Hunting Washington Forum
Equipment & Gear => Guns and Ammo => Topic started by: Hunter mike on August 09, 2020, 10:21:50 AM
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Any leads on an in stock or used rifle appreciated!
I’ve been struggling to find a rifle for my son. He is a lefty and I don’t want to settle for a right handed bolt action. Lefty rifles are hard to find and ordering one was said to take many weeks per a couple local dealers. I’m hoping to get something fairly soon so we can get a lot of shooting practice in by October.
He is 12 years old, a bit over 5’ tall.
I was also recommended to look into a single shot which would be ambidextrous. This could be a good move because my daughter is a righty and will be hunting soon as well. I haven’t found any of the single shots in stock.
Thinking of a .243 or 7mm-08.
I’d pay more for something that could grow with him but hoping to keep it $5-600 with a basic scope (don’t see him shooting past 200 yards for a while).
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think semi auto, will work for both kids trim the stock. lever guns win 94 is usually shorter daughter shoots them great 5'2''
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If you had a Sportsman's Warehouse closer to you I'd recommend ordering one online and having it shipped to your closest store.
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Try Gun Broker. Should be plenty of options. I wouldn't get anything but a bolt action.
Here's one:
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/875078353
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More:
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/875861917
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/874019809
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Thanks for the suggestions! Looks like Sportsman’s has way more left-handed options than Cabela’s did.
If something there doesn’t work out, I’ll move on to Gun Broker.
Now just to decide .243 vs 7mm-08. I don’t want to turn him off of shooting/hunting with the higher recoil, but want something useful and versatile for at least a few years.
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I bought a left handed rifle from carpsniper on here and it was cheaper than any store.
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Thanks for the suggestions! Looks like Sportsman’s has way more left-handed options than Cabela’s did.
If something there doesn’t work out, I’ll move on to Gun Broker.
Now just to decide .243 vs 7mm-08. I don’t want to turn him off of shooting/hunting with the higher recoil, but want something useful and versatile for at least a few years.
They do make the reduced recoil rounds that my niece and nephew dropped more than a few deer with out of their 7-08. Now that they are bigger(and when they weren’t looking while elk hunting) use regular loads.
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If you're a reloader, or if you can find reduced recoil loads to buy, the 7/08 is a good option. I got my daughter a Savage youth model in 7/08 and I load 120 grain bullets at at around 2700 feet per second, so it doesn't kick any more than a 243.
However, if it's not going to be used for elk I'd just get a 243.
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I bought my daughter few years ago a savage 7mm08 elk hunter I think that's what it's called it came with a scope it was like 399 good gun
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Cabela’s usually has t/c contender’s in 30/30. Start your son on it and when your daughter ready it’s there for her. With the appropriate billets it’s should do everything they’d need
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I don't want to tell you your business but I'll share some thoughts based on limited experience with young shooters. I wouldn't recommend lots of practice necessarily shooting big game loads. Fundamentals and rimfire, dry fire should be the bulk of the practice especially since you're so close to season. Maybe order a good one and while it's on the way you guys can plink, dry fire etc.
If you reload, I highly recommend TrailBoss in the .243. somewhere around 9-10 grains should give excellent accuracy for kid practice
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We bought my sons lefty Savage 7mm08 at Sportsmans last year. Great rifle and you can check their stock online for the different stores. Browning and Tikka have a nice compact lefty option. For the money and great reviews we have been very pleased with the savage Model 111 Trophy Hunter XP combo. Should be about $549 with a scope. I sold the scope for $125 with the rings and bought a Leupold Freedom with CDS for $250.
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Any thoughts on Ruger American Predator? Could get a lefty in 6.5 Creed or 7mm-08 and it’s threaded for a brake. What would be a good brake and what’s involved with the setup on that? It’s kind of the opposite end of the spectrum from where I started, but it’s a setup he could use pretty much forever.
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I have 2 predators and both shoot very well. Tons of options for a brake, both mine have suppressor mounts on them so no help on picking one from me. The rifles are good to go :tup:
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Does the predator have a compact stock?
