Lefties, left out?

[IdahoPotato]

My first and only rifle was a new lefty Rem 700 CDL in 270. A pre buyout rifle from circa 2002. Still shoots like a dream.

Just now looking for a new rifle in a magnum caliber and am underwhelmed to say the least. For sub $1000 rifles what are we looking at?

I handled a Tikka and did not get the warm and fuzzy at all - no tikka for me. Grouping was not different from my 270 and it just felt like a toy.

Steel barrel, synthetic, 300 win or 7mm mag, left hand are needs. Rifles that I can actually find for sale:

Savage 110 Storm - front runner
Savage 116 - same as storm? No accu stuff.
Ruger Hawkeye FTW Hunter - boat anchor with mauser action?
Tikka t3x lite
Remington SPS - blued barrel, not sure on quality.
????

Remington and Winchester seem to have given up on lefties. Browning is giving us walnut and blued metal. What else?

 

[homers]

Browning X-Bolt

 

[Ben Lamb]

Ruger #1

 

[IdahoPotato]

Ruger #1

The Hawkeye FTW? I wish I could track one of these down locally. The LC6 trigger and the brake have my attention. No a huge fan of the wood dipped stock though. Why not just put on a synthetic?

 

[Ben Lamb]

The #1 is a single shot, breech-loading falling block. It's perfect for us lefty's.

The ftw is still pretty heavy for what it is. If your soldon a bolt, check out Browning xbolts.

 

[IdahoPotato]

The #1 is a single shot, breech-loading falling block. It's perfect for us lefty's.

The ftw is still pretty heavy for what it is. If your soldon a bolt, check out Browning xbolts.

Wow, wasn't aware of the #1. What an oddball. The x bolts are still blued/walnut with a mediocre trigger for the price tag. Looking more for sub $1k all weather bolt guns.

 

[Gut Shot]

It's because you are left handed. Every time I see someone who is wrong handed I want to take a hammer to their left hand so they can be normal, like the rest of the world.

You probably won't be disappointed with the Savage. I wouldn't get too worked up about the "accu stuff". Savages were plenty accurate before all that stuff was added to their rifles. And, while the accu-trigger is like the AK47 of triggers (it ain't pretty but it works damn well), I prefer the old style triggers tuned down to around 3lbs.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Savage 116 - same as storm? No accu stuff.

I have the Savage 116 Stainless in 7mm08. It is a solid gun, no complaints, but not as smooth a bolt and trigger or as accurate as my Tikka T3X SS (I have in 7mm08 and several others). I don't like cheap plastic tuperware stocks. Both these guns have better stocks than the real cheapos that come with Ruger American or Savage Axis (the Tikka has some fiberglass in it) - both are plenty stiff for most uses - but I still moved both the B&C stocks - they look and feel much better. I don't think B&C had lefty stocks for the Tikka, but with a little dremel work, some steel epoxy and a little paint I have no doubt they can be converted.

 

[OhHeyThereBen]

Shot my second buck ever with a Ruger #1. They're a cool gun that'll gain respect in most circles. Definitely a gun to show off.

If you're stuck on bolt action, the Savages are great. The accu-stuff is just a more comfortable/adjustable stock. I don't think there's any other differences.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Shot my second buck ever with a Ruger #1. They're a cool gun that'll gain respect in most circles. Definitely a gun to show off.

On the same theme, I love the Win 1885 Highwall. I finally tracked on down this summer in .270 and it shoots sweet (no need for a second shot). Got a cow elk with it this winter. Glad I pulled the trigger on this purchase (pun intended).

 

[sbhooper]

In 2011, I bought a Remington SPS, 7 mag, to take on a moose hunt in Newfoundland. I am not impressed with the quality, overall, of the Remington rifles, but my sps is very accurate. I got a good deal on a B&C stock to replace the sps stock, but the original stock is serviceable, also. I also replaced that joke of a trigger, with a re-done, tuned original Remington trigger. It has been a very good elk rifle for me.

