What is everyone’s approach on new left handed rifles? I don’t really like any of the available factory options these days, so the custom route seems to be the way to go. I just had Hill Country Rifles build a 35 Whelen on a left hand Remington stainless action, and I’m about to get them to build another in 280 AI. I really didn’t see any point in spending another 1K on a Stiller or BAT action, so I’m also using a Remington action for the 280AI.

What does everyone else do when they want a new left hand rifle?

I've considered my method for a while now. Glad you posed this question. While I would largely agree with you on most of the current factory offerings, I do believe there are some quality rifles out there for sportsman prices. Weatherby is still in the game, as are Sako, Tikka, Christensen, Browning, and a few others that escape me. While I'm grateful for the influx of affordable LH bolt rifles (Savage Axis, Ruger American, etc.), they're not for me at this time.

My desire and quest for new LH rifles lies almost entirely in the used market. Offerings seem to have been greater in variety years ago than they are now. I find much of the enjoyment I get from a new gun is the search for it and the eventual acquisition. I get an idea in my head, find a manufacturer who makes or made what I'm after, and the search is on! It requires some flexibility in the results, but I've found it very satisfying. At this time, I can't bring myself to commission a custom rifle; I suppose my tastes aren't that discriminating yet (also $$$ ).

For my B&M rifles I just found left handed Model 70 WSM actions and built a rifle around that.
I had McMillian build me a .308 and a .375H&H LH rifles.
I had Defiant Machine build me LH action for the latest .300 RUM project.
I did buy a LH Anschutz .22 years ago.
I had Vudoo Gun works build me a LH .22 rifle recently.

Left handed double rifles by Heym (.500 NE) and Verney Carron (.450 NE) I was lucky enough to find on gunsinternational web site.

I basically go through my morning routine of checking GunBroker, GunsInternational, and GunsAmerica along with classified ads on here and other forums. While there are some nice factory offerings I tend to just go the custom route once I find a suitable action.

My tastes have changed over the years but I gravitate mostly to Remington’s and Stillers for custom build in calibers under 375 H&H and Post 64 New Haven CRF’s for 375 and up. I was also lucky enough to find a LH CZ 550 Safari I used to build my 500 A2.

For cartridges with 3.6” mag length and below lefties have quite a few choices...when you get into true magnum/Rigby length it gets pricey in a hurry.

I am also a lefty. I love gun shows and trade shows. So consequently I buy most of my rifles face to face at shows. If I want a particular rifle and caliber I will buy it in a right handed model and take it to the gun shows as trade for a left handed model of the same type and caliber. Its one of the very few things that I have found that puts you in a position of advantage in a trade. No shop keeper in his right mind would try to convince you that a left handed rifle is more valuable than an identical right handed rifle.

I should also add that I recently picked up a Ruger No. 1, which seems like a good lefty option for certain applications.

I bought a LH Forbes in 30-06 and had Melvin Forbes rebarrel in 280 AI for less than half what his rifles cost, and about 4 months, his rifles about 2 years.

quote:

Originally posted by Macs B:
I am also a lefty. I love gun shows and trade shows. So consequently I buy most of my rifles face to face at shows. If I want a particular rifle and caliber I will buy it in a right handed model and take it to the gun shows as trade for a left handed model of the same type and caliber. Its one of the very few things that I have found that puts you in a position of advantage in a trade. No shop keeper in his right mind would try to convince you that a left handed rifle is more valuable than an identical right handed rifle.

That is a really unique idea! How has your success rate been? Any examples you care to share?

My first was a Remington Custom Shop KS Mountain Rifle in 300 H&H. Next was a 1941 Model 70 converted to LH that came from an acquaintance which I had rebored by Cliff Labounty to 35 Whelen and I fitted a modern left handed Winchester stock to it. My 400 Whelen is a modern model 70 LH, originally a 30-06 from a local shop that I had barreled with a Shilen barrel installed by a local smith. I used the original stock, just opened up the barrel channel. Watched the gun auction sights and local shops for lefties. Remington 581 LH was a local purchase. Picked up some Charles Daly LH Mini Mauser actions on GB and sent to Pacnor for barreling to 6mmx222 and 17 Remington.

