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left hand shooter question

5K views 23 replies 20 participants last post by  BigSkiff 
#1 ·
i'm a southpaw,always been shootin right hand autoloaders with no problems. i'm looking to get an o/u beretta 20 gauge with 30 " barrels for upland work and maybe sporting . from what i've been reading , the stock has a cast in it for different hand shooters.

my question is how much of an adjustment will i have to make if i buy a right hand gun or do i deffinitely need a left hand stock gun?

don't see many used left hand guns ,was wondering if i'd be ok with a right .thanks for any feedback, merry christmas
 
#2 ·
I am a left hand shooter and I would highly suggest that you shoot a gun with a stock that is cast left for left handers.

Reason being, you want the gun's recoil to go away from your face, instead of into your face. A left hand stock will push the recoil away from your face.

Also, if you use a right hand stock, most likely your beads will not be right in line, as the middle bead will be to the right of center and you will be shooting behind left angled targets.

Do yourself a favor, find a gun with a left hand stock. When you see a gun that you might like to purchase, new or used, hold the gun by the barrel looking towards the stock. A left hand stock will be angleing to the right of center , and when you mount the gun you should have the middle and front bead in perfect alingment.

Now I have taken the time to offer my opinion, it is now up to you. If you purchase a right handed gun you will feel added recoil to the face, and it will not be as enjoyable to shoot, and you will not shooting what your are aiming at.

Should you decide to just purchase a gun that is for a right handed person you will screw up your shooting but good. Do yourself a favor and listen to a left hand shooter that has been in the game going on 43 years.
Take care,
Steve Balistreri
 
#3 ·
Second to what senior smoke says.You can occasionally find left hand Beretta wood depending on which model you're considering.Another alternative is having the stock bent to your measure.Be aware that not all wood can be successfully bent.A number of TS contributors are stockers and can comment.
 
#5 ·
Don't even consider a right hand gun. Some Beretta's come with straight stocks and no swell. Try to find a left hand stock. Joel Etchen carries them for several Beretta models. Start with him and see if he can help you. If he can, you could then buy a right hand gun and change out the stocks. I have been thru the right hand stock stuff for 27 yrs. of shooting and it does not work. You could also have a custom built, but the stock would be expensive. If you find a straight stock you could have someone inlet for left hand. Roy
 
#6 ·
I shot for years with a rh gun and thought......ahhhhh its fine. I had the stock bent over a bit and just lived with it. The last 2 years I have shot with a LH stock and the correct fit. WOW! what a difference. Shot some straight scores and won some events, one of my best years. I wish I would of NEVER wasted all that time fighting the RH stock. JMO
 
#7 ·
Listen to the lefties, an O&U won't be quite as bad as a semi-auto with its ejection port right in front of your eyes. But you only get one pair of eyes & a couple extra bucks spent on the correct type of gun & stock is the BEST money you'll ever spend. My eldest son is a southpaw and when he wanted to shoot I started him out with an Ithica M.37 then later when he shot a little trap with me I gave him a SBT to use. Ross Puls
 
#8 ·
Hardrock:
Listen to these shooters as they appear to know what they are talking about.
(twoatloweight) brings up a good point. If you can not find a left handed stock, you can usually have a right handed stock bent to cast left as it is usually done for under $200.00.

Regarding shooting a right hand 1100 gun, were the empty shells fly out of the gun on the right side, I to shot a right handed 1100 for about a month until I got blow back in my face and eyes. It was a shock to me when it happened, like a hot slam in the face and eyes.

I purchased a left handed 1100 gun, and problem solved. Only bad problem was parts for a left handed 1100, not as readily available as right handed 1100's.
Steve Balistreri
 
#9 ·
I have shot Winchester Super X's and RH Remington 1100's. I still have the Winchester Super X's but the RH Remingtons were replaced with two 1100 left hand trap guns and a 1100 left hand 20 gauge skeet gun. The Rem 1100's are neutral cast and work for the moment.

I wish I had made the change to left hand auto's years ago when they were priced much cheaper.

SM
 
#11 ·
thanks for all the great info guys. this is what i was looking for. i'm definitely going with a left hand stock.

during my search for a gun i came across a youth model beretta. what is different on a youth model other than ,what i thought would be the lop ? if i find a gun i like and need to have a left hand stock put on why not go for it. thanks again for all the help. merry christmas
 
#12 ·
Some gun companies sell O/U field guns with cast and others without. Browning is a company who's stocks are straight but may have toe turning right for a right hander. An adjustable recoil pad will allow you to rotate the pad to the left aiding comfort and fit. A good number of Italian gun makers put right hand cast in their field guns which is a problem for us lefties.

All of the automatics I own are right hand with ejection port on the right. I learned early on the wear eye protction when shooting an automatic to prevent blowback getting into my eyes. Most modern day automatics have provisions to cast the stock on or off and up and down.

