Left-handed question
 

My 4-year-old is left handed. He tends to hold his toy guns that way as well.

My 9-year-old is right-handed and will start deer hunting next fall. I'd like to buy him a gun that I can then hand down to the younger brother.

What I'm getting it as I don't want to have to buy them each new guns at various times.

1) Can I "teach" the left-handed boy to shoot right-handed or should I just let him do what comes natural?

2) Are there rifles that are both? I'd assume, for instance, that a single-shot rifle wouldn't really matter?

Things to consider are safety location is safety in on the trigger area will make hit harder for a lefty to take safety off. I too have this problem my son is 10 and a lefty I have not really started him shooting I plan to get him going in the next few weeks. Break action may be a good option allow for both l and r shooters. I think Rossi and NLF make a good starter gun.

You might be able to teach a left-hander to shoot right-handed BUT, it is more a question of left or right eye dominance. If your son is left eye dominant then you can pretty much forget getting him to shoot with anything approaching accuracy right-handed/right-eyed. Check it out yourself - close one eye and point at an object, now the other eye and see what happens? Now try try with both eyes open.

See the sniper on sniper scene in saving private Ryan. Us cross dominate and lefties have managed for years. Break action singles and doubles are 1 way to go. Levers and pumps work nicely too. For shotguns I love the BPS, its patriarch the Ithica 37 isn't bad either.

As mentioned before safeties are the biggest issue. There are a few models that have reversible safeties. I believe the Marlin lever guns still have a half **** "safety" as well as the button,on exposed hammer guns. Savage has a top tang safety, at least my old1does. I also just picked up a small ring Mauser w/a safety lever built specifically to be left handed that has a right handed twin part. Once fitted they take less than 5 minutes to swap out.

A couple of thoughts

if they both end up wanting to hunt on down the road, unless you plan on them sharing one gun you will ultimately have to buy two guns anyway.

I am left handed, my parents and teachers tried for 10 years to "teach" me to be right handed. I thought it was DA then and I still do 40 years later. Kinda like teaching someone to be tall.

As mentioned, eye dominance is most important.

A pump/lever/SA rifle is probably not the best way to start a young hunter. Just my opinion.

Even a right handed bolt rifle loaded with one round at a time is not a big handicap and basically gives you a single shot rifle no different from a safety stand point than a break action.
Any decent break action will cost you.

Thanks for the input, everyone. I appreciate it.

They're not cheap, most I'm seeing on GB right now are on the high side of $800, but the Ruger No. 1 doesn't care whether you're left- or right-handed, safety on the tang is ambi. Unlike less-expensive rifles though, these will keep on hunting when the boys become men.

Simple answer. Contender Carbine. Short. Lightweight. Break action for safety. Ambidextrous. Shotgun, rimfire, and centerfire capable. What else could you want??

Also the stocks are cheap to buy. So you can cut one down for just a small cost. Tom.

I am a lefty...and have 2 brothers that are also lefty (only one of them shoots lefty tough)...there are several good lever or break action guns that may work well for you...Marlin, Winchester, Rossi, H&R, NEF...and so on...but as many point out, eye dominance is important (I shoot left handed because I am left-eye dominant...even though I am right handed...as is my father oddly enough...and he shoots lefty as well). I also think safety is important...I know it's more costly, but considering buying them separate rifles is probably the best choice...or a lever, pump, auto, break-action that can be passed down...but I wouldn't try to teach the lefty to shoot right handed.

To tell the truth of it all I don't know why there aren't more lefthanded guns out there. I've hunted w/about 30 people in the last 35yr >< and probably 20 of them were lefty shooters. I can only think of 1 cross dominate lefty . A couple were switch shooters . 1 shot rifles right handed and shotguns left.

And what's wrong w/half**** that it needs to be edited it is a viable industry excepted no sear ingaugement(sp) position of the hammer on lever actions,SAA colts,and every side hammer gun I can think of. Are we so PC now it has to be refered to as 1st position or 1st click or something? Its in my owners manual for my Marlin 1894CB and the TC Hawken.

I'm a lefty and one can adapt, especially if they start young. I agree that eye dominance is key. As it turns out, I'm right eye dominant and no one noticed. It would have been much easier if someone had taught me to shoot with my dominant eye.

Another possibility is a modified military gun from around WWI-WWII that has the old straight bolt (I recommend a Mauser). A lefty can manage these. A scout scope can be used for optics, mounted on the rear sight base, or install a peep sight (look at Williams, Lyman or Mojo sights).

Get a good single shot rifle like a Contender or Encore or even a less expensive H&R and then it won't matter which shoots it..

As a lefty, I can attest to the challenges of using a RH rifle. But with practice using one becomes second nature. But LH versions are much nicer. And my suggestion goes along with the earlier post. Soon or later if both hunt you will need to buy them each a rifle anyway. So why not save up and give each one their own rifle. Just don't go too cheap and get something like a Savage Axis or Rem 770 or other 'el cheapo' model. And let them pick out what they want (within your budget). That way they will like it an feel more confident and prouder with it.