The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Tactical Rifle & Carbine => Topic started by: Wheelgun Dunn on January 05, 2009, 08:11:34 PM
-
Have any of you ever read about or seen anyone who is a right handed shooter using a left handed action in a bolt gun? I read somewhere once a long time ago some folks did this so they could cycle the bolt w/o taking their head off the stock and they could load easier from the left if single loading on the bench. Any one?
Wheelgun
-
I think this is common with bolt action pistols. I know I did it with my Franken-Crosman 2240 CO2 pistol. I put a left handed steel receiver on it, so I can reload with out changing my grip. I believe some of the IHMSA pistols were left handed.
I don't think I've ever seen or read about doing a rifle this way. It seems it would actually be harder with a left handed bolt.
-
Like alfsauve said, I think bolt action handguns are set up this way for ease of cycling without passing the gun back and forth between hands. However, with a rifle I like right hand bolt for right hand shooter. I can keep my gun tight in my shoulder and keep my cheek weld while cycling with my right hand. I have at different times let go with my left hand to do something, and it is impossible for me to keep everything in place with only my right hand. I think I could even shoot without my right hand if needed if I could rig up a trigger that could be activated from the fore end.
Have you ever watched a lefty shooting a right hand bold. The movements they need to make to cycle are both impressive and something many wish they didn't need to do.
-
What a great question, the info I have is very interesting and I do have a right handed grip, left handed bolt pistol.
see here
(http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff150/m25operator/100_1389.jpg)
(http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff150/m25operator/100_1389.jpg)
If I were a sniper or counter sniper, this set up is perfect, for the reasons you mentioned, stationary position, off a bipod or solid rest. If we are going into the field with different positions, then it is not optimal at all.
Bill Davis of 2nd chance body armor had a side match at his 2nd chance bowling pin shoot, which is a large match, and one of those was recreating the Pres, Kennedy assassination, using the 6.5 Carcano, and those that won it, were left handed shooters, pushing the rifle against the window frame working the bolt with their right hand on a moving target. According to Oswalds mother, he shot rifles. lefty.
The pistol displayed was built for the masters tournament, and I have shot 3 1/2" groups of 10 shots in 90 seconds, the pistol shoots better than that, but the group don't stink.
-
I heard of someone shooting a left-handed bolt-action rifle right-handed but thought it was just because he got a really sweet deal on the rifle. What really looks odd if you aren't used to it is a right-hand bolt-action that loads and ejects on the left.
-
Thanks for the info guys. I would be doing this on a target rifle so no moving around in the field stuff. Savage tactical in .223 using berger vld bullets. I think it will work out for the better. It may be easier. And I did get a great deal! $379 for what appears to be a virtually unfired rifle in great shape with a Sharp Shooter trigger already installed! I was happy, just need to dress her out a bit with a better stock. Savage factory model leaves a bit to be desired. Thanks!
Wheelgun
-
Just be sure the bolt clears your strong hand thumb, or you'll have to break firing grip every time with both hands.
-
As a "lefty", I have had to adjust many things when shooting pistols and rifles. Getting ambi safeties on my 1911's is great, as well as, M+P which can easily be changed.
However, I found with bolt actions, (and rifles in general), it is easier to shoot right shoulder, and get over it. I don't know how I would shoot a true left handed rifle, to me now, it would seem awkward.
My old Mauser feels natural in its traditional right handed config. and I can cycle through the 5 rds. and reload with the strippers pretty darn smoothly.
(http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm182/twyacht/Mauser001.jpg)
I would love to try a left-handed rifle one day but they are hard to find on range day..
