Need sounding board for left handed issues - my first rifle

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Salamander

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Good afternoon,

I just passed my firearm safety exam and am anticipating being able to purchase my first rifle somewhere in February. Meanwhile, I have been going deep in the internet rabbit hole to find solutions to several challenges I am facing. Although I think I found the solutions that work best for me, any insights would be helpful.

As a father of 3, money is a little tight. Taking this into consideration, I am planning to buy a high power air rifle, a Diana model 42, to learn how to shoot properly before I graduate myself to the big league. This way, I can hunt small game too. For big game, the biggest I see myself going for for now is deer (I live in the Ottawa Valley).

Now, I read that in the event that there is a gas build up due to some error from my part on handling my rifle properly, each rifle is designed to explode in a specific area that is usually made to accommodate right handed people. Being a lefty, this means I have either to live with using right armed rifles that will blow in my face if I prove Murphy’s Law, or I chose the more careful route and stay away from anything that can blow in my face.

I can make some choices with regards to my first rifle, but a raid of the rifle store taking me back 10000$ is simply out of the question. Actually, if I can save some money in buying a second hand rifle, that would be my best bet. So finding a left handed bolt rifle is possible, but not as much as finding a lever action rifle with a top ejection port is probably my safest bet for a functional rifle.

Taking everything in consideration, I think my best bet is to find a 30-30 with a top ejection port and hand load my rounds. I am reading about casting boolits, but there are affordable reloading options in this caliber. Thoughts?

The lever caliber I like the best seems to be 38-55, but this would be shooting myself in the foot according to what I read due to the sheer rarity of the bullets and the total obligation to cast if you want to make it in this caliber.

A 45-70 lever rifle sure attracts my attention, but this seems like the kind of project I should take on when my kids are out the door and I have the money and time to dedicate to this noble cartridge.

I would like to hear from anyone that can share useful information here for me.

Regards,

Salamander
 
Did you mean a Diana 48? 42 would be a used market only. On the subject of small game you might enjoy a break action Savage 22LR/410bore or 20ga combination more in the long run... it costs a bit up front but is more versatile and covers all small game.

30-30wcf is adequate for deer. There are left hand options in other actions if you aren't set on a lever action Winchester 94: You will find the used market for M94 appealing but new models are expensive and not everyone will like a 94: you'll need to try them. I'd suggest a left hand bolt action in ~7mm-08. Remington slide action 760/7600 can be found in 300savage, 308w, 270, 30-06. etc. Savage 99 in rimmed and rimless rounds are economical and quality options. Unless the function being a lefty is a hindrance, you would be in no greater peril than a righty in a catastrophic gun failure. In quality guns these only happen because of a neglect by someone: barrel obstruction would be #1 reason but the guy who loaded the wrong powder and walked away with a few scars, ringing ears and brown pants won't be the last. There have been a few cases of quality control in factory ammo... very few. It's something to respect, not live in fear of. Being dilligent in reloading like most makes it very safe: checking for barrel obstruction before loading (or after an incident one might have introduced material into muzzle) or after a discharge that was not right are just simple and easy things to do.
 
Thank you, this is very useful. There is nothing like conversing with someone with experience.

Yes, brain fart in my part, Diana 48 is what I was planning to get first. I see what you mean for usefulness factor regarding the savage 99.

The fact is I am a pretty bad shot. I am going to sign up to a shooting club range, but I foresee slinging a lot of lead before I feel comfortable aiming at animals.
 
As a left eye dominant father of 3, I feel your pain. I currently shoot a Remington 700, it was used, cost me $700. Not cheap, but not all that expensive either. A used savage can be found for even cheaper if you are willing to shop around and aren't picky about the caliber.

If you're that concerned with the rifle blowing up in your face you're better off using factory ammo. Using hand loads would increase the likelihood something goes wrong, not decrease it. (personally its not something I worry about.)

If I were you, I'd buy a lefty savage Mk ii to start (they're $300). With that you can either learn to shoot the iron sights or slap a scope on it. This will allow you affordable practice until you get comfortable enough to hunt.

Then I would buy a left handed bolt action in a centrefire caliber - 270win is a good choice in Ontario because of the laws in southern Ontario but I suspect that is less important if you're in Ottawa. 308win is another good option as a general purpose hunting round.
 
Best bett is finding a older used rifle, look around, be patience. If you could find a older savage 110, they were the first factory rifle to be produced in left handed, later win 94 were side eject so they would be more lefty friendly.
Being a lefty in a harder job, finding a good rifle in left hand is a search.
 