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I was in the same delimna with my daughter being a lefty. I looked for a long time for a used one or a deal but never found one for a youth size. Finally ordered a ruger American from the local gun dealer here in a 6.5 creedmore and it seems fine for her. It doesn't have a compact stock but I am going to cut it down about 1.5 inches and it will be perfect and it isn't hard to do. When she grows and needs it bigger just upgrade to a better stock.. You have to spend a little more for a lefty but trying to convert her to righty was not working when it came to working the bolt...
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My daughter is lefty and I couldn't find a decent priced lefty youth rifle so we went with a righty. Now she's not into hunting and my son is a righty so it all works out.
Now Savage has a lefty compact so I would have gone that way, seems to be several good options these days.
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This one doesn’t have a compact stick but the length of pull is 13.75 which is shorter than a lot of adult sized rifles. The CVA scout compact is a 13” lop and the adult is a 14”. The Savage axis is 12.75 in compact and 13.4 in the adult. Hard to know what will work best - he has a bit smaller frame, but in height and arm length he is more of a small adult. He’ll probably be a giant in a year or 2!
The Savages are mostly sold out in the lefty models locally - they have been my go-to for cheap shooters.
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Why not just shoot a right handled rife? My daughter shoots left handed and she has no issues shooting and running her bolt. She is 12 and has killed 5 deer and a bull all with a right handed rifle and shooting left handed.
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Here are a couple thoughts - I am LH, and my wife is small (shoots a youth gun)
Most bolt actions in RH are fine to shoot LH - what you want to look for is no palm swell or curved stock features that cater to RH. You also want a top tang safety - it's operated with your thumb and works for RH or LH (same advice goes to shotguns - bonus points to mossberg 500, and browning bps for tang safeties).
I actually like shooting RH guns with top tang - with a front rest (bipod, pack, etc.) you can keep your left hand by the trigger and use your right hand (which is normally on the forearm) to work the bolt, it's super easy, and you can actually keep on target better between shots than you can when operating a LH gun. Second, since the chamber is on the right side, your right eye is now able to clearly see it without moving your left eye from scope position - great for visual feedback when action is open, i.e. making sure there is/isn't a round in the chamber or stuck or something.
As far as youth guns - I got my wife a ruger american youth, it's a straight stock and top tang safety. That thing is so light and fun to shoot I end up taking it half the time, even tho it's RH. We put a vortex diamondback 4-12 on it, and with the deer season XP ammo it's shooting 5/8" groups at 100 yards. Super light, fun and easy to shoot in .243. It's so nice that my brother got the same setup for his gf, and other friends have done the same. All-in I think the package was low $400s, and the deer season ammo is cheap and shoots great (for deer and smaller things).
Not sure if Ruger makes an american youth rifle in LH - but I'd recommend you check them out either way. Growing up LH and shooting RH guns a lot is just something most of us have to learn to do, and honestly I almost prefer them because you can work the bolt while staying on target and you can see if a round is stuck/chambered while staying on target.
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Ruger typically has lh rifles. My one and only lh rifle is a ruger M77. Lever guns, pumps and semi autos are great for lefties. With practice lefties can run a rh bolt gun. Good luck
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I bought a Ruger American LH rifle for less than 400$ for hunting blacktail. They make youth models to that’s the route I would go
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Walked right in to Sportsmans Warehouse and found a youth lefty in Savage and one in Ruger, great little rifles chambered in 7mm-08, we hunt in blinds mostly, and they are sure nice for that setting. If I remember right they even had the Savage on sale, cause it was the last one left and only lefty.
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Try ordering a new Ruger American. I have one in 7-08 and love it.
As for shooting right handed it really depends on eye dominance. If you are left dominant you will never be truly comfortable using the right eye. Yes is can be taught and yes for hunting it would be just fine. But this isnt the 50's anymore, Lot's of companies make LH riffles now so there is no reason not to just get one.