Lefty rifle recommendations

[Unibrau]

I’ve shot right handed rifles all my life, but a planned elk hunt in two years has me thinking I want to actually invest in a gun made for me. I would like it to be a 280ai or 6.5prc. I don’t think I want to deal with a 300 as it will be used mostly for whitetail. Budget will be hopefully less than $3000, but possibly a bit more. I’ve held a Christiansen and fierce before. Appreciate any help and recommendations

 

[willtim]

My sons shoot older Remington 700 lefties in 7mm RM. They added HS Precision stocks. One likes 160 AB with N165. The other likes 160 AB with R22. Both are sub MOA.

 

[vonb]

I was in your same decision years back. Purchased a left handed rifle and can’t get used to it. I still go back and forth between right and left handed bolt guns.

 

[NDGuy]

Tikka or Christensen Mesa

 

[ericwh]

Tikka w/makeover or custom.

As a lefty reloader I have gone with Tikka and stay with short or medium cartridges due to mag length restrictions. I would be happy with any level makeover: Steel rebarrel, carbon rebarrel, fancy stock, factory stock. I'm fine with the factory stock and extra-low rings.

For a long action cartridge I would go full custom with a BDL floorplate.

 

[wilydawg]

Tikka for factory or I'd look at Alamo Precision for a custom...

 

[RafterH]

I have a SAvage and Sako rifles. WOuld purchase either again. Savage is 300 WSM and Sako is 270. Only LH rifles I have ever owned.

 

[wildwilderness]

I have two kids who shoot left and have set up rifles for them. One is a left hand tikka that I got a new AG stock and proof barrel. Tikka actions are smooth as butter. They have the drop box magazine if you like it, if you go the Tikka route Hells Canyon Armory builds a lot of them, the wsm case really shines but you have to reload. 280ai or 6.5prc would work fine.

I also built a basic Rem 700 short action with new barrel and remage nut to head space myself, and a bell and Carlson stock cut short. Works great in 6mm CM. A 280ai would fit easy in a LA but the 6.5prc if you want to fit it in a SA (which I prefer) would need an extended mag installed.

 

[LookinforDirt]

Having just gone through this, I ended up with an X-Bolt Hunter. options are pretty limited for us lefties. Tikka was in the running and I would likely have been happy with one but could not find one LH in the caliber I wanted at a fair, to me, price. I missed out on the best deal and could never duplicate it. I held some right handed Tikkaks in the store and like the feel of the X-Bolt better. Tikka still felt good though just the XB was better for me. XB is a very well balanced gun. Bolt was easier on the Tikka but XB is still quite nice. Triggers were a wash to me. Both being very nice factory triggers that I see zero reason to change for my shooting needs. I like the XB safety location better and features better (bolt locked on safe but can unlock it with a button to unload while still on safe) and it has much less expensive magazines. Magazine btw is excellent. Alloy trigger guard on the XB. For some reason that mattered to me to give it a more quality look and feel. Not sure it is stronger. In the end, just from handling and testing functionality (have not shot it yet), I’m glad I went with the XB.

I looked pretty hard at the Christian Arms Mesa. It gives a lefty features on a rifle other companies don’t offer in combination. And in a lot of caliber choices. In the end I decided no. I needed to read more overwhelmingly positive reviews of it and didn’t get that while researching. Probably the Internet effect where there is more negative than positive posted. But Browning and Tikka overwhelmingly seemed to have very positive feedback. I couldn’t handle one in person either. Mostly I decided what it offered feature and performance wise was not important enough to me to pony up the extra cash. That “savings“ made me feel better about purchasing a scope twice the cost of the XB.

My other lefty is an 80’s era Remington 700 30-06 with a Timney trigger. Very accurate and fits me great. Between the 7mm-08 XB and 30-06 Rem I’m feeling pretty covered for my hunting needs.

 

[NDGuy]

Having just gone through this, I ended up with an X-Bolt Hunter. options are pretty limited for us lefties.

We get the SHAFT!

Still cannot believe Bergara isn't making the B14 or Ridge in lefty. Only that heavy ass HMR.

I wonder if companies assume Tikka kinda owns that $ point market and doesn't bother investing into it.

 

[EastMT]

Man following this. My boy is leaning towards being a lefty, all my right handed rifles I had saved for him are now on the fence. Gonna need to do a little shopping myself


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[silverbullet555]

I'm a lefty and shot right handed rifles most of my life. I now search out left handed rifles and have 2 Tikka left handed rifles here that will be used for future builds. They are a good balance of cost vs performance and do meet my needs.

I intend to rebarrel both and add better stocks. Total cost should be $2400 or less. $800 for rifle, $800 carbon barrel. $500 stock. $300 gunsmith.

The 6.5CM will either stay that or I'll rebarrel to a 280ai

The 7MM RM will either stay that or I'll rebarrel to a 6.5PRC.

Clearly I am still up in the air on that.

 

[NDGuy]

Man following this. My boy is leaning towards being a lefty, all my right handed rifles I had saved for him are now on the fence. Gonna need to do a little shopping myself

Get the Tikka man! That Rough Tec model looks on point.

 

[MattB]

Tikka w/makeover or custom.

As a lefty reloader I have gone with Tikka and stay with short or medium cartridges due to mag length restrictions. I would be happy with any level makeover: Steel rebarrel, carbon rebarrel, fancy stock, factory stock. I'm fine with the factory stock and extra-low rings.

For a long action cartridge I would go full custom with a BDL floorplate.

This, maybe buy a LH Tikka 6.5 CM and have it re-chambered to PRC and have the bolt face opened up.

 

[EastMT]

Get the Tikka man! That Rough Tec model looks on point.

Yeah, if only I liked them I would be in business!

 

[AkMtnRunner]

Don't overlook the 270 win, and there are many factory left handed options already chambered in it.

 

[HeathH]

I thought I hated Tikkas until I built one in 280AI last year out of a LH .270. Now it’s all I shoot. Ive since acquired one in 6.5CM. Smooth as glass, light and flawless. Shooting 160 AB through the same hole at 2944fps. If you build a 280AI, learn the difference between the old school AI and the newer SAAMI spec if you reload.

 

[Spoonbill]

With your budget be on the lookout for a model 70 in left hand. I have one in 270 and I would buy another if the funds and right one popped up. They come up on gun broker, sometimes fairly “cheap” if its a wsm caliber. Last ones i saw were selling from 1000-1800. A rebarrel and dropping it in a mcmillan stock would put you right at 3k.

 

[Beendare]

Lefty here, I bought a Savage....and wish I would have bought the Tikka

 

[204guy]

Unfortunately build 1. At your budget nobody makes a rifle I'm interested in that I can't build for about the same price to my exact specs. Tikka donor for a prc. Rem for 280.
Another option is to look for a used custom that comes close to what you want.