MilitaryCollectorMark said:
Best bett is finding a older used rifle, look around, be patience. If you could find a older savage 110, they were the first factory rifle to be produced in left handed, later win 94 were side eject so they would be more lefty friendly.
Being a lefty in a harder job, finding a good rifle in left hand is a search.
Click to expand...

Unless you want one in 300wsm/win mag. Those ####ers go on the EE all the time Lol
 
That "Left Handed" issue does add a wrinkle to the possibilities. My late friend, shooting and hunting buddy was left handed, and I watched him spend a lifetime looking for the ideal shooter.

As far fetched as it may sound, have you considered learning how to shoot right handed. As foreign as it may seem, it is something you can learn. Several years ago I started participating in Cowboy Action, and one of the categories is double duelist, one handgun shot in each hand in succession. I made sure I was by myself, with only the range officer occasionally glancing my way. I'm sure he was wondering what I was doing. Just about every movement was foreign to me, especially cocking the gun. And a gun that felt good in my right did not feel comfortable in my left. I've been shooting this style for 3 years now. It's not entirely second nature, but I feel proud knowing that I learnt a new skill. I do not have very good eye dominance, so when I shoot left I close my right eye, and vice-versa.

Given the amount of discouragement left hand dominant humans face from the first day they reach their left hand out to grab something, I believe, if there was a hint of ambidextrous skills in you, you would not he left handed today. The subject did come up more than once at the coffee table at work, including stories of parent, and teachers, tying the persons hand behind behind their back to "encourage" them to be "Right".

Enough on that, but I will say that paying up and buying a decent left handed bolt gun is pretty sound advice. This would apply to hunting rifles mostly, but is also a good place to start with 22 RF rifles as well. Lever guns and semi-autos are a little less awkward, but they are still a compromise. On a budget, a break action single shot rifle is just about as handy, left or right. BTW, some of the higher end single shot break actions are far from budget.

One of the lefties a work had a LH Rem 700 in 7mm RM and a Ruger #1 in 6mm Rem, (as you can tell by the calibre, that was few years ago)
Browning T-Bolt in LH is a sweet rig.
Anschutz makes a nice LH 22.
There are others.

I only brought up one child, a son, and had a heck of a time getting him to respect a "BB" gun. Kids just seem to treat these as toys. Next was a Henry Mini Bolt, and it did not stick around long, not highly endorsed by me. Luckily they grow up fast. We went through a bunch. Just saying, be prepared to buy a few different ones when mentoring the kids. Fortunately they are all easy to resell.

Other than some of the LH challenges, I'm sure you'll enjoy the shooting sports.

She's not LH, but a great shooter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kNZsrlct9s&ab_channel=Autumn%27sArmory
 
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First off Congrats on the PAL.

As others have said I would suggest a .22lr over an air rifle.

I don't know about any special caliber restrictions for Southern Ontario, but I typically suggest .243, 270 win, 308, or 6.5 cr (though I love 7mm-08). Nothing wrong with 30-30, just lever actions are really pricy and your still kind of ejecting into your face, also did I mention the cost. It may also be worth thinking about a pump or semi. Additionally Ballistically the other suggestions are a touch better, not enough to really make a difference under 200 yards, but there is a difference.

As for rifles the used market is a great place is you have time, but left handed can be harder to come by (as you are likely experiencing), for that reason a lot of lefties end up shooting right handed, which opens up far more options. Have a look on the Exchange, #######, or or local firearms vendors. Perhaps let some of the vendors know what you're in the market for and see if they can help out.

Alternately, new left handed savage axis, ruger America, etc are great inexpensive rifles.

As a parting thought to ease your mind a bit. Don't worry about being "cheap" with modern firearms. Modern firearms there is very little performance difference between all price points the fit and finishes and features change, but the actual raw put a bullet into a spot is identical. Premium ammo and a decent optic make a bigger difference than a $500 vs $2000 rifle. Sub moa cool, but overrated, just make sure you can group a soft ball size batch.
 
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I am impressed by the amount of answers in such a short time! I took note of the brands and am starting to read on ammo suggestions and rifle.

As for the suggestion of learning to shoot right handed, the thought crossed my mind. I am left eye dominant but I don’t think it would be impossible to learn. I picked the lever action with top ejection port so I can actually learn to do that, eventually.

If what I am told is true, I should always first learn to shoot with the dominant eye. Also, I realized during my firearm safety course how awkward it is to hold a rifle the right hand way. Being said that, I can write from both hands so there is definitely potential to be ambidextrous with a rifle.

I guess m best bet is once I have my PAL to go to a range and get the hands-on safety course and try different types of rifles before I make my mind about what I want.

Once again, my thanks for your insight.
 
