Hello from Australia.

I have been shooting all my life with right hand bolt action rifles with straight stocks. I have never had any trouble holding the rifle by the pistol grip in my left hand while I cycle the bolt with my right. I can see whats happening, grab the empty case as it comes out, etc.

For those that have shot both, is it a problem swapping to a Left Hand Rifle after shooting for 30 years?

Ferret.

Ferret,

Pleae don't mistake my cynism for anything other than as it's intended.....no, I've never used a Right-Handed rifle for Hunting although I had to put up with Right-Handed weapons for a military career. Try crew-served machine guns and Hand-Held Missile Launchers as a Lefty. Yes, it'll work or we Lefties can make them function for us. But why? Other than that's what was available to Lefties at the local gunshop or what we were supposed to inherit from our R/H relatives.

You'll have to be the judge of this yourself. Personally, I'm 100% Left-Handed and Left-Eyed dominant. I don't use or modify myself to make Right-Handed equipment work for me when it's my pleasure, as in hunting/shooting. You'd be suprised at how good a L/H rifle works when you try one......sorta exactly the way it's supposed to.

I guess if L/H rifles were the whim they are made out to be then you'd see alot of Right-Handers using Left-Handed rifles too?

I can work a right handed bolt rifle pretty fast but no where near as fast as I can a leftie.
If you are left handed a left handed rifle would be better for you. When you shoot a right handed bolt rifle from the left shoulder did you ever notice how close your face and eyes are to the ejection port? Not very good for safetys sake.
Come over to the dark side and join us.

Ferret,
I have been shooting right bolts for over 30 years looked at a few leftys now and then but I thought resale would not be much but when I used a left hand Winchester M70 on a weekend pig shoot I was impressed and now I have 3 Left Hand bolt rifles .375H&H,.30/06,.223Rem .I recommend you make the change it feels different at first but when you go back to a right bolt you will have a different opinion on right bolts and you will want a Lefty!

sjm

well i've been a lefty almost 30 years since i damaged my right eye so i used to be a righty but now left eye dominent and just in last couple yrs bought my left hand bolt rifles so far 3 one still being built and it is amazing the difference going to proper bolt compared to right i feel i'm very proficant with the the rh guns but i've sped up now with lefties

I have the same problem. Still shoot a pistol right handed, but all my rifles are LH. Been shooting LH since 1966.

Took a friend's Kimber 8400 RH to the range today after some scope work and it felt really awkward.

They make right handed bolt action guns?

Snowwolfe, you make a very good point about the gas vent! I hadn't thought about that before.

As I said, I think I'm pretty good at cycling the bolt with my right hand, but that is really just with a 22 bolt action or a short action centre-fire. However, when I try to cycle the bolt on my M96 Swede, I am not so slick....

If I replace the old Swede with a LH rifle (probably in 7mm08), will I get tangled up going from that to my RH Remington 700 Classic?

Thanks everyone for your thoughts

Ferret

quote:

Originally posted by Ferret:
If I replace the old Swede with a LH rifle (probably in 7mm08), will I get tangled up going from that to my RH Remington 700 Classic?

Thanks everyone for your thoughts

Ferret

After you get used to shooting the left handed rifle, your right handed ones will feel horribly clumsy.

Granted I haven't been shooting as long as some of you, but I have a few left handed rigs and a few right handed ones i often don't even notice the difference. Even shooting my dad's automatic 12ga. doesn't seem to be a problem. Just my 2 cents worth.

7mm. guy

It is not a problem to switch because it's going to feel natural to you. You won't feel like you have been given hand me downs. Get the check book out and never look back. It's safer, quicker, much more fun, and by golly it's custom for us lefties who have had to deal with Rt. handed stuff for far to many decades. Sell those Rt. handed rifles and join the band of right minded hunters.

Right handed and left-eye dominant; shot right hand bolts for years. Once you go left you'll never go back.

Ferret,

You asked about L/H Rifles.....got a reply.

Have to admit the R/H vs. L/H semi-auto shotgun or rifles never came to mind - although I'm of the pure LEFT/HANDED ilk when it comes to these particular types of rifles or shotguns. Can't figure out (or perhpaps I'm too sensitive) why someone can or would happily shoot L/H with a R/H autoloader, or B/P rifle. I always seem to get an eyefull of action-blast & crud in my left eye.

I've 31 long guns (all L/H) & 9 handguns in the safe - all tried & true for L/H functioning, they work perfectly. For a Left-Hander.

....speaking from strictly a safety standpoint...I would much rather have my face on the opposite side of the (or the correct side ) in case of blowout!

quote:

Originally posted by Gerry:
Ferret,

You asked about L/H Rifles.....got a reply.

Have to admit the R/H vs. L/H semi-auto shotgun or rifles never came to mind - although I'm of the pure LEFT/HANDED ilk when it comes to these particular types of rifles or shotguns. Can't figure out (or perhpaps I'm too sensitive) why someone can or would happily shoot L/H with a R/H autoloader, or B/P rifle. I always seem to get an eyefull of action-blast & crud in my left eye.

I've 31 long guns (all L/H) & 9 handguns in the safe - all tried & true for L/H functioning, they work perfectly. For a Left-Hander.

Gerry,

I have done the majority of my shot gunning with a RH Remington 1100. I would still be happily using it, had it not been confiscated (Semi Auto's not allowed here in Aust......) I generally used shooting glasses, but never had powder etc. in my face. Now use a Miroku U/O.

Back to rifles, I had a feel of a LH Tikka T3 Hunter in my favourite shop and I felt great. The old Swede's days in my safe are numbered....

Hey what happened downunder ? Did the masses allow those Brit bastards to be elected to parliament again ?.
A bolt action can be just as effective as a Semi Auto in the correct hands !. So what was the brilliant reasoning behind confiscation again ?.

You all should have told those limy bastards to hit the frog and toad ,lads !. It only helped the criminals as it always does no matter what continent one choses to live on !.

Hoist a Toohey's Old for me Mate !.

If you're a lefty then a LH is the ONLY way to fly !.
In the Army when they wanted something done correctly they always sought out a Lefty !!!.

Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...

Ferret, was raised a lefty but my dad and older brother was right hand/eye, so I got to shoot most rifles with the bolt on the wrong side. When I grew up left hand rifles were scarce, so I took to buying lever guns and pumps. Dad had an Ithaca mod 37 and I loved it, I know own three. I also grew to enjoy lever guns; my first 22LR was a Marlin mod 39. I own 2 left hand bolt rifles, a 30-06 and a 416 taylor, several lever guns, and several right hand bolt rifles. The left bolt gun is faster to work, you dont lose sight of the target, and the weight of rifle doesnt shift when u take ur support hand to work the bolt. I use right handed auto shotguns and rifles with no complaints, mostly at work.
My .02
Eterry

My short answer to your question is ...YES.

just pick up a lefthand rifle and hand it to one of you true righthanded friends ,when he tells you how dumb it feels ,then you'll know you should be shootin a lefty.

I have to agree with the gas vent issue. The second safety concern I have is the fact that you could easily have your finger on the trigger when cycling the bolt. I never would have beleived it if I hadn't seen it for myself, but a friend accidentally discharged my left handed rifle while cycling the bolt with his right hand. Thank God it was pointed at an embankment in a safe direction.
I will usually reach over and work the bolt with my left hand.

swr,

I've been at this for quite a while and have to admit - my Hat's off to you Pal. For us L/Her's of the World you've managed to Word-Smith this arguement just the way it should be said.