Preferred method of shooting a bolt gun left-handed?
- Thread starter Skribs
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bobinoregon
Member
Right hand , no scope, I reach over. Scope and I use right hand on bolt. Finally bought a left handed rifle and it's actually been awkward learning to work it. Levers and autos that throw brass forward are easiest to deal with for me.
Hangingrock
Member
Personally I believe all firearms should be designed primarily for left handed usage exclusively. Then all the right handed individuals could tell me all the neat ways they’ve found to operate them.
I still like to watch right handed folks swap single actions to their left hand to reload. I don't know if Sam Colt was a lefty, or just decided to play a devilish trick on the majority of the world.Personally I believe all firearms should be designed primarily for left handed usage exclusively. Then all the right handed individuals could tell me all the neat ways they’ve found to operate them.
As a devout lefty, I will always go for the Left hand bolt. However the reach over on a right hand rifle works OK. I learned to shoot with a Remington Mod. 37. The bolt is close enough that I can work the bolt with my left thumb faster then any other method.
Most pumps and lever actions have terrible trigger feel. It comes with the mechanics of those designs. They aren't an acceptable solution for this south-paw. My favorite rifle is my Ruger No.1. It has a fantastic trigger and is 100% ambidextrous. Left handed bolts are great too. It's worth getting a rifle that works properly for you.
Elkins45
Member
I have had dealers bad mouth LH guns because of their "poor resale value", but I could care less how much my wife sells them for after I die. I like LH guns in the same way I like cars with standard transmissions: when it's been sitting in inventory for months they are far more likely to take a crazy low offer just to move it off the lot/shelf.
I like LH guns in the same way I like cars with standard transmissions: when it's been sitting in inventory for months they are far more likely to take a crazy low offer just to move it off the lot/shelf.
Reloadron
Contributing Member
I see them as not very bright dealers. When you own a real live brick and mortar gun shop and are actively working gun shows you need a niche. I specialized in reloading supplies, M1 Garand rifles and last but not least left handed bolt action rifles.I have had dealers bad mouth LH guns because of their "poor resale value", but I could care less how much my wife sells them for after I die.
When doing the shows we placed 6 to 10 on one of our tables with a little sign reading "Defective guns, bolts installed backwards". They always sold well because at a show with thousands of bolt guns we were frequently the only people selling left handed bolt action rifles. The more people that found us the more rifles we sold. The more business cards we passed out. So based on personal experience I would have to disagree with any dealer who runs down LH rifles, unless of course they are looking to buy one and looking to low ball the gun to the seller.
Ron
greyling22
Member
I'm a huge left handed bolt gun fan, but I've got to say, the more I shoot off a bench, the more I start thinking about using a right handed gun. Only problem is that I don't want to take my left grip off the gun when I cycle the bolt with my right hand, which necessitates I use either a pistol grip chassis, thumbhole, or mcmillian style stock. Chassis is way to expensive, mcmillians feel too thick in the grip, and I've yet to find a thumbhole I am comfortable with. So I stick with my lefty guns, but I have the dream...........
Elkins45
Member
I had a case head failure in a Savage 111L in 270. The blast of gas that jetted out of the emergency vent hole was enough to blow stuff off the next bench over. My right hand was merely blackened with soot. I hate to think how badly I might have been burned if I hadn't been shooting a lefty that day.
There are reasons other than convenience to choose the correct handed bolt gun.
There are reasons other than convenience to choose the correct handed bolt gun.
Hangingrock
Member
I’ve never had a problem selling a left-handed rifle. When Winchester entered into the left-handed rifle market with their Classic M70 I purchased two. One in 30-06 and the other in 375H&H. Later on when I decided to quit hunting I sold the 375H&H the selling price covered the original purchasing cost of the two Classic M70 rifles along with the optics.
Elkins45
Member
I have found myself working the bolt on a 22 with my right hand when shooting from the bench but that's not a technique I have used with center fire bolt guns. Maybe that's because of cock on opening vs cock on closing actions?
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