Lefty or Lever? Help me decide!

[Mattg9403]

This will probably be a long post, so bear with me please.

I'm wanting a new (or new to me) rifle for elk hunting, that will also work for hunting moose and bison if I ever get the chance to check those off my bucket list. I am both left hand and left eye dominant, so I'm looking at either a left-handed bolt action or something reasonably ambidextrous like a lever action.

I came across the Browning BLR and thought the .300WSM chambering of it would be a great option for me. It offers a light and compact rifle good for carrying on long hikes in thick cover, but also have enough power and accuracy for larger-than-elk animals and for 300 yard shot opportunities (I don't plan on shooting much farther than that). I like the idea of faster follow-up shots with the lever action, plus I don't have a lever gun yet and who doesn't want a lever gun?

The issue is, I can't find a BLR in .300WSM anywhere right now. Normally, I would have no problem waiting patiently for one to come up on Gun Broker or somewhere similar, but with Measure 114 now threatening to take effect and shut down all gun sales in Oregon, waiting much longer might turn into waiting years for the legal mess to sort out.

There are BLR's available in .30-06 right now (and in .300WinMag, but at 3 inches longer and a full pound heavier than the WSM version, it looses the appeal of being light and easy-handling). Would the .30-06 be too marginal for accuracy on elk at 300 yards from the BLR platform? Too marginal for larger animals? I currently have a .308 I hunt with; my understanding is the .30-06 is not that much of a ballistic advantage over the .308...

Another option would be a bolt action in .300WSM. The Tikka T3x Lite and Savage 110 Timberline both have left-handed offerings. I'm sure either of these would be accurate beyond the range of the BLR, and beyond my own comfortable shooting distance. I still prefer the idea of the lever over another bolt action in my safe, but going this route would at least get me started in the .300WSM cartridge, and maybe in the future if availability and legality allow I could get the BLR then and already have ammo for it.

What thoughts do you all have on this? Should I:
-go with the .30-06 instead of the .300WSM to get the rifle I want?
-go with the Tikka or Savage to get the chambering I want?
-wait patiently until I can get both the rifle and chambering I want?

I appreciate any input you all might have for me. Thank you!

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[titsonritz]

Would the .30-06 be too marginal for accuracy on elk at 300 yards from the BLR platform? Too marginal for larger animals? I currently have a .308 I hunt with; my understanding is the .30-06 is not that much of a ballistic advantage over the .308...

One area the .30-06 has over .308 is with heavy projectiles,180-220grain, on larger game.

BTW my SIL has Tikka in .300WSM and loves it.

As a lefty myself, I like my Encore.

 

[ferret427]

I am left handed cross eye dominant. If you are intending to use a magnified optic, in my experience, with either eye behind the scope, I end up closing the eye not behind the scope. I can't make rapid coherence of what I am looking at otherwise. 1x optics like red dots etc., both eyes open is no issue.

All of my rifles are right handed. I have never had an issue with getting brass in the face (I do not own any bullpups with right hand ejection).

For a bolt action, using a left hand or right hand action really comes down to ergonomics and manual of arms. As a lefty with a right hand action, for front rest supported shots, my right hand supporting the stock (or on the foregrip if shooting offhand) and moves to work the action aand my left hand stays in the firing grip. With a left handed action, the operation is reversed.

I perfer right handed actions, as you will almost always be shooting one unless you and all of your friends are left handed and own all left handed actions.

I would say get the rifle you want and learn it, or special order and wait. Either way, as long as it shoots well and it is chambered in a cartridge appropriate for you purpose you will be fine.

 

[Tlock]

I shot a 270 for elk for years, great elk gun. I recently acquired a 270 blr I'm gonna let my boy use. I didn't realize how nice the fit and finish is on the older blr

 

[drstrangelove]

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1084715169

Tikka stainless lefty in 300wsm well under a grand. Lights out more accurate than any BLR., and a lot lighter too

 

[P7M13]

The older BLRs are really nice, but they're heavy. Same with the Savage 99. A friend with one mentioned they are accurate for two or three shots, then start to walk because of barrel heat.
There's one I really wanted in 280 Win, which I would not hesitate to use for Elk, but I had other, more important costly things going on.
I'm right handed, left eye dominant, and shoot all my rifles left handed. Four are Lefty's and the rest RH.
I find that LH shooting a lefty is more comfortable, but shooting a RH rifle left handed allows for much faster follow up shots.

