Should I get a left-handed .22 rifle for my daughter?

[hminsky]

My daughter is eight years old, and is left handed. I want to introduce her to target shooting with her own bolt action .22 rifle. I am interested in the Savage Arms youth model Mark II. However, I don't know if I should get a left handed model, or if I should try to get her to learn to shoot with a right handed model.

Anyone have any experience along these lines??

 

[cdkayak]

What may be more important is eye dominance. Hopefully someone with some instructors experience will stop by soon.

CD

 

[C-pher]

What may be more important is eye dominance. Hopefully someone with some instructors experience will stop by soon.

CD

That's what I was going to say. I'm left handed. When I was a kid, my dad made me figure out which eye was dominant and then that's how I learned to shoot.

But I agree with cd, I would like to hear what an instructor has to say.

 

[firtree]

A break-action single shot would avoid the whole problem until
she has more experience. I think that the one I saw at
Northeast Trading Post on friday was a Stevens reissue.

F

 

[Lynne]

hminsky - find out which is her dominant eye first. We will have our students (if left handed) shoot right handed if they are right eye dominant. If you're not sure how to do that.... Have her stand 6 or 8 feet away from you - make a circle with both hands (like a fake telescope) and tell her to bring it up to her eye to look at you through the hole - you can then tell which eye is dominant because she'll bring it up to that eye to look through it. If she's right eye dominant, show her how to shoot it right handed. If she's left eye dominant, then go for the left handed gun.

 

[C-pher]

hminsky - find out which is her dominant eye first. We will have our students (if left handed) shoot right handed if they are right eye dominant. If you're not sure how to do that.... Have her stand 6 or 8 feet away from you - make a circle with both hands (like a fake telescope) and tell her to bring it up to her eye to look at you through the hole - you can then tell which eye is dominant because she'll bring it up to that eye to look through it. If she's right eye dominant, show her how to shoot it right handed. If she's left eye dominant, then go for the left handed gun.

I would always tell people to hold thier thumb up a foot in front of them. Then, have them put it so it's between their eyes.

Then close one eye at a time. If you don't see the thumb move, then you know that the one that's open is your dominant eye.

 

[mark056]

You have been given excellent advice with regard to what is the dominant eye.

If she is left handed and left eye dominant she should have a left handed weapon.

Back in '94 (oh...here we go [roll] ) I had a chance to do some modern summer biathalon out in Colorado Springs. I remember going to the Air Force Academy tactical area for the event. I saw cameras there from ESPN but no big deal, I thought, this afterall is something that I had seen in road races I had participated in. Then a bus pulls in with US Olympic Training Center on the side and the US Summer Biathalon Team proceeds to get off the bus. Now at that time Marlin was sponsoring these events and was providing rifles for the events and they were all right handed. I saw one participant, a woman from St Louis, I believe who shot left handed work the right handed bolt on the Marlin with her left hand faster than I could manipulate the bolt with my right hand, and I am right handed. She would cross her left hand over to pull the bolt and extract the casing, never missing a beat. I'll never forget that...nor will I ever forget the day I participated (competed would be too kind a word) with world class athletes.

It's too bad that Summer Biathalon hasn't really caught on in a major way. It was a lot of fun.

Mark

 

[Nickle]

Eye Dominance is extremely important.

My son is left handed, but right eye dominant. He shoots a rifle or shotgun right handed and a handgun left handed (right eye, though).

This actually was a really good thing, since he almost got tossed out Boot Camp for having bad eyesight in his left eye. He had to explain to his Commander and Drill Sergeants how to determine eye dominance, and thankfully, they believed him. Of course, the fact that he was shown by a Senior NCO (me) didn't hurt, either.

If she's a lefty, another option would be a lever action or semi-auto.

 

[cdkayak]

If she's a lefty, another option would be a lever action or semi-auto.

Don't forget the pump .22s

 

[Nickle]

Of course, thank you. I'm very fond of 22 pumps, had a Remington to use when I was a teenager.

 

[firtree]

I saw a super-cute Browning .22 auto takedown in
Waltham that might do the trick....
F

 

[Coyote33]

A break-action single shot would avoid the whole problem until
she has more experience. I think that the one I saw at
Northeast Trading Post on friday was a Stevens reissue.

F

I was thinking lever action (Henry), but the Stevens or an NEF would also work.

 

[Coyote33]

A break-action single shot would avoid the whole problem until
she has more experience. I think that the one I saw at
Northeast Trading Post on friday was a Stevens reissue.

F

I was thinking lever action (Henry), but the Stevens or an NEF would also work.

 

[Coyote33]

A break-action single shot would avoid the whole problem until
she has more experience. I think that the one I saw at
Northeast Trading Post on friday was a Stevens reissue.

F

I was thinking lever action (Henry), but the Stevens or an NEF would also work.

 

[C-pher]

A break-action single shot would avoid the whole problem until
she has more experience. I think that the one I saw at
Northeast Trading Post on friday was a Stevens reissue.

F

I was thinking lever action (Henry), but the Stevens or an NEF would also work.

Marlin Golden 39A is a great .22 lever action. And they aren't that expensive.

 

[C-pher]

A break-action single shot would avoid the whole problem until
she has more experience. I think that the one I saw at
Northeast Trading Post on friday was a Stevens reissue.

F

I was thinking lever action (Henry), but the Stevens or an NEF would also work.

Marlin Golden 39A is a great .22 lever action. And they aren't that expensive.

 

[C-pher]

A break-action single shot would avoid the whole problem until
she has more experience. I think that the one I saw at
Northeast Trading Post on friday was a Stevens reissue.

F

I was thinking lever action (Henry), but the Stevens or an NEF would also work.

Marlin Golden 39A is a great .22 lever action. And they aren't that expensive.