Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

[eboggs]

Hello,

So Im a lefty..Ive always shot left handed.. I had a LH Savage 10fp before, it was a good rifle, but I'd like to have a Remington... Just personal preference I guess...

It will always be shot off a bipod, or supported, I may just pick up a Remington 700 in RH just for the ease of being found, used also.

Has anyone ever switched their shooting side? or does anyone shoot RH that is LH? I know I can shoot a RH rifle LH but If I get a RH rifle, i want to learn to shoot it RH....

Hard transition?

 

[ZLBubba]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

I preface this all by saying that I'm a right-handed shooter.

There are more LH options available now than ever before. I think it's a great idea to practice weak side shooting, but a horrible idea to try to override natural instincts for the purpose of equipment convenience. IMHO, keep rocking out as a lefty. If I were you, I'd work with a custom gun builder to get a rig perfectly set up for you.

 

[rpk762]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

I am left handed and I shoot with both hands. I am also left eye dominate. It was hard trying to shoot right handed the first few tiems. Personaly I say shoot what ever side your dominant eye is. Being left hand you should be used to useing both hands since you are left handed.

 

[nfoley]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

I am a left handed shooter and tried switching to right years ago because I am right eye dominant. I gave up because it never felt as good as going left shoulder. There are so many options now for lefties I think it is unnecessary.

 

[c ward]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

Prone / supported shooting left handed with a right handed rifle is advantageous as you don't have to come off the pistol grip to cycle the bolt and can see the port in the action to load / deal with issues . There is no reason to relearn everything just because you want a Remington . That being said knowing how to run the gun from both sides isn't a bad thing .

 

[eboggs]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

thanks guys, might as well keep it lefty then...maybe im just dumb..but i dont see a ton of options out there..atleast not "out of the box" rigs with heavy barrels, again with the exception of savages...AND that are reasonably priced... guess im just gonna keep saving my pennies and see what comes around.

 

[damit]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

As C Ward said, it can be an advantage to shoot a right bolt gun left handed. I am left eye dominant and shoot long guns left handed. Everything else in life is right handed.

 

[Laurel]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: C Ward</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Prone / supported shooting left handed with a right handed rifle is advantageous as you don't have to come off the pistol grip to cycle the bolt and can see the port in the action to load / deal with issues . There is no reason to relearn everything just because you want a Remington . That being said knowing how to run the gun from both sides isn't a bad thing . </div></div>

I agree with this fully. I LOVE being able to see in the action easily. I dislike not being able to see in while shooting righty. The only downside of shooting lefty on a standard rifle is when shooting unsupported and dealing with trying to cycle the action and keep the rifle anywhere near where it should be, but if you're only going to be shooting supported that's not an issue.

I lovelovelove it. In fact, I like shooting that way so much that if I was right handed, I'd get a lefty rifle!

But seriously, it's way easier to get parts like stocks (I'd imagine you'd have to custom order a McMillan stock for a lefty action as well as other parts) in order to shoot something that has obvious downsides. Leaving your shooting hand on the pistol grip keeps the rifle solidly in your shoulder and it shifts less between shots.

 

[eboggs]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

Well, I guess I had never really looked at it like that... I always looked at it as I was having to improvise...Yes It will only be shot supported, I have no reason to shoot it any other way. Although I do believe my sight is a bit better in my right eye (astigmatism) I will just settle for a Righty and be done with it. Might as well learn to shoot both ways for the H3ll of it.

Boy my options just got alot larger!

 

[JSTARSZ]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

I am a left eye dominant shooter so I started out shooting right handed rifles left handed and then later started buying left handed rifles because they are more comfortable for me to shoot especially in the kneeling or standing positions. I do still have a right handed GAP M40A3 that I shoot occasionally to stay up on shooting completely from my weak side. I can shoot right handed but I have to close my left eye or it takes over.

One thing I did do is turn my Butler Creek scope cover over so when it is opened it covers my left eye so it can't see down range. That way my right eye takes over. It seems to help some.

 

[Remoah]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

I shot RH rifles as a lefty for years. All i can say is that you're not missing anything. A lefty needs a lefty rifle. A righty needs a righty rifle. Want to practice with your non-dominant side? Then switch hands with your left-handed rig.
Personally, i'll never buy another RH rifle unless it's a collectors piece.

Plus, You can find a Lefty 700 without even trying, even better, get a Tikka!

 

[Lindy]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

I am naturally left-handed, and grew up shooting rifle that way, including shooting in small-bore rifle competitions, and shot pistol with my right hand - my right eye is dominant.

When I got into precision rifle shooting a decade or so ago, the rifle I wanted, an Accuracy International, was not available with a bolt on the left, so I switched. Now I am ambidextrous with a rifle, and have trained to be so with a pistol as well.

Handedness is over-rated. No one emerged from the womb holding a firearm. You learned it one way, and you can learn it the other, should you choose to put in the effort to do so. It's just a question of how you want to spend your time.

 

[kheuertz]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

I am left eye dominant but love to shoot my GAP right-handed rifle, left handed. I find it easier as stated above to cycle the bolt and check the chamber shooting this way. However I still shoot pistols right handed.

I would do what is most comfortable for you and if you ever look to resell your weapons I would think it would be easier to sell a RH rifle.

 

[aron]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

I am left handed but right eye dominant so a couple years ago I made the switch to shoot right handed. I don't regret the change, it took a little while at first, but through dry firing it didn't take long to catch on. The biggest thing is trying to shoot off hand.

Between being right eye dominant and lack of left hand rifles, i didn't think long about it. Started with shooting a 22-250 to get the technique down. However, if I was left eye dominant I wouldn't make the switch just for more "available" rifles. There is always the option of going custom.