-
Just wanted to note that as a lefty, one thing has been left out here and that is eye dominance. I am both left handed and left eye dominant (Many, either through birth, or accident, are not so lucky).. As a kid, I had to shoot RH bolts as that was what was on offer. I could do ok manually, working the bolt RH, but had to contort myself to use my left eye to aim. It worked, but fast, it was not. Now, after years of shooting LH bolts, I would never go back, unless it was that or throwing a rock. Seriously, let the eyes decide. Your hands can be trained with practice, but trying to aim with your weak eye will always be a struggle. Its why I shoot pistols instinctively. I shoot them right handed because of the safety and mag release on the left side. I treat them as small shotguns; both eyes open, point, squeeze, repeat. This works well with practice. It gives good enough performance for someone like me, who uses them as purely defensive, not target or hunting weapons. (By good enough, I mean 4" at 25 yds with my Glock). I might have an advantage because I bust lots and lots of clays and doves with side by sides, but it works for me. In fact I wasn't aware pistols had sights until a friend explainded that that was what those unsightly lumps on the barrel were. Who'd a'thunk it? ???
fightingquaker13
PS WILL SOMEONE PLEASE SHOOT THAT JACKASS WHO IS HAVING A LETS RECREATE THE KENNEDY ASSASINATION COMPETITION? Not only is that in obscenely poor taste, (911 anyone)? Its not like gunowners don't have enough to
wory about without a headline like "Gun Industry Leader Glorifying Presidential Assasinations !!". Not only isn't it funny, its just like...well, I really can't think of an anaolgy as to how suicidal that is in these days and with this president. Obama assasination threats however oblique or unitentional are not funny. Step away from the crack pipe Mr. Davis.
-
Another thing that has been left out is sling use.
If you're in a position where the sling is wrapped around your off arm for stability, it's not in position to reach back and work the bolt. As a lefty I was reminded of this using an Ishapore a few days ago. In the picture of the Mauser above, there's no sling shown, or even any sling mounts, so it doesn't matter.
It all depends on how you're going to shoot.
-
PS WILL SOMEONE PLEASE SHOOT THAT JACKASS WHO IS HAVING A LETS RECREATE THE KENNEDY ASSASINATION COMPETITION? Not only is that in obscenely poor taste, (911 anyone)? Its not like gunowners don't have enough to
wory about without a headline like "Gun Industry Leader Glorifying Presidential Assasinations !!". Not only isn't it funny, its just like...well, I really can't think of an anaolgy as to how suicidal that is in these days and with this president. Obama assasination threats however oblique or unitentional are not funny. Step away from the crack pipe Mr. Davis.
[/quote]
Well Bill has been doing this for 20 years and it is an exercise, There were many observers that said Oswald could not have made that shot on a moving target with that equipment, this is a way to validate true or false, it did prove true, and with shooters who shot left handed like Oswald, the Warren commission didn't try it, so how do you find out for real? wait for Mythbusters??? You recreate it, and of course it is a paper target on a cable, moving at the right speed and distance, and the shooter is at the right elevation, shooting from a window, with the same 20 something dollar equipment that was used. Mr. Davis's invention has saved thousands of lives, He had some recent trouble with substandard kevlar, that he is now paying for, He is a patriot and a no bullshit guy, He will demonstrate his vests by shooting himself, with .357 and .44 mags, I believe in his product but would not do that on a drunken bet. I suppose we should not use humanoid targets to practice at for self defense.
Headlines " People are training to kill other people " oh the Horror :o Setting an apple on the top of a human shaped target to recreate the William Tell shot, I guess we should scrap that, or any Alvin York scenario, SASS better quit thinking the Ok Corral scenario, is fun. It's ok for Oliver Stone to film untruths, and make money on it about the war, the assassination and so forth, but good God, a few real shooters in a tournament as a side match, come on, I'm not drinking the media coolaid, or burying my head in the sand, with my butt in the air
We were doing shooting from a moving vehicle for our tactical matches, something not too many ranges would do, and one of the board members was worrying about the media seeing this and saying we were training for drive by shooting, which of course we were, and the question is? We might not need this experience? Getting out of a riot scenario, in a moving vehicle, not driving through a neighborhood shooting at houses. >:(
We have to back up what we do, the media is rarely going to be our friend, but we have got to quit backing up, if questioned, yes I am training for protecting my family, state and country, from all enemies, foreign and domestic, no scenario is out of place, if you can historically explain it, A counter sniper stage, that would be the reverse of the Kennedy assassination, with a man on the ground or on top of a building, scanning for potential snipers would be valid, and believe me, that happens any where the presidents, current or past, go's, because of the Kennedy scenario, and yes it should be done, because We learn to look for threats, we at one time didn't expect, but happened.
