Question for Lefties

[Ultraman550]

Hey guys, I'm on my first .308 build and I bought a Rem 700 SPS AAC-SD 20" barrel, AICS 2.0, NF 5.5-22x56 NPR1, 20moa rail and rings. I'm a lefty plain and simple. I shoot lefty with handguns, shotgun, AR and AK. I pretty much custom built my AR with just a Stag Arms lefty upper but the rest is made of all different parts. After a few years of shooting my AR prone and BR I wanted to take the next step up and go with my first .308 but I decided to go righty this time since I thought it was important to learn both way. I also don't plan on shooting my bolt rifle standing so I figured what the hell. I actually think my strong eye is my right eye but this is obviously nothing my glasses won't fix. Are there any lefties out there who have done the same and regretted it or absolutely love the change and would never go back? Also if you're a lefty are you shooting with your body on the bolt knob side or shooting it with the bolt knob to the outside like a true right hander? I know there are lefty rifles and I've learned that in the bolt gun world there A LOT more options for lefties than there are in the AR-15 world.

I'm just wondering if its something that any of you have felt comfortable making the change over to or if its something that feels totally awkward. Thanks for your input.

 

[Trocar]

Re: Evolution of a Lefty to a Righty

I'm very left side dominant in a right side dominant world. I lost most of the sight in my left eye at age 14 (I'm 38, now). I had no choice to go right side...if I wanted to shoot and hunt. I have three children that are all left side dominant, and they are being taught the importance of strengthening both sides whether using guns, scissors, knives, etc.

My father shoots left side, and had a detached retina in his left eye last year. He gave up hunting, which he loves, because he refused to train on the right.


Go for it. You never know when it will come in handy...

Hunter

 

[desertrat1979]

Re: Evolution of a Lefty to a Righty

I am a south paw, however certain things, just from a lack of options, I am able to do righty. Most hockey sticks are curved for right hand use, I bat righty, and was taught to play the guitar that way. I have a left hand, right eye dominance. This is due to restrictive movement in my left eye (Cannot turn left eye to the leftsince birth). I never noticed it until I got to shooting pistols. I keep both eyes open, but sight alignment is done through my right eye. Never been a big deal. But I noticed that shooting a rifle, iron sights or scope, using my left eye, requires me to shut my right eye, and fatigues the hell out of my left eye. Last year I started doing it righty and I can keep both eyes open, maintain sight picture, and have not felt any fatigue. Also made working the bolt better and less disruption to my position doing so. There is a certain amount of pride us lefties have. Sometimes ya just need to swallow it.

 

[wrongside]

Re: Evolution of a Lefty to a Righty

I'm left handed and have a left hand rifle. I can shoot right handed with out much problem but I prefer shooting left handed. I started in the early 90s shooting trap, most shotguns are cast off for shooting from the right side. That means that they are cast into a lefties cheek and after a while they would cut open my left cheek at the cheekbone. So then I would switch over and finish the match shooting right handed. I ended up sending my shotgun off and having the stock cast for a left hand, no more blood. Stag does make left hand upers but you could have it configured any way you wanted.

 

[Thunderin300]

Re: Evolution of a Lefty to a Righty

I'm a semi- leftie. The only things I do left handed is shoot a rifle, and play pool. My AR is set up ambi except for the single sided reversed saftey. My bolt gun it a lefty though. For me I have often thought a LB/RP would be the best set up for my strange ways. I say go lefty and dont look back. That said if you think you may ever want to sell it go right handed as it will be much easier to offload.

 

[Ultraman550]

Re: Evolution of a Lefty to a Righty

Wow, thanks for the replies.

 

[TLong]

Re: Evolution of a Lefty to a Righty

I'm right handed but left eye dominant. I shoot my bow, rifles and shotguns mostly left handed. I say mostly, because I learned to shoot ambidextrous after a few years of birdhunting. I do not regret learning to shoot both ways. It still feels awkward holding a long gun right handed, but I am confident either way.

