Question for the left handed shotgunners

[long hunter]

As a left handed shooter, I grew up shooting right handed weapons, so not really a problem. I bought my first left hand shotgun a Remingtom 870 wing master at 15 years old, did not really go for a shotgun was looking for a deer rifle, The shop owner and I were decent friends, so he ask me if I would be interested in the shotgun, seems someone orderd it put a down payment on it which was not refundable, gave me a very good deal on the gun. Cannot begin to count the number of rabbits that gun brought too the pot. It only goes too the field now occasionally. Now of days it is a side bye side when hunting. One thing too expect is the left hand version of any gun is a good more in price.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I can shoot RH guns, but much prefer the LH versions. For a shotgun, if you like a pump the Ithaca 37 with a LH safety is awesome.

Esse quam videri

 

[qwerksc]

Lefty here, always shot rh guns, been shooting double guns for the last five years. Just always made it work.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Just always made it work.

Me too for 40 years. However, when I built my elk hunting rifle, I went with LH bolt gun for the first time. I'll never go back to RH bolt guns again. Didn't know what I was missing in terms of convenience, efficiency, and repeatability.

My shotguns are mixed bag. SxS and OU are both ambi safety on top of receiver. Super 90 is RH and I flipped the safety. Ithaca is bottom eject and I plan to reverse the safety on that old gun soon.

 

[NorseNW]

Autoloader or pump shotgun always just shot RH versions. Never even thought of turning the safety around. I've never had an issue. The only thing I could think of is shells ejecting but never had one that obstructed my view.

Bolt guns totally different story - Grew up hunting .30-.30 lever action for white tail because left hand bolts were not very available and expensive if found where I grew up. I started buying left hand bolts as soon as I could afford them.

 

[TTT]

This is for any densely-left dominant people out there. If you can have only one auto shotgun-with no expense considered for custom fit, etc- would you ever consider a right-handed gun?

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

This is for any densely-left dominant people out there. If you can have only one auto shotgun-with no expense considered for custom fit, etc- would you ever consider a right-handed gun?

Yes. Shoot a RH Benelli Super 90 today and never had any issues with blowback or ejection

 

[positivepete!]

I shoot a browning BPS. It loads and ejects fron the bottom so there isn't anything flying out the side and potentially distracting or hitting me in the face. I enjoy the heck outta that gun!

 

[TTT]

1970s Ithaca Featherlight, Browning BPS, and an old Weatherby Orion OU all work well for a leftie in my family. We have a bunch of right-handed Browning A5 & Maxus that have worked OK too. I just wonder if “you never know what you’re missing until you try it.”

 

[TTT]

I also hate the idea of switching the safety for a leftie in a home with mostly righties with identical firearms.

 

[hunt1up]

I too grew up shooting all right handed guns. I've since acquired lefty bolt actions and the difference there is noticable. The motion of cycling a round on a righty bolt action is more disruptive for follow-up shots when you have to take your right hand off the front of the gun. For shotguns I just shoot righty guns and prefer them. I'm so used to putting the butt of the gun on my left hip to load it that doing it the other way around would feel foreign to me.

 

[Wags]

Once you buy a Lefty shotgun you'll never go back. I grew up having to shoot RH guns and still shoot 1 (sweet 16) but aside from that every gun I own is LH. It's well worth every penny to have all the functions where they should be and to not have powder ejecting into your eyes and face anymore.

 

[Superprime]

I grew up having to shoot RH guns which I still do occasionally, but ever since I tried shooting LH guns, there has been no turning back.

 

[Howiemoth]

Google search daily for a used LH Rem. 1100 using tools/last 24 hrs.. Lots of lefties in most guages produced in the past. The only issue I ever had shooting RH autos is an occasional fleck hitting my cheek or eye.

 

[Holocene]

Left eye dominant, right handed here.

Whether the gun is marketed as left, right, or ambi is not the most critical thing.

Gun fit and how the safety works matter most.

The high end autoloaders today will generally allow you to shim the gun cast on for lefties and reverse the safety. On my Browning Maxus / Winchester SX3 guns this takes literally two minutes.

So, absolutely if you find a dream gun that is built as a righty but can be made to fit a lefty, go for it.

If it’s an OU or some other gun with a fixed cast off for righty stick and RH safety, no way I’d ever deal with that again. Too many missed shot opportunities from fumbling with the gun.

One way to reduce / avoid the powder blowback that people stress about but in the real world isn’t a big deal — shoot cleaner shells. They cost a little more, but your gun and eyes will thank you for it.

 

[Lamont22]

I’m left handed and like many of the others grew up shooting right handed guns. I made the switch to a left handed 11-87 years ago. This year, I purchased a left handed SBE 3 and I really like having the cast in the stock on the Benelli. This is the first time I ever used a shotgun with left handed cast (the 11-87 is neutral cast). It is so much easier to “get into the gun” with some cast in the stock. I’d recommend going with a left handed cast gun vs neutral cast. Only annoying thing with the left handed Benelli’s is the bolt release button and lock are on the wrong side (same side as right handed version). Didn’t know that until I had the gun in hand and was a little annoyed by that honestly.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

Once you buy a Lefty shotgun you'll never go back. I grew up having to shoot RH guns and still shoot 1 (sweet 16) but aside from that every gun I own is LH. It's well worth every penny to have all the functions where they should be and to not have powder ejecting into your eyes and face anymore.

This ^^^ Overhead shots dumping unburned hot powder in your eye gets old and is unsafe. I was too cheap for a Benelli lefty and went gas gun LH VersaMax Waterfowl. Fantastic firearm. Do it correctly and run a dedicated LH rig

 

[MO-CHSPKE]

I’m in the same camp as most. Have tinkered with the idea of a LH SBE but just haven’t done it yet. I have a RH VersaMax that I won at a banquet several years ago that is bulletproof. Thought about getting a LH version but why fix what’s not broke.

This week Winchester released a LH SX4 at the Shotshow. I have myself convinced to get one. Although I wish it was in 20 ga. Maybe one of these days they’ll release one.

 

[Paul_E_Hunter]

I shoot LH, about 4 years ago i bought a LH Beretta A400. Previously to that I always shoot a RH gun with neutral cast. If i shot a gun with significant cast for a RH I struggled to hit much. Previous RH gun was a browning BPS - bottom eject.

 

[yfarm]

LH shooter, have shot RH 1100s for yrs with LH safety, RH ARs with ambi safeties. Never have seen ejected empties. Do shoot LH bolt rifles.