 

[Arbiter]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

For me as a lefty, it's simply more natural to use a right-handed bolt action. As mentioned previously, from a supported position it's frequently an advantage to have a RH action that can be visually controlled and cycled with the support hand. Unsupported my normal technique is simply to come up and over the action with my left hand, while twisting the rifle to the left about 45 degrees for faster access. A good right-handed shooter with a right-handed action will undoubtedly best you for speed, but not by very much. The key is simply familiarity with the technique, and practice. Some rifle actions are easier to use as a lefty than others, but with a bit of work you can adapt to any of them.

If someone offered to give me a custom rifle, configured in any way possible, I'd still probably choose to make it in a RH action. It might be interesting to play around with a properly-handed setup, but by this point I'm more comfortable shooting with the wrong-handed rifle.

 

[Remoah]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

You can find/order Lefty Remingtons, Savages, Tikkas, Rugers (if you're so inclined...)
I prefer Tikkas.
But Remingtons are also good.

 

[hognuts]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

I am left eye dominant also (do most things right handed) Feels awkward for me to shoot a rifle right handed, but I have never owned a left handed set-up (I am currently saving money to put that rig together) I really had never had any reason too as all shooting was supported, I have been shooting in some local matches and have been forced out of my comfort zone and doing alot of positional shooting (i.e. standing, kneeling, seated, prone un-supported with no-bipod etc...) It is extremely exhausting running a heavy barreled rifle positional and trying to give the bolt a reach around in the middle of a timed stage! I am going to go with a Stiller left hand TAC-30 action and a MTU barrel in a McRee folder with a Jewel trigger and Atlas bi-pod....good luck to you.

 

[cb_tikka]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: JaxOps</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I am left eye dominant but love to shoot my GAP right-handed rifle, left handed. I find it easier as stated above to cycle the bolt and check the chamber shooting this way. However I still shoot pistols right handed.

I would do what is most comfortable for you and if you ever look to resell your weapons I would think it would be easier to sell a RH rifle. </div></div>

^^^ This ^^^

All my bolt actions are rh. With my ARs, I shoot both lh and rh receivers, not much of a difference really.

 

[johnnycat]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

My $.02 opinion -

like every other LH shooter out there I learned to shoot LH with RH rifles (there wasn't any choice on the rifle and shooting LH is just natural).

I have shot RH, and I can do it, but it will NEVER feel as comfortable as LH.

A couple years ago I took a long range shooting course and the instructor insisted on my having a LH action. So I bought a Savage FLCP-K just to use for that class, with the intension of selling it off after the class and go back to my RH actions as before. However - after using a LH action for the first time in my life I loved it. I still use a RH rig for hunting, but from now on I don't intend to buy another RH action.

 

[3fingervic]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

As a left handed guy, I feel the RH world has duped us into compromising. No one would ever tell a right handed person to use a LH action because you can see in the action or you don't have to move the trigger hand. I will never buy a RH bolt action. There is a reason the bolt action has been around for so long, it is simple and functional. IMO, there is no need to switch your hand or the way the action was designed to be manipulated.

I was in the same boat you were in a few years ago, I found Savage was more LH friendly. That said, I wanted an 110 FLPC-K in .300wm. Savage didn't offer a left handed version of that model in LA calibers, only .223 and .308 were left handed. I decided not to compromise, I ordered one from the Savage custom shop. I got the gun in six weeks, and was $850 shipped to my FFL. I may have been better served to build one off a donor action, but I was new and didn't know all the info available. You may want to look into a semi custom build off a LH Remington action, especially if you plan on putting an aftermarket stock on it.

Any way, here is a LH 700 SPS Varmint for sale.

http://www.knesekguns.com/commercial/Remington-700-SPS-Varmint-308-Left-Handed

 

[Arbiter]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As a left handed guy, I feel the RH world has duped us into compromising. No one would ever tell a right handed person to use a LH action because you can see in the action or you don't have to move the trigger hand. I will never buy a RH bolt action. There is a reason the bolt action has been around for so long, it is simple and functional. IMO, there is no need to switch your hand or the way the action was designed to be manipulated. </div></div>

You'd be surprised...it's not a common thing by any means, but I do know of some right-handed shooters who prefer to use a left-handed action. And look at the Savage Model 12 LRPV, with an opposite-side loading port, designed for right-handed shooters.

 

[pmarcusm]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

I found as a lefty that in prone that it really sucked to have to move your support hand off the bags supporting the stock to cycle the action. It takes way too long to gather the support bags back on target. I took a long range shooting course and and videos were taken during a 5 shot group and it really shows how much you actually have to move around to get back to the same shooting position.
With that I got the chance to build a left handed bolt gun and I have only shot it once to date and yes it was strange, since all I have ever shot is right handed bolt guns, but I could feel the ease of the system growing on me. The first outing was also off the bench and not prone. I was just working on getting it on paper and zeroed with some factory ammo.
I have worked with it at the house and it's really much easier and faster to get back on target.

 

[AzNooB]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

It doesn't matter what your dominant hand is, you should always shoot with your dominant eye. Whether you use a RH or LH gun is up to you. You can run either from either side fairly efficiently if you learn how to do it right.

 

[3fingervic]

Re: Lefty...worth switching to Righty?

Well, lucky or unlucky for me, depending how I look at it, I'm left handed and left eye dominant. I have seen the dual ports that Savage makes, to me it seems more for benchrest game. To each his own, my previous post was more of a rant about people trying to make me conform to available equipment since I was young. From baseball gloves to golf clubs. My step dad was trying to tell me that left handers make great right handed golfers. He went on to say the top hand could pull through the swing, and it being my dominant (left) hand I would get great distance. I said, " then why don't you golf left handed", and he said, "That doesn't make sense".