lever action rifles for left handed shooting

[LeftHandGuy]

As anyone who is bored enough to follow my occasional posts will know, I am in the process of moving self and family to the U.S. Where I most certainly intend to continue to hunt and shoot.

As is plain from my site name, I shoot left handed. I am left handed, and blind in my right eye, so I shoot from my left shoulder, and will do so until I die.

I have decided that it is probably easier/better to sell my two LH bolt rifles here in the UK and buy again once settled in the U.S. And I have been assuming that I'd just buy left hand bolt actions, very possibly new Savage or second hand Remington 700/Winchester 70... Something like that anyhow. I may yet.

Then I got wondering about a Savage 99 in anything UK deer legal (I intend to come back and stalk again) and wondered what people think about:

A) Lever actions for deer hunting/stalking

B) Lever actions for left handed shooting

C) The Savage 99 amongst lever action rifles

Any thoughts gratefully received doubly so from any fellow lefties who have tried this route.

Guy

 

[The deer man]

Lever action for stalking - definitely! Done it for many years in .30/30 and in the USA you'll have the addition of the 308 and 338 Marlin Express calibres as well.

Lever action for left handed shooter - definitely again. My son shoots my lever action and he's left handed and finds it easy with a hammer spur on the left. Scope on or scope off with Skinner sights.

 

[mereside]

im a lefty and shoot a winchester 30-30 straight stock so easy for either hand you won't regret it and you can load for any species good luck in your search

 

[hybridfiat]

If my son hadn't bought my Savage 99 .243, I'd have converted it to .308 or Rem .350 and taken it to NZ for deer.
They are slick, quick and accurate. Heavy too.
Mine has a 25" med weight barrel, rotary mag and shoots 1"-1.5" 100yds consistently with heavy projectiles (90gn-100gn).
Cases can be reloaded but I would emphasise that full length re-sizing is needed due to the case stretch and 2 reloadings' if the load is warm. Otherwise case separation can be an issue. The problem is the rear locking bolt it allows a bit of case stretching.
Otherwise they are a really great gun.

 

[A Guy Out West]

The old Savage 99s are great. I don't know the year they went south, easy to tell when you look at one up close, the fit and finish is much better than the newer ones with the plastic looking wood and cheesy pressed in checkering. Get a .300 Savage. The 99s don't fit everyone, so be sure you try it before you lay out the cash. It will be expensive, at least to a US shooter, likely cheap to you. You can find some good ones from time to time on gunbroker. What state will you be residing in? Welcome to the USA in advance.

 

[hybridfiat]

I have to agree with A Guy, the older Savages were better finished and I just like the rotary mag.
I don't have a cartridge indicator hole in mine (not mine any longer - damm!) so it is unusual. Most had a hole that allowed the shooter to read how many rounds were in the mag.
His follower has the numbers but the receiver has no window.
They are intrinsically stronger than the other rear lock up lever actions like the 94 etc. Only the venerable Winchester 95 and the Browning BLR can really match the 99 in strength (I cant comment on the Sako as I've never held one). The Browning is a good rifle but good luck finding a 95. They are well sought after and poisonously expensive in good nick.
I would love one in 30-06.
All the best with the move to the States. It is nirvana to us Aussie shooters believe me.

 

[LeftHandGuy]

Thanks all!

Sounds very encouraging and I am convinced that I have to at least try one.

We will be moving to PA, specifically East Stroudsburg, which is in the nort-east of the state close to both New York and New Jersey.

I cannot describe how much I am looking forward to it. The hunting and shooting are a big draw (for me) for sure, but there are a whole host of reasons why this is the right thing to do for my family just now. It took a long time for me to convince my wife. And she is the U.S. citizen whose family we will be moving close to!

I'll try and find a couple of 99's to look at whilst we are over in December, and if I like them, I'll buy one once I am there for good at the end of January. That way it will still seem cheap and I can convince the wife that it's a bargain!

 

[A Guy Out West]

A Savage 99 and PA., that's like bread and butter. Your going to need a grouse and woodcock gun too. Fantastic area, if I had to live in the East, PA. would be my first choice.

 

[LeftHandGuy]

A Savage 99 and PA., that's like bread and butter. Your going to need a grouse and woodcock gun too. Fantastic area, if I had to live in the East, PA. would be my first choice.

That's good to hear! It's just my good luck that is where my in-laws live, and we want to be close to them. I'll need a shotgun for the spring gobbler season. I've got a whole new hunting vocabulary to learn, and I'm looking forward to it!

 

[scrumbag]

If you are over there I would also look into the BLR (Browning Lever Rifle). Feeds from a box mag and shoots pointy bullets.

For shotguns have a look at the BPS (Browning Pump Shotgun) and the Ithaca 37 - both load and eject through the bottom port and are available with different barrels (though not inexpensive, certainly a quality choice)

 

[Muir]

1895 Winchester?~Muir

 

[LeftHandGuy]

1895 Winchester?~Muir

I'd certainly give one a try.

 

[LeftHandGuy]

If you are over there I would also look into the BLR (Browning Lever Rifle). Feeds from a box mag and shoots pointy bullets.

For shotguns have a look at the BPS (Browning Pump Shotgun) and the Ithaca 37 - both load and eject through the bottom port and are available with different barrels (though not inexpensive, certainly a quality choice)

Thanks, I would happily look at all of these. Though PA rules for hunting shotguns pretty much limit you to the same as UK SGC compliant guns. They may even ban all semi-autos, I'll have to check that out.

