoot, wipe my..well we won't go there) including left eye dominant. The very first big game rifle I bought was a lefty Rem. 700 BDL 30-06. I shot it well and had a very accurate handload developed for it even using it to take a cow elk. After shooting it a while longer, i got a wild hair and really wanted a 300WM. I couldn't talk the wife into owning two rifles so the 06 had to go down the road. It took me forever to dump the left handed rifle, in fact I had to trade it plus cash for a 300WM. While trying to sell the lefty, I swore I would never buy another lefty rifle or shotgun again. I am used to shooting righty rifles and the bolt action isn't a big deal to cycle once you work out the movements. If I had the money, I'd build a lefty cheek, right handed bolt, thumbhole stock. I have shot a friends vamint gun with a TH stock and they are the most comfortable stocks to shoot IMHO!
That's my story,
Elk Country
28 September 2004, 10:14
acsteeleElk Country, that is a fantastic idea! Talk about messing with minds! The guys at the range would freak. I did try a left handed rifle once, it just felt kinda funny.
28 September 2004, 11:03
Dave JamesHave done it for years,I have both left and right actioned weapons.But love the old military rifles sooooo.
And after I found out the Mr.Shelby was left handed I don't fell bad at all
28 September 2004, 15:33
WstrnhuntrI sometimes shoot a few rifles left handed, I like having that option mostly when hunting birds or other smaller species. I use pumps, single shots and autoloaders for that. A good friend of mine shoots left handed and he likes lever actions for that. This thread reminds me of the sniper in saving private Ryan, he seemed to make those righty bolts work OK.

28 September 2004, 16:49
1JDANIELI also shoot left handede with right handed rifle.I am glad that there are more of us.
29 September 2004, 03:35
RSYUntil I was about 30ish, I shot righty rifles from my left side, by default. At that point, I decided it was high time to get a true lefty rifle (Model 70). Now, I will never shoot anything but lefty rifles, from now on.
The main problem I had with the righty rifles was not shooting them, but carrying them slung. I got so sick of the bolt handle digging into my left leg that it drove me to swear off the right-handers. Now, if your style of hunting doesn't include much walking or moving about, then it's a non-issue.
That's my take on it.
RSY
29 September 2004, 13:59
LDHunterI've been "both handed" all my life but learned to shoot with right handed rifles so mostly shot right handed in the beginning.
Then came my many eye troubles and surgeries and I ended up with a heavily dominant left eye so shot almost all left handed for several years.

Now both eyes work normally but the left eye is slightly dominant.
I own all right handed guns but shoot left handed about the same amount as right handed.

It's only a problem if I think about it. Just buy what you can get and like, and shoot them either or both ways... It only takes one shot anyway if you know how to shoot.

$bob$
30 September 2004, 08:11
Republic of AlbertaI am a lefy and have both right and left hand guns. I used to like the left hand bolt guns better but I am now starting to find that the right handers are just as easy to use. I work the bolt with the gun on my sholder for both right and left hand and the reloading time is about the same. When using a right hand bolt I take my right hand off the fore end and work the bolt. You must hold the entire weight of the gun at the pistol grip when doing this but with practice it is no problem. I shoot my 416Rigby like this and it is 11 pounds.
01 October 2004, 15:05
erictI'm a righty, but shoot a "left-handed" bolt varmint gun from my right shoulder.
Although I think it would be different for non-supported shooting, shooting a left-handed bolt gun from a supported position (bipod/sandbags) allows me to keep my "trigger hand" and cheek firmly on the stock, and eye aligned with the scope. A quick movement of the bolt and I'm back on target.
Right or left handed, it makes a whole lot less difference if you make the first shot count! Good luck.
01 October 2004, 15:56
Tombo21Started shooting righty with a right handed bolt action. I was told to keep both eyes open when using a scope to keep an eye on the game. But nobody bothered to tell me about the dominant eye stuff. So I just assumed I was a naturally crappy shot. I wasn't until I started shooting lefty that I could hit a bull on the ass with a bass fiddle. So I got some left handed bolt actions and some lever actions and I became a happy boy.
02 October 2004, 03:10
DocLeft eye dominant, right handed.
All of my rifles except one are left bolt actions.
Shooting at the range, I find it easier to work the right bolt with my right hand, but in the field, I've had to shoot some secondary shots pretty quick and I've trained myself not to take the scope off the game so I like the left bolt action better for hunting. I work the action while the rifle is still pointed at the critter. I cannot do that with a right bolt as easy.

02 October 2004, 04:09
Mark GWell I am Left handed & Left Eye Dominate, so the eye thing is not an issue to me.
Thanks for all the responses though.