# Question to left handed shooters



## MossyMO

I have a few friends that are left handed and looking to purchase new shotguns. They seem to be concentrating on getting a left handed gun and this limits there choices.

I'm thinking the only action that should hinder their shooting in a right handed gun would be a bolt. Other than that, automatic, pump, lever actions should work for both right and left handed shooters. I feel if I being right handed was shooting a pump and it ejected to the left, I don't think this would hinder my shooting?

Can any south paw's out there tell me if I'm thinking right, and if not tell me how it actually is? Have any gun suggestions?


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## griffman

I shoot left handed. For some reason, I had trouble ejecting shells out of my old 870 remington. I seemed to tilt it slightly while racking out the spent shell, this almost forced the shell to go straight up in the air!

I went to a browning bps and have never looked back......bottom eject, tang safety....a gun any lefty pump guy should love.


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## trowe82

I'm a lefty and have shot RH guns for years. Two other things to keep in mind, first is the saftey location, second is the "cast" of the stock(bent and twisted in relationship to the barrel). Shell ejection has never been a problem for me, but the saftey has. Mossbergs are cheap reliable and have a thumb type saftey.
The cast of the stock is critical to eye alignment with the beads, and comfort at the shoulder area. Some guns have more cast than others. The bottom of the buttplate can dig into the sholder.
I shoot a benelli SBE II RH model (they do make a LH that ejects out the left side and has a LH saftey) but sometimes they are hard to find.

Benelli's are nice and come with a shim kit to change the cast of the stock(lots of adjustments)to move the stock up, down and left or right. I changed the gel buttpad to their LH version(snaps in and out easy)and had my gun shop change the saftey to left hand cost $20.00.

Good luck!


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## goose2

I'ma lefty, I shoot a bps 12 3.5 very good all around gun for the left hand shooter. Price is right easy to take care of.


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## tail chaser

I'm not a lefty but I am cross dominent in my eyes so I tried shooting left for a season with a BPS, great gun but heavy! Went back to shooting right handed so I could hit something and to lug a lighter gun.

TC


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## muskat

I think a lot of lefty's shoot a BPS for its bottom eject. I know my father does, and consequently, I own a BPS also. The gun is a little heavy, but I have never had a performance issue with it.

Unless you know what your doing, do not pull it completely apart. Its a little tricky to get back together.


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## 2eagles

I shoot left handed and I've shot my 870 for 30 years with no problems at all. I reach around the trigger guard to turn the safty off, then put my finger on the trigger and believe me no one is faster on a pheasant than I am. I just bought a Mossberg 835 and it looks to be the work horse most say it is, and the safty on top is nice. I did shoot a Benelli semi-auto a few weeks ago and the moving of the action was very disturbing. Jim


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## Ed Gunsmoke

I shoot a Remington 1100 right handed model with no problems at all, I did own a 11-87 left handed model but didn't like it, I find the right handed gun easier to load, "crazy but true" as to visual disturbance of the ejecting shell forget it, but you will see lots of smokin' clays.


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## diver_sniper

lefty here, i shoot a left handed 870 wingmaster. as far as finding a used left handed gun GOOD LUCK, its tough. i got lucky and stumbled upon mine at a pawn shop. i talked to the guy working the counter on the phone and planned on buying the 870 and the 11-87 that the same person had sold earlier that same day, but while i was driving there someone bought the 11-87. so they were sold and bought in about 5 hours. i have never had any problems with shells kicking out into my line of sight shooting a right handed gun, however i have had burnt powder fly onto my cheek which threw me off. also got it in my eye a few times, thats no fun. my only advice would be not to do too much switching between right and left handed guns that dont have a top safety. if you are in the habit of useing one and switch to the other you can catch yourself with the saftey on or off when you thought it was the other way. it can lead to pulling up on birds with a stiff trigger or worse, a unexpected shot going off in a dangerous direction. be careful, always know if you have your safety on or off.


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## ronre

I'm LH and shot a BPS for about 10 yrs and then when the 835's came out I bought one RH 3.5 - 24 inch barrel. camo w/synthetic stock.  This is the best gun I've owned. It doesn't bother me at all shells ejecting across and this gun works awesome in any weather condition. You can't hurt it.


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## ajohnson

i,m a lefty and shoot a left handed sbe benelli ,shot right handed for years , the benelli is the best shot gun i have ever owned,


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## People

I am left handed and shoot a HK Benelli M1 super 90 that is right handed. I have no problems with it at all. The safety could be reversible but I do not want to mess with it as I already have muscle memory for the way it is now. I have never been hit by a hull ejecting from this gun. 
The only type of gun I have problems shooting is a RH bolt unless I am shooting prairie dogs then I prefer the right handed guns. Lets me see what I am doing with the empty and loaded rounds.


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## Klay08

im left handed and i use a 20 gauge pump, i have no trouble because whe ni pump it i move it away from my eye, however when i shoot my 12 gauge semi-auto **** always seems to fly in my eye when it reloads and it burns like hell, gunpowder maybe, but i was looking for a left handed semi-auto shotgun, if any1 knows where to find one please help me out


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## Ed Gunsmoke

Remington make left handed semi's in the 11-87 range, they used to make 1100 model in lefthanded option and secondhand ones are quite common.


