Build a rifle or buy a rifle? Left Handed

[K_pem]

Debating on either

A.) Buying a used T3X and dropping it in a MDT, barrel and trigger down the road maybe.

OR

B.) Take advantage of one of the few more premium Left hand offerings (Fierce, CA, Bergara, WBY)

Thoughts?

 

[SwiftShot]

Build it. Look at Brownells and type in actions on the search. You can get a barreled action from a bunch of manufacturers. You save money as no stock. Also you have actions that can take barrels no work needed. Just add the stock. Very good prices. Left will make it harder but they have Tikka actions ready to go.

 

[K_pem]

Might be interesting to go with a bare action and just buy a carbon barrel from the get go.

 

[LeftyWilbury]

kinda depends on what you're hoping to do with the rifle. i'm sad tikka doesn't offer us the full assortment of rifles/calibers in left hand but i also haven't been able to justify spending the time or money to "make" a different rifle. for my hunting and shooting purposes, it just didn't make sense.

do i want to build a sweet 300 wsm from one of my 7 mags? yes. but will i take it out hunting more than once, nope ha.

 

[awpk03s]

Buy one of the Euro Optic close out Tikkas in LH… add the stock and barrel of your choice. Don’t do anything to the trigger.

 

[K_pem]

Buy one of the Euro Optic close out Tikkas in LH… add the stock and barrel of your choice. Don’t do anything to the trigger.

I haven’t seen many closeouts but I’ve seen some used tikkas here for pretty reasonable prices. Also was looking at maybe the HOWA 1500 or just going full send and doing a build off of a quality action like defiance or the like.

I’ll check out the Eurooptic offerings

 

[K_pem]

kinda depends on what you're hoping to do with the rifle. i'm sad tikka doesn't offer us the full assortment of rifles/calibers in left hand but i also haven't been able to justify spending the time or money to "make" a different rifle. for my hunting and shooting purposes, it just didn't make sense.

do i want to build a sweet 300 wsm from one of my 7 mags? yes. but will i take it out hunting more than once, nope ha.

I’m mostly concerned with hunting purposes. I’m not planning on ever competing or anything but I do enjoy shooting long range for fun, but again most the fun in that is seeing what I’m capable of and dialing in my expectations for realistic hunting scenarios.

I know most quality factory rifles are probably more than capable of shooting the distances that I’d actually hunt; but I want a lightweight setup that’s contoured to how I want to hunt and of course… i want a badass rifle

 

[gbflyer]

If you want light and useable a MDT chassis is not the way to go.

I’m a lefty too. I have built on Tikkas, Remington’s, several Remington pattern customs, Savages, Winchesters, and a couple Zermatt Bighorn Origins. And AR’s. You can’t get as light with a Tikka as some of the high end customs, but that’s about where it stops.

If you are looking for a reliable hunting stick with a reasonable weight in a cartridge that doesn’t need a H&H length action, buy or build on a Tikka. There is just no compelling reason to go anywhere else.

 

[Loper]

Not sure if you want to hear this, but you just missed a $75 rebate on Tikka. You had to have purchased by the end of November. However, the left handed ones are still cheaper now than I’ve seen them all year.

 

[Wrongside]

I shoot from the wrong side as well. I have/had customs built on M70, M700 and custom 700 clones. I’ve also owned several Tikkas, plain and customized. Anymore, I mostly carry & shoot modified Tikkas. They just work, and the aftermarket for them is quite large now.

 

[K_pem]

If you want light and useable a MDT chassis is not the way to go.

I’m a lefty too. I have built on Tikkas, Remington’s, several Remington pattern customs, Savages, Winchesters, and a couple Zermatt Bighorn Origins. And AR’s. You can’t get as light with a Tikka as some of the high end customs, but that’s about where it stops.

If you are looking for a reliable hunting stick with a reasonable weight in a cartridge that doesn’t need a H&H length action, buy or build on a Tikka. There is just no compelling reason to go anywhere else.

Why do you say no on the HNT26?? It’s relatively light and foldable to get super short. I like all the little things like bipod adapters, adjustability and the arca rail too.

Just curious. I looked at the XLR as well

 

[K_pem]

Not sure if you want to hear this, but you just missed a $75 rebate on Tikka. You had to have purchased by the end of November. However, the left handed ones are still cheaper now than I’ve seen them all year.