The nice thing is there are plenty of left hand rifles out there, I would expect most stores to have a few. The crappy thing is the manufacturers that cater to the left hand market are limited so there's lots of things you can't get in a lefty, luckily a decent hunting rifle is one thing you absolutely can get. The manufacturers that do cater to leftys include Tikka, Browning, Remington, and Savage, but don't expect every model to be available.

A lot of right handed guns can be used lefty too, I don't own a left handed shotgun or 22 thus far. The one thing I would want to point out about many guns that seem lefty friendly is to consider the safety - a right handed cross bolt safety is pain in the arse as a lefty. That's why I sold my Maverick 88 and bought a 500 with the tang safety.

Some guns you can reverse that style of safety, like a Remington 870 (possibly the remington pump action rifles too?) but not all of them.
 
Some good points made already.

I too would recommend a left handed rifle in 22LR to start, but as your budget is tight, an air rifle is not a poor choice, as they are inexpensive and can be fired cheaply and in most cases safely in areas other than a gun range. The biggest learning here is safe gun handling, shooting form and trigger control. Learning to shoot with open sights and a scope are good skills to master, and will transfer to your "hunting" rifle later, whether it be a lever action or a bolt action (or even a single shot or other action type).

Yes, safety of the action's design is a consideration that many discuss and bring up, but failures are few and far between for those who practice good handling and shooting and handloading practices. As mentioned the biggest culprit is foreign objects in the barrel, followed by poor handloading practices. I too, do not worry about this too much as I practice good gun handling and reloading practices; due diligence is the key to safety!

As a left eye dominant shooter, I learned to shoot right handed rifles first, and it was not until in my adulthood when I could afford to buy my own left handed rifle, before I ever got to handle one. Probably why I have such an affinity for lever actions, as they were friendlier to the left handed shooter than the bolt actions. For bolt actions, I never felt comfortable reaching over to manipulate the bolt; I prefer to bring the right hand back to manipulate the bolt, keeping my rifle mounted at the shoulder with my left, and maintaining my sight picture on my target as I reloaded, so as to be quicker on follow up shots if needed.

For the bolt actions, most are built with failsafes that help redirect gases away from the shooter should there be a case rupture, so in many instances the gases do not come straight back at the shooters face, but can come back as the action is more open on the side. Again, not a big concern for me. The same can be said for many of the pump and semi-auto action firearms. I do own rimfires and shotguns in right handed configurations as there are very few of these made in left hand. In over 42 years, I have not had an issue.

As a father on a tight budget, there are some inexpensive options available to you for a left handed rifle, as mentioned above. I would recommend the Ruger American rifle has a good choice, as the one my uncle had and I set up and sighted in for him, shot very well with inexpensive factory ammunition. I cannot speak from first hand experience as to the Savage Axis.

While many of the other left handed rifles listed above cost more, you can find used left handed rifles for decent prices from Ruger (Model 77 or Hawkeye), Remington (Model 700), Tikka (T3), and Savage. More expensive options will be available from Sako, Sauer, Weatherby and Steyr.
Pick a rifle in a caliber that will work well on deer that is legal in your area (such as 243 Win, 6mm Rem, 250 Savage, 260 Rem, 6.5x55, 270 Win, 7mm-08, 7x57, 280 Rem and/or 30-06).

If you are still looking at a lever action rifle, there is Winchester in Models 64, 88, and 94, Marlin 336 variants, Savage Model 99, Browning BLR's and Henry's in 243 Win, 25-35, 250 Savage, 257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, 270 Win, 7-30 Waters, 284 Win, 30-30, 307 Win, 308 Win and 30-06. There are also the 38-55 that you mentioned and the newer 375 Win, both of which would also work well on black bear and moose at shorter ranges (out to 100-130 yards). A little larger and heavier in recoil would be the 356 and 358 Win. The 45-70 would also work, but is more than what is necessary for deer. Great too for moose and black bear; both good table fare for your growing family. Lots to choose from!

I also like the single shots, although I own fewer of this type of firearm.

Learning to shoot from your strong and weak side is always a good skill to master, as there may come a time when you need to be able to handle a firearm from either hand or eye. I have done so, as I have always thought of what I may have to do if I get a stick in the eye while out hunting and need to shoot from my non-dominant eye; and then a couple of years later I had to shoot a bear that charged me, I switched hands to shoot again as I moved around an obstacle for my follow up shot as the bear turned and ran away after taking the first hit at very close range. Proved useful in the field!

As time goes by and finances permit, you may be able to upgrade your firearms to higher end rifles, and/or add to your collection. These that you buy first, you may keep to introduce your kids to hunting and shooting, so remain a great investment for the future. This brings up another point that may influence your budget; firearms are a tool that can be used to harvest game and feed your family, thereby paying for themselves. And they are or may become a family heirloom to be treasured and handed down to your kids/grandchildren in years to come.

