Thread: Left eye dominant shooter, left handed rifle?

My Dad has blind spots in the centre of his right eye and had to teach himself to shoot left handed with a custom bolt action and did well. However for hunting he went to a lever. (1970's).
One other point with using a right hand bolt action left handed is that you have less protection in case of a head case separation, split case or pieced primer. Those times it nice to have the solid action between the bolt and your face.
Hunting mate of mine is just going through this now as his right eye has deteriorated and he has become left eye dominated.
Z

I'm in the unusual position of having the opposite preference to Ebf and Shearer on this one. I'm left-handed, left eye dominant, and have used right-handed Mauser actions for all my hunting rifles for thirty years and have no intention of changing. Here is the reason: I find it more natural to tip the scope away from me when carrying the rifle in both hands when stalking so I'm looking down at the rifle side-on. With a right-handed rifle there is then full visibility into the action. I can see where the top round is - whether it is still held in the magazine, or whether it is sitting on the boltface — and if so how far into the chamber it is? For safety reasons how far forward is the bolt handle and can I still see gold? I am regularly checking these when moving into an area where deer are likely to be seen. I can also visually verify the position of the M70 3-postion right-handed safeties that I have on these rifles as they face upwards. I often also reach into the action with my right thumb, while the rifle is cradled in my right hand, to apply pressure to the top round as I’m moving it from the magazine onto the boltface to minimise any metallic clicking, and I like the visual feedback that is possible for this. If for some reason the case groove is not picked up by the extractor finger as it should for a controlled-feed action , then the round will rest within the action rather than dropping out as it would in a left-handed action when tipped onto its side. On the odd occasion that this mis-chambering has occurred with a deer in sight, I’ve continued to close the bolt while at the same time flexing the middle of the Mauser extractor hard down to facilitate the claw riding over the head into the groove rather than risk additional noise from manipulating the round back through the magazine. I can do this because I can see what I am doing. As I said initially this all stems from my preference for holding the rifle sideways when stalking and preferring to observe certain aspects of operation of the rifle rather than necessarily by using feel alone.

While I understand that there must almost certainly be a speed advantage for a left-handed shooter having a matching left-handed action, as following the closing of the bolt the left hand can continue the downward motion to immediately engage the pistol grip and the index finger will be in position to engage the trigger.
For a right-handed rifle in the hands of a lefty, instead the bolt has to be closed by the left hand that then has to reach right around the rifle to take up position on the pistol grip as a separate movement... significantly slower, and I acknowledge that. I don’t recall though being overly disadvantaged by the added time delay. I’m not a snap-shooter. Regardless of my speed of moving the rifle to readiness I tend to fluff around far more than perhaps I should with shot placement. If the deer moves off in that time, then I’ve accepted that I didn’t get the necessary drop on it in the first place. Consequently I’m not a very successful bush hunter.

My Barnard on the other hand is left-hand port, LH eject… but that is a story for another day with its own rationale, of which the protection aspect mentioned above is one reason.

Originally Posted by NRT

I have over the years got left bolts ,but I carry on right shoulder so the bolt digs into back .Just got a 308 BLR and it feels dam good to carry and work the bolt ,I went ok using a right handed bolt in my younger days ,each to there own do what feels the best.

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This.

I used rh for years until competitive shooting instruction made me go lh. My shooting rocketed forward.
I have lh bolts but having used a blr for 20+yrs as well, it carries so many benefits over the bolt.
If you're a bush hunter make a short blr and life will be good.
Tops or long range, just get a nice Lh Tikka.

Thanks for all the advice team, bloody legends. This community is a goldmine of info!

Originally Posted by Allizdog

I'm left eye dominant and my rifles are right hand. I shoot them left hand no problems. A left hand rifle (bolt) would feel awkward for me having grown up with right hand rifles.

Likewise re the left handed bolt thing - hence why my go-to is a Finnwolf.

But I CAN happily use a right hand bolt action without too much bother.

Used semi for years plus odd right hand bolt, when things changed with semi's tried left hand bolt but decided too old to change. Have mastered the RH, left hand is always on the pistol grip, RH operates the bolt, have watched an odd left hander use their left hand over the scope, doesn't look comfortable.

