I need help finding a left hand youth compactsize rifle for my daughter. I have been looking for over a year with no luck. She will be 12 and is small for her size and a little recoil sensitive. Anybody see one or have a line on something that may work? I would appreciate the help.

Josh

Check her eye dominance first. She may be left handed and right eye dominate.

I bought my left eye left handed daughter at around 8 a youth/compact Remington 700 in 7mm08. I wanted 243 but 7mm08 was the only one I could find within a hundred miles. Last year I put a timmey trigger in it. I'm very happy with the 7mm08 and prefer it to 243 now.

I think savage make a left handed bolt gun. You can find left hand guns used also. Honestly I am right handed and like shooting my daughter left hand gun more especially from a bench or prone.

Do a Google search for left hand compacts or youth find something your interested on then ask about people's experiences. But it's best to take her and see what she likes in fit and finish.

Mossberg makes a nice youth rifle

definitely check her eye dominance and shoot to the eye


the new savage strait pull bolt has a switchable handle

Savage makes several left handed models the Axis compact left hand https://savagearms.com/content?p=firearms&a=product_summary&s=57242
might be what your looking for

ruger makes several left handed models however I didn't see a compact left hand in their lineup

something in the AR family might also work , easy to add an Ambi safety or get it with your trigger finger , easy to adjust for length of pull and very light on recoil
lots of people who shoot left handed shoot "right handed ARs"
if you had an adjustable gas block you could even make it a strait pull bolt

there are a few left handed ARs

Check out Bud's gun shop online. I've bought a couple guns thru them over the years.

I have bought from their retail locations.

Stag arms makes or at least did make left handed AR's. And there are better calibers for deer available like 6.5 grenade
,6.8 spc, 350 legend, and 300 black out for deer than 5.56 or 223.
Many south paws shoot a standard AR with no problems.

Thanks for the input. She is right handed left eye dominant. This has been confirmed by her eye doctor. I have taught her to shoot left handed. Last year she used my stag 223. I was hoping to upgrade her to a lighter more nimble rifle. My stag is heavy, it has their 3 gun left upper and is forward heavy for her.

I would check her eye dominance by standing about ten feet away. Have her point at your nose with one hand, then the other. You should be able to tell what eye she has a preference. The key is having them use both hands, you will tend to put your dominant hand towards that eye. I write with my left hand. I prefer to shoot left handed. I can shoot right handed just fine. Everything else is whatever is easier. I also do not have a dominant eye. I can shoot shotguns with both eyes open. That kinda set a master class shooter/instructor back. I have a daughter that is right handed but left eye dominant. I guess what I am saying is to make sure that she is left eye dominant. If she brings her hand up and not looking down the finger when she does it with both hands she does not have a dominant eye. I would push her to shoot right hand unless she has a preference to left handed. In that case I would look at savage or one of the single shot guns. Cut the stock down till if fits her. I would also caution you to go with something with less recoil than a 243. I took a bonus daughter out that is about like yours that 222/223 was about all she would shoot. No matter what she shoots she has to be accurate.

Best of luck to you.

Rossi single shot makes a nice shotgun, rifle combo

Some of the single shots would fit the bill well. Very short, work left or right handed, and available in many calibers and affordable. Maybe something like this https://cva.com/product/hunter-243-compact-blued-with-black-stocks/

when I am checking eye dominance it is often on a line of kids and they have no idea what or how so I have them

put hands at arms length thumbs and fingers over lap , palms facing out making a triangle opening between the thumbs and hand

I demonstrate what it should look like then both eyes open they look right at my nose from 8-10 feet away and I can see their dominant eye

it saves me a bunch of explanation time and them trying to make their eye the same as their hand , some won't try shooting to their dominant eye and become squinters but I try.

if you want to do it for yourself by yourself pick a light switch or similar small target across the room 10 feet away or so hold your hands out making the small triangle between them now close you right eye if your hands appear to have jumped off target and you would have to move your hands to get back on , you are right eye dominant.
repeat same hold on target across the room both eyes open ,close the left eye if the target stays in your triangle you are right eye dominant
that works when you are checking your

them holding their hands out like that and looking at your nose is fast and they can't lie to themselves.

Or one of these in a compact in the cal of your choice. 357 mag is mild on recoil as in 300 black out
https://www.traditionsfirearms.com/category/cartridge-rifles

the down side to single shots and levers while very ambidextrous and would be a great choice for a left eye dominant shooter

you interduce a hammer they then need to lower so you have small hands , a loaded gun and them trying to lower the hammer slowly not a show stopper but something else to practice and make sure they fully understand

if you train the hammer , then a henry long ranger or any other lever gun with a Wood stock you could have cut down to fit then put spacers and a nice recoil pad back on as needed as she grows and one gun now could be here life long hunting gun.
you spend more but if you can get the fit and keep the fit it is a good tool for them.

they do and I really like the patriot predator I have and my son has the patriot with walnut stock

given the bantam stock is 12 to 13 inches of pull adjustable few women will ever need a longer stock

they don't however make it in a left handed model

My wife is right handed left eye dominate, oddly so is my son because he lost sight in right eye at an early age. Anyway, for my wife, we bought her Browning X-Bolt lefthand in .243. My son shoots a Ruger No1 .270. You can get a No1 in a 243 or similar.. 257 Roberts would be nice.

I know quite a few lefties that are pretty proficient with a RH bolt action. There is a big gun show in Hutchinson this weekend so you may be able to find something used there.

If you don’t find anything, give me PM. I may have a .243 in a lefty somewhere in my gun room.

Osky

My boy shoots lefty. He has killed a few deer now with his Henry .44.

Get her a TCContender. Weaned my grandson on one. I picked up a bull barrel .223. Used 60 grain Nosler. Think he took five doe before graduating to bigger rifles. All fell at the shot. Most from the same stand. Shots were 125 yards. Old 3x9 Leupold scope.