 

[A Guy Out West]

I would be very surprised if PA. or any other state did not allow semi autos for hunting. Water foul is always limited to 3 shots for repeaters, and many but not all states limit upland game to 3 shots as well. 3 shots is one more than enough anyway.

 

[Southern]

If you shop around, you can find some nice older Savage 99s for under $600. I have a Model 1899 take-down saddle carbine in .22 Savage HP, a 99A saddle carbine in .308 Win, a fancy rifle in .250 Savage - love them all.

Where you are moving are big mountains, with few people, and lots of big deer and bear. Go for a .300 Savage or .308 Win. Ammo for the .300 Savage is pretty easy to find, with about a million of the rifles floating around. Friends hunt with me, and they have .300 and .250s in takedown rifles.

I also have a BLR carbine in 7mm-08 that is almost too nice to take into the woods. It is really a rotating bolt action operated by a lever. Very strong and accurate. It is a great woods rifle. I use mine in the mountains here, which are much like PA. One of my lefty friends has left-handed A-Bolts and a BLR in .30-06, and he likes it.

There is some good hunting just over the line in NY, too, in the river valley west of Corning, full of corn and apples. Deer are in the fields beside the hotel. They will issue warnings at work to not go to your car right now, because there are bears in the parking lot.

I also have an old 1895 Winchester... much bigger rifle. Mine was made for the U.S. Army. I have to wear old wool shirts and canvas coats when I hunt with it.

 

[hybridfiat]

Deer are in the fields beside the hotel. They will issue warnings at work to not go to your car right now, because there are bears in the parking lot.

I also have an old 1895 Winchester... much bigger rifle. Mine was made for the U.S. Army. I have to wear old wool shirts and canvas coats when I hunt with it.[/QUOTE]

You lucky dog you.
;o)

 

[LeftHandGuy]

I would be very surprised if PA. or any other state did not allow semi autos for hunting. Water foul is always limited to 3 shots for repeaters, and many but not all states limit upland game to 3 shots as well. 3 shots is one more than enough anyway.

You are quite right, it is semi auto rifles that totally prohibited, along with "gas" guns (air rifles I assume), for hunting. A 3 shot semi auto shotgun would appear to be fine, so long as the shot is appropriate to the quarry.

 

[LeftHandGuy]

If you shop around, you can find some nice older Savage 99s for under $600. I have a Model 1899 take-down saddle carbine in .22 Savage HP, a 99A saddle carbine in .308 Win, a fancy rifle in .250 Savage - love them all.

Where you are moving are big mountains, with few people, and lots of big deer and bear. Go for a .300 Savage or .308 Win. Ammo for the .300 Savage is pretty easy to find, with about a million of the rifles floating around. Friends hunt with me, and they have .300 and .250s in takedown rifles.

I also have a BLR carbine in 7mm-08 that is almost too nice to take into the woods. It is really a rotating bolt action operated by a lever. Very strong and accurate. It is a great woods rifle. I use mine in the mountains here, which are much like PA. One of my lefty friends has left-handed A-Bolts and a BLR in .30-06, and he likes it.

There is some good hunting just over the line in NY, too, in the river valley west of Corning, full of corn and apples. Deer are in the fields beside the hotel. They will issue warnings at work to not go to your car right now, because there are bears in the parking lot.

I also have an old 1895 Winchester... much bigger rifle. Mine was made for the U.S. Army. I have to wear old wool shirts and canvas coats when I hunt with it.

Dammit, looks as though I'm going to have to look at least a dozen potential deer rifles.

That's going to be such a chore!

In the first place I will try and limit my gun fund to whatever I can get by selling my rifles here, but the strength of sterling and the relative cost differences between here and the U.S. should get me a centrefire, rimfire and shotgun, in exchange for a centrefire, a rimfire and FAC air rifle...

That should get me started anyhow!

 

[LeftHandGuy]

If you shop around, you can find some nice older Savage 99s for under $600. I have a Model 1899 take-down saddle carbine in .22 Savage HP, a 99A saddle carbine in .308 Win, a fancy rifle in .250 Savage - love them all.

Where you are moving are big mountains, with few people, and lots of big deer and bear. Go for a .300 Savage or .308 Win. Ammo for the .300 Savage is pretty easy to find, with about a million of the rifles floating around. Friends hunt with me, and they have .300 and .250s in takedown rifles.

Yes 300 savage or 308 would be my first choices. Ammo availability doesn't bother me too (308 clearly a non-issue), I can see that Midway have brass in stock and dies are widely available, I only hunt with my own loads, it's part of the satisfaction I get in hunting, and I think that is only going to become more important to me as time moves on...

 

[A Guy Out West]

You are quite right, it is semi auto rifles that totally prohibited, along with "gas" guns (air rifles I assume), for hunting. A 3 shot semi auto shotgun would appear to be fine, so long as the shot is appropriate to the quarry.

I checked the regs, you are right no semi auto rifles or handguns for hunting in PA. What a load of crap! This must be something new. Complete BS, my blood is boiling. Some feel good legislation for sure. Let me tell you, I can shoot my pump shotgun almost as fast as a semi auto, sames goes for a rifle. Must be tons of semi autos for sale in PA, that is usually one of the most opted for actions in the woods hunting regions. Southern, can you believe this! Take em away, one gun at a time. Scum bags.