Left-handed bolt action or Stag LH AR?

[Dryft]

Considering there is essentially nothing similar between a bolt action and an AR, this question is essentially a toss-up, isn't it?

I'm looking for something to take to the range, shoot out to the three hundred yard berm if I want, and basically really enjoy having in the gun cabinet! Since .223 is such a commonly available and inexpensive round these days, I'm almost certain I want to go in that direction, but am having a tough time deciding which direction to go in re: bolt vs. AR!

I do have a billet AR lower in the closet, so anything past that would just be ordering, but have no problem letting it sit there longer. Money is an object, so thanks for not suggesting buy both! Keeping the whole project under a grand would be ideal. (Glass obviously can get really expensive, so let's stick to the firearm first, and I will consider upgrading scopes as time passes - as there are some solidly made, reasonably priced scopes out there.)

Thanks for any and all suggestions y'all can make - I really appreciate your input.

 

[creeper1956]

I'm a lefty, and I find no practical use for a LH AR... you can fit ambi controls (if you actually need them), and left hand ejection/forward assist is more a "selling feature" than something beneficial. (when was the last time you used a FA? )
As to the LH bolt gun... I shot competitive benchrest for about 20 years with right bolt/right port, left bolt/left port and left bolt/right port and I can tell you that, from the bench, LB/RP is a wonderful thing. For hunting or general purpose, the LB/LP works just fine.

So, to sum up... I don't care what you do, or how much you spend, but if you get a bolt gun, get a LB and if you intend to shoot from the bench a lot, start thinking about a custom action (Stolle, BAT, Viper, Borden, Surgeon, Farley, Nesika Bay, Hall etc.) so you can get LB/RP.

Cheers,
C

 

[MaterDei]

What else do you already have? Do you have an AR or a bolt gun already? Get what you don't already have. If you don't have either I suppose my vote would be the AR so that you can put the lower you have to use. That lower is an acorn sitting in your closet yearning to become a mighty oak.

 

[Fiv3r]

As a lefty, I have to have a smooth operating bolt in order to use a right handed gun. It's not terrible, but I don't shoot bolt guns enough to by a dedicated LH model.
I have a Stag 2L because I wanted one and my local gun guy had one. I don't need a LH rifle, but it's nice to have ONE gun taylored to my needs. The Stag is a lot of fun.

 

[lefteyedom]

I agree with Creeper, a LH AR is a solution in search of a problem...
That said,

If you don't have an operational AR in your gun cabinet then build one.
A $1000 on top of the lower you already have would build a nice rifle.

I love my left hand rifles, but the fact is they can be hard to trade or sell if you want to use them for another project.

If you decide to go with a bolt action rifle try a Savage, swapping barrels and bolt faces are very easy to do. Last night I swapped my 338 win mag barrel for a 300 win mag barrel. It took all of ten minutes.

 

[creeper1956]

I love my left hand rifles, but the fact is they can be hard to trade or sell if you want to use them for another project.

Agree completely... but, when that "one special guy" does, eventually, find your listing, they just about climb through the computer trying to get the gun.

 

[desidog]

I'm a lefty. I agree with the lack of interest in lefty ARs. Just get an ambi safety and MAGAZINE release.

I'd go with a CZ 527 in lefty bolt guns in .223.

Also take a look at the Beretta CX-4. They're the most lefty friendly semi auto out there. You can swap the safety , ejection, mag release, and charging handle to either side in minutes.

Also, if its a sweet lefthanded bolt rifle, buy it and keep it forever. Initial cost won't matter after years of enjoyment. It's tough to find nice ones.

ETA: I wrote "bolt release" instead of magazine release up above... I like the Troy Ambi-Mag release...No need for an ambi bolt release, IMO.

 

[Rexster]

I am a lefty, and prefer right-handed AR15 rifles. The AR15, except for the safety lever, is quite lefty-friendly, to the extent of being righty-unfriendy, in my opinion. (Notice how the Magpul B.A.D. was developed to make the AR15 more righty-friendly.) Moreover, the Stag LH rifles have the forward-assist and charging handle latch positioned to interfere with each other.

I do own one LH bolt rifle, a Winchester, though it is chambered in .375 H&H, so it is not very economical to use for extensive range sessions. I have fired it enough to know I do not want to spend money on a RH bolt rifle, except for military rifles which are available only as RH. I would love to someday acquire a really nice LH bolt rifle in .223.

I did put together an AR15; a BCM Lightweight Middy upper, on an S&W M&P15 lower. My wife likes it! I have a pair of Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifles that I favor.

 

[DM~]

My AR is a righty, but all of my "other" user guns are LH. I don't buy a gun for me, just to trade it off later. I make wise decisions and buy what i want and will work for my needs and i keep them.

I buy them to use, and i expect them to fit me and help to make me the best shot i can be, that's why i got away from RH bolt guns LONG ago! A LH bolt gun has everything where it SHOULD be, and it's in the same place on all of my bolt guns.

As for AR's, right or left, they are very close to the same, and i bought mine for another reason, so i bought a STD AR because it fits that reason.

DM

 

[oneounceload]

As another LH, I find no need for some of the variations - I have both RH and LH bolt guns.

For 300 yards, think 6mm BR - you will need to handload, but when you get the load that makes one ragged hold with 10 shots, you'll really have some fun

 

[USAF_Vet]

Another southpaw here. I'd vote for the lefty bolt gun.

I have an AR, and with my big hands and long fingers, I can release the bolt with my trigger finger. I don't have a FA on my rifle, and never used it when I was on active duty, so I don't miss it, on either side of the gun. I will drop in an ambi safety eventually, but I'm fine with flipping the safety with my thumb for now, just like I did in the service.

