Right hand bolt action for left hand shooters?

[RM]

Is it practical for left hand shooters to shoot right hand bolt action guns? Or as a leftie, should I stick with a left hand gun? I'm thinking of a buying a < $1000. Savage or Remington rifle for shooting from the bench and not too serious competitive shooting. Thank you.

 

[jmr40]

My brother shoots lefty and has tried everything, pumps, levers, even tried a left handed bolt rifle for a while. He decided to just learn how to shoot a right handed rifle from the left side. He does fine and gets off repeat shots surprisingly fast. With practice it can be done.

 

[AKElroy]

I am a lefty & shoot both equally well. I have a model 70 7mag LH, and a model 70 .270 RH & grab whichever calls to me. When shooting the RH bolt, I do not attempt any fancy reach over to chamber a follow-up; I just work the bolt with my right hand, trading hands from forend to pistol grip.

In my quest for ambi, I have started using levers quite a bit lately, though. I have 2 model 94's, one scoped & one stock, + a .243 single shot, so I guess that's 3 ambi's and one dedicated lefty out of 20+ long guns.

Face it; shooting lefty is expensive if you cater to it; but it is not required for a hunting weapon.

 

[Hesenwine]

I too am a lefty and I've been shooting righty bolt guns since I was a kid (very long time ago). So much so that I don't know any other way now. I catch a ball with my left and throw righty and play golf righty.

Back when I was learning all that stuff, lefty guns, baseball gloves and golf clubs were pretty rare in lefty so I just adapted.

The bulk of my guns are right hand bolts but I do have a lever action and a couple semi autos. Lately, I've been on a break open single shot kick. Left/right doesn't matter with those.

 

[22lr]

Im a righty and for a gun that gets bench-rest action I actually prefer a left hand bolt. Just to say its all in the user. Bench-rest is all about consistency and left handed bolts mean trigger finger stays on the trigger (for me being a righty at least). I know a lot of guys who use the opposite, but again I know left handed guns are harder to resale.

 

[.375]

Buy Left

Once you shoot a real left-handed rifle, you'll never want to go back. Suck it up and get it.

 

[Rancho Relaxo]

Shooting from a bench a lefty shooting a RH bolt has an advantage. We can keep our left hand in position to shoot and cycle with the right hand while at the same time watch the round cycling/ejecting with our right eye. I own a couple of LH Rem 700s and while they are great in the field, I don't really like shooting them from the bench. As a varmint hunter, I think us lefties have an advantage shooting a RH bolt if we are: prone, from a bench, or with sticks.

 

[iHateRodents]

I am a lefty, and right handed bolt actions don't really bother me unless I am shooting from standing and the rifle is fairly heavy. Then I have do drop from the "ready" position to charge the handle. For bench shooting it doesn't bother me at all.

 

[jpwilly]

I'm a lefty and have no issues with right hand bolts.

 

[PandaBearBG]

You can get used to anything with enough practice and training. However I am a righty so I cannot give you real experience. Decide if you want to retrain yourself or if you can get a lefty, I think Remmy and Savage make lefties, it's up to you. If you are gonna spend a grand might as well go for something form fitted to you. Your choice.

 

[trstafford]

Right hand action could be just what you need

I believe Savage released a bench rest rifle that has a left handed action for right handed shooters. The theory being that you keep your strong hand on the action and use support hand to work the action. That being the case a right handed action should work perfectly for you on the bench.

 

[scythefwd]

The only lefty I ever saw shoot a bolt action shot it left handed, but worked the bolt with his support hand and not his trigger hand. He just reached over the action and worked it without breaking his cheek weld (to be fair, it was a .22lr he was shooting, so he didn't have to break cheek weld which is important when shooting with irons).

 

[Runningman]

Is it practical for left hand shooters to shoot right hand bolt action guns?

I would say yes with practice. Had a good friend who has since passed on that used to shoot right hand rifles left handed. He was darn fast on getting off a second shot out of a bolt action rifle.

Have you seen the movie Saving Private Ryan? The lefty sniper actor in it is does some impressive action cycling with that right handed Springfield.

 

[GRIZ22]

A friend of mine's son is an experienced marine sniper (Staff Sergeant). He's right handed but says he would prefer to use a left handed bolt action as he could then cycle the bolt without moving his stock weld or right arm and be able to deliver a faster second (or third I guess) shot. I tried it and it very quickly made sense. I'm sure it would work for a lefty shooting a right hand rifle.

 

[carpooler]

Safety concern

As a true lefty, I note this problem, if the bolt action has a scope mounted, conventionally. If you spot a game animal, through the scope, you have to bring the rifle down to release a right side mounted safety, and then try and find the critter again. If you get into the bad habit of throwing off the safety before you mount the rifle, then you have the real possibility of pointing it at another hunter with the safety off, and your finger on the trigger. A right hand safety on a pump or auto loader shotgun, also has a bad aspect, as I once tripped down a hill, and when I cupped my Rem 11, to protect it, as I rolled, my finger snapped off the safety, all by itself. I had a Williams left hand safety installed to put a stop to that. But they can't sell them anymore. Whatever you use, find a safety that you can wait and then take it off, only when you have made sure of your target, with the rifle mounted and aimed. I, too, like straight M98 bolts, with low scope safeties, flipped over by a gunsmith, to work off the left side of the bolt shroud. This means Scout mounting of a red dot, or scope sight. That low scope bolt handle is harder to catch with your right hand, for a fast follow-up shot, anyways.

 

[rocinante]

I just for the first time went bolt shooting and I am a lefty. My two rifles are mausers with straight bolts. Pretty easy to reach over with the left hand. I imagine it would be really difficult with a bent bolt. Like others said using the right hand is not that difficult either.

Neither of my rifles are suitable for scopes but you pretty much would have to use whatever hand the bent bolt is on in that case.

Bolts are fun. There is something about operating the bolt and the sounds that is fun. Now if I could only hit that piece of paper ...

 

[desidog]

If you're on the bench, a righty-bolt is not a problem. If you're hunting dangerous game....don't. The issue is not accuracy, but reloading and follow-up shots. When you reload, you have to take your eye off the target; that means more time spent reacquiring the target. The exception to this is a stock with a deep enough thumb cut that the bolt will pass over your left hand without hitting your thumb knuckle...still not ideal, cause you're waving that barrel around with one chicken wing, while the act of reloading will joggle the gun and your sight-line. There's a reason why the majority of shooters (righties) use right handed guns. No point in handicapping yourself.

You might not find one in the local store, but cruise gunbroker for a month or two, and you'll find somebody's local store that has a LH boltgun that they are having trouble moving...and jump on it. That's how i got my LH Winchester Model 70.

 

[greyling22]

get a lefty. you will be happier.

 

[dirtyjim]

the only problem i can see with a lefty using a right hand rifle would be if the rifle had a casehead failure or a blowout of some sort.
if you've ever seen a rifle blown up from bad ammo or a casehead separation the extractor is usually blown out the side of the rifle. on a right hand rifle its blown out the right hand side of the action away from a right handed shooters face.

 

[lefteyedom]

I am left Eye Dom, once I switch to left hand rifles I was happier. As long as the right hand rifle's stock is such that a good cheek placement can be had it is no problem.

 

[rangerruck]

I shoot that way, and have all my life. Am a pretty good shooter as well.
the benefit is, you don't have to move your cheak weld at all, nor move your hand from the stock wrist, nor even reposition your hand, even a little, from your trigger grip. I rather like it...