Shotgun for a Newbie Left-handed shooter

fishbum_adam

fishbum_adam

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Hey guys,

Razz me all ya want... its all good, but I have never fired a shotgun before. My PAL should arrive in the mail sometime this week, so I can finally look into purchasing my first shotgun. While I've never shot before, I do know I am left handed (and left eye dominant). I am hoping to use it for hunting (just got that licence as well).

Should I look for an actual left handed shotgun?

Any suggestions on brand/models is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Adam
 
if you are going for anything more then a single shot, over under or side by side, I would be looking for a lefty otherwise you have spent shells going across your face. Brand and models will be based off your budget and what fits you best, as well if you see yourself getting into the skeet games. just my two sense but I fairly new too.
 
Franchi, benelli all make left hand shotguns. I shoot left hand and all my shotguns are right hand with a safety for a leftie and the shells by your face never bothered me.
 
You do not need to get a lefty shotgun. Unless of course you can find one and the price difference is not that much.
If the lefty one is more expensive or not available, get the regular one. I shoot lefty as well, the only thing I NEVER shoot on the wrong side are bullpups. Shotguns are ok.
Even semis, the length of pull is long enough that the extraction will not throw the shell in your face.
Better yet, find a friend to try it out! You will see, no problem.
 
Nic3500 said:
You do not need to get a lefty shotgun. Unless of course you can find one and the price difference is not that much.
If the lefty one is more expensive or not available, get the regular one. I shoot lefty as well, the only thing I NEVER shoot on the wrong side are bullpups. Shotguns are ok.
Even semis, the length of pull is long enough that the extraction will not throw the shell in your face.
Better yet, find a friend to try it out! You will see, no problem.
Click to expand...

Agree 100%. Lefty shooting all right hand shotguns and just about every semi out there over the years and never had I had an issue with the ejected shells in front of my face
Cheers
 
You need to set a budget.

In the $400 range you can get a 500 Mossberg or a 870 Rem pump in left.

Or you can pay the extra bucks for a Browning with its bottom eject which takes care of resale issues if decide to sell it later.
 
fishbum_adam said:
Hey guys,

Razz me all ya want... its all good, but I have never fired a shotgun before. My PAL should arrive in the mail sometime this week, so I can finally look into purchasing my first shotgun. While I've never shot before, I do know I am left handed (and left eye dominant). I am hoping to use it for hunting (just got that licence as well).

Should I look for an actual left handed shotgun?

Any suggestions on brand/models is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Adam
Click to expand...

Well, not having read the other replies above this one...
I'll suggest you buy a single shot shot gun and learn the basics of gun handeling, loading and unloading and general all around capabilities of what a shot gun can and can not do.
But, thats just my thoughts.
Others will chide me...my nomax flight suit has been warm before and is comfy right now.
Rob
 
I shoot left handed and like many of the previous posts I've never had a shell smack me in the face. Mossberg 500s and Remignton 870 make great starter shotguns and if you want to spend a few extra chips, Benelli's have a good reputation.

Gerhard W.
 
If you are looking for a pump shotgun a good choice would be the Browning BPS. Its bottom eject and tang safety are adaptable to either hand.

Benelli and Remington both make semi autos for lefties although you may not be bothered by shells ejecting in your field of vision and any semi will do.

Another issue is fit. Many stocks on o/u and sxs are bent (cast) slightly for right handed shooters. Some semis such as Beretta and Benelli come with shim systems that will permit the stock to be bent to accommodate a right or left handed shooter.

Do you have friends, family or acquaintances with shotguns? The best way to find out what works best is to try and few yourself.
 
I'm a lefty also, never been bothered by shooting a right hand eject shotgun, however when I actually bought my first shotgun I went with a Browning BPS, bottom eject and tang safety are great for a lefty, a little more pricey than the Mossberg or Remingtom Express, but the build quality is awesome and I'm happy I spent the extra dough, good luck in your search, and handle as many as you can before you buy, fit is very important :)
 
It is very rare, but a right hand action can come open and have a negative effect on the shooter. I had a model 1300 fail to lock up one day. It opened up an sprayed the side of my face and ear with burnt powder. Hurt like hell and scared the crap out of me.
I still shoot a few right handed guns but when I can, I buy dedicated LH guns or good ambi models like BPS.
The market is really opening up for lefties these days, there are good reasonably priced shotguns on the market that are worth a look.
 
Rubbish.
I've shot thousands of rounds with 12 ga pump, no issues with being a lefty.

