I don't remember how much money was involved, but the year after I got out of college I traded a Remington 700 classic in .270 for my first left-handed rifle. It wasn't a real bargain, but a fair price. It is a LH Ruger Mk II. I chose a .30/06 because I figured I could use it for whatever opportunities arose. Well, the opportunities at bigger game haven't come around yet, and I have some other rifles to choose from now, but that old /06 has had a good run. I don't know how much meat it has put in the freezer but with a few antelope thrown in with a bunch of deer, it has to be getting close to 50 big game animals. It is one of those rifles that will shoot most anything you put in it into around 1.5" or with proper handloads, you can often cut that in half.
I'm sure part of what makes the rifle so special is that about 10 years ago, my Dad started hunting again and he used the rifle to take his first several deer. One of my cousins who also shoots left handed took his first 2 deer with it as well.
I have been shooting some other rifles, so for the past couple of years I haven't hunted with the old .30/06, although my Dad pick it back up this year and took another buck with it. I realized the other day I was kind of missing the old girl. There is just something about the familiar and the memories and knowing from experience that if you point it right and squeeze the trigger you have meat.