Grabbed a Remington 700 KS Mountain LH in 375 H&H recently at a local shop. Found a couple of LH mini Mausers through one of the forums recently to replace two I lost in the PacNor fire. One is going back to them in September to become a 25-222 Copperhead.

They are out there. Just have to keep watching the auction sites and listing sites. Get to know the local shops and let them know you're always looking for LH guns. Don't get discouraged. They are out there but it takes some looking.

I started out in left handed with a custom shop Remington 700 awr nearly 20 years back. Did not shoot or scope rifle for next 15 years. It is very accurate and does nothing for me.

I got a tikka 595 in 308 - accurate does nothing for me.

I have a lot of cz452 in 22 and 17 hmr - love them.

Got a cz 550 in 375 and had Wayne at ahr upgrade it. Hunt with that rifle and shot 4 buffalo, lion, tons of plain game. Sent it back to Wayne and he rebuilt and added awesome wood. I don’t hunt with it anymore.

Got a cz 527 in 223 - shot the gun a fair bit. Accurate and very nice.

Got a ruger 30/06 and had Wayne fix it up. It is okay accurate and have hunted a bunch with it. I may need to send it to Wayne to get made into a full stock.

Have a cz 458 Lott partially fixed up by Wayne. Never hunted it.

Got a sako 9.3x62 - sent it to Wayne at ahr to add sights and barrel band ect. Never hunted it. Friends have shot it and say it is very accurate. I may hunt with it once.

I have 3 ruger 375 ruger. 2 Alaskan and one African. I have hunted with an Alaskan.

I got a ruger 300 win mag. Broke the stock and got a McMillan. It is okay accurate. May need to hunt with it.

Got a bunch of ruger number 1 - 30/06, 7x57, 300 h&h, 6.5 cm. I like hunting with number 1.

I have a custom blr in 375 ruger. Nice gun. Started out as a 7mm rem mag.

I got 4 blaser r8 and 10 barrels - I mainly shoot blasers. Nothing else compares to them on accuracy. I hunt with blaser only early in season - low light. Or when I am traveling ect.

I have a blaser k95. Love it. Most accurate rifle I have but it is tough to shoot as it is 5 pounds.

I have a blaser r8 ultimate success on order - waiting for the left hand stock to release.

I have a few k95 on order but no idea when I see one. 9.3x74 is on order.


I also have a very pretty Vc 450-400. Doubles do little for me.

I need to sell some rifles cause I rarely shoot them. But I like seeing them in my gun room. I don’t think I am buying any more rifles. Maybe anchultz 1727.


Cz, ruger are no longer made in left hand.

I like having Wayne work on my rifles.

Mike

I do wish I had bought a bunch of left handed new haven Winchester model 70 in short actions that gander had on clearance in 2008-2009.

I wish I had bought a cz 375 h&h that had some custom work but not by Wayne.

Mike

If I was not so invested in the blaser platform.

I would look at browning. I like this rifle

https://www.browning.com/produ...ush-left-handed.html

Mike

I've been completely satisfied building up my arsenal with off the shelf offerings from Sako, Tikka, Blaser (R93) and most recently a custom 375 H&H from Harre Rifles in NZ. Calibres are 243W, 270W, 30.06, 300 Win Mag, 375 H&H.
Almost all have shot really well with my own handloads. For some reason the Tikka 300WM was a poor shooter. Twist was 1/11 inches. No matter what I tried it just would not shoot. Finally got sick of it, ditched the original Tikka barrel and replaced it with a True Flite 1/10 inch twist SS barrel. Now it shoots wonderfully.
I shot out the barrel on my Sako 270W and didn't shoot it for some time. Then both replaced the original barrel with a True Flite SS and the wooden stock with carbon fibre. Now it's a sharp shooting mountain weight rifle. I shoot it often.
For some reason the Sako 243W barrel went wonky after only a thousand plus rounds. Changed that barrel too with another True Flite 23 inch and worked up new handloads. Now it's my varmint rifle.
My Blaser R93 rifles have been just the bees knees on my Africa hunts.
Sorry I haven't directly address the question put in the original post but thats probably not new on AR.
I probably didn't need a custom rifle in .375 H&H but some friends have acquired a Harre rifle or two over the years and all speak highly of them. A few dollars fell into my lap so that's what I did with the windfall.