Damn that sucks. I was looking for lightly used as well. I see Euro still has them sub $800

 

[K_pem]

Leaning more toward building than buying. Thinking something like this would be a reasonably “high end” option about the same price as a factory “high end” lefty offering from most:

Buy a LH Tikka T3X rifle or action
Carbon 18-20” rebarrel (7PRC likely)
Trigger spring
LA bolt stop (if necessary)
Used/2nd hand HNT26 and/or MDT Field stock (for the mean time)
Brake possible? (Ultimately want to suppress)

Thoughts?

Goal: <=6lbs rifle no optic, easy 500yd w/ 800yd max hunt range with likely the ELDX (and lots of practice of course), able to take mags, arca compatible, comfortable to manipulate/maneuver

 

[SloppyJ]

I shoot lefty and have built my last 3 off of zermatt actions. I prefer them because prefits are super easy to find and I can swap bolt faces.

If I were to do a tikka, I'd find one in a caliber that I wanted. Use the stock barrel and get it cut and threaded. I'd put a new stock on it as that's my least favorite part of tikkas and then some UM rings and a Maven or Nx8.

Their barrels are typically top notch and there'd be no reason not to shoot it out and put the $900 to glass and ammo.

 

[K_pem]

I shoot lefty and have built my last 3 off of zermatt actions. I prefer them because prefits are super easy to find and I can swap bolt faces.

If I were to do a tikka, I'd find one in a caliber that I wanted. Use the stock barrel and get it cut and threaded. I'd put a new stock on it as that's my least favorite part of tikkas and then some UM rings and a Maven or Nx8.

Their barrels are typically top notch and there'd be no reason not to shoot it out and put the $900 to glass and ammo.

I’ll have to check out those actions. Problem is they don’t make a 7prc and that’s kinda what I’m wanting to build. I figured if it was a desirable caliber I could sell the barrel later

 

[Wrongside]

Why do you say no on the HNT26?? It’s relatively light and foldable to get super short. I like all the little things like bipod adapters, adjustability and the arca rail too.

Just curious. I looked at the XLR as well

MDT doesn’t offer the HNT26 inletted for LH Tikka, only SA LH M700.

 

[K_pem]

MDT doesn’t offer the HNT26 inletted for LH Tikka, only SA LH M700.

Oh shit. Well that’s a good reason haha.

I originally liked the XLR more but everyone raves HNT26.

Mind you I’ve never had hands on either

 

[LeftyWilbury]

....
If I were to do a tikka, I'd find one in a caliber that I wanted. Use the stock barrel and get it cut and threaded. I'd put a new stock on it as that's my least favorite part of tikkas and then some UM rings and a Maven or Nx8.

Their barrels are typically top notch and there'd be no reason not to shoot it out and put the $900 to glass and ammo.

This is the route I took. LH Hunter 243 with 1:8 twist. Took off the nice wood stock and got a Stocky's VG on sale for $400. Might have stuck a lighter trigger spring in there just because I had a few. Sent to Kampfeld to chop to 20" and thread w a collar. SWFA 10x in a DNZ mount. Nothing overly fancy or expensive. Easy button filled my buck and doe tags this year and i let a buddy borrow it and he took his mulie at 450 yards. Pretty sure my buddy's gonna sell his 300 WM T3x and ask me to set him up a 243....

 

[Erict]

You may want to take 2 seconds to consider using a right-handed rifle, especially if you do most/all shooting off bipods/bench AND the actions/safetys/knobs, etc. would work for you. I'm a righty, but love my .223 Rem 700 VS in lefty, though my other rifles are righty. Good luck.

 

[K_pem]

LYou may want to take 2 seconds to consider using a right-handed rifle, especially if you do most/all shooting off bipods/bench AND the actions/safetys/knobs, etc. would work for you. I'm a righty, but love my .223 Rem 700 VS in lefty, though my other rifles are righty. Good luck.

I have strongly considered that and I’m at the point where if I’m going to spend the money and build/buy my one nice do it all rifle (for the foreseeable future at least) that I want it to be left handed like my Savage I have now. I’m sure I’ll buy more RH rifles down the road (with my kiddo getting older) and have a lot of fun putting things in the dirt with them. But if I’m going to do this I feel like I want to do it right (or wrong I guess haha).