Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Left Handed ?????? need advise

Getting ready to delve into building a new gun the ?? is I am Left handed All the guns that I have shot or own are Right handed and it seems like 2nd nature do I really want to build my long range hunting rifle LEFT handed??? I know it will be harder to sell it if I choose thus hopefully I will get it right and use it for years to come.

have you ever shot LH bolts ?

can you cycle the bolt on a RH without lifting your head off the stock ?


key questions, these...

i'm left eye dominent been shooting rh rifles lefthanded for over 30 years just 2 or 3 years ago i finally bought my first lh bolt.I adapted quickly to the left bolt.Since i have picked up a semi custom and built a custom.My advise is go ahead with the lefty

For a long range gun, whether it is LH or RH is probably less important than for some others because you will be using it in a deliberate single shot fashion. In fact, for a LR gun you could make a real argument for using a RBLP action.

I find that I am able to sell LH rifles readily. The market is thinner, but that means that I market it nationally using something like the classifieds here or gunbroker.

I am a lefty and have used nothing but LH bolts for 30+ years, except for my 40X .22lr bench gun.

you mentioned "long range" -- how long is long? what caliber(s) are you considering ?

If you like Remington 700 actions I would start here:

http://www.pierceengineeringltd.com/products.php

I have a 700 but if Pierce had been building 700 clones I would have bought one. I use a Piercecision Firing pin assembly for my 700. It was suppose to be a drop in and guess what it was a drop in. I unscrewed the Remington firing pin assembly and screwed in the Pierce and than went to the range and shot the rifle. Couple of thousand rounds later the rifle shoots fine and never misses a beat.

Pierce makes a LH action but you have to ask for it. The prices they quoted me for a LH action were reasonably. Pierce's 700 clones is how they think Remington should have done it in the first place. BTW: All their stuff is made to Remington specs as to size so their hardware will fit after market 700 stocks and harware.

I would not start mixing my actions if you currently have and have always shot right handed then there is no need to switch. building a left handed gun because you are left handed is not the answer.

The reason you should build a left handed rifle is if you are left eye dominant. I know people who are right handed but shoot left handed because that is there dominant eye.

If he is already shooting left handed why isn't the the answer??????

Guess i might be assuming he is shooting southpaw being he mentions being lefthanded and wanting a lefthand action.As far as mixing the actions.For me that has no effect on my shooting i have more rh guns but when i go to the field it never caused a problem as which one i used wether right or left.

I do indeed shoot left handed and am left eye dominant, shoot alot of bows and shotguns (yes both eyes open) but getting into rifles is a bird of a WHOLE new different color.
Really thinking about the 284 win for caliber. I do have a TC encore prohunter but just not convienced that is the way for me. Thanks for the input.

the nicest thing about building is you get what you decide you want.This is a 7mmstw i just got done still needs quality scope but in time it will

if you're after SS , the Hawkeye is the best choice currently, IMO (I just ordered two).

otherwise you're looking at a 700 CM donor , unless you can find a used M70.

tb

I'm left-handed and have shot RH bolts for 50+ years. I tried a LH bolt gun years ago and couldn't get adjusted to it--everything was bass-ackwards.

However...YMMV.

Good luck with your decision.

WN

I too shoot left handed. All of my rifles are right handed. I do not have any problems shooting them. I was never impressed with the offerings to left handed shooters in the past, but I have noticed that the factories are starting to offer more calibers to left handed shooters now. I have been thinking about getting a southpaw bolt gun & seeing if I like it.
I bought an Encore Pro Hunter that I am going to try this year & see if I like hunting with it.
I have another buddy that shoots left handed. He has a 280 Improved that was built on a right handed Mauser action & fitted in a left handed stock on it. I feel like that is a good option to look into.

I made the mistake of buying a lefty bolt one time. Then I had to go to the trouble of selling all my rightys. Will never have another righty bolt. No more bolt handles sticking me in the back.