When I was young there were no left hand rifles I could choose from in NZ but eventually Remington 700’s became available. I bought a BDL and used it for many years. Slowly other rifles became available and for a while I had a lovely Sako 25-06.
I managed to pick up a couple made by J Jongmans and still have a 375 and a lovely octagonal .222
All the above are virtually safe queens since I discovered the Blaser R93 and have .243, .270 and 9.3x62 barrels to use.
As a working gun in Zambia I have two Mauser MO3 in 404J and would have more if the opportunities had come along.
Realistically, despite the opinions of some, i would , if beginning again, go straight to Blaser R8 or the earlier R93. Versatile, shoot well and accurate.
At least these days you have a choice.

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
I started out in left handed with a custom shop Remington 700 awr nearly 20 years back. Did not shoot or scope rifle for next 15 years. It is very accurate and does nothing for me.

Mike

Mike, what caliber is the AWR? That's the "Alaska Wilderness Rifle", right?

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
Cz, ruger are no longer made in left hand.

Mike

Both CZ and Ruger still make left hand rifles although not in all models. I recently bought a new CZ 557 in .308. Cooper makes a ton of left hand models. Sako and Tikka make them as well with the Sako being one of the smoothest push feed actions ever made. Christensen Arms Mesa is another nice, all weather lefty. Nice rifles, have one of them as well. My go to "beater rifle" is a Savage Storm for bad weather hunting.
Tons of choices around.

Are some of you guys saying your taking short action WSM 70's and making 308 family non magnums outta them. I looked for left hand short action bolts with standard bolt face and didn't find any.

quote:

Originally posted by scott f.:
Are some of you guys saying your taking short action WSM 70's and making 308 family non magnums outta them. I looked for left hand short action bolts with standard bolt face and didn't find any.

Read my post about the CZ 557 and Christensen Arms Mesa. In addition, I purchased a new Rem 700 short action lefty in stainless on Gunbrokers for $333 about a year ago.

quote:

Originally posted by 30.06king:
I probably didn't need a custom rifle in .375 H&H but some friends have acquired a Harre rifle or two over the years and all speak highly of them. A few dollars fell into my lap so that's what I did with the windfall.

Tell us more about Harre rifles of NZ.

Do they still exist?

What LH action did they use or did they make their own?

I recently picked up a LH Jongmans rifle in 223 that is a stunning rifle.

For the OP - if you’re patient you can find quite a few different LH rifles. Over the years I’ve managed to pick up Kimber of Oregon, Anschutz, Mauser 2000 & 3000, Carl Gustav, CZ550 plus Rem 700, Ruger and Win M70. There are quite a few lefties out there that were discontinued and worth looking out for.

In the ‘06 length actions, the Mauser 2000 & 3000 are a real sleeper. These were made by Heym and would have to be one of the best push feed actions that were available in LH. The Carl Gustav is similar, though these are still available under the Zoli brand.

quote:

Originally posted by Snowwolfe:

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
Cz, ruger are no longer made in left hand.

Mike

Both CZ and Ruger still make left hand rifles although not in all models. I recently bought a new CZ 557 in .308. Cooper makes a ton of left hand models. Sako and Tikka make them as well with the Sako being one of the smoothest push feed actions ever made. Christensen Arms Mesa is another nice, all weather lefty. Nice rifles, have one of them as well. My go to "beater rifle" is a Savage Storm for bad weather hunting.
Tons of choices around.