-
PS WILL SOMEONE PLEASE SHOOT THAT JACKASS WHO IS HAVING A LETS RECREATE THE KENNEDY ASSASINATION COMPETITION? Not only is that in obscenely poor taste, (911 anyone)? Its not like gunowners don't have enough to
wory about without a headline like "Gun Industry Leader Glorifying Presidential Assasinations !!". Not only isn't it funny, its just like...well, I really can't think of an anaolgy as to how suicidal that is in these days and with this president. Obama assasination threats however oblique or unitentional are not funny. Step away from the crack pipe Mr. Davis.
He means RE ENACTING the KENNEDY assassination, not staging another assassination.
M 25, I think you misunderstand fightingquaker13. my understanding of his post is that he thinks the guy is calling for a NEW assassination
-
Jim Carmical (sp?) wrote an article in Outdoor Life a few years back advocating left side bolts for right handed shooters and visa versa. He has mentioned since that he uses LH rifles from time to time.
As a left eye dominate righty, I have been shooting rifles and shotguns from my left shoulder since YMCA camp when I was 9. I like single shots, LH bolts, and semiautos. I did / do have trouble loading an M1 clip. But it can be done. Not easily but it can be done as long as you don't try to use your left hand to load. And I am afraid I do have several RH bolt action rifles. If I am using a sling with a RH bolt, I reach over the top. If no sling I use my right hand sometimes.
-
PS WILL SOMEONE PLEASE SHOOT THAT JACKASS WHO IS HAVING A LETS RECREATE THE KENNEDY ASSASINATION COMPETITION? Not only is that in obscenely poor taste, (911 anyone)? Its not like gunowners don't have enough to
wory about without a headline like "Gun Industry Leader Glorifying Presidential Assasinations !!". Not only isn't it funny, its just like...well, I really can't think of an anaolgy as to how suicidal that is in these days and with this president. Obama assasination threats however oblique or unitentional are not funny. Step away from the crack pipe Mr. Davis. (fightingquaker13
Well Bill has been doing this for 20 years and it is an exercise, There were many observers that said Oswald could not have made that shot on a moving target with that equipment, this is a way to validate true or false, it did prove true, and with shooters who shot left handed like Oswald, the Warren commission didn't try it, so how do you find out for real? wait for Mythbusters??? You recreate it, and of course it is a paper target on a cable, moving at the right speed and distance, and the shooter is at the right elevation, shooting from a window, with the same 20 something dollar equipment that was used. Mr. Davis's invention has saved thousands of lives, He had some recent trouble with substandard kevlar, that he is now paying for, He is a patriot and a no bullshit guy, (M25)
M25
Thanks for your reply to my post. I have to say the peice did not start out to be political, but merely me trying to share what I had learned over the years as a lefty who likes bolt actions. However, I admit, that I lost it when the shooting contest in question was mentioned. I did not know why it was done, (as a Grassy Knoll who-done-it), or that this had been going on for two decades. I simply saw the mention of this, knew and respected Bill Davis's reputation, and thought "Oh Christ here we go". The point is that this not the kind of thing we want to see hit the papers going into an assault weapons ban debate, with the odds, at best, even. There is nobody there who hasn't worried about assasination since 911, and this is particularly true with an African American presiident. I just struck me, that this was bone stupid in terms of what the media COULD, and maybe WOULD do with a story they could twist into a bunch of rednecks treating Dallas as just a bit of fun (at best). Call me cynical, but as a political scientist by training and profession, I tend to look for the obvious political vulnerabilties, and try to avoid presenting them to the opposition. This is something we all, particularly people like Mr. Davis, with his fame and name recognition, need to pay attention to in the weeks and months to come. Call it the political equivilent of situational awareness, eg, don't hand the enemy a weapon. While I now know this was an exercise in "could Oswald have done it", I didn't before. Look how pissed I got, and I'm the NRA. Now picture a soccer mom who leans anti to neutral and magnify by ten. It is one thing not to back down, and another to play smart. We have to play smart.Sorry if folks took offense.
