Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Sailorcurt's Sinister Suggestions

Sailorcurt left some suggestions in the comments about my Lefty Selection problem

"If you're set on a lefty, have you considered Browning?

There's this one with a 20 inch barrel available in .308

This one comes in .30-06 with a 22 inch barrel.

Then there's This pricey one in .30-06 with a 22 inch barrel available with the "BOSS" system.

Savage has the most offerings in Left handed bolt actions...and the best prices...and I've heard really good things about their "accutrigger" system.

Ruger makes a few left-handed M77 models, a couple in .30-06, but none in .308

And Remington offers several lefthanded Model 700 variants that are available in both .308 and .30-06 depending on the variant.

As a lefty myself, I've always been partial to Browning's offerings, but the Remington 700 has the most widely recognized reputation, Ruger makes a darn good rifle and Savage can't be dismissed out of hand. There are plenty of choices out there for us lefties these days."

To answer: Yes I have considered Browning, and I am waiting for the new X-Bolt to come out. But more on that in a bit.

I'd never get a Savage with an Accu-Trigger. Never never never. I tried out the Accu-Trigger and it just bugs me. Personal Preference. I do like the pressure that Savage has put on the market, making companies like Browning come out with a better trigger group. So the Accu-Trigger is good for that thing.

The problem I have with the Browning A-Bolts... and those rifles have a sterling reputation, is lack of iron sights. I'd rather not have to gunsmith those on there. And the X-Bolt promises to be even better, but I'll need to wait on reviews and to inspect it myself.

The Ruger offerings are ok, and the Remingtons are even better, if more spendy, but they all suffer from a lack of back up iron sights.

I may have to reliquish this requirement to get me a lefty, but I'd rather get something that had no compromises and matched ALL my desires.

The gun I want is essentially a Winchester Model 70, pre 1964, lefty configuration, in my caliber, with scope mountings. And all for around $1000. I believe I'll find that one the same way I believe I will find the Tooth Fairy's mountain of bicuspids, or that I'll be able to order a Dodo egg omelette the next time I'm at the diner, or that I'll hear Hillary advocate full funding of the Civilian Marksmanship Program at the next Democrat debate. All that COULD happen, I guess.

But Browning and Remington are right there at the top of the list if I don't find the dream rifle.

Sinister as in Left-Handed

3 comments:

NotClauswitz said...

My club has some Savages (.223) with the accu-trigger that shoot phenomenally well and I almost bought one, but I just can not shoot a laminated-stock rifle! ;-)
So I built an AR. You can get a lefty AR you know, but it might be a technical rule-problem if you shoot Service Rifle since it's backwards.

New Jovian Thunderbolt said...

Oh yes, the ruputation of Savage I hear everywhere is that they are VERY accurate and a wonderful value.

I might break down my distaste for the accu trigger some day and overcome the prejudice. Just not yet.

Anonymous said...

You might want to consider an older lefty model of the Savage...and then put a really good aftermarket trigger into it. I put a Timney into my Savage .30-06, and it went from an over-8-pound pull (that's as far as my gunsmith's trigger-pull scale went up to) to right around 3-1/2 pounds.

The only problem was that the new trigger deserved a better scope than the "package" Bushnell 3-9x32 that it came with, so I doubled the cost of the thing with a Leupold.