True

Ruger stopped making left handed m77 and cz stopped making left handed 550 in 375.

Sako makes nice rifles.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Clayman:

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:
I started out in left handed with a custom shop Remington 700 awr nearly 20 years back. Did not shoot or scope rifle for next 15 years. It is very accurate and does nothing for me.

Mike

Mike, what caliber is the AWR? That's the "Alaska Wilderness Rifle", right?

It’s a gen 1 I think with a McMillan Kevlar stock.

It’s in 7mm rem mag and has an internal magazine.

I am going to hunt the South Carolina rut his fall with it.

Mike

Mike:

Was the BLR in 375R a rebore or a rebarrel?

Thanks,
Arnie

quote:

Originally posted by Arniet:
Mike:

Was the BLR in 375R a rebore or a rebarrel?

Thanks,
Arnie

Rebarrel on a long action BLR.

Mike

If Ruger or others have an LH rifle you want buy it cause they have a habit of dropping production of LH rifles.

Thank you Mike.

I have zero interest in modern rifles. Synthetics with no front sight? Lifeless to say the least. My PH in Zim had a battered battle scarred 458 that absolutely had soul and presence. Mmm it’s what dreams are made of.

"I should also add that I recently picked up a Ruger No. 1, which seems like a good lefty option for certain applications."

How do you like the stock? Can you use it as a LH rifle or do it need reshaping? I am thinking of buying one , I want it to fit me as a LH and have RH friends to borrow it too.

I'm under the impression LH rifles are plentiful anymore and not just new plastic junk.
I recently picked up two Zastavas, one a complete rifle in .375 and the other an action.

I used to favor single shot rifles on deer, but on big moose I prefer to cycle the bolt and keep shooting til I tip them over.
I have LH Remington, Ruger and Zastava. They all seem nice and aren't that expensive to semi customize.

quote:

Originally posted by Nordic2:
"I should also add that I recently picked up a Ruger No. 1, which seems like a good lefty option for certain applications."

How do you like the stock? Can you use it as a LH rifle or do it need reshaping? I am thinking of buying one , I want it to fit me as a LH and have RH friends to borrow it too.

The stock works great. It’s truly ambidextrous. No cast or cheek piece. Safety is on top.

That was my plan too. I shoot left handed but my wife and other family members shoot right handed. Great gun for me to loan out when I’m not using it.

Thanks!

quote:

Originally posted by JFE:

quote:

Originally posted by 30.06king:
I probably didn't need a custom rifle in .375 H&H but some friends have acquired a Harre rifle or two over the years and all speak highly of them. A few dollars fell into my lap so that's what I did with the windfall.

Tell us more about Harre rifles of NZ.

Do they still exist?

What LH action did they use or did they make their own?

I recently picked up a LH Jongmans rifle in 223 that is a stunning rifle.

For the OP - if you’re patient you can find quite a few different LH rifles. Over the years I’ve managed to pick up Kimber of Oregon, Anschutz, Mauser 2000 & 3000, Carl Gustav, CZ550 plus Rem 700, Ruger and Win M70. There are quite a few lefties out there that were discontinued and worth looking out for.

In the ‘06 length actions, the Mauser 2000 & 3000 are a real sleeper. These were made by Heym and would have to be one of the best push feed actions that were available in LH. The Carl Gustav is similar, though these are still available under the Zoli brand.

Brian Harre is no longer making rifles and didn't make them in left hand when he was making them. The actions he used were designed and made by him from what I understand.

The Jongmans are a nice rifle, when he started making them he was selling more in the USA than he was selling in New Zealand, eventually he moved to Aussie.

I would really like to pick up a L/H Kimber in 222, but they aren't very common in NZ.
Probably in the same category as the Moa.

When did kimber produce left handed actions?