 

[Uncontrolled Copy]

Re: Evolution of a Lefty to a Righty

I am left eye dominant and right handed. I find that can do most things ambidexterous. There are some I do better left handed. I endeavor to be proficient either way.

 

[bornhunter04]

Re: Evolution of a Lefty to a Righty

Southpaw, left eye dominant, I'll shoot anything you hand me but, when i go to purchase a firearm it depends on how the controls are. For instance, I shoot glock, since i don't have to worry about a right handed safety to switch off, mag release not a big deal. (yes i know most pistols have ambi controls now but still.....) When i got my .308 i made sure i got a left handed 700. I've shot 700's with right hand bolts and i just don't like it, just sort of unnatural. But all my shotguns are right-handed guns, and so is my AR (parts availability). I was going to buy a left handed STAG and then i did lots of research and ended up with a DD. Just throw in a ambi safety switch and mag release problem solved. Been getting hit with brass my whole life, no reason to change it now!

 

[Junior's 12 Valve]

Re: Evolution of a Lefty to a Righty

I'm the same as a lot of the guys in this thread, started out left eye dominant, but right handed. I shot left handed till I was about 10 or 12, then started to doing everything I could left and right handed. I shot my first deer right handed when I was ... 15?

I'm fairly certain that the only LH guns I'm going to buy are bolt guns. I like the fact that with the regular scatterguns and handguns, I have a clear view of the action, and can manipulate the gun without rolling it over or anything while keeping the muzzle down range, and my hand on the grip.

 

[Junior's 12 Valve]

Re: Evolution of a Lefty to a Righty

Sorry yall, double post.

 

[Ultraman550]

Re: Evolution of a Lefty to a Righty

Great, now I'm contemplating my Right handed gun before I've even shot it.

 

[Lucks]

Re: Evolution of a Lefty to a Righty

Lefty here.... and I now run lefty bolt guns.
Most all lefties grow up learning to shoot on right handed rifles because 90% of the population is right handed.
When I started shooting PR I started with a right handed bolt gun and it worked fine prone. After I started shooting tactical matches, etc. I decided that having a lefty bolt gun would help me with positional and speed. Now all I run are lefty bolt guns. No way I'd go back. Once you spend a few days running the bolt with your left hand (which even for a lefty feels backwards since you've grown up shooting right handed guns) I don't think you'll ever go back.
Just think about it...
If lefties were better off running right handed rifles wouldn't righties be better off running left handed rifles? You sure don't see that....at least not in the tactical or hunting world.
For what it's worth, at the first PRS match of the series (Lone Star Challenge) there were three lefties in the top 10....all of them were using left handed bolt guns....

 

[Ultraman550]

Re: Evolution of a Lefty to a Righty

Ok, here's another question and please excuse my lack of knowledge on this topic. I went with the right hand Rem 700 SPS AAC-SD because I could't find any lefty bolt guns by Remington that had 20" inch barrels, 1:10 twist (I just read that this is a better twist rate than 1:12 so correct me if I am wrong) and were pre threaded. The only one I've seen is 26 inches, 1:12 twist and is in .308. Did most of you guys buy the longer barrel and have it cut and threaded because this is just what we need to do or is the other option to by one custom made?

 

[sam626]

Re: Evolution of a Lefty to a Righty

I'm lefty and grew up shooting right handed. I sucked. Finally started shooting left handed in my early 20s and it was amazing. I was fairly amdidextrous for quite a while, but as I got older my left eye became more dominant and now I can't do anything right handed. I still shoot with both eyes open but my right eye is just there (doesn't really do anything). All of my bolt guns are lefties now because when hunting a RH rifle is just a slow single shot. While shooting prone or from a bench it really doesn't matter much to me though.
I think Remington does have a 20" LH 700 PSS. My 20" was originally a 26" varmint special that was rebarelled.