Best left-handed hunting rifles

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wildphil24

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Lately I researched options for a new hunting rifle, hoping it would be the last.

Minimal requirements:
-full left-handed bolt action
-.308win with detachable magazines
-around 7 pounds naked
-stainless 20in fluted barrel, sporter profile
-adjustable cheek-riser
-great reliability and accuracy

Extra points for:
-cerakote
-lateral qd cups instead of bottom studs
-limbsaver recoil pad
-many aftermarkets stocks options
-60 degree bolt rotation

Here are my top contenders and their shortcomings at the moment:
- Sako 90 Adventure, lack of aftermarket support, 200$ per magazine
SYBW3114B8530B3.jpg
- Tikka T3X Lite, stock to upgrade, long action for a short caliber
Tikka-Left-Hand-T3X-Lite-Veil-Wideland-300-Win-Mag-24-Barrel-JRTXVW431R10_102660507_87170_B42...jpeg
- Bergara Widerness Sierra, reports of uneven bolt lugs and other QC issues
bergara-b14-wilderness-sierra-lh-001__53956.jpg

Christensen and Antler have some models. But for the price of a Sako, they don't offer the same level of reputation.

Ruger, Remington and Browning offer some models. But they seem like a lesser rifle than the Sako 90.

Is your S90 as great as the gun writers say it is?
Am I missing your favorite?
Any suggestion?
 
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I’d go with a tikka or x-bolt over the rest to be honest. The Sako might be great, but the other two get things done.

As a lefty I run a Steyr model M and a rebarreled 788 that I shortened OAL by creating and moving forward the trigger by 30mm in a custom CF stock.
 
As a lefty I shoot a Rem700. Browning and Tikka are my front-runners for a replacement if I decide to give the Remington to one of my kids.
 
My wife runs a Tikka T3 in 30-06. She likes it. I prefer my CZ 557 or Weatherby Vanguard..... but I shoot right.
 
I’d say Antlers reputation is far superior to Christensen Arms. Seeing as Antler made the original fierce rifles and when fierce originally switched to American manufacturers people used to say “hope you got one of the Canadian made ones”

They don’t have the history of Sako but do make great firearms.

On the Tikka side of things (my personal vote.) you mention long action with a short action cartridge but also mention a weight limit which the Tikka meets so does it really matter?

I’ve heard good things about Xbolts but haven’t shot one yet. (Hopefully will in the future.)

Bergara again I have zero experience with.

At the Sako price point you could start to look at a custom build. With lots of options around between American and Canadian made:

For me the first choice would be a T3X followed by Sako then Antler. As a lefty I always drift back to building switch barrels or customs on Tikka actions so I’m not limited on magazine lengths. I run them similar to an XM length action.

B
 
Thanks for the input guys, keep them coming.
I'll have to look at Steyr offering, don't hear much about them.
Edit: well Steyr don't offer much, a couple woodstock models.
 
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It's really hard to not recommend tikka to anyone. When I was looking in 2015 my criteria was similar to yours. I ended up with a lefty t3 stainless and it was an excellent choice. It's been a great rifle and taken a few deer, bear, one elk, and a pair of moose. It currently sits in a stockys vg2 and burris ff 3-9×40 and weighs 6lb 11oz with no mag. The drops in the ballistic plex reticle work out perfectly with my load of the 155 scenar at 2950fps out to 600 yards. Farther than I would ever shoot at game with that rifle. It also shoot the 150 ttsx to a very similar poi to 300yards which is about the farthest that bullet will expand at.

The tikkas in my safe have multiplied significantly since I got that one and never had one that wasn't a shooter.
 
bdb.hunting said:
On the Tikka side of things (my personal vote.) you mention long action with a short action cartridge but also mention a weight limit which the Tikka meets so does it really matter?
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I'd think it matters for the overall length and bolt operation. To save useless bolt travel you can stop it's course ahead but then run the risk of short stroking it.
 
I don't have the specific ones I'm thinking of but I'll throw in a lever action for consideration. Browning or Henry - can't get more left friendly than a lever, and faster on the follow ups since you're not breaking cheek weld to run a bolt.

I do have left hand bolt guns, but they are bench rifles (Savage and Tikka)
 
wildphil24 said:
I'd think it matters for the overall length and bolt operation. To save useless bolt travel you can stop its course ahead but then run the risk of short stroking it.
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I happen to have a short action and a tikka action handy. When I get home in a week I’ll take some measurements to see what it saves as far as bolt throw cause now I’m interested in the difference now.

B
 
OP, you have mentioned eleven requests. Why don’t you have one built to fulfill those requests? A custom rifle can be made for the same price as a Sako 90, or around the $3,000 price range.
 
The wife's is a lefty and we picked up a Bergara for her as she really liked my Bergara, only it was backwards for her.
We got her the HMR, not one of the Wilderness series as she doesn't like those stocks, and she is very happy with it.
 
track said:
OP, you have mentioned eleven requests. Why don’t you have one built to fulfill those requests? A custom rifle can be made for the same price as a Sako 90, or around the $3,000 price range.
Click to expand...
$3000 is very optimistic for a custom rifle anymore. Not sure how you will pull that off.
 
Ive got many a left handed rifles. My favourite factory ones for NOT magnums or heavy recoil is the Browning A-Bolt 1s or 2s. Accuracy maybe isnt the greatest of all factory rifles, but they're light, point fast and shoot to huntjng accuracy.

My 2nd would be a tikka t3 or t3x. I wouldn't care about a fluted barrel, looks cool, but a sporter barrel will still be lighter than any fluted heavy barrel.

And you happen to be the luckiest man on earth, I think a left handed stainless Winchester model 70 in 308 might be one of if not the best legtnhanded short action ever made. But again, short of being the luckiest person on earth, you'll probably never cross paths with one....
 
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