Back in South Africa there used to be a gunsmith that made an adaptor that bolts onto your receiver where the scope mounts usually go, was essentially a plate that offset the scope in front of your left eye while shouldering the rifle on the right. Don't think it caught, certainly not my cup of tea. but it works

kind of like this, im sure Cobus Calits form GuntechNZ or someone else could make one if you reallly want it.

https://www.levergunscommunity.org/v...ic.php?t=65487

[QUOTE=Hoonigan08;1135429]Those 308 BLR's look mint. Enjoy mate, thanks for the response![/QUOTE

If you want to have a play with one and are up this way we could arange a time.

I had a BLR .308win (actually an MLR when Miroku were manufacturing for Browning) between owning right handed blots and left handed bolts. Good little rifle but I would not go back to one now I am used to left handed bolts. Especially if it were my only centrefire.
I say "now I am used to" as there has been some comment on here by lefties using right handed bolts about a left handed bolt feeling awkward after using right handed ones for so long. Once I got a left handed bolt it didn't take long to adapt and once I had it was so much more comfortable/faster/natural than anything else I had used. I used to love giving it to my right handed friends an watching to look on their faces when they tried to cycle the bolt. I'm sure they could get used to it but why would you?

Originally Posted by Shearer

I had a BLR .308win (actually an MLR when Miroku were manufacturing for Browning) between owning right handed blots and left handed bolts. Good little rifle but I would not go back to one now I am used to left handed bolts. Especially if it were my only centrefire.
I say "now I am used to" as there has been some comment on here by lefties using right handed bolts about a left handed bolt feeling awkward after using right handed ones for so long. Once I got a left handed bolt it didn't take long to adapt and once I had it was so much more comfortable/faster/natural than anything else I had used. I used to love giving it to my right handed friends an watching to look on their faces when they tried to cycle the bolt. I'm sure they could get used to it but why would you?

Faster than a BLR? If you it felt more natural and comfortable fair enough, but not faster.

Originally Posted by Got-ya

Faster than a BLR? If you it felt more natural and comfortable fair enough, but not faster.

True. Faster was more to do with the right handed bolt than the BLR.
The bolt does offer far more options in caliber, cartridge and barrel length and will generally be more accurate if wanting to shoot longer distances. Not that my MLR was inaccurate, just not as accurate as a my bolt actions.

Fair enough

Cartridges available in the Browning BLR:
.22-250 Remington
.222 Remington
.223 Remington
.257 Roberts
.25-06 Remington ( Limited Run of 150 for Kones Corner)
.243 Winchester
.270 Winchester
.270 Winchester Short Magnum
.284 Winchester
.30-06 Springfield
.300 Winchester Magnum
.300 Winchester Short Magnum
.308 Winchester
.325 Winchester Short Magnum
.358 Winchester
.450 Marlin
7mm Remington Magnum
7mm Winchester Short Magnum
7mm-08 Remington
6.5 Creedmoor

While not all of those will still be in production or easy to get in NZ thats a pretty good selection. Barrel lenghts depending on action lenght or calibre have ranged from 16 inches to 24 inches.

I would be the first to admit that if distances over about 300m were common then a bolt would be better, at that range time is generally on your side and that chance for a fast follow up shot small.

If you naturally shoot a shotgun left handed then I would definitely get a left hand bolt action. One of the side benefits is being able to hand it to right handed shooters and watching them awkwardly work the action! Of course left hand bolt actions generally cost more and there aren't so many buyers if you sell in future. Also worth considering lever actions and single shots

Originally Posted by Got-ya

Fair enough

Cartridges available in the Browning BLR:
.22-250 Remington
.222 Remington
.223 Remington
.257 Roberts
.25-06 Remington ( Limited Run of 150 for Kones Corner)
.243 Winchester
.270 Winchester
.270 Winchester Short Magnum
.284 Winchester
.30-06 Springfield
.300 Winchester Magnum
.300 Winchester Short Magnum
.308 Winchester
.325 Winchester Short Magnum
.358 Winchester
.450 Marlin
7mm Remington Magnum
7mm Winchester Short Magnum
7mm-08 Remington
6.5 Creedmoor

While not all of those will still be in production or easy to get in NZ thats a pretty good selection. Barrel lenghts depending on action lenght or calibre have ranged from 16 inches to 24 inches.

I would be the first to admit that if distances over about 300m were common then a bolt would be better, at that range time is generally on your side and that chance for a fast follow up shot small.

Don't get me wrong. I like the BLR but having used both I prefer a leftie bolt. Just personal preference. Having the ejection port away from your face is nice too.