As a lefty I suggest ignoring the nonsense this topic always excites in some.
Anyone who can switch with equal success gets my salute. I tried and gave up when I had 22 year old eyes! My left side does the fine dexterity work, the right does the heavy lifting. Like most lefties I'm more ambi than most righties and have good dexterity.
The new Savage Axis is available in left in your price range. It is an economy model but Savage has delivered affordable shooters for years. you are asking a lot of a cheaper rifle but it should be doable. The Rem 788 was a lefty that usually shot well and pops up occasionally. The Savage 100 series is the best hope of a used lefty coming available in your range. If I was buying a one new it would be the X bolt but well out of your range. I recently bought a used CZ 527 in 223 lefthand and am very happy, again out of your range. What I do is keep an eye on the classified and if something comes up I pull the trigger quick.
Like some have related I gravitated to the lever action after trying left bolts years ago. The BLR can be had used in your range and the Winchester 100 might work to. I would choose the BLR. The Savage 99 in used is a good shooter for a 243 when available. The 99C with the detachable mag is a good option and not considered collectible. Any Savage 99 rotary magazine rifle would be ideal. It also comes in Savage 250-3000 which would work for deer and coyote. I consider the traditional tube lever to be a true left action. One leaves the trigger hand in place and can single feed rounds effortlessly with the right hand if needed. The Marlin Express and Winchester Big Bore cartridges sneak up on 308 performance but a bit much for coyotes.
In single shot the H&R Handi rifle is often a shooter in the bull barrel models. However much like a Savage bolt it is a love or hate type rifle with strong opinions on both sides. I've owned a Cooey branded Savage right bolt and a new Handi in 22 Hornet with a 1-9 twist. Both rifles shoot well and were trouble free.
Shooting a right hand is a tried and true option and faster than a single shot but I would not want it for running coyotes or deer. I also prefer my gear to fit properly and be designed for me. My only righty is a Lee Enfield for its history as much as anything. I can handle it reasonably fast but it is the handy sized No.5. I read that some benchrest shooters like a left hand bolt with a righthand port so they can leave their trigger hand undisturbed while shooting a string.
Anyone who can switch with equal success gets my salute. I tried and gave up when I had 22 year old eyes! My left side does the fine dexterity work, the right does the heavy lifting. Like most lefties I'm more ambi than most righties and have good dexterity.
The new Savage Axis is available in left in your price range. It is an economy model but Savage has delivered affordable shooters for years. you are asking a lot of a cheaper rifle but it should be doable. The Rem 788 was a lefty that usually shot well and pops up occasionally. The Savage 100 series is the best hope of a used lefty coming available in your range. If I was buying a one new it would be the X bolt but well out of your range. I recently bought a used CZ 527 in 223 lefthand and am very happy, again out of your range. What I do is keep an eye on the classified and if something comes up I pull the trigger quick.
Like some have related I gravitated to the lever action after trying left bolts years ago. The BLR can be had used in your range and the Winchester 100 might work to. I would choose the BLR. The Savage 99 in used is a good shooter for a 243 when available. The 99C with the detachable mag is a good option and not considered collectible. Any Savage 99 rotary magazine rifle would be ideal. It also comes in Savage 250-3000 which would work for deer and coyote. I consider the traditional tube lever to be a true left action. One leaves the trigger hand in place and can single feed rounds effortlessly with the right hand if needed. The Marlin Express and Winchester Big Bore cartridges sneak up on 308 performance but a bit much for coyotes.
In single shot the H&R Handi rifle is often a shooter in the bull barrel models. However much like a Savage bolt it is a love or hate type rifle with strong opinions on both sides. I've owned a Cooey branded Savage right bolt and a new Handi in 22 Hornet with a 1-9 twist. Both rifles shoot well and were trouble free.
Shooting a right hand is a tried and true option and faster than a single shot but I would not want it for running coyotes or deer. I also prefer my gear to fit properly and be designed for me. My only righty is a Lee Enfield for its history as much as anything. I can handle it reasonably fast but it is the handy sized No.5. I read that some benchrest shooters like a left hand bolt with a righthand port so they can leave their trigger hand undisturbed while shooting a string.
Last edited:
