Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

[MichaelR]

I've read and understand the arguments about a LH using a RH bolt gun when shooting prone, but that it becomes problematic for positional shooting. I can see the advantages on both sides of the table however when the question gets asked "What are you planning on doing with it?" I can say that I know that I will definitely be shooting prone, but I have to ask the following to get a better understanding of what else I could be doing with it without limiting myself.

If I decide to get involved with practical shooting competitions how much is shot prone, how much is positional? And of the positional shooting how often will I be worried about how quickly I can cycle the action?

 

[Mike]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

In practical competitions, you will not shoot enough positional to justify the need to rack that bolt faster. Although many of the positions are prone, you will find that a great many of the positions are awkward.

Unless you are slung up and shooting NRA competitions, the difficulty and need for off handed shooting speed in racking the bolt is overrated.

In fact, if I'm shooting positional and not using a sling, I can rack the bolt with my right hand (as a left hand shooter) almost as fast as a right handed shooter. Not all the time, and one must be strong, but it can be done.

And of course, I shoot left handed with a right handed rifle.

 

[J.Boyette]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

Or,

Just do it right and get a lefty bolt rifle like I do. I save up my $$$$ and get what I want and need. I do not worry about the resale of such rifles because I keep what I get and use it.

So I would advise you to not half ass this and get the right equipment for the job the first time.

John

 

[Luke]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

I'm left-eyed and right-handed, and I prefer a left handded bolt gun simply for the fit and feel of it more than rapid bolt manipulation or anything else. If you're shooting a long action a right handed bolt will not work so well for you. I shot the M24 a good deal while I was n the Army and I remember the bolt smacking my nose more than a couple times. You can make a right hand bolt work if that's all you got but considering you can usually get a left-handed bolt gun for the same or near same price as a right bolt, personally I would go left. I think it just makes everything easier...

 

[Luke]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: J.Boyette</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Or,

Just do it right and get a lefty bolt rifle like I do. I save up my $$$$ and get what I want and need. I do not worry about the resale of such rifles because I keep what I get and use it.

So I would advise you to not half ass this and get the right equipment for the job the first time.

John</div></div>

He said it better than I did...

 

[Mike]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: J.Boyette</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Or,

Just do it right and get a lefty bolt rifle like I do. I save up my $$$$ and get what I want and need. I do not worry about the resale of such rifles because I keep what I get and use it.

So I would advise you to not half ass this and get the right equipment for the job the first time.

John</div></div>

John,

Shooting a RH rifle LH is not "half ass". Shooting a RH rifle left handed is not only more logical, but also more intuitive. You can say it is what you "want" but you are wrong when you say it is what you "need". There is not one reason outside of racking a bolt for positional shooting, that you can justify the "need" of a LH rifle for a LH shooter. Every other utilization of said rifle is BETTER with a RH rifle in the hands of a LH shooter. That is a fact.

 

[J.Boyette]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

Mike,

It's a training issue. If a right handed bolt is better in all things except positional, than to me, its useless. I need it right and performs when I need it to, no matter if that's prone, slung sitting, or anything else.

So to me, if it works great here and here, but not so great here and there. Its half ass.

John

 

[mikieg]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

there is no strong or weak side shooting. there are no left or righted shooters. there are only shooters. we are supposed to practice from both sides. there are many situations where a right handed shooter will be forced to shoot from a left handed position. the world is right handed. i am left handed. my beloved army weapon is right handed. i shoot left handed. today i have right handed weapons. i train to adapt to this. if i were to buy lefthanded weapons, and the shit were to hit the fan, i would be screwed. chances are that i would not have my weapon. and here on the hide, we are supposed to be tactical shooters. that means sniper team configuration. now, if your teammate is also lefthanded, great. chances are that he or she will be right handed.
i am not against left handed items. i play left handed guitars. and if i could find a lefthanded pool cue, i would buy it! but when it comes to weapons, i train to adapt. you never know what you will be fighting with in the end.

 

[Jedi]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

Depends really on what you plan doing with rifle?
shooting prone or from bench right action might even be preferred, many top competition right eyed shooter use left bolt config.

If you plan on shooting from any other position than prone/bench you maybe better served with lefty action.

