Home Forums Hunting & Shooting The Lefty Forum Which left hand budget rifle?

I'm going to have a $400 budget shortly (already have an extra Leupold on hand so it's all gun) and I want a LH .308. I know the Ruger American and Savage Axis come in LH but is there any I'm forgetting? And which should I get?

I know you probably don't want to here this but my suggestion is put the $400 under your pillow and save another $200-$300 and buy a really nice non-budget rifle. For example a Ruger M77 Hawkeye or a gently used Rem. 700 BDL or CDL. in blued steel and walnut. These are getting harder to find in Left hand but if you're patient and browse the classifieds on Gunbroker.com and Gunsamerica.com you'll find one(probably just about the time you've saved up the extra coin to make the purchase). If you prefer the synthetic stocked rifles, then save towards getting a Tikka T3 in 308(blued synthetic as well as stainless synthetic are available).

In the long run you'll be happier with something that is truly a nice firearm you can be proud owning for the rest of your life.

Good luck,

Leftybolt

leftybolt makes sense,


I have a Ruger American in 7-08mm. Shoots good. I wouldnt be scared of an axis either.

No disrespect intended.

I have heard a lot of good reviews about the Ruger American and Savage Axis; accuracy seems decent with either one.

But, having said that, every time I'm in a gunshop and pick up one of these "budget rifles" to take a look, try as I may to like them, I'm reminded of why I spent the extra money on the higher end guns that I own. There's really just no comparison. They're just not very nice rifles, IMO. It's worth the little extra time, coin, and patience to get something nicer. YMMV,

Leftybolt

Ruger American would be my pick.

Looks like a Savage Trophy Hunter can be had for under $500 & you could probably sell the scope on ebay.

Or a good used 77, 700 etc. might be located.

Axis are just too ugly to my eyes.

no offense taken. You have a valid point





I bought the savage Trophy hunter in creedmoor last year. Creedmoor lefties aren't to common. Buy that and sell the scope will put you in the $400 range, Good gun. Accutrigger, DEtachable mag. Just doesnt have the accustock.

A couple months ago I had an extra $400 and my wife reminded me the car needs tires. Now she's already talking about sofas and futons. I think if I sit on my money and let it grow a little I'll most likely end up with a new sofa to sit on and ponder how much I still want a left hand .308.

That's why you put the $400 under the pillow.......Or, maybe under the mattress would be a better hiding place.

Be strong, and keep that money rat holed! Your wife sounds a lot like mine. Perseverance is the key!

moose mike , buy the ruger. i just bought one in 243..I have gotten to be the opposite of what lefty bolt is saying.....not being disrespectful , but i have a few " nicer rifles and handguns" I am talking ...forbes ultra light.... david gentry....freedom arms....and so on. if you are on some what of a tight budget, buy now. I have pissed away alot of money on guns, you know what , I like that little 399 ruger.

same with scopes....going all back to Leopold straight 6......good luck.......bob

Too bad you missed the $299 Rugers at CDNN a few months ago.

Then you know what I'm up against!

Then go for the RAR. And call it good.

Maybe a 7-08 instead of a 308?

$299 howa 270 at whittakers...

Whoops, just saw the left hand thing...ruger American for the win

From legacysports.com

It's gotta be a .308 Winchester for me. Going forward that's going to be my cartridge.

If you're going to stick solid with the $400 budget, handle the Ruger and Savage side by side, and pick the one that feels best to you. As far as sticking with the .308 Win moving forward, congratulations. Good choice. You have far more discipline than I. Good luck !

I can't get past the flimsy wrist on the Axis stock.

Quote: "I can't get past the flimsy wrist on the Axis stock."


That is precisely why I suggested taking a little more time to save for a better quality rifle. Little things like that start to annoy you when you start to really handle a budget rifle. Wait 'til the piece of crap recoil pad tears on you (or just falls off completely).

As a Lefty(as you probably know already) caliber selection is also very limited.

Any particular reason you are dead set on 308 cal.?

As somebody else suggested 7mm-08 is a great caliber. Was a Tikka T3 Lite SS in 7mm-08 earlier today on Gunbroker.com for $579(buy it now). Somebody got a bargain cause its not there anymore. There are bargains out there on high quality guns if you pay attention and jump on them when you see them.

Leftybolt

I was a huge .30-06 fan. Must have owned 10 of them. I had a severe heart attack in November and as a left hand shooter it really effected me. I sold my Husqvarna S&W .30-06. A couple shots out of one of my 30-30's would cause me chest pain. I've now worked myself up to where I can shoot my .300 Savage several times without discomfort. I'm not ready to go back to the .30-06 (and I may not ever again) but I think I can manage a .308 and if I can't I know I can work my way up to it. That will then be my "big gun".

Take a look at the wood stocked Axis. It looks pretty good and the local Walmart has them for $344.

I didn't even know there was a wood stocked Axis!

It only comes in a right hand model, but the rifle looks much better and feels much better than with the tupperware stock. It looks like an entirely different gun with the wood stock. You would have to order a lefty from Boyds. I have a left hand Axis and plan on a Boyds nutmeg laminate before fall. I just cleared up some bills and now have some disposable money again. I am also going to order a Contender laminate in nutmeg too.

You're right. That Axis II in hardwood is a big improvement.

