Guns, Bows, Shooting Sports, and Hunting Left handed youth rifle?

[GrantP]

My 12 year old son will be deer/elk hunting soon and is in need of a left handed rifle. I have plenty of right hand rifles I could pass down but he shoots left handed and my rifles are physically too large anyway. I would hate to spend the money on a youth rifle that he will outgrow in the next 4 or 5 years and then purchase an "adult size" rifle later. Does anyone know of a rifle out there that has an interchangeable youth/adult stock? I'd rather spend the money on a decent rifle that he can shoot well into adulthood. Thanks for any advice, I imagine I'm not the only one on this forum with this scenario.

Thanks,
Grant

 

[Wayne M.]

Ruger American? I think that has a piece that comes off the stock for fit.

 

[KBurgoyne]

Probably your best option. http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/finder/ model 11 Trophy Hunter XP - Youth.

You would then purchase a replacement stock when needed, they are not that expensive. The adjustable stock for the American is only on the rimfire at the moment.

new stock; http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/FindAStock?Make=43&Model=A18&Action=4B&Shape=05&Finish=1

The American is a great rifle for the money, will outshoot everything in its price range and any Remington under 1000 bucks (damn Freedom Group). Savage guns are usually the most accurate out of the box and the easiest to tune. They also tend to be the most consistently accurate with a variety of loads. Cant go wrong with either, but much easier to find stuff for the savage.

 

[The patriot]

I second the Savage. Great rifles, great prices.

 

[GrantP]

Thanks guys. It doesn't look like Ruger has a compact left handed model so I think that's out. The remington 700 SPS compact has a 24" barrel in 7mm-08 vs. the Savage 20" which makes me lean toward the remington. However I have a buddy with a Sendero in 7mm mag that doesn't group worth a crap regardless of the ammo so...

The Savage is a nice package and a nice price, just concerned about the 20" barrel (none of my rifles are that short). Thoughts?

 

[AH64ID]

The Remington SPS Youth/Compact's I have been looking at all have 20" bbls in 7mm-08, are you sure it has a 24" bbl?

IIRC the SPS compact link on the Remington website give you the SPS specs and not the compact specs.

Have you thought about teaching him to shoot right handed? He will thank you every time he goes gun shopping.

I have 3 kids and 1 of them is left handed, but she has been shooting right handed.

I plan to keep the rifle for a long time and put a full size stock on it when appropriate. I am not at all concerned about the 20" bbl as it has enough length to match the viable killing range of the cartridge.

I only have Remington 700's but have shot many other brands/ammo and by far the 700's are the most accurate group of rifles I have shot. Cheap scopes can also be a good reason for a big shot group. I have seen plenty of $$$$ rifles with $ scopes shoot like crap. Get a good scope and it should shoot quite well.


EDIT: I found this on the Remington website. "20" clean barrel on compact version"

Here is a LH version if you want LH. It has the 20" bbl.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=522759915

 

[Wayne M.]

How about a Henry? They are ok with left shooters. They have different models in lncluding a youth and a short carbine.

I mentioned the American because of the interchangeable stock butts. I thought they would have youth covered in that. I like Savage too- Got an axis in .223.

 

[GrantP]

John - I think you are right on the 20" barrel length in the youth model, the remington website specs are the same for both the SPS and SPS youth (including overall length) so it must be wrong.

Believe me I've tried to get him to shoot right handed. The goofy thing is that he actually is right handed! Plays baseball right handed, throws right handed, writes right handed...can't shoot right handed. He's been shooting since he was 3 (obviously very closely supervised) and I started him right handed. As he got older and started to shoulder the rifle himself he would naturally pick it up and place it on his left shoulder and I would have to correct him. Now when he tries to shoot right handed it looks as uncoordinated as me trying to shoot left handed. His left eye is his dominant eye though so I'm not going to fight it any more.

Wayne - He actually has a youth henry 22 now that he has been shooting for years. It's a fun little gun but I'm not exactly blown away with the quality, I don't think I would buy another.

Looks like a toss up between the Savage and Remington, both are probably good rifles. Thanks for the help gents.

 

[AH64ID]

Gotcha. I know the left eye dominant thing, as I am as well. Shooting at the range always gave/gives me a headache but I can shoot for fun in the woods/desert and not have any issues.

 

[Wayne M.]

Wow- surprised to get that about the Henry. Never checked one, but they're generally well regarded. I'd love to get the .357 but illegal around here. Good luck with the pursuit. My Sav is nice, but not too thrilled about the plastic magazine.

