My son is right handed, but left eye dominant. The rest of the family are right hand shooters and since we play the hand me down game with shotguns, he's been shooting a right hand 870 with left hand form for several years now. I've been shopping around for a good left hand gun, but they are extremely hard to find. I know Browning makes ambidextrous guns, but they can be pricey. Any suggestions? Anyone else out there with the same "problem"?
Lefty shotguns
- Thread starter Kevin T
- Start date
Lee Harker
Well-known member
If you are looking at a pump, the BPS is probably cheaper than a 870 "Wingmaster". Ithaca pumps are bottom eject too but the new ones are really pricey. A nice O/U would make him happy.
charlie foulds
Well-known member
Kevin, Call the manufacturer of the gun you choose(customer service) and they will help you acquire the left handed gun of your choice in your area. I did this with Thompson to purchase a hard to find Pro Hunter Turkey gun. Good Luck
Bill Ferrar
Well-known member
For years I just sent the triggers assembies back to remington and had the safety reversed.
Then I bought the browning bps, now I am shooting a benelli for my duck hunting
For Pheasants browning 12 O/I, grouse/woodcock franchi 20 O/I
One word of caution the browning bps can be a nightmare to strip and assemble
I would go with a 870.
Are benelli's that pricey when you count the amount of years that your son will have the gun
I had to buy my first gun which was a 20gauge 870 wingmaster. I can sell it tomorrow and get what I paid for it. If I would have bought a high end gun I could sell it for 4 times what I paid for it.
Mike
Well-known member
You mentioned Remingtons:
870 and the 1100 can be ordered in left
http://www.remington.com/.../firearms/left-Hand/
This is a bottom loader
http://www.remington.com/...uns/model_105CTi.asp
A friend of mine has the same frustration with limited models of scatterguns in left. He was brought up shooting a righty and got used to the inconvienence. He recently went to an O/U and says that he regrets not doing it sooner. Maybe it's the gun, the fit or just a mental thing, but he's shooting better scores at the clays range with it.
Good luck in the search.
I just dug deeper into the site and found this:
http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/premier_dealer_exclusives/model_870_XCS_waterfowl.asp
Doesn't say that it comes in Left, but it sure looks sweet.
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a civitarese
Active member
Is he having trouble shooting the right hand gun ? I'm a southpaw and have been shooting right hand auto loaders for 38 years . I don't mind , never had any problems.
Brandon Yuchasz
Well-known member
I am left handed and since I stated with a shotgun I shot a 11-87 lefthand model. Love it first gun I owned.
I did have one problem with it after 15 year of flawless service and had to go buy myself a backup one week into duck season while it was repaired.
I bought a left hand 870 express. It was $300.00. Although the finish on the laminated stock is less then impressive its an 870 so I have not concerns about it going bang everytime. Its not my primary duck gun and the 11-87 have since been re-blued and now comes out for grouse and nice duck days.
Guess what I am saying is if he likes 870's then you can go barebones with a express or look around for a nice used wingmaster and he can have a nice gun to hand down to his kids.
I did have one problem with it after 15 year of flawless service and had to go buy myself a backup one week into duck season while it was repaired.
I bought a left hand 870 express. It was $300.00. Although the finish on the laminated stock is less then impressive its an 870 so I have not concerns about it going bang everytime. Its not my primary duck gun and the 11-87 have since been re-blued and now comes out for grouse and nice duck days.
Guess what I am saying is if he likes 870's then you can go barebones with a express or look around for a nice used wingmaster and he can have a nice gun to hand down to his kids.
ithaca uesd to make the model 37, which is a bottom ejector--don't know if they are even in business---i have a lh 870, but went with a beretta 302 eons ago--to tell the truth, with an auto, i rarely, if ever, am bothered by shells ejecting-operation is very fast-if he is a youngster, a 30 auto might be jsut the IT way to go-if not, then go with the 12
Charlie S and Titan
Well-known member
I guess "good" is relative.
My brother in law shoots lefty and has had good luck with the mossberg pumps. Not sure if they are bottom eject, but the big thing for him is the top mounted safety.