I,m right handed left eye dominate, my bolt guns are both lefties that is my preference

 

[Mike]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

Then by your own logic, shooting a LH rifle left handed is really half ass. Same with a RH rifle right handed.

So when you say you

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: J.Boyette</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I need it right and performs when I need it to, no matter if that's prone, slung sitting, or anything else.
</div></div>

Then that statement alone proves my point. Because a LH rifle shot LH is lacking in everything EXCEPT positional. Whereas a RH rifle shot LH is only lacking in positional.

Think of it this way. If we made a PRO/CON column of shooting a particular configuration on a particular side this is what we would see.

PROS for a LH shooter shooting a RH rifle

Everything

CONS for a LH shooter shooting a RH rifle

Positional shooting-only when slung.

PROS of a LH shooter shooting a LH rifle.

Positional

CONS of a LH shooter shooting a LH rifle.

Everything

So by your logic you should be shooting a RH rifle left handed if you are looking for more positive aspects than negative.

You can say LH actions is what you like, and what you prefer, but to say it's half-ass is incorrect and naive.

 

[MichaelR]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

Here are my thoughts on this.

I can see the value in having a RH rifle for the sake of resale, advantages of prone firing, wide rifle selection.

I also see the downside of a RH rifle in the less convenient methods of cycling the bolt for positional shooting.

At this point my first two choices for a rifle would be a TRG-22 or something custom from a Badger/Surgeon action in a AICS stock. I like the looks of both, and have heard nothing but good things about accuracy of both.

However form must follow function. That being said I hope that I learn to be proficient enough to try practical competitions and I don't want to sacrifice abilities at that point for aesthetics now.

I understand that the actual shot is not impacted with positional shooting, only being able to cycle the action for quick follow up shots. If for what I want to do or try to do I'm not worried about that, then the only con to owning a RH rifle is no longer as important and I personally don't feel that it would outweigh the pros.

Mike or anyone else, would you be able to elaborate a little more about what positional shooting I would see in practical competitions? Or also tell me what events I would see more positional shooting where I could say, "Yes I would like to try that so it's important to have a LH bolt" or, "No I can't see myself doing that so owning a RH rifle makes more sense".

 

[F224]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

1/3 of all US Blaser R93 shooters are left handed. It's the only quality rifle available in all calibers from 17HMR to 416RemMag in both left and right handed versions.

You get interchangeable barrels, return to zero detachable scope mounts and plenty of different configurations, including the LRS series of tactical rifles.

 

[Nuttshooter]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

As a LH shooter I just cannot see the reason to buy a LH rifle. I don't feel I am ever at a disadvantage.

 

[Mike]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MichaelR</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Mike or anyone else, would you be able to elaborate a little more about what positional shooting I would see in practical competitions? Or also tell me what events I would see more positional shooting where I could say, "Yes I would like to try that so it's important to have a LH bolt" or, "No I can't see myself doing that so owning a RH rifle makes more sense".</div></div>

Michael, an example of positional shooting you would see at Rifle's Only would be shooting around a barricade. You would need to shoot sitting, kneeling, and standing. But at these events, time is of the essence so you would not be able to get slung up, and into position, fire, reset your position take your time, and fire, etc. It is shoot and move, shoot and move. I can't remember too many times at a comp where I had time to sling up and get in position for more than the first shot.

Now if you are going to shoot about any NRA event, you can have the time to sling up, get in position and take your time within reason. At that point however you would ask yourself if having a purpose built rifle for those events would serve you better.

 

[J.Boyette]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

Guys,

Buy what ever you want. I use what I need and use what works the best for me. I would advise you to do the same.

John

 

[Natty Bumpo]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

I don't agree that the bolt is the only issue for a lefty using a right-handed rifle. If the stock has a raised comb for a better cheek weld, it won't do a lefty any good.

I'm left handed and own lefty rifles. If other southpaws would all buy lefty rifles we might have a better selection of models and chamberings to choose from. I make do with with right-handed tools in lots of other hobbies (ever see a left-handed bandsaw or circular saw?). For what I pay for a rifle, I want it to fit right

.

I sometimes wonder among custom gunmakers what % of their customers are left-handed. People who can't find styles or chamberings they want from the factories.