That being said, I am a big fan of Savage rifles. I have three, left-hand Savage rifles, two of which I have re-barreled to other calibers. Savage rifles are very easy to re-barrel, due to their barrel nut system and have good, solid actions. However, all of my Savage actions are older. I have not handled the new ones, but every one that I have seen are very accurate.

 

[BigHornRam]

It's because you are left handed. Every time I see someone who is wrong handed I want to take a hammer to their left hand so they can be normal, like the rest of the world.

Well at least I shoot a bow right handed, so that would make me half assed normal.

 

[deer_shooter]

If you are willing to go the used gun route, there should be some more options available. I have a handful of Ruger MkII's that with a new trigger shoot very well. There are sure to be some older 700's out there too with potential. Browning also chambered their A-bolt stainless stalker in 300WM years ago, IIRC.
I agree that there are few options for a new sub $1k lefty. I also agree that a Ruger #1 is a nice option, I've lusted after one for years and really have no good excuse for not buying one yet.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Wow, wasn't aware of the #1. What an oddball. The x bolts are still blued/walnut with a mediocre trigger for the price tag. Looking more for sub $1k all weather bolt guns.

Good catch. I had thought Browning offered their tupperware rifles in left hand, but apparently they don't, at least on the website.

Savages are out of the box accurate, but don't have any aesthetic appeal for me. Remington before the buyout by Cerebrus/Freedom Group would be worth looking at if you like those actions. Tikka has a well earned reputation as well (I like my 22-250 T3 alot - super accurate and light). Ruger bolts have been mostly miss with me (from the factory) so I'm reluctant to recommend them unless you're willing to put the work in to making them shoot well. I've had 2 - a tang safety that got a new barrel & now shoots sub moa and a 300WM Hawkeye that was let go at a substantial loss just to get the inaccurate SOB out of the safe.

I'm a big fan of buying a used gun. Most are barely shot and turned in for whatever reason. You can find used guns fairly cheap, and then add a stock to it for the all-weather configuration you're looking for and often times you can end up with a better product than something that's direct from the factory.

Good luck, and seriously, check out the single shots. A used Ruger #1 goes for under $1K and a lot of the new ones in standard chamberings do as well. My #1 medium sporter shoots under an inch with both loads I've worked up for it and I never feel undergunned with a single shot.

 

[IdahoPotato]

Well at least I shoot a bow right handed, so that would make me half assed normal.

Right with ya. Shoot left, write left, throw right, golf right.....wires got mixed up in there somewhere.

I'm thinking the savage looks better and better. Ruger #1 is interesting, but the oddball calibers are all over the place. Why not just make one in 300 mag?

Ok, you guys might have me talked into a #1. I'm going to do some serious digging around the local shops to see if I can handle one.

 

[BigHornRam]

Right with ya. Shoot left, write left, throw right, golf right.....wires got mixed up in there somewhere.

No doubt! I bat and throw right. Kick left. Left eye dominate, so that is probably why I shoot a gun left handed.

 

[haiku_rodney]

I shoot an old 110. I have very happy with its performance. I also have a Savage 11 in 7mm-08 with the accutrigger. The accutrigger works great for me. It's not perfect but I like it. The key for the accredited seems to be a need to pull straight back. If you have a tendency to pull to either side you may have issues with the trigger. If you are handy, Savage owners have a forum that can provide assistance with problems.

 

[junior88]

I'm very happy with my lefty Rem 700 sps in 300wm. Bought in the spring. Topped it with a vortex viper hst. My son used it for a 500 yard shot on a coues back in November. 2 days later I shot my coues at 375 yards.

 

[MT_Chad]

I have a lefty 300 win mag tikka stainless, very accurate and nice gun to carry. When I hand my right handed 243 down to my girls, I will likely get one of the new savage storms in 6.5x284, looks like a sweet rifle. Nobody around here has had one in stock to check out. Always been a ruger fan but finding a left handed Hawkeye is next to impossible, might be able to find a used one. I think ruger is building the Americans in left hand as well so those might be worth a look, I have heard they are accurate but I know nothing about them. Good luck, finding left handed rifles sucks.