Barnard308 said:
if you are going for anything more then a single shot, over under or side by side, I would be looking for a lefty otherwise you have spent shells going across your face. Brand and models will be based off your budget and what fits you best, as well if you see yourself getting into the skeet games. just my two sense but I fairly new too.
Click to expand...
 
fishbum_adam said:
Hey guys,

Razz me all ya want... its all good, but I have never fired a shotgun before. My PAL should arrive in the mail sometime this week, so I can finally look into purchasing my first shotgun. While I've never shot before, I do know I am left handed (and left eye dominant). I am hoping to use it for hunting (just got that licence as well).

Should I look for an actual left handed shotgun?

Any suggestions on brand/models is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Adam
Click to expand...

Adam:

I understand your sinister problem all too well!

My advice would depend on what you want to hunt, and whether you want a manual-action shotgun or a semi.

If you are aiming at waterfowl, then you will likely want a modern shotgun with interchangeable choke tubes. If you are NOT hunting geese, stick with a 2,3/4 or 3" gun in 12 gauge as a "first, do it all shotgun".

If you are looking at manual actions, consider a good pump gun. Some guys will suggest all sorts of options, but as a lefty and a new shooter who might need to benefit from spare parts availability, I would recommend something based on the Ithaca 37 or 87 action (it's an ambi-dextrous action) or a Remington 870 RIGHT HAND. The 870 ejection is not a problem for lefties. Both guns can be had with modern choke tube barrels and left-handed safeties are readily available for both without having to buy a different trigger group. Some guys swear by the moss berg 500 series shotguns, but I could never get used to the top mounted safety. I always found it non-intuitive. YMMV.

If you are looking at Semi-Autos for waterfoul, there are LOTS of options out there. If you want a very reliable higher-end gun, the usual and most recommended suspects (which can still be had new) are:

- Beretta A400
- Benelli Super Black Eagle 2
- Browning Maxxus
- Winchester SXP

All of those are available in 3.5". In a semi, that is reasonable. I personally would not be too keen to shoot a lot of 3.5" through a pump gun - the recoil is very stiff without the gas being bled off to cycle the action.

Now if we are talking upland game only, the equation changes a lot and a whole different selection of suitable guns are out there. For starters, with upland, you might want to look at a 20 gauge Ithaca 37. Even an older gun in modified or full fixed choke would be a great gun for a lefty.

As a left handed shooter, my "upland" shotgun stable looks like this:

- Remington 870 in 16 gauge with a lefty safety
- Ithaca Model 37 in 12 gauge with full and IC barrels
- Ithaca Model 37 20 gauge with a modified choke
- Remington 870 12 gauge shorty with Remchokes (general purpose beater gun for property walks year round)
- A couple different 12 gauge SXS break actions
- A Merkel 16 gauge Over/Under

All of these selections are very lefty friendly.

I would NOT get a left-handed specific shotgun. They are more expensive up front, resale can be difficult, parts are scarcer, and they offer no real advantage.

Welcome aboard! :)
 
sspike said:
It is very rare, but a right hand action can come open and have a negative effect on the shooter. I had a model 1300 fail to lock up one day. It opened up an sprayed the side of my face and ear with burnt powder. Hurt like hell and scared the crap out of me.
I still shoot a few right handed guns but when I can, I buy dedicated LH guns or good ambi models like BPS.
The market is really opening up for lefties these days, there are good reasonably priced shotguns on the market that are worth a look.
Click to expand...

Absolutely spot on! Plenty of dedicated LH models out there, most only cost 10%-15% more than their RH counterparts. As a lefty, my principal shotgun was a BPS, never had an issue, great gun. Recently bought a LH Franchi Affinity ( same price as RH) and so far am happy with it. I much prefer to rest my cheek and have a view of a solid slab of steel.
 
Claybuster said:
If you are looking for a pump shotgun a good choice would be the Browning BPS. Its bottom eject and tang safety are adaptable to either hand.

Benelli and Remington both make semi autos for lefties although you may not be bothered by shells ejecting in your field of vision and any semi will do.

Another issue is fit. Many stocks on o/u and sxs are bent (cast) slightly for right handed shooters. Some semis such as Beretta and Benelli come with shim systems that will permit the stock to be bent to accommodate a right or left handed shooter.

Do you have friends, family or acquaintances with shotguns? The best way to find out what works best is to try and few yourself.
Click to expand...

^^^This. I've got a BRNO 12 gauge over/under that I simply cannot shoot, fine specimen that it is...
 
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