Kimber of Oregon made LH rifles on the .22 frame and the .223 frame. I don't think they made any of the Big Game Rifles in LH.

quote:

Originally posted by LeonardC:
Kimber of Oregon made LH rifles on the .22 frame and the .223 frame. I don't think they made any of the Big Game Rifles in LH.

Thanks I didn’t know about those. I will be on the lookout from now on.

quote:

Originally posted by 30.06king:
I probably didn't need a custom rifle in .375 H&H but some friends have acquired a Harre rifle or two over the years and all speak highly of them. A few dollars fell into my lap so that's what I did with the windfall.


Tell us more about Harre rifles of NZ.

Do they still exist?

What LH action did they use or did they make their own?

I recently picked up a LH Jongmans rifle in 223 that is a stunning rifle.

For the OP - if you’re patient you can find quite a few different LH rifles. Over the years I’ve managed to pick up Kimber of Oregon, Anschutz, Mauser 2000 & 3000, Carl Gustav, CZ550 plus Rem 700, Ruger and Win M70. There are quite a few lefties out there that were discontinued and worth looking out for.

In the ‘06 length actions, the Mauser 2000 & 3000 are a real sleeper. These were made by Heym and would have to be one of the best push feed actions that were available in LH. The Carl Gustav is similar, though these are still available under the Zoli brand.


Brian Harre is no longer making rifles and didn't make them in left hand when he was making them. The actions he used were designed and made by him from what I understand.

The Jongmans are a nice rifle, when he started making them he was selling more in the USA than he was selling in New Zealand, eventually he moved to Aussie.

I would really like to pick up a L/H Kimber in 222, but they aren't very common in NZ.
Probably in the same category as the Moa.

Brian is still going with his Harre Rifles in NZ, although possibly in a lesser capacity these days. He has produced RH rifles fairly recently but with actions carried over from earlier manufacture.
When I discussed my rifle project with Brian my order was contingent on being made with a LH action and carbon fibre stock. At that time he was becoming involved in a collaborative start-up entity that would take action manufacture from his hands to a specialty metals machinist that would mill all metal components on one site to be mated with bought in CF stock and barrel. Basically when the rifle was finally assembled it was to go to Brian for final touches.
Anyway, long story short, after postponed completion dates (CV takes a little blame for this ) I finally received my rifle but it was sadly bedeviled with several issues unbefitting of a custom rifle ( no fault of Brian's ) that have taken time to sort. It's back with Brian now, hopefully with the last issue being corrected. Meanwhile relationships within the collaboration soured and if not dissloved it's probably headed that way. Brian very soon takes delivery of all his tools, parts and plans and will thereafter be the sole principal continuing Harre rifles.
From my standpoint the whole affair has been very messy and stressful but I will say Brian is an absolute gentleman and stands behind his product 100%. He should not have had to do anything but small finishing work on this rifle but his involvement has become quite a sizeable project of it's own which he has taken entirely upon his shoulders with great determination to see it through.

Grant,

Who was the guy that lived in the Bombay Hills and made the pretty single shot rifles?

Hi Frank
You might be thinking of Glen Saroka.
Bit of chequered history there and burnt bridges. Don't know if he ever produced any rifles.

quote:

Originally posted by 30.06king:
Hi Frank
You might be thinking of Glen Saroka.
Bit of chequered history there and burnt bridges. Don't know if he ever produced any rifles.

That might be him, I asked to visit his shop a couple of times and he always declined.

I have done the "buy it right handed and trade it for a lefty" before. Both for my 257 weatherby and a 300 magnum, as well as others.

Worked like a charm

quote:

Originally posted by Tex84:
What is everyone’s approach on new left handed rifles? I don’t really like any of the available factory options these days, so the custom route seems to be the way to go. I just had Hill Country Rifles build a 35 Whelen on a left hand Remington stainless action, and I’m about to get them to build another in 280 AI. I really didn’t see any point in spending another 1K on a Stiller or BAT action, so I’m also using a Remington action for the 280AI.

What does everyone else do when they want a new left hand rifle?

My last 3 have been with Remington SS actions.