I own two bolt actions, a Mosin M-44 and an Arisaka type 38. The 38 is a safe queen due to lack of cheap ammo and the fact that it's an heirloom passed down to me.

The M-44 gets a workout at the range virtually every trip due to the abundance of cheap ammo. But, as a lefty, I find myself wanting a left handed bolt action. The M-44 bolt is not the smoothest thing in the world, and if it were a turned down bolt, I'd never shoot it. It's a pain enough as it is to cycle the standard bolt.

The Savage Axis LH is on my short list. Just need to decide on a caliber.

 

[Dryft]

Hey y'all,

Thanks for all the good advice and personal experiences - as we're all aware, knowing is half the battle! Since I'm not in a huge rush, I think what I really need to do is spend a little more time trying guns out - which is difficult up here in Maine actually.

I really do like the idea and concept of the modular AR system, and how building a solid lower can create a foundation for a variety of uppers - because, while .223 may be a solid platform for a lot of activities, slapping something bigger on top once in a while sounds fun too!

For the lefties who run ARs - I guess the biggest "problem" is brass ejection, any issues?

Thanks again everyone!

 

[hentown]

I'd just get a r.h. AR. There have been several million solders and marines who used M-16s and its variants over the years, and a lot of those folks were left-handed. There weren't any left-handed M-16 type rifles used by the military.

 

[desidog]

For the lefties who run ARs - I guess the biggest "problem" is brass ejection, any issues?

No. As long as you don't use a slick-side (with no brass deflector bump) upper receiver it should not be an issue. (a slick-sided AR that is over-gassed could be a problem.)

 

[greyling22]

I have both lefty bolt 223 and an AR with left safety. Used them both at the range exclusively. Bought the lefty bolt gun, shot great, low recoil, lots of fun. Next I started with the AR with a red dot, but found ammo so expensive that I generally shot it from a bag. so I put a scope on it to hit better. then swapped the upper for a target upper to reduce the extraordinarily loud muzzle blast, then decided the recoil noise was so loud that it just wan't any fun to shoot. And the trigger, with my cheap mods, still wasn't very good.

So here's my take: if you want to shoot lots of bullets and don't need scoped accuracy, a red dotted AR is for you. It will wow more folks at the range and give you a manly feeling. (speedboat)

If you want something more pleasant to shoot in terms of ergonomics and noise, get a bolt gun. (sailboat)

(yes, you can make an AR into a target rifle with aftermarket trigger, target upper, nice scope, suppressor, learn to deal with the buffer slamming around by your ear, and it will shoot the lights out. but it's not for me. I tried it. I really tried to love the AR. Now I'm parting mine out and buying stuff I enjoy more)

 

[pseudonymity]

I built a LH AR on the Stag upper for my son, and it runs just fine. It added a bit to the overall price, but I actually wanted the rifle to be a bit unique anyway. The Stag uppers take regular parts except for the upper, carrier and bolt so replacement parts are not that much of an issue. The dust cover opens upwards though, which is not a problem but definitely looks unusual.

Firing RH rifles on a wide bench, he often gets brass thrown onto his support arm when the rifle is on a front rest or bipod. From other positions or with a sling, it does not matter.

 

[USAF_Vet]

No. As long as you don't use a slick-side (with no brass deflector bump) upper receiver it should not be an issue. (a slick-sided AR that is over-gassed could be a problem.)

I run a slick side DPMS upper. Usually the brass goes off into no-mans-land, but on occasion, I get a piece in the crook of my right elbow.

 

[greyling22]

no brass in face issues with right hand AR's with shell deflector.

 

[LynC2]

I own both RH & LH AR's and bolt action rifles. As far as operation I can easily run both, but my reason for having LH rifles is partly for safety. If one has ever seen or experienced an out of battery firing, ruptured case or primer piercing the results can be most unpleasant if one were to be looking into the ejection port when it occurs.
The other reasons I have LH AR's is because I shoot NRA highpower match rifle competition and the burnt powder gases expelled in my face can cause my eyes to tear which affects my score. Then there is the irritation of empty cases bouncing off my spotting scope located on my RH side and on some occasions have rebounded onto me. Hot brass is something I would rather land somewhere else than on my person.

 

[shafter]

To me most RH AR's are easy to use no matter which side you fire on. Bolt guns are too but if I was a lefty I'd want a LF bolt gun.

 

[Rexster]

Brass ejection is not a problem for this lefty! I actually find it nice to know that an empty has properly ejected.

 

[Elkins45]

I love my left hand rifles, but the fact is they can be hard to trade or sell if you want to use them for another project.

There's an easy solution to that: resist impulse buys and only buy guns you really want. I could care less how much my guns will be worth when my wife sells them after I die.

I vote for the bolt gun, but if you build an AR you'll be OK with the RH upper as long as you get one with a hump. I didn't pay attention and bought a slick sided upper for my 300 AAC. About 1/10 pieces of hot brass go down my shirt collar when shooting it from the bench. I had a burn that took weeks to heal this summer when I didn't get a piece fished out of my shirt fast enough.

 

[12Bravo20]

I have lefty bolt actions and a standard righty AR. The only time I had issues with hot brass hitting me was with the M16A1 since it didn't have a built in brass deflector. No problems what so ever with the M16A2 or any AR15 with deflector.

 

[alsaqr]

If you're a lefty; don't shoot a right hand gun unless you have to. Go buy yourself a left handed gun.

Traded for my first left handed gun in 1965, a Mathieu. It was much better than using a wrong sided gun. All my go to centerfire rifles are left handed, including two Stag Arms ARs.