Seeking Advice for a Left handed shooter

E

ezmoney68

Inactive
I am right handed, but left eye dominant. I have always used right handed shotguns. I am considering purchasing a nice Beretta over and under.......maybe a silver pigeon V. My understanding is that all Beretta over/under shotguns have 1/4" right hand cast, but that a qualified gunsmith can "bend" the stock to a left hand cast. A gentleman at the Beretta Gallery in Dallas told me that they "bend" guns all the time. They wrap the pistol grip with burlap, soak it in linseed oil and heat it to a very high temperature which allows them to bend the wood. Does this sound reasonable? My question is, should I tamper with such a nice gun and would it make much difference in accuracy?
Any input would be appreciated!
 
Yes, "bending" a stock is a fairly common. See Andrew Macfarlane's video here.

So if I read this right, you want to start shooting left handed? You may want to shoot the gun as is before you start... so you have a point of referrence, and make sure that you at least get measured with a try gun before you start bending.

Cheers,
C
 
Let me clarify. I have always shot long guns left handed. I want to buy a nice Beretta, but kinda hate to "bend" a $3k-$4k shotgun without confirmation that it won't compromise the gun and that it will impact the accuracy.
I may be over-thinking this, but it makes me think of buying a Mercedes and then having the kid on the corner put in an after-market stereo. :eek:
 
Gotcha. And I get you're concerns.

Don't they make a LH SP... or a LH furniture set for the SP?

Urp... jaguarxk120 beat me to it. :D
 
Check with Cole's in Maine, they are the one of the biggest Beretta gurus in the country and do a lot of wood upgrades

http://www.colegun.com/collections/beretta-12ga-680-series-left-hand-wood-sets
Scroll down for the 686 sets running about 400
The issue with bending a stock is that it can, over time, relax and work back towards the middle. It takes a lot to take a bend for a RH and go past neutral all the way to a LH cast. IMO, you might be better served by trading your RH stock for one of their LH ones
 
No, it makes no sense to me, to bend a stock /or buy a gun that has some right hand cast built into it ....as a leftie - when you have a lot of other options.

Look for a gun that is cast neutral ....any decent shop / ought to be able to help you select a gun that is cast neutral ( not a big box store / but a good gun shop). Browning makes some left handed models in their Citori series of guns ..and maybe in the Cynergy series as well.

Do a lot more research before you invest in a right hand cast gun and have it bent...
 
I am left eye dominant but right handed. I learned to shoot long guns left handed before I was 10 years old. When I took up bow hunting I didn't even consider a right handed bow. I suspect a shotgun buttstock specifically cut for a left handed shooter would be preferable to a modified right handed stock. Now I use synthetic stocks and I suspect they are "straight" rather than favoring right or left handed shooters.
 
True lefteye, but there are adjustable butt pads that can allow you to make a neutral stock fit better by using those adjustments - better than trying to fit yourself to a wrong-handed stock

and as a LH myself, I understand the frustration
 
And my other "problem" is my size - I need a butt stock at least one inch shorter than normal and this need makes recoil pad choice, modification and installation even more difficult (despite 40 years of practice.)
 
I've shot left handed my whole life as well. Automatics ejecting hulls across my face etc.....
Since I have never shot a left-handed shotgun, how much does that right hand cast matter regarding accuracy? I have gotten along fine for the last 30 years, but since I am considering such a nice gun I didn't want to compromise.
 
Most autoloaders and pumps have a neutral cast. Many of the O/U's have some RH cast, but some are neutral.

There are mfgr's. that provide a LH stock for their guns, they know there is a market for them.
 
The Beretta White Onyx Sporter here has cast off in the stock, suitable for a RH shooter. I was told at the time that LH stocks were available and that the WOS could be ordered with a sinistrally inclined stock.

HTH...
 
I normally try not to correct anyone and apologize beforehand but cast off is for right hand shooters with a bend to the left, cast on is for left hand shooters with a bend to the right and there is no cast for a shotgun that has a straight stock. If I have this backwards please correct me.
 
Oldrum,


I normally try not to correct anyone and apologize beforehand but cast off is for right hand shooters with a bend to the left, cast on is for left hand shooters with a bend to the right and there is no cast for a shotgun that has a straight stock. If I have this backwards please correct me.
Click to expand...

Not per a book by Rollin Oswald, "Stock Fitter's Bible", at page 108:

Cast "off" involves the postition of a part of the stock to the right of the axis (of the gun's bore) and cast "on" in a position to the left.
Click to expand...

Oswald does say that cast "off" is for right hand shooters and "on" is for lefties. He also notes that while bending the stock is one way to add cast, it can also be accomplished with shims or refitting the stock to metal. Another way is to design cast at the comb by offsetting the entire comb.
 
Exactly - us LH need cast ON, you RH need cast OFF - it allows a better positioning of the head over the bore of the gun so that your eyes align better
 
that is correct......cast on is what is preferable for lefties. However, the gentleman at the Beretta Gallery in Dallas stated that there are no "cast on" Berettas. He states that it is common for their gunsmith to "bend" the guns to accomodate a left handed shooter, but I am not completely sold on this option. He offered another option of their gunsmith making a custom stock, but warned that this was a pricey road to take. There are a few companies that offer left handed options, but their price tends to jump up quite a bit.
I guess that is the choice I am left with. Compromise.......or spend a boatload of money.
Any advice on schmoozing my wife and talking her into a $10,000 shotgun?:D:D:D
 
What about an adjustable comb?

As for the wife, what to do about the wife, be a man! When I wanted to spend $350 on my first shotgun, I bought her a cute little Mazda. If you want a Perazzi, think Lexus convertible.
 
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