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Question for LH long distance shooters.

zanemoseley

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Full Member
Minuteman
Sep 6, 2014
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I currently shoot 22lr 3p and having a lh action is a big advantage because your right arm is tied up with a sling and shooting glove. I just recently decided to pursue long range shooting. I'm curious whether or not it's as important to get a true lh action or not. I've read some lh shooters actually like shooting a rh action because it allows them to keep their firing hand in position when using a bipod. I'm curious to hear your experiences.
 
You're going to want a left hand action for any positional shooting. There's no real advantage shooting a right hand bolt gun left handed either because you tend to break your position pulling your right hand off bag to run the bolt.

Bottom line...put a left hand rifle together
 
Left hand all the way...I'm right handed but left eye dominate. Started with RH rifles and switched them all to LH. I couldn't be happier!
 
If you plan to shoot various positions, hunt, or shoot comps, get a lefty. If you're only going to run your rifle for recreation, either could work. But if you're starting from scratch, why not go with what you're used to?
 
I'm a righty but left eye dominant so I shoot lefty. I learned on right hand rifles and have no desire to switch to lefty rifles. I find it very easy to shoot prone with a righty rifle by keeping my left hand on the grip to keep it locked into the shoulder pocket while working the bolt or to feed rounds with my right hand. The right hand then goes back to the bag to steady the rear of the rifle for the next shot. One advantage I find is being able to see the open side of the action at all times, particularly when loading rounds one at a time. Another is that there are so many more options in RH vs LH. Finally, selling a RH rifle will be easier when it's time to upgrade.

It works great for me but I completely understand that everyone has their own preferences. I just wanted to share how it works for me so that it may help you make your decision.

Good luck.

JP
 
How many right hand shooters have a left hand bolt gun? Get a left handed action, pretty much everyone makes them now and never look back.

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Surprised so many left handers out there shooting right hand guns. I'm left handed. Left hand rifles all the way! My first rifles were right handed Mausers. After my first left handed rifle. Mauser s were quickly sold

You mention prone shooting. I would say that for f class I could really see liking a left bolt right port. But always a left bolt!
 
I get the reasons why it's better to shoot the correct rifle for your hand...but I don't agree with that statement. As I stated above, as a lefty shooting a RH action while my hand comes off the bag and stock, my trigger hand stays on the rifle keeping it pulled back in the shoulder pocket so position is not broken...it stays right on target. It's just a different hand keeping it in place.
 
Probably be shooting almost only prone with a bipod.

As a fellow lefty who has both, If you just shooting for fun and not on a clock a right handed rifle can work. But add in any form of stressor you will want a left handed rifle. It's much easier to shoot every position with a left bolt.

My advice? If your building a rifle anyways get a left bolt.


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I shoot a rh rifle left handed. It's all I've ever shot. I am comfortable shooting prone from either hand, and shooting my rh rifle right handed makes me see how much simpler it would be to just have a left bolt. I can run the bolt with either hand, it's just a little difficult when you are slung up in a position left handed and you have to reach over the scope to work your bolt because your rh is slung up, especially with time on the clock. Prone doesn't matter. You can get 5 shots off in 20 seconds no matter which side the bolt is on.

If I was building from scratch it would be on a lh action. My next build will be lh for sure.

Paul
 
Definitely go with a LH action/rifle. You are already accustomed to using LH rifles, so you already know the fundamentals. Also, using a LH action puts the gas relief ports on the correct side. This is important if you every have an over-pressure load or you reload some brass one to many times and have some primers eject. Almost all of my rifles but one are left handed, and I wouldn't go back to RH rifles. Even my ARs are left handed. The only RH rifles that I have a mil surplus, a couple .22s and my first deer rifle that I will never get rid of.
 
I'm a lefty, left eye also and shoot left hand rifles. Shooting prone with the opposite no big deal, other positions suck.
 
I am ambidextrous/shoot left-handed. Right eye dominant.

I have both. Also have Blaser rifles which allow left or right bolt. I am very comfortable shooting a right handed rifle prone. It's the other positions that make shooting a left handed rifle easier. As the years go by, I have more and more left-handed rifles.
 
I'm a lefty shooting a right handed bolt gun. Unless someone has an Aiax in 260 remington with a left
Hand action... [emoji15]


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with the position shooting required these days you will want a left handed rifle. If you are just doing prone shooting and in no hurry a right handed gun willwork fine. I run all left handed guns.
 
I'm right handed and left eye dominant. I started using R-H actions for LR and F Class competitions. It did not go well as I had to keep removing my support hand (off rear bag) to cycle the bolt. It took too much time for me to reposition my hand on the rear bag for subsequent shots. I went to left hand actions and much happier. Have a left hand rifle built.
 
I currently shoot 22lr 3p and having a lh action is a big advantage because your right arm is tied up with a sling and shooting glove. I just recently decided to pursue long range shooting. I'm curious whether or not it's as important to get a true lh action or not. I've read some lh shooters actually like shooting a rh action because it allows them to keep their firing hand in position when using a bipod. I'm curious to hear your experiences.

I was just about to start this same thread, I have a bad-ass trued R700 in 260Rem done by Hill Country Rifles that absolutely love. Now I was thinking of buying a defiance Tactical left hand action and building up a left handed 260 when its barrel swap time but I cant bring myself to sell the R700, so sweet and it took me so long to build. I bought that rifle before I figured out I was left eye dominant. I am thinking of buying a left handed R700 factory or seeing if I can find one used. Then be able to test it out and see if I like it more or less than the RH 260 and not be Balls deep on a custom action. Just my 2.cents

My biggest complaint with shoot RH bolt left handed is breaking position to run bolt when shooting prone. I always wonder if it is effecting my groups especially at longer ranges. My RH .260 is a sub minute gun out to 500 (as far as I have available to shoot so far). It has produced groups on several occasions approaching .25 MOA. Those groups are at closer distances (100-200), I am wondering if I can hold my body position steadier when shooting 385-500 if I can tighten down those groups to closer to .5 instead of hovering around .8 or .9. Gun shoots far better than me, I know it is not the rifle.