Bolt on left hand side?

insignia33

Just curious why the bolt on a bolt action isnt on the left hand side?

When you operate it with your right hand its hard enough not to upset the rifle and then have re-acquire the target.

My reckoning is probably back in the day they were shooting off-hand and you held the rifle stock with the left hand and kept it pushed into the right shoulder. You would have had to put the rifle down if it was a left hand operation.

But now-adays most of us are lying down and shooting of bipods.

Seems like it might be easier as a left hand operation.

Cass

For hunting rifles the object is to hold the rifle (say right handed rifle with right handed shooter) with the left hand and cycle the bolt with your dominant right hand.

For target shooting is worked this way for a while until manufacturers started making right ported and left handed actions. This improved the shooting as the shooter now did not have to come up off the rifle to cycle the bolt or reload. However target shooting is a different kettle of fish.

In F-Class you have time and the comfort of being prone to work the bolt with your non dominant hand and everything falls into place. However if you are out in the field with a hunting rifle i for one would have difficulty in cycling a left handed bolt as i'm right handed. It feels more natural to work a right handed bolt as i'm right handed.

It's the same with my shotgun. It's a right handed semi auto. I hold the gun in my left hand and work the safety, loading, unloading, and anything else with my right hand.


Nowadays you can have a hunting rifle or target rifle in any configuration you like. Such as;

• Right port, right bolt
• Right port, left bolt
• Left port, right bolt
• Left port, left bolt
• Dual port, left bolt
• Dual port, right bolt.

It most likely means going the custom route, but it can be done. Plus from years of the same guns, and same routine it's muscle memory, and while change might be better or more efficient it will take time to get used to.

zaitsev

Cass, Did you get my PM

One shot on kill

When I was thought how to shoot I was thought to cycle the bolt with my right hand with out actually taking my hand of the grip. Using my finger to lift and pull the bolt back then the thumb to push it forward and lock it in place.

Obviously with a loose grip but not moving your shooting position.

Cass

zaitsev wrote: »

Cass, Did you get my PM

Did indeed. Sent you a reply now, explaining all. Thanks.

One shot on kill wrote: »

When I was thought how to shoot I was thought to cycle the bolt with my right hand with out actually taking my hand of the grip. Using my finger to lift and pull the bolt back then the thumb to push it forward and lock it in place.

Obviously with a loose grip but not moving your shooting position.

With the rimfire i can cycle the botl with one hand without any movement off the stock. With the centrefire, and longer action cycle i usualy come off the hand grip and quickly cycle. However i use the left hand to keep the rifle pushed into the shoulder and can still track the target for that quick second/follow up shot.

All depends on what you are comfortable with.

IRLConor

insignia33 wrote: »

My reckoning is probably back in the day they were shooting off-hand and you held the rifle stock with the left hand and kept it pushed into the right shoulder.

Some of us still shoot like that!

If I was shooting from a bipod/rest I'd consider a lefty. Well, I'd give it a try anyway. I'm not sure if I could get used to it.

garv123

Right handed rifles are really handy to use for me as a lefty. I dont have to take my hand off the trigger when shooting prone and can cycle really fast with my free hand.

When standing and firing I used have to drop the gun to cycle the bolt till one night I was watching saving private ryan and saw this scene and realised how much easier that was so I do that from now on.

Would safety be a factor? Id imagine if anything went wrong with the gun my face is on the open side of the chamber where everything would come out.. A right handed person would have their face away from the chamber

One shot on kill

I have to say a Great programme

That looked a bit awkward to me doe he is getting out if shooting position every time.

garv123

One shot on kill wrote: »

I have to say a Great programme

That looked a bit awkward to me doe he is getting out if shooting position every time.

He's only an actor with a prop gun that looks as rough as **** to cycle the bolt in though its much easier to do than that clip looks.

Cass

garv123 wrote: »

........ its much easier to do than that clip looks.

Not to go off topic, but i've seen lads with the old guns and some are cussing and swearing trying to cycle the bolt. Always makes me think "why bother with that grief", but each to their own i suppose.