 

[Mike]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Natty Bumpo</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I don't agree that the bolt is the only issue for a lefty using a right-handed rifle. If the stock has a raised comb for a better cheek weld, it won't do a lefty any good. </div></div>

If you're talking about a Monte Carlo type of hunting stock or a specific BR or FClass stock, you may have a point. But you will normally find that a vast majority of the tactical style stocks are ambidextrous from the tang rearward hence negating any distinction between LH and RH shooters.

 

[Jeff in TX]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

As a lefty I’ve read everyone’s opinions on which are better a RH or LH bolt gun. I’m left eye dominate but to make matters worse my left winker doesn’t work, meaning I can’t wink my left eye as silly as that sounds. As a young’n I struggled shooting anything right handed and naturally switched to shooting left-handed.

My first bolt gun was right handed and I did alright with it from the left side. In 1978 I bought my first LH 700 and never looked back. It was a natural fit and fire solution for me, just as a right-handed bolt is a natural fit and fire solution for them. I didn’t have to adapt to an unnatural shooting style. Can folks make it work, yes but it’s still not a natural fit and fire solution. For you righties telling us lefties it’s not an issue and works fine, try adapting to a left-handed bolt and let us know how well the fit and fire solution is. I’m not talking about for a particular range session, bur for all around shooting.

It only stands to reason if your equipment fits and provides a natural shooting style and position you’re apt to perform better than if it’s unnatural. Right-handed shooters are lucky and fortunate because their choices are almost unlimited when it comes to manufactures, configurations and calibers. Left-handed shooters don’t have that luxury. We either adapt or shoot right-handed which doesn’t make it correct or we find or build a left-handed configured rifle that provides us a proper fit and feel.

 

[Mike]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

Jeff,

I am interested to here you explain how a LH rifle is a "natural fit and fire solution"

Can you name me one advantage other than positional shooting where a LH action makes shooting more "natural"?

Again, it is one thing to have a preference because you like something a certain way, I like thumbhole stocks for example. It's another to say one is right and wrong. The facts speak for themselves and the evidence in beyond dispute. Lets distinguish between preference and like vs. better or "natural".

 

[Jeff in TX]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

Mike,

My response wasn't to intended to create a pissing match. I hear what you're saying, maybe I chose the wrong terminology with right or wrong, but one size doesn't fit all.

For me my LH rifles are a natural fit and fire solution. I don’t have to add additional steps to cycle my bolt, when position shooting such as sitting or kneeling I don’t have to remove my eye from the scope/target to cycle the bolt. For me it’s all a natural fit without excessive and unnecessary steps.

To play devils advocate, why don’t right-handed shooters adopt left-handed actions if it works so well? Sure it works but aren’t you more comfortable with proper configuration that fits your overall shooting style?

 

[Mike]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

Jeff,

I wasn't trying to argue, I wanted to hear your opinion that's all. You have pointed out why you like it and that's all I was looking for. It's a positional thing and that makes sense.

And I agree with you 100% for LH rifles for RH shooters. I think rifles to this day are a product of tradition and convenience rather than what should be used. The irony is that if more RH shooters used LH actions, the availability and such would be reversed.

I think the BR guys have it right with dual ports and such.

 

[MichaelR]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

So I've decided that I'm going to pursue a RH bolt rifle and will probably be piecing it together so I can get exactly what I want.

If I find that I don't like RH action I can always sell the rifle or piece it out and try again on the other side.

I really appreciate everyone's views on the subject, both sides have truly helped me determine this course of action!

 

[Victor Co Heather]

Re: Lefthanded choosing a bolt gun?

Ha ha- the lefties are a prickly bunch aren't they!

FWIW MichaelR, I am a left handed rifle shooter and my first precision rig was a righty. but I soon realized it was a mistake for me to shoot that way.

What I found while it's possible for me to shoot RH, I certainly wasn't faster cycling the bolt as some people say it can be (my head had to move off the scope to cycle the bolt). And cycling the bolt in any position other than prone or with the fore-stock supported was really sloooow and cumbersome. I dropped many slots down in competitions when I had to shoot slung up 10 shots (had to cycle the bolt with my LH!)

While it may be hard to find a decent LH rifle, it's really worth it in the end to get the gear that fits you best. I would point out you generally don't see rightys buying LH actions. There's a reason they have two different actions - a left and a right.

Either way, get out and shoot!~