Depends upon your budget, I guess. That'd be a cheap way to do it.
My brother in law shoots lefty and has had good luck with the mossberg pumps. Not sure if they are bottom eject, but the big thing for him is the top mounted safety.
Depends upon your budget, I guess. That'd be a cheap way to do it.
Wispete
Well-known member
It nice to know you have one creative kid. A lefty has to be in a right handed world. I shot for years with right handed guns. My choice would be a over under or side by side. My thinking on this if he ever decides to sell it the market is bigger. The first gun I used was a side by side. I often wish I still had it. Many shot guns later. Later when he wants to plunk down his own money a Super Black Eagle in left hand.
Larry J
Active member
Kevin,
I'm right-handed and left-eye dominant. I shot right handed. I just close my left eye just before i pull the trigger. That might be the wrong way to do it, but i don't see how I could change to left hand shooting at this point. You might want to check with a shooting instructor about what's the best way for a right-handed left-eye dom person to shoot before you're son trys to shoot left handed. if he's young, he may pick it up quickly.
If he does decide to shoot lefty, the Browning BPS is a great gun and it's mostly ambidexterous. The action release is on the left, so it's easy for a right-hander to push it up with his finger wrapped around the grip. it would be under a lefty's hand. I also shoot a 20ga ruger red-label o/u. it's completely ambi.
Larry
I'm right-handed and left-eye dominant. I shot right handed. I just close my left eye just before i pull the trigger. That might be the wrong way to do it, but i don't see how I could change to left hand shooting at this point. You might want to check with a shooting instructor about what's the best way for a right-handed left-eye dom person to shoot before you're son trys to shoot left handed. if he's young, he may pick it up quickly.
If he does decide to shoot lefty, the Browning BPS is a great gun and it's mostly ambidexterous. The action release is on the left, so it's easy for a right-hander to push it up with his finger wrapped around the grip. it would be under a lefty's hand. I also shoot a 20ga ruger red-label o/u. it's completely ambi.
Larry
george wilson
Active member
you could try taping over the left lense of his safety glasses blocking the left eye from seeing the end of the barrel - then the right eye is the only one that looks down the rib - i shoot like that and have no problems -- opaque scotch tape works as well as the magic dots they sell for this problem. i'm sure there are instructionals on how to place the "blocker" piece of tape
tape is cheeper than a gun if there already are guns available to use at the house
tape is cheeper than a gun if there already are guns available to use at the house
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Eric Dellamater
Well-known member
right handed, lt eye dominant.....learned to shoot just like you mentioned. Still do with a rt 870, no blow by really.
Others gave you good advice on gun types, but it all comes down to how much effort and coin you have.
Kevin,
I am right handed and left eye dominant also. I tried the tape on the glasses, red dots on the lens, closing one eye, and any othe snake poison you could think of. I still always had trouble with crossing shots! At age 32 I decided to try shooting my RH Nova pump lefty. I started at the skeet range and by the time I was half way through my first set it already started becoming "natural". I have shot lefty since then and never looked back. I did take apart the trigger (extremely easy) and make it a left handed safety. Ok, sure you see a "flash" of a shell being ejected in your periferalls but it was no biggie.
A couple months before last season I purchased a LH Benelli SBE II. I absoulutely love the gun, everything about it just "feels right". Even though it is lighter than my Nova it has a much softer felt recoil. Left handed guns usually cost more than rights but I got a great deal on it. It was worth every penny I paid. It had sat in the shop for a while and their Benelli rep was going to be in soon so they wanted to get rid of their current stock. I purchased it for less than the right hand guns that were also on sale. You will not find a simpler gun than the Benellis to break down. The easier a gun is to break down, the more eager you will be to clean it. Just my opinion for what it is worth.
Good luck,
Gene
I am right handed and left eye dominant also. I tried the tape on the glasses, red dots on the lens, closing one eye, and any othe snake poison you could think of. I still always had trouble with crossing shots! At age 32 I decided to try shooting my RH Nova pump lefty. I started at the skeet range and by the time I was half way through my first set it already started becoming "natural". I have shot lefty since then and never looked back. I did take apart the trigger (extremely easy) and make it a left handed safety. Ok, sure you see a "flash" of a shell being ejected in your periferalls but it was no biggie.
