Gun Dog Forum

I am looking into getting a nice O/U 20 Ga. My buddies keep telling me I should look into a left handed gun. I never shouldered one. The gun club I shoot at doesn't have any used one's to shoot. Was hoping to get comments from some experienced LH shooters. I really do not understand what the difference is for an O/U. To make things even more complicated I am right eye dominate. Thanks!!

Greek wrote:I am looking into getting a nice O/U 20 Ga. My buddies keep telling me I should look into a left handed gun. I never shouldered one. The gun club I shoot at doesn't have any used one's to shoot. Was hoping to get comments from some experienced LH shooters. I really do not understand what the difference is for an O/U. To make things even more complicated I am right eye dominate. Thanks!!

I think what they are referring to is "cast-off" vs "cast-on", or the bend in the stock.

Look for a gun with "cast-on" or "cast-neutral"

Many guns come with shims to adjust, but semi's mostly.

Do you shoot with with both eyes open?

I am right handed/left eye dominant and I shoot lefty- both eyes open
That said I have always had RH'ed guns...I don't own any fancy guns and I have never had a gun fitted, but I seldom have problems hitting birds (at least not problems that I can blame on the gun). Some guns just don't point right for me, but I think that is true regardless of the cast.....

I am also looking for a 20G O/U, but I want a lightweight field gun that I don't care if it gets banged up a little....if there was a yildiz near me it would be done.

troutbum13 wrote:I am right handed/left eye dominant and I shoot lefty- both eyes open
That said I have always had RH'ed guns...I don't own any fancy guns and I have never had a gun fitted, but I seldom have problems hitting birds (at least not problems that I can blame on the gun). Some guns just don't point right for me, but I think that is true regardless of the cast.....

I am also looking for a 20G O/U, but I want a lightweight field gun that I don't care if it gets banged up a little....if there was a yildiz near me it would be done.

Look at the Baikals from EAA. Nice gun for the money with proven durability. $450

mcbosco wrote:

troutbum13 wrote:I am right handed/left eye dominant and I shoot lefty- both eyes open
That said I have always had RH'ed guns...I don't own any fancy guns and I have never had a gun fitted, but I seldom have problems hitting birds (at least not problems that I can blame on the gun). Some guns just don't point right for me, but I think that is true regardless of the cast.....

I am also looking for a 20G O/U, but I want a lightweight field gun that I don't care if it gets banged up a little....if there was a yildiz near me it would be done.

Look at the Baikals from EAA. Nice gun for the money with proven durability. $450

They look like nice guns for the money, but 11 pounds That is a lot of iron to haul up the chukar slopes

The yildiz comes in under 6lbs in a 20G

troutbum13 wrote:

mcbosco wrote:

troutbum13 wrote:I am right handed/left eye dominant and I shoot lefty- both eyes open
That said I have always had RH'ed guns...I don't own any fancy guns and I have never had a gun fitted, but I seldom have problems hitting birds (at least not problems that I can blame on the gun). Some guns just don't point right for me, but I think that is true regardless of the cast.....

I am also looking for a 20G O/U, but I want a lightweight field gun that I don't care if it gets banged up a little....if there was a yildiz near me it would be done.

Look at the Baikals from EAA. Nice gun for the money with proven durability. $450

They look like nice guns for the money, but 11 pounds That is a lot of iron to haul up the chukar slopes

The yildiz comes in under 6lbs in a 20G

That isn't right some numb-nuts must have converted a number wrong. The 12 gauge is 7.5lbs. I saw that too but it is impossible. I have held several 12 gauges and never noticed them being heavy.

http://www.shootingtimes.co.uk/guns/sho ... _test.html

11 lbs is wrong. Not without 4 lbs of lead in the stock. There might not be enough room in the stock for that much lead, come to think of it.

I have had to use tungsten in the past to get benchrest rifles up to the weight limit. It's almost twice as dense as lead.

Thanks for the replies... I will definitely check out those O/U’s.

Good luck, I ordered a Baikal this week (now that I know it is not an 11 pound beast). If you look at these guns be aware that the sport model 310 has a right-handed palm swell, but the regular 310 does not.

For the price I figured I might as well give the gun a chance.

troutbum13 wrote:Good luck, I ordered a Baikal this week (now that I know it is not an 11 pound beast). If you look at these guns be aware that the sport model 310 has a right-handed palm swell, but the regular 310 does not.

For the price I figured I might as well give the gun a chance.

They are good guns and in that price category the most robust I have seen. They are tight though so get some good grease for the receiver.

Not lookers by any strectch but well made.

Greek,
where are you at in IN? ive got a Baikal 20ga that is my go to gun for most things, if your close your welcome to come check it out.

Jim

jimbo&rooster wrote:Greek,
where are you at in IN? ive got a Baikal 20ga that is my go to gun for most things, if your close your welcome to come check it out.

Jim

Jim - Thanks for the offer.. but I'm quite a few clicks northeast of you I may wait till next year now that my 14 yr passed his hunt test..I told him I'd get him a 12/20ga. and take him for some bird hunting next month.

Speaking as a south-paw I have found off-the-shelf SKB's to be "cast-neutral". I own 3 (28, 20, 12 OU) and can hit equally well with them all.

Good luck.

Bluestem

My buddies wife shoots left handed and carries a Beretta 686 20 ga O/U. I'll have to check if she got a "left handed" version or not

I shoot lefty and up until a couple years ago I just shot rt handed guns. A while back I got a sweet little browning upland special with a straight stock and I can shoot the heck out of that gun. Last year I bought a beretta 686 which is rt handed and I cant hit anything with it! It's been tough for me to find many left handed o/u's but most autos have shims that you can flip around and change cast. Just practice alot with whatever you have and I think most people can make it work even if the gun isn't exactly the best fit.

My #1 shotgun that travels in the truck with me at all times is my Bakal/Remington Spartan 20ga O/U.

It is an absolute slayer. It weighs nothing. Keep it clean, and you might actually be surprised when it's getting handed down a generation.