Left handed Varmint recommendations

awsteed

Well-Known Member
I've always shot RH rifles but as a lefty I want my next one to be a LH. It'll be a foxing rifle in .223. Varmint. Remington 700 is an option. I've heard mixed reviews on them. I'm used to shooting a Howa 1500 varmint so I'm used to a budget rifle and had no complaints with it. I'm on a bit of a budget. Question is, should I keep saving for another six months and go for a Tikka T3 Barmint or is Remington 700 Varmint a more than adequate rifle?
 
Have you thought about why you want a "varmint" model?

With an accurate rifle, you are only likely to be firing one shot per fox and unlikely to shoot more than a handful in quick succession (I've never stacked up more than 3 from a single stand, cub-clearances excluded, and that was rimfire work), and you may well need something that makes it easy to acquire a fleeting target, too; so a format designed for making a clean sweep of prairie-dog towns from a bench rest set up in the shade of an RV may not be the perfect match for your needs.

My favourite foxing rifle is a CZ527, which has a petite "mini-Mauser" action, a light-profile 18" barrel and a rigid but lightweight and adjustable polymer stock (from SSS). I have a heavy-barrelled Remington 700 chassis rifle in the same calibre (.204 Ruger) that takes a lot more shooting before the POI shifts, but I save it for varminting rabbits across a valley at 400m-600m in daylight, because it's a lot less portable and pointable than the CZ.

Any regular Tikka T3x, Remington 700, Bergara B14 or CZ527 should do the job you want it to perfectly well and all can be had in L/H.

Of course, you are entirely within your rights to prefer fat, heavy rifles over light, slender ones, especially if you have a lot of foxes to shoot, and a cab roof to do it off.
 
The most important thing, to my mind is,
A rifle that shoots straight,
A rifle that fits, correctly, (I’m 6 foot 2 so normal rifles don’t fit)
A nice trigger. ( my preference is 2lb, more than that I don’t like)
A rifle that will work to your requirements. Ie, do you walk the land or shoot out of a vehicle, if you are a delicate little flower like me who walks most of the ground then you may want the rifle to be light. If you are built like my toilet then you may not care.
A smooth bolt.

any second hand rifle should do, it you can do a try before you buy then that will assure you. There are plenty of bargains to be be had Provided you are not in a hurry, if you are then you can guarantee that nothing will be on the market.
so rather than focus on the brand, I would be Looking at the above,
Tikka T3, nice,
Remmy 700 that has been sorted with a decent trigger should be good, they sold millions of them. I tend to think of them as similiar to Harleys, buy one and spend loads more to bring it up to your spec. But I,ve never had one so could be talking out my ass.
Howa, I don't really like them, I think of them as cheap, not keen on the quality. But, if it will shoot 1moa with factory ammo, does it really matter?
 
The most important thing, to my mind is,
A rifle that shoots straight,
A rifle that fits, correctly, (I’m 6 foot 2 so normal rifles don’t fit)
A nice trigger. ( my preference is 2lb, more than that I don’t like)
A rifle that will work to your requirements. Ie, do you walk the land or shoot out of a vehicle, if you are a delicate little flower like me who walks most of the ground then you may want the rifle to be light. If you are built like my toilet then you may not care.
A smooth bolt.

any second hand rifle should do, it you can do a try before you buy then that will assure you. There are plenty of bargains to be be had Provided you are not in a hurry, if you are then you can guarantee that nothing will be on the market.
so rather than focus on the brand, I would be Looking at the above,
Tikka T3, nice,
Remmy 700 that has been sorted with a decent trigger should be good, they sold millions of them. I tend to think of them as similiar to Harleys, buy one and spend loads more to bring it up to your spec. But I,ve never had one so could be talking out my ass.
Howa, I don't really like them, I think of them as cheap, not keen on the quality. But, if it will shoot 1moa with factory ammo, does it really matter?
Well, that's just about described my Tikka T3 and I've sourced a replacement standard barrel as well
 
Like most serious foxers I use several approaches. High seat, walk off sticks, sit up but most is shooting off rail in truck. Love the stability of a varmint. Wouldn't go back to a sporter for the job.
 
Have you thought about why you want a "varmint" model?

With an accurate rifle, you are only likely to be firing one shot per fox and unlikely to shoot more than a handful in quick succession (I've never stacked up more than 3 from a single stand, cub-clearances excluded, and that was rimfire work), and you may well need something that makes it easy to acquire a fleeting target, too; so a format designed for making a clean sweep of prairie-dog towns from a bench rest set up in the shade of an RV may not be the perfect match for your needs.

My favourite foxing rifle is a CZ527, which has a petite "mini-Mauser" action, a light-profile 18" barrel and a rigid but lightweight and adjustable polymer stock (from SSS). I have a heavy-barrelled Remington 700 chassis rifle in the same calibre (.204 Ruger) that takes a lot more shooting before the POI shifts, but I save it for varminting rabbits across a valley at 400m-600m in daylight, because it's a lot less portable and pointable than the CZ.

Any regular Tikka T3x, Remington 700, Bergara B14 or CZ527 should do the job you want it to perfectly well and all can be had in L/H.

Of course, you are entirely within your rights to prefer fat, heavy rifles over light, slender ones, especially if you have a lot of foxes to shoot, and a cab roof to do it off.
Was told CZ527 doesn't come in LH option by importer.
 
Save your pennies and go for the Tikka T3x Varmint. Available in left-handed. The Sako might be above your budget and they don't do the Varmint as a LH anyway.

Cheers
 
I too am left handed.

Was looking at the CZ 223 American - nice little rifle. Tikka's are good, but action is a long action. Sadly Sako don't do the small sized action in a 222 or 223.

But ended up with a new in box, but that had been sitting for a while Remington 700 Varmint SPS left hand rifle for a steal. It has a thick heavy barrel, the newer xMark Pro Trigger, and a tupperware type stock. It shot very well straight out of the box with cheap factory ammo - haven't measured group sizes, but pretty much all rounds touching each other. Have a load with PPU case, 50gr bullet and a full cup from a lee loader - and works really well. Haven't shot any live targets yet, but its great on the gongs.

It has a cheapish matt finish, and the bolt body was also covered in this. When I got bolt was kind of gritty in feel, and brass was coming out scratched. An evening with some 600 and 1200 wet and dry, plus some polishing compound just polishing the burrs off the feed rails and then polishing the bolt race and the bolt itself it now feeds really smoothly.

I will restock it at some point, but doubt it will shoot any better.

Trigger is now adjusted and pretty good and on a par with the Timney that is in my 22rf Brno.
 
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