Best of luck in your quest and future adventures for you and your family!
 
Salamander said:
I am impressed by the amount of answers in such a short time! I took note of the brands and am starting to read on ammo suggestions and rifle.

As for the suggestion of learning to shoot right handed, the thought crossed my mind. I am left eye dominant but I don’t think it would be impossible to learn. I picked the lever action with top ejection port so I can actually learn to do that, eventually.

If what I am told is true, I should always first learn to shoot with the dominant eye. Also, I realized during my firearm safety course how awkward it is to hold a rifle the right hand way. Being said that, I can write from both hands so there is definitely potential to be ambidextrous with a rifle.

I guess m best bet is once I have my PAL to go to a range and get the hands-on safety course and try different types of rifles before I make my mind about what I want.

Once again, my thanks for your insight.
Click to expand...

I’m a left eye dominant shooter like yourself, and I’ve found top ejection lever rifles fling the spent brass right at my forehead when shot from the left side. Not a big deal, but it’s a pain in the ass having to rotate the rifle every time you want to cycle the action.

Personally, I’d opt for a used left handed Ruger American if I were you. They’re within your budget, and cartridge selection is excellent.
 
Buy a left hand bolt action rifle and learn to use it... it can easily be your go to rifle for 50 years... don't cheap out...

Post 5 is a horrid idea
 
Hirsch said:
I’m a left eye dominant shooter like yourself, and I’ve found top ejection lever rifles fling the spent brass right at my forehead when shot from the left side. Not a big deal, but it’s a pain in the ass having to rotate the rifle every time you want to cycle the action.

Personally, I’d opt for a used left handed Ruger American if I were you. They’re within your budget, and cartridge selection is excellent.
Click to expand...

The value you get in the budget rifles has really fallen off IMO. When I bought my Savage Axis like 5-6 years ago it cost me $235 and came with a scope on it from the factory. Today, that same rifle without a scope is retailing for like $400-500. Ruger American, Rem 783, etc are all hitting that $500 mark or more. $500-600 should be enough to get a used rifle that has superior build quality to the bargain basement options available from most manufacturers. My Rem 700 cost me $700, but it came with an aftermarket stock and an aftermarket magazine conversion.

If the OP wants to buy new, then you'll have to decide what things you prefer, as they all have drawbacks - Savage Axis has heavy bolt lift, Ruger Americans have a bad reputation for the bolt sounding like a zipper due to small ridges left over from machining. I'm not sure if anyone else is making lefty versions of their budget rifles. My advise would be to try and get your hands on both an Axis and an American and decide in person which one you prefer.

guntech said:
Buy a left hand bolt action rifle and learn to use it... it can easily be your go to rifle for 50 years... don't cheap out...

Post 5 is a horrid idea
Click to expand...

Sometimes cheaping out is the only way to get in the game. I know it was for me when I was a university student with a family.
 
Yeah, buy a older used savage 110, bought one a couple of weeks ago for just a smidge over $500, mint condition in .270 win, the nice thing about 110 is that you can change calibres very easy, just a barrel swap and your good to go.
 
Suther said:
The value you get in the budget rifles has really fallen off IMO. When I bought my Savage Axis like 5-6 years ago it cost me $235 and came with a scope on it from the factory. Today, that same rifle without a scope is retailing for like $400-500. Ruger American, Rem 783, etc are all hitting that $500 mark or more. $500-600 should be enough to get a used rifle that has superior build quality to the bargain basement options available from most manufacturers. My Rem 700 cost me $700, but it came with an aftermarket stock and an aftermarket magazine conversion.

If the OP wants to buy new, then you'll have to decide what things you prefer, as they all have drawbacks - Savage Axis has heavy bolt lift, Ruger Americans have a bad reputation for the bolt sounding like a zipper due to small ridges left over from machining. I'm not sure if anyone else is making lefty versions of their budget rifles. My advise would be to try and get your hands on both an Axis and an American and decide in person which one you prefer.



Sometimes cheaping out is the only way to get in the game. I know it was for me when I was a university student with a family.
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You’re not wrong. I’ve seen (and heard) more than one Ruger American that fits that description.

All have been accurate though, so there’s that.
 
I got a left handed Ruger Mkii in .270 for a very good price last year, likely because the previous owner didn't realize he was using the wrong scope rings. A very nice shooting rifle for $600, hard to beat that.
 
Hirsch said:
You’re not wrong. I’ve seen (and heard) more than one Ruger American that fits that description.

All have been accurate though, so there’s that.
Click to expand...

I was browsing a sponsor retailer earlier today, $699 for a Ruger American! That's a lot of money for a "cheap" rifle!
 
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