Need to go with a left handed rifle

Bill S

Bill S

New member
Since eye surgery a few years ago I have become left eye dominant and this sure does throw a hurdle into my path toward a new rifle. Since it dawned on me that a left handed rifle should be my choice the options have collapsed. Do any of the left-handed shooters here have recommendations for a light weight, left handed .223?
 
I'm a lefty... just bought a tikka lefty in 7mm... not for coyotes... but for other stuff.

There is a clearance sale on tikkas right now... look at this link and get either the left 204... or 243.... for like 550.00 or so. You can't get any better quality for the money than a tikka.

They don't have the 223 listed... but i STOPPED shooting my 223 after I started shooting the 204... that caliber is way better than the 223... in my opinion... and several others.

http://www.eurooptic.com/tikka-t3-hunter-rifles.aspx
 
Well, ya might think about a Stag AR carbine left hand. I have got along real well with a couple of them, light, accurate, and handy, and you won't have to 'relearn' working a bolt with the other hand.
 
Bill. I have been a left hand shooter all my life and have tried left handed rifles but find that a right handed rifle is much more efficient for me. Especially when shooting from a rest. I am right hand dominant but left eye dominant though so maybe this makes a difference but I like to keep my trigger hand in place while I opperate the bolt with my right hand. I have tried a lefty rifle and it just seems like the wrong approach and don't know why anyone does this. I feel like right hand shooters should try a lefty rifle if anything.
However. If shooting auto shotguns or rifles I think there are safety concerns shooting a right handed rifle lefty due to ejection port. I have a right handed AR that I shoot suppressed and I hate the gas in the face so I only use this for calling only and I built a left hand eject side charge AR for sage rats and rock chucks where I am shooting a lot.

When I am picking out my bolt guns My main concern is seeing if the rear of the bolt will clear your left thumb/hand when you cycle the bolt. Most bolt shrouds are pretty sharp and I can see really tearing your thumb up in the heat of the moment and I don't want to have to move my trigger hand off of the grip when cycling next round. I literally just take my trigger finger off of the trigger, quickly cycle bolt and finger is right there ready and gun is supported by bipod or rest. Trigger hand and head stay in place. Off hand would probably be a different story but not really picturing needing to quickly cycle bolt gun offhand coyote hunting. Once you get used to it you will never look back. FYI. RH Tikka T3 is perfect for this and it's a great shooter too. Savage Bmag will cut you to the white meat since its bolt shroud is very sharp and you will need to move your hand every time.

I also do a lot of Bass fishing and have always used left handed fishing reels as well.
 
I, too, am left handed shooting right handed rifles (mainly Rems and
Savages) for 50 years. Got a lefty Sav VLP with blind magazine a
few years ago and it just seems awkward, especially loading that
blind mag.

jk2paintworx is correct about advantages shooting from the bench. I
can shoot from either hand, but everything seems to work better
grabbing the ejected cases as well as cycling the bolt shooting
left handed. Bill, ya oughta try it with your right handed bolts
and see how it goes for you.
 
I went single shot for a long time. Before Tikka and Savage jumped in I only knew of Wea.,Sako, and Rem. My left hand rifles are Wea. However, I still have more right hand rifles. I prefer to keep my right hand forward and just cant the rifle to the left and reach over the top. My wife and kids shoot right handed so I handicap myself as the odd man out.

The Tikka 204 Dan suggested is an easy choice.
 
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50 plus years of shooting right hand rifles I have just never had a problem,i have got triples on coyotes it don't seem to slow me down.i did buy a HMR.that is left handed it is the only one that way.being left eye dominant and left handed I probably could not change very easy.
 
My brother is left handed and he shot right handed rifles most of his life. He now shoots all left handed bolt guns. His favorite light weight bolt rifle for coyote hunting is a CZ 527 in .204 Ruger. He also uses the rifle for p-dogs. He shoots it so much he his on hos second barrel.
 
A close friend is a lefty, he shoot an entry level Savage and a Tikka.

The Savage is just that, entry level, the Tikka on the other hand he really likes.



Here Kitty Kitty
 
You are all right, my right handed rifles work just fine on the left shoulder. I really don't know why I so quickly jumped to the conclusion that I need to go to a left handed gun. Thanks!!

Regarding the .204 Ruger, it looks impressive for varmints but at my age I don't want to get familiar with another cartridge. The shooting I do now is very short range and I have a couple of 22-250s if I ever need longer shots.

With this problem solved I can go back to choosing my relatively light weight .223. Thanks again!
 
I'm right handed but left eye dominate and have shot RH rifles since day one. I broke down and bought a LH Savage VLP several years ago and it actually feels awkward to me. I do use a LH Stag AR as I don't much care for the face blast I get shooting a RH AR.
 
I would definitely look at the CZ 527 American. I've got the left handed model in a 204 ruger and it is a sweet little rifle. They do make it in .223
 
The only lefty I shoot is for prone with a sling. I can load and shoot single shot in competition without taking the gun out of my shoulder. Other than that, I shoot all right handed rifles for Across the course and F Class.

Tom
 
The only lefty I shoot is for prone with a sling. I can load and shoot single shot in competition without taking the gun out of my shoulder. Other than that, I shoot all right handed rifles for Across the course and F Class. I did have the smith cut a slot in the left side of my AR so I could load without coming out of position. It looks odd because you can see both sides of the bolt carrier group, but it functions just fine.

Tom
 


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