I have had several Savages and one Ruger American. Savage isn't a long term regular use rifle. The Ruger American would be in a better stock. In .308 it is a lightweight gun with some punch in the recoil department due to a narrow butt. Ignoring the recoil issue, I'd say get the Ruger and add a Boyd's laminate stock down the road when you get some more sofa money.

Not ignoring the recoil issue, if you chose a cartridge with available ammo down in the 120gr range, you might like shooting it a bit more. A .260 would be ideal, but that's not an option. Closest you can get in the LH Ruger is 7mm08 or .270. Both have lighter loads available.

Sorry to hear of your health issues. I work in cardiac surgery and can understand somewhat of the challenges you're going through with your recovery.

The 7mm-08 would be even easier to work up to(recoil-wise) over the .308 and would give you similar "on game" performance as it is simply a .308 case necked down to 28 cal. It is a great and very capable deer cartridge out to 300 yds. And, finding ammo is not difficult if you don't reload as it is a fairly popular cartridge.

Another thing to consider is that these budget rifles with their cheap, flimsy plastic stocks do not handle recoil very well.......translating to more felt recoil.

Also, a Ruger 77 Hawkeye or Tikka T3 will include free scope mounts with your purchase so there's another $40 to $50 you may not have considered that you will need to add to your budget rifle cost.

Good luck in your search,

Leftybolt

Sorry about the ticker and the Sofa. I would drop way down to a .243 or .260 if in that condition or would load down the 308 with 130's.

But if I had a limited budget I would be looking for a quality used gun. I have worked on customizing Savages and Rugers and they end up costing as much as a Model 70 or 700 in the end.

If you replace the stock and get a good scope and mounts that's $500+ right there. Sometimes you can find a Rem 700 sps in that range sometimes with a cheap scope included.

If light recoil is of prime concern I'd avoid the Ruger American in .308. One of my hunting partners has one and it kicks worse than my .30-06 Hawkeye.

I must admit that 165's in the Ruger American .308 got my attention. 150's at about 2650 are pretty pleasant for me. Might be different a few years from now, I used to enjoy a .338 WM; not any more.

Good to know! I may have to rethink this.

Not sure what kinda critters you are after (moose?)?

For lighter recoil, let me recommend , I know, *gasp*, the creedmoor.

Black Bear annually and Moose when I can pull a tag.

tree-0-eight then.

http://leeloaderdata.com/data/270win.htm
http://leeprecision.com/cgi-data/instruct/RE1422.pdf
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/8...277-diameter-140-grain-spitzer-box-of-50

Shame they don't do the LH in a 6.5mm.

I would get a used Lh savage 10 or 16 308 with accutrigger.

I'm leaning that way.

I have a .308 left-hand RA and it is a great rifle. I have put a thousand rounds through it and it shoots 1/2 moa with Hornady 150 IL @ 2934 fps. I also have a couple left-hand Savages in 30-06 and .308. Either rifle will serve you well and both are very accurate. I have never seen a Savage that would not shoot extremely well. I am kind of looking at another in a local shop, that is a .270 (no use for a .270, but would re-barrel to something else, if I get it).

Can't speak for the Ruger, but I've built a couple customs now based around the Savage Axis. Definitely not what you want if you're after a lightweight rig, but they're not the heaviest rifle either.



This first one is a left bolt/right port in .223 Rem with a Boyds Prairie Hunter stock. The action received the full works: face shaved to accept a standard 110-style recoil lug, trued and timed, bolt body fluted, reworked bolt handle and installed an AccuTrigger that was massaged down to 1-1/2 pounds. Work was done by Fred Moreo. Barrel is just the factory tube for now, but it puts five inside of 3/4" at 100 all day long so i can't complain considering the action isn't bedded.




This second one is actually the first one I built which is in .284 Winchester. Same work on the action, but with a Timney trigger and a different rework of the factory bolt handle. Barrel is a 23" Shilen #4 contour. The stock is the Pro Hunter from Sharp Shooter Supply, but I'm probably going to change it out for a Boyds Classic or another Prairie Hunter as it's just a little bulky and heavy. Good for a varmint rifle that you're shooting prone or off a bench, but not ideal for carrying or off-hand shots. This one was also blasted and parkerized.

All that said, I would agree with the others above and recommend you save up for a higher grade rifle to start with. In the long run you will be money ahead and you will have a lot more options available to you should you ever want to do anything with it.

I see LH 110 Savages on Gun Broker about monthly for under $350 with shipping. I have acquired 2 and needed to quit looking or I would have many more.

i've been picking up lefty savages in the last few years really cheap at gunshows and yardsales. i been rebarreling them to what ever i want.i now have,260,7mm08,270,3006,22-250,6mm.don't have much in most of them.

Found another cheap lefty today. Rem700 bdl in 270win for 365.00 at gander mtn.used guns went to 40% today.

I recently got a RAR lefty in 270. While I appreciate a nice gun (my wife's Model 70 Compact in 7mm-08 is very nice!) I tend to operate on a very tight budget. I wasn't initially thrilled with the appearance of the RAR when I first got it, but so far it's been something I'm quite happy with. It's straight forward and seems to shoot very well. I also have an older Savage model 110 that shoots like crazy, but the trigger pull is a bit heavy. I snagged my RAR from CDNN for 299, so for the price I'm very happy. My priorities were keeping the cost down, and getting something reliable and would shoot well. I would say I succeeded.

Found another one, old 110L in 308. Deluxe walnut, gloss bluing with a bushnell banner 3x9 . 250.00, just had to have it.