fighting quaker13
-
Thank you Quaker13, for listening to my position, your response, shows what kind of forum We have and are very proud of, your response struck a nerve with me as well, and I felt I could not let it stand. I agree, with being cautious, but being apologetic, has gotten us nowhere, We should not have to explain ourselves as gunowners and 2A supporters, ( and there are some who don't own guns, but support the 2A), for applying a right, enunciated in the constitution, shooting is practicing that right, in many different ways, sport is sport, practice is practice, and hunting is hunting, practicing to defend ourselves against tyranny is on the surface, something to be worried about, because we have been conditioned, and the powers that be don't want to hear that Part. One of my representatives here in Texas is Susan Gratia Hupp, and she told congress and the senate exactly that. I believe in the end, this will go further, than trying not to step on toes. Go to youtube, and type in her name and listen to her points, she's great. Another unafraid, no BS proponent. In my opinion, if the cops and military ( and I love both ) can practice it, we should definitely practice for it too. ;D
Respectfully M25
-
Read more about Suzanna Gratia Hupp on Wikipedia. She's an awesome pro 2A lady. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanna_Hupp
-
Thank you Quaker13, for listening to my position, your response, shows what kind of forum We have and are very proud of, your response struck a nerve with me as well, and I felt I could not let it stand. I agree, with being cautious, but being apologetic, has gotten us nowhere, We should not have to explain ourselves as gunowners and 2A supporters, ( and there are some who don't own guns, but support the 2A), for applying a right, enunciated in the constitution, shooting is practicing that right, in many different ways, sport is sport, practice is practice, and hunting is hunting, practicing to defend ourselves against tyranny is on the surface, something to be worried about, because we have been conditioned, and the powers that be don't want to hear that Part. One of my representatives here in Texas is Susan Gratia Hupp, and she told congress and the senate exactly that. I believe in the end, this will go further, than trying not to step on toes. Go to youtube, and type in her name and listen to her points, she's great. Another unafraid, no BS proponent. In my opinion, if the cops and military ( and I love both ) can practice it, we should definitely practice for it too. ;D
Respectfully M25
M25
Thanks, really didn't mean to start a fight. The only thing I'd add is that its not about being cautious or apologetic, its about being tactical. There's a time and a place to lay out the the whole 2A argument, and a time and a place to focus with lazer like efficiency on one point and ignore all the other stuff. The guy who wins an argument, isn't the guy who knows what to say, but rather the guy who also knows what not to say, and why. Remember this isn't a debate/argument between us and the Antis, its political theater for the don't know/don't cares who can jump either way. Its not just about having the best passer, its about having the best passer who knows when to give it to the running back.
peace
fightingquaker13
-
I'll jump in here to point out that Civil rights for minorities , women and gays were not achieved through reasonable debate.
The way we got to this point where we are fighting for the very existence of gun rights is by giving a crap about either the anti's OR the fence sitters. The point that MUST be communicated is that , as Mao said, "All political power comes from the barrel of a gun." We have them, and we are keeping them, and any one who doesn't like that is free to leave the country.
-
i am right handed but i shoot left handed it seem very difficult to shoot off my right shoulder just the way i learned when i was a yungen i wasnt strong enuf to hold a 12 ga shotgun up with my lefy harm so i held it with my right just got use to shooting that way i have no problems working the bolt