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## Remmi_&amp;_I

Klay08 said:


> im left handed and i use a 20 gauge pump, i have no trouble because whe ni pump it i move it away from my eye, however when i shoot my 12 gauge semi-auto &$#* always seems to fly in my eye when it reloads and it burns like hell, gunpowder maybe, but i was looking for a left handed semi-auto shotgun, if any1 knows where to find one please help me out


My dad has a left handed benelli he bought new 2 seasons ago. He also likes his BPS because of the bottom eject.


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## NDTerminator

I'm a lefty; my choice for waterfowl is a Browning BPS and my choice for upland is a Ruger Red Label. Both have tang safties and are left hand friendly, but not specifically left handed shotguns.

I have absolutely no problem shooting right handed pump shotguns as long as they have either tang or cross bolt safties. I have tried both the Remington 11-87 and 870 in left hand, and after all the years of shooting right handed cross bolt safties, couldn't get the hang of the left handed one on those shotguns.

As for rifles, I have a bunch of left handed rimfire & centerfire rifles. Other than lever actions, won't even look at a right handed rifle...


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## redlabel

I am right handed and left eye dominant. I've told my wife that this is God's way of telling me I should only shoot over/unders and side x sides. I've shot redlabels for over 20 years and last year found my new favorite is the Ruger Gold Label side x side.

However my real favorite is this King Nitro in 16 gauge, unless one forgets to cock the hammers.

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## always_outdoors

I am a lefty.

Upland: Browning Citori Feather Lightning
Waterfowl: Browning BPS 28" barrel Shadow Grass Camo
Turkey: NWTF Browning BPS Turkey Special 24" barrel

I have used the Benelli M2, the Berreta 391, and an older Browning A-500 for skeet and sporting clays and all three were right handed models. I had or never have had any issues with the guns. Personally I love the A-500, but I have to say that the Beretta 391 was a blast to shoot as well.

Gohon is right, of course we will push the guns we personally use. I like the Browning guns. They fit nice and I haven't had problems with any of my guns. But my best advice is to shoulder and shoot all the guns you can out there to find the right gun for you.

Good luck.


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## JBB

I am right handed, left eye dominate. I shoot a 835 Mossberg with a top safety. Both upland and waterfowl. Really like the 835. Shells ejecting do not bother. Have been shooting right hand guns for 40 years with no problems.Tried a left hand 870, did not like the way I had to load it. Find friends with different models and try them out. Or check with a sporting goods store. Maybe they will let you " buy" a used one and try it for a weekend and return it if it does not fit right. Good luck.


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## goosebusters2

I have a friend who is left handed and he shoots a right handed browning gold, but his pump is a bottom ejection. Another bottom ejection pump is the ithaca model 37


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## bluenwhite

im right handed and right eye dominate but i cant close my left eye im only 14 and all i can find bps in 10 gauge any 1 with the same problen or know of any other models?


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## Horsager

bluenwhite, you should shoot with both eyes open, do not try to close one eye, it limits your field of view and won't allow you to make instinctive reactions to what the bird is doing. Shooting with only one eye open will make you "aim" and with a shotgun, that is not good.


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## gonehuntin'

I'm right handed but legally blind in that eye so have to shoot left handed. The guys are right when they're saying Browning BPS so shells are kicked out bottom and safety's on top. If you shoot a gun like and 870 or 1100 and they blow the shell out ACROSS your face, it is distracting plus you can end up with blow back in the face. A trigger guard safety must also be reversed for a leftie. I have one on my A5 and had to have it reversed, which is no problem to do. As others have said, if he goes SXS or O&U, make sure the grip is not swelled for a rightie. The world is getting easier for a southpaw.


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## bluenwhite

do you suggest shooting rifles and pistols both eyes open?


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## Horsager

Bluenwhite, shoot everything with both eyes open. Use laser sights, red-dot sights, rifle scope, binoculars, spotting scopes, open sights, peep sights, archery type peep/pin sights, holo sights, shotguns with no sights, all with both eyes open. With the exception of a man like gonehuntin who is blind in one eye, you will see and shoot much better with both eyes open. It might take a couple boxes of shells to get used to, but once you get the hang of it you will shoot much, much better.

:strapped: [/b]


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## Chuck W.

I shoot left handed, but I dont own a lefthanded gun once I have alway used right-handed gear with little trouble. I do have to watch when I shot 22 rifles for some reason the hulls seem to find my shirt a nice place to land. LOL

But the BPS is a good choice if it bugs him :sniper:


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## SJB

I amazes me that more manufactures do not embrace LH people. Kind of like Mac and PC. Most business is for PCl, but Mac has held it's own almost 25 years and they are still in business. 
Even the shooting vest are mostly RH. I am sure most manufactures have done the math but they won't know unit they try. ':lol:'


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## Hawkeye_90

griffman said:


> I shoot left handed. For some reason, I had trouble ejecting shells out of my old 870 remington. I seemed to tilt it slightly while racking out the spent shell, this almost forced the shell to go straight up in the air!
> 
> I went to a browning bps and have never looked back......bottom eject, tang safety....a gun any lefty pump guy should love.


I shoot both left and right handed.. I am left hand dominent but right eye dominent... and I can't close an eye... so if I shoot left I have a patch.. if I shoot right I just use my right shoulder. Either way I don't feel it affects my shooting, but as far as shell ejecting problems I haven't had any problems with my 870... maybe I am just lucky I dont know.


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