Left or right???

bb07

bb07

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N. Sask.
I'm a southpaw and know I'm not alone here. I grew up using rifles with right hand bolts because that's all there was. I realize left hand bolts have been around for many years now but I have never actually used one. In fact, I've never seen one either, other than in pictures.
Recently I've been giving serious thought to buying one to try it, since borrowing is not an option. I'm just not sure though whether it's something I could actually use, having learned to adapt since childhood to using right handed rifles.

I've tried levers and pumps but bolts are still my favorite.
I'm curious: are there any lefties here that are in the same predicament? Are you still using RH bolts, or did you make the switch? If you did I would really like to hear your thoughts.
 
Had right handed bolts and sold them and went with a left handed tikka and zastava. There are a lot of left handed rifle makers out there. Tikka, browning, Winchester, savage and ruger. Trust me make they change. I have two left handed 6.5x55 so left handed guns are out there.
 
I'm stuck in the same boat. I've always used right handed bolts, but want to try left. I've been thinking about maybe hitting up a gun shop next time I'm in the city to see if anyone has one in stock just to see if I like the ergonomics. I suppose you could also order something inexpensive like a Savage Axis to try it out and if it doesn't work out sell it on the EE. Seems to be plenty of lefties around these days.
 
Not quite the same, but related...

I'm a southpaw as well and started shooting from my left side. Then I discovered that I was right eye dominant, so a few years back, I decided to switch over to the right side. The transition was slightly awkward, but not too difficult to make. I found what really helped was to periodically, throughout the day, mentally visualize raising a rifle to my right side and cycling it. In a couple of months it became a completely natural feeling to me, and I now feel slightly awkward when I raise a rifle on my left side.

So, if you want to make the switch (a lot of lefties are quite happy with right handed rifles), I don't think it'll be that difficult. Your body will pick up the mechanics fine, but you'll have to train your brain to make it a natural feeling.

Good luck!
 
Made the switch. Still plenty of right handed rifles in the arsenal, but most new purchases are lefty if they are available.
 
I grew up shooting my father's right handed rifles left handed. They all worked quite well from the opposite side, but when I started putting together my own collection of firearms I found a LH rifle and started using it. The transition was effortless and now I much prefer LH over RH. Take heed of stickhunter's post though, because if you are right eye dominant it might be more beneficial to teach yourself how to shoot according to you eye dominance than shooting a rifle that caters to your "handedness".
 
Once a good technique is acquired for manipulating the bolt on a right hand action, the south-paw has little trouble with it, and may in fact discover that the left hand action feels foreign to him. But with a bit of practice it will come quickly enough. Last year I got my son (age 32) a LH Ruger Hawkeye, and at first he complained it felt funny, but by the end of the first day all was good. His Ithica M-37 remains his favorite though.
 
I bought a left handed shotgun a few years ago and got rid of it. I'm too used to loading guns with my right hand. I can still cycle a right handed bolt gun pretty damn fast. The moose I shot in 2009 took 4 in the chest from my model 700 in .35 whelen. My dad was about a mile away and told me later he didn't think it could have been me, it sounded like two guys shooting at once.
 
kyle700 said:
4 double lung hits on a running animal isn't too bad, I don't think. If you don't believe in giving a fatally hit animal another shot to bring it down that much faster, then why carry a repeater?
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Relax. I'm just teasing. Did you happen to notice the emoticon?
 
I am a south paw and somewhat new to firearms. My experience was limited to air powered and rimfire over the years at the cottage. I've had my pal a couple months and after researching my first purchase I came to the conclusion that I'm not going to spend my hard earned money on the "wrong" hand. I passed up a few very attractive deals on right handed bolt action rifles but ended up paying top dollar for the caliber I wanted in a tikka left hand. What's a few hundred bucks over a lifetime?
Would you buy a baseball glove, hockey stick or golf clubs in the wrong hand? :)
 
Thanks guys, lots of good advice has been given and I appreciate the various view points, it all helps.
The bottom line here is, the only way I'm going to know is to try a left hand bolt and decide for myself.:)
Until I do that I'll have to remain on the fence. In a way I hope I don't like a LH, because if I do then God help the bank account as I'm the sort that would go whole hog and change all my other bolt rifles over;)
 
This is a no brainer , If you took your firearms course . Your Instructor would have advised you that using the wrong handed firearm would blow up half of your face if a back fire occures . What more do you need to understand use the right gun for your needs . There is no compromise to safety .
 
capgun said:
There is no compromise to safety .
Click to expand...

I agree with you there but it's also safe to say that there's inherent danger in everything we do in our daily lives. I wouldn't want to have a blow up with any action type, left or right.
Left hand firearms haven't been around all that long in the grand scheme of things. When was the first LH bolt rifle made? Ten years ago? Twenty? I don't know, but I do know there was no such thing when I first started shooting in the '60's.
Although they are becoming more common, certainly they aren't plentiful by any means. Better late than never though, as I'm at least looking into making the switch.
 
After 30 years I bought my first LH rifle this fall. Absolutely love it! Don't know why I waited so long. After the first 10 rounds the awkwardness goes away and it just feels soooo right! Toughest thing I had to get used to was having the safety on the left side. That's a bit more awkward but definitely safer. Go for the switch. Buy it in 7mm and if you don't like having the LH rifle let me know :)
 
i'm a southpaw as well.

i had a 22 blow up in my face as a teenager and will never forget it. had glasses on, but if not it wouldn't have been good.

as soon as i was able to, i bought a blr in 308, yeah i know its not a leftie, but in the 80's there wasn't much selection.

now i've got a h&r survivot in 308, and LH savages in 243, 308 and 30-06.

i experienced what a 22 does when things go wrong, i never want to see the results of a hunting rifle blow back!
 
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