 

[titsonritz]

I find that LH shooting a lefty is more comfortable, but shooting a RH rifle left handed allows for much faster follow up shots.

Maybe off the bench but I can't see it under field conditions.

.280 AI rules them all.

 

[Mattg9403]

Tikka stainless lefty in 300wsm well under a grand. Lights out more accurate than any BLR., and a lot lighter too

The Tikka lists a weight of 6.6 lbs. The BLR lists a weight of 6 lbs 12 oz. (6.75 lbs) for the same chambering. I wouldn't consider that a big difference in weight. I do agree that the Tikka is the better choice for all-out accuracy, and is more cost effective. Head logic says the Tikka makes more sense, but the BLR speaks to my heart more haha

 

[Mattg9403]

One area the .30-06 has over .308 is with heavy projectiles,180-220grain, on larger game.

BTW my SIL has Tikka in .300WSM and loves it.

That's a good point on the .30-06. Any idea what the effective range would be for the heavier grain loads on larger game?

Glad to hear he likes the Tikka in .300WSM. I think if I do decide to go bolt action instead of the BLR, I would get the Tikka.

 

[Mattg9403]

I perfer right handed actions, as you will almost always be shooting one unless you and all of your friends are left handed and own all left handed actions.

I would say get the rifle you want and learn it, or special order and wait. Either way, as long as it shoots well and it is chambered in a cartridge appropriate for you purpose you will be fine.

I've been using a left handed bolt on my .308 for nearly 20 years, so I'm pretty accustomed to that.
Your point about shooting with friends was a part of my attraction to the BLR; being a lever action makes it easily used by left and right handed shooters alike. If I could order it in the .300WSM chambering I would have already done so, but none of my local gun shops are able to order it (best they can tell, Browning is not producing them in that chambering right now).
Thus, my dilemma haha

 

[drstrangelove]

You could potentially rebarrel or rebore one if you can find something cheap enough with the correct action length to make it worth your while.

Rebarrel a BLR? - Paco Kelly's Leverguns.com

Wouldn't be easy but theoretically doable.

 

[oremike]

Being a lefty myself I have a Savage 25-06 and a Browning X-Bolt Hunter in 300 Win Mag. So that's my vote. One thing that attracted me to these calibers is that I can find ammo for either most anywhere and that might not be so easy with some of the latest and greatest gee-wizz cartridges. If I was to get something bigger than the 300 the 375 H&H is attractive to mainly for the nostalgia of the cartridge. As far as lever guns the only one I have is a Ruger/Marlin 357 carbine. Fun enough gun at the gravel pit but a bit light for Bison.

 

[titsonritz]

That's a good point on the .30-06. Any idea what the effective range would be for the heavier grain loads on larger game?

Plenty…

30-06 Ballistics Tables From Major Ammunition Makers

We dedicated hours to gathering all the 30-06 ballistics data we could find into one article. Your search for 30-06 ballistics tables ends here!

ammo.com

 

[Mattg9403]

Well I made my decision, and went with a BLR in .30-06. I found this one with the unique combination of a laminate stock and a curved grip (previously I had only seen laminate stocks on straight-gripped takedown models), so I decided to jump on it. Haven't shot it yet, but I'm looking forward to it.
Thank you everyone for your input!

 

[Tlock]

I have one in 270 I need to shoot, mine is traditional wood/blued

 

[Onstep]

Well I made my decision, and went with a BLR in .30-06. I found this one with the unique combination of a laminate stock and a curved grip (previously I had only seen laminate stocks on straight-gripped takedown models), so I decided to jump on it. Haven't shot it yet, but I'm looking forward to it.
Thank you everyone for your input!View attachment 2077852

That's a sharp looking rig! You don't see many stainless BLR setups in the wild.

 

[Mattg9403]

That's a sharp looking rig! You don't see many stainless BLR setups in the wild.

It's the only one I've seen in this particular configuration; that's why I jumped on this one in particular.
Just got it all set up with a 3-12x Maven scope.