 

[VolsFan]

Got my niece a savage youth model .243 blued barrel camo synthetic stock and it's pretty sweet for the money. Never really fooled with any savages until got 17 hmr. Good gun for the money I think. Just starting my 4 yr old daughter on a Davy cricket single shot .22, it's awesome. Pink laminate stock stainless barrel and scope. Never heard any complaints from Henry owners, personally owning several. Also the .243 savage, I put a Nikon prostaff on it, gave it to her after upgrading to a ziess for .22-250. Definitely agree with quality optics making the diff for good pattern.

 

[KBurgoyne]

Thanks guys. It doesn't look like Ruger has a compact left handed model so I think that's out. The remington 700 SPS compact has a 24" barrel in 7mm-08 vs. the Savage 20" which makes me lean toward the remington. However I have a buddy with a Sendero in 7mm mag that doesn't group worth a crap regardless of the ammo so...

The Savage is a nice package and a nice price, just concerned about the 20" barrel (none of my rifles are that short). Thoughts?

The SPS is a cheap hunk of crap. I'll admit that I hate the Freedom Group which bought out Remington in 2007, but only because I have had the opportunity to inspect several of their guns. I aint impressed. Fresh out of the box Marlins (also purchased by the Freedom Group in 2007) with gouges I the machining, and very rough actions. A lot of their lower end stuff looks like they stopped designing it at 80%. Their quality control is what can be described as "second to most".

Get both guns in your hands, and the difference becomes much more clear. If you do decide to go with the SPS, inspect it bow to stern because nobody at the factory did. The 20in barrel is fine for most of the standard calibers like .308. You wouldn't gain much velocity with a longer barrel except on magnum calibers.

 

[Simplysmn]

I am fighting the same thing for my Son he is a Lefty and is looking for a shotgun .want's a Mossberg but nobody stock's it and won't order it either . It's Tough Being Different I guess ?????????

 

[p-Bar]

I am fighting the same thing for my Son he is a Lefty and is looking for a shotgun .want's a Mossberg but nobody stock's it and won't order it either . It's Tough Being Different I guess ?????????

Check into a Ithica. Loads from the bottom and dumps out the bottom.
I started with a youth 20ga Savage

 

[Simplysmn]

Yes we have and he is DEAD set on a Mossberg. .He say's he will find one some ho some way .

 

[Simplysmn]

Well Just a Quick Update Talked direct to Mossberg .They have not started Building the 590 series lft hand until Jan of 2016 .So they said give them until March they should be on show room floor's or atleast order able . So the Wait Continues .

 

[Mikey-KE7LBB]

Gotcha. I know the left eye dominant thing, as I am as well. Shooting at the range always gave/gives me a headache but I can shoot for fun in the woods/desert and not have any issues.

Same here. Right hand with pistol (while aiming with left eye) and left hand (left eye) with a rifle!

I am right handed, but rifles just seem to feel better while being held the "wrong way" lol!! I even had a friend call and tell me to buy a rifle that he scored a good deal on. He just told me I need to buy it since I'm the only one he knows that shoots "retarded"... I was mad at first and then bought it at his cost. I love it, but my left hand is not quite as smart as my left eye is lol!!

20/10 left and 20/20 right, but I'd be willing to bet that I could hit my mark when I need to!!

 

[mrbb]

you can also maybe loom at just buying a left handed rifle, he will grow into, and buying a second stock cut short to fit him NOW
then he will have one gun and more options to pick from?

I just picked up a Mossberg patriot rifle today for a beater, not sure if they make them in left handed or not,(never looked) but a decent gun for the buck

another thing to maybe consider is, have you looked at a single shot rifle,. like a TC encore??
that would make it a very build able gun, and can be for many calibers as well
a TON of stocks out there too in all sorts of sizes

last
one thing to consider is MOST Youth rifles, don't have any real shorter grip to trigger lengths, most makers just cut the rear of the stock shorter, and smaller shooters can still struggle to get a good fit
which many times makes life easier when you can have the gun for shooter to see how it fits before buying!

 

[GrantP]

mrbb - I have considered the TC route. I have a G1 Contender with a 223 rifle barrel and buttstock that fits my son perfectly. Barrels for these old contenders are so expensive (and very limited calibers) I'd rather just put the money into a new rifle.

 

[mrbb]

if you look to the aftermarket world on barrels, there should be NO shortage of barrels for a contender LOL

but they re very nice single shot rifles
there BIG draw back to me is every caliber you need will need a desperate scope, and the costs can then get up there with what a whole rifle can be .

BUT for kids I sold many to parents who were NOT sure if there kid would stick to the sport, so just buying a new barrel rear stock was a easy route for them, and then they could sell later as the kid out grew or just keep

but there are a TON of makers for TC contender barrels out there

here is one, and might be an UP grade over a TC barrel as well!

http://www.bullberry.com/contender_barrels.html

or

http://eabco.com/tcpage.html