The best way to check cast and toe is to rest the (unloaded gun) on your toe and sight down the the bottom of the barrel looking at the direction the stock and toe turns. A left hand stock toe and stock will go to the left of the barrel for a left hander and right for a right hander

I'm not keen on bent stock others are.


Surfer
 
#14 ·
They are no majic stock out there, I am left hand shooter also. No mfg of firearms make a true left hand stock, I started making stocks because nothing fit correct. A true left hand stock with cast on toe out make the work of breaking targets easer and taking game birds. I have had so many shooters pick my guns up that are right hand and say I can't shoot this gun and I reply now thats how I feel about a right hand stocks. I have bent some for hunters that did not want to spend the money but treat yourself to a true left hand stock and you will never go back to others. IMO thanks Ronnie
 
#15 ·
taxidermy...LOL on the RH picking up the gun. That is so true. Plus making stocks is the only option for us LH's for sure.

As for factory LH guns they just dont make them for us. They FORCE us to go with a custom stock. One gun that REALLY surprises me we cant get it in a LH is a BT99.

I mean if you think about it the bt99 is the flagship trap gun for mass quantities and yet they do NOT offer it in a LH version. I looked high and low and finally had to get a custom stock for my LH son.
 
#16 ·
A left hand stock will definitely help, not all left hand stocks will feel the same. Make sure you put it up to your shoulder and see where the beads are (if they line up), shoot it if you can. Find someone in the area that knows what he is doing and try out different stocks. Not all left hand stocks are the same.
 
#17 ·
I'm a righty shooting left. After years of shooting right handed guns, I bought a left hand stock for my Kolar. My scores went in the crapper. I sold the Kolar and got a left hand CG. My scores were a little better but not good. Two years later I purchased a right hand CG Impact and instantly my scores were better. It doesn't make any sense at all but I can't argue with 16 punches since August.
 
#18 ·
You definitely want/NEED a left hand stock for consistency regardless of which side the action expels the hulls!

There's a vast difference between a cast-off stock and one with off-set! You'll shoot better and more consistent scores if the stock is off-set to your numbers!! Merry Christmas to all!!

Hap
 
#19 ·
I am a left hand shooter and shot sidexside shotguns when was younger (late 60's early 70's) and moved then to over/under guns many years ago. Used Shot guns with no cast in the stock, Ithaca (SKB)and then brownings. Would hate to guess how many quail I shot during those years, as they were plentiful.
If you already have a good gun mount you should do fine with an O/U that has zero cast as the autoloaders you mention are probably stocked with no cast stocks. Am not trying to turn you away from a left hand shotgun with left cast as they are nice but not plentiful. All I am saying is a right hand O/U that does not have any cast in the stock would most likely work fine and they are much easier to find.
 
#20 ·
again ,thanks for all the good feedback and will consider it all. i must say,what i'm looking for is hard to come by,used that is. when a gun is listed for sale ,doesn't last long .

any suggestions where to look ,besides the online auctions and larger gun sites ?thanks
 
#22 ·
A lot of Beretta O/U's, and particularly in 20-gauge, have neutral stocks that work fine for a lot of both r-hand and l-hand shooters without adjustment. Some people need the neutral stock bent to make it work well. It depends upon your face and neck.

Either way I would buy the gun I liked and then get the stock adjusted (bent, usually) if needed.
 
#23 ·
Some good advice posted, with that find someone who can fit a gun. They will need to have a "try gun" this way here they can set up the gun to your personal physical shooting style. Then they can dial the try gun in and you can shoot it. Once you feel it's dialed in the fitter can recommend a game plan, maybe you can get a Beretta semi and dial it in with the shim kit that comes with the gun, some guns can be bent easier than others. Depending on the stock bolt will determine how much can be bent.
Unfortunately you just cannot buy a lefty stock and your done, or call a stock maker up and tell them "I need a left handed stock" they are going to ask for the dimensions. Watch eBay for a lefty stock you might get one in time,then have an adjustable comb installed so you can do a shade tree fitting by trial and error on a pattern board.
If you happen to have a sheet rock T Square, you can place the gun vertically on a table and get the dimensions ala "poor mans" style.
Either way a pattern board is a must, it's the only way to find out where your gun fits. Funny thing is in Europe every gun maker has LH stocks ready to go, here in the US folks just live with RH stocks.
 
#24 ·
himark -

I was going to send this to you in a PM but you've got them blocked. I just wanted to let you know that there are a few left handed BT99's out there. I bought one for myself last May. It is a factory made left hand stock with an adjustable comb. It was made in the early 70's. It came with two fixed choke barrels, a full and a modified, both 34" long. It also has the original case. I found it on Gun Broker. It belonged to someone from Vandalia, OH. It was being sold as part of an estate sale. I bought it for $650. It's in like new condition save for one very small chip on the stock. There is about 1/8" cast on in the stock, and the comb screws are on the left side of the stock. I've since seen a couple others like it for sale. If you keep looking you will find one. By the way it shoots very well. - Bob Cade
 
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