A couple months before last season I purchased a LH Benelli SBE II. I absoulutely love the gun, everything about it just "feels right". Even though it is lighter than my Nova it has a much softer felt recoil. Left handed guns usually cost more than rights but I got a great deal on it. It was worth every penny I paid. It had sat in the shop for a while and their Benelli rep was going to be in soon so they wanted to get rid of their current stock. I purchased it for less than the right hand guns that were also on sale. You will not find a simpler gun than the Benellis to break down. The easier a gun is to break down, the more eager you will be to clean it. Just my opinion for what it is worth.
Good luck,
Gene
It's interesting to hear how many south paws are out there and how they've adapted to a right hand world. Thanks to everyone for chipping in. Some more information might be helpful.
Jacob (my son) has been shooting what I consider "correct" form from the beginning. We did the eye test before we even went to the range and determined that he was going to have to shoot a right hand gun with a left stance. For the record, he's a great shot, so no worries there.
What's eating at me is the fact that his current gun ejects right in front of his face. He never complains, but I know it can be a distraction and I'm worried about possible safety issues if the gun were to have a major malfunction. I'd love to buy him an heirloom lefty that he can shoot for the rest of his life, but then he'd have a nicer gun than me! I've thought about the over/under or side by side, but he doesn't seem interested. Buying new stuff in general goes against my grain...I tend to be a scrounger. Trouble is, nice, used lefties are just plain rare.
Jacob (my son) has been shooting what I consider "correct" form from the beginning. We did the eye test before we even went to the range and determined that he was going to have to shoot a right hand gun with a left stance. For the record, he's a great shot, so no worries there.
What's eating at me is the fact that his current gun ejects right in front of his face. He never complains, but I know it can be a distraction and I'm worried about possible safety issues if the gun were to have a major malfunction. I'd love to buy him an heirloom lefty that he can shoot for the rest of his life, but then he'd have a nicer gun than me! I've thought about the over/under or side by side, but he doesn't seem interested. Buying new stuff in general goes against my grain...I tend to be a scrounger. Trouble is, nice, used lefties are just plain rare.
Bill Ferrar
Well-known member
As for the shell going across you face that was the least of my problem.
With the right wind the power from the spend shells would get blown in my eye.
That can be a real distraction on a cold windy day.
With the right wind the power from the spend shells would get blown in my eye.
That can be a real distraction on a cold windy day.
Charlie S and Titan
Well-known member
Kevin,
If you want an OU, look at the used gun rack at you local gun shops. I was just in a local gun shop and they had tw 12ga for under $350. Not high grade ones, but serviceable. A balkail and a stoeger, I think. I got my first citori for not a lot more than that.
Charlie
If you want an OU, look at the used gun rack at you local gun shops. I was just in a local gun shop and they had tw 12ga for under $350. Not high grade ones, but serviceable. A balkail and a stoeger, I think. I got my first citori for not a lot more than that.
Charlie
Brandon Yuchasz
Well-known member
Kevin speaking as a south paw. I really 18 years later apreaciate the fact that my parents spent the high dollar on my first gun that 11-87 is something I will treasure always. I am sure a used 11-87 or 870 wingmaster would be just as treasured at the one they bought new. Maybe for a brithday or Christmas?
For a untilitarian gun though I really do feel the 870 express is the way to go. Mine can be layed on the bottom of the boat if need be without worry by me as to its finish.
The main thing about a lefty shooting a righty gun is that darn safty its just not natural to keep that safty in the correct possition on a righty gun which you obviously realize. Second and honestly it never bothered me much was the shell ejecting across the field of view.
For a untilitarian gun though I really do feel the 870 express is the way to go. Mine can be layed on the bottom of the boat if need be without worry by me as to its finish.
The main thing about a lefty shooting a righty gun is that darn safty its just not natural to keep that safty in the correct possition on a righty gun which you obviously realize. Second and honestly it never bothered me much was the shell ejecting across the field of view.