• You are using the old High Contrast theme. We have installed a new dark theme for you, called UI.X. This will work better with the new upgrade of our software. You can select it at the bottom of any page.

What's a good rifle for a one handed shooter

Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Byrd666

Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2011
Messages
665
Location
Hill County, Texas
I am a one handed shooter due to my left side being paralyzed and am looking for a plinker of sorts. Something for a day at the range that won't break the bank. Something for those nasty bleep hogs and the occasional stray dog or vermin that has no sense. Affordable, lightweight, easy to shoot and easy to clean. The easy to clean part is almost impossible to find 'ceptin' for a muzzle loader so...

I'm thinking a .22lr or a .223. Any ideas?

I already own a number of revolvers and pistols in 9mm,.380 and .357/.38spcl. with barrel lengths from 2.5" to 4"

Just wanting a rifle to take care of the longer shots and such. Not always lethal, 'cept for the hogs and dogs mentioned above. Mostly fun first then deterrent or... after that.
 
Last edited:
It seems that an auto-loader of some sort would probably make the most sense.

But a .22 isn't at all up to the tast of (regularly) taking hogs or feral dogs.

An AR-15 set up with the original style pencil-barrel and kept as light as possible would probably serve you very well. You'll have to develop a technique to hold and charge it, but once you were locked and loaded you could probably run the gun about as well as any, one-handed.
 
Anything with a pistol grip that is lightweight.
Maybe a lightweight AR type rifle or a keltec sub2000( under 350)
 
Hello friends and neighbors // The first one that comes to mind is a Remington Nylon 66 .22lr. Very light weight, 4 lbs. unloaded, fairly accurate and easy to clean.

I picked one up at a very nice,Charlotte Gun Store, for $200 last month.
You could carry a Nylon 66 all day and hardly notice.

My C96 "Broom Handle" Mauser with the shoulder stock is easy to shoot one handed .

I don't know much about the Thompson Contender but you might look into them.

Don't over look a Dan Wesson, 15-2 ,.357/.38 revolver with and 8" (or longer) barrel or a S&W ,29, .44mag, 8 3/8" and a shooting stick/tripod.

Good luck finding something that works for you.
 
one hand rifle

My wife and I attended a carbine class (M4 style AR15's) in which one of the students performed quite well minus his left hand which had been amputated just above the wrist. There were a few issues with various drills, but nothing that stood in his way of doing the majority of what was presented. He was able to devise a method for reload with retention.

These type classes are a true test of ones metal. The fellow I mentioned was in no way a slacker.
 
Last edited:
My greatgrandfather has always used a semi auto .22lr for squirrels and coyote. He is 80 some now and lost his right arm in a saw mill accident wen he was in his twenties. Hes one of the best marksmen I have ever seen. Anyhow I could ramble about him for hours, lol. I'd go with a marlin 60 theyre really just a superb little rifle.
 
Great question. Whatever long gun you might choose, a sling may help with the weight and the control. Also, for varmints, I've heard tell that the 32-20 hand ejector (which fires a rifle round from a revolver) is surprisingly capable. I've got a S&W in that caliber (it's a 1905 4th change made in 1925) and it works great. I never tried to take out varmints with it, but it does deliver at the range, and very accurate. Good luck in your quest and let us know what you find.

Regards,
Derry
 
Sounds like your best bet would be a handgun. Unless you're bench rest shooting I just can't see carrying and shouldering a rifle and holding it well enough for longer shots with just one hand doing all the work.

For handguns loading magazines and inserting them into semi autos would be hard without some jigs, aids and tricks. So I'm going to suggest that a revolver is your better bet since I can see doing the whole manual of arms one handed without being clumsy or otherwise running into a lot of difficulties.

If you opt for a handgun then look at options with the longer 6 to 7.5 inch barrels for the best longer range accuracy. If you will be shooting beyond 50 yards on a regular basis then look at the guns that can be fitted with handgun scopes fairly easily.

For caliber it would depend on how much the recoil is going to bother you. I'm assuming here that the stroke or whatever caused the one sided paralysis is at least somewhat affecting your good side as well. A gun in .357Mag is often regarded as being the the most versitile option since it allows shooting .38Spl at various power levels but you can still step it up to the decently strong .357Mag for special situations or just for some range time giggles. Yet when loaded with.38Spl target rounds shooting 148gn wadcutters the recoil is just a bit stronger than .22's.
 
Used to have(thieves) an 8 shot 8 1/2" barreled 357 that would dot the "I"s well out there. It was ported so the rise was neglible for that second shot--if needed. Like another said you can load them with 38 Specials for plinking. Hope you find something that suits you well. You might consider getting a 22 and a larger caliber. I know it would be more money but you can shoot all day with a 22 for what a couple boxes of higher caliber would cost.
 
I have a Ruger 10/22 thats lightweight and I've shot it many times one handed. Getting the bolt-block out and cleaning it would be tricky one-handed, its tricky two-handed. This post might make me try cleaning my guns one handed. A friend of mine has limited use of his left arm, and prefers pistols.
 
Interesting problem.

I would not get a rifle. I would get ahold of a Kel-Tec PLR-16 pistol in .223.
It would take a lot of practice and "muscle memory" but I think a determined man could make it work.
 
How about a TC contender or encore? It certainly is up to longer shots when scoped and with additional barrels can be anything form 17HM2 to 600 NE (if one is so enclined), and can take a stock with a 16" or longer barrel. They are easier to clean than a muzzleloader with a bore snake also.
 
i have a friend with this same challenge. he and i altered a sling for him so he can take 100 yd + shots with great accuracy. he shoots a NEF handi rifle in .243 win and can load and unload with surprising accuracy. if you are interested i can sketch up plans for how we achieved it.
 
If shooting from a bench just about any rifle with a bi-pod will work. I have a nephew that was born with only one arm and I had him out shooting one of my sons chipmonks which I put a clip on bi-pod for him. He was very adept at loading, cycling the bolt and hitting a surprising number of times his targets. He used up almost a whole brick of .22 and cried when his mother made him leave.
 
I was thinkin' the same thing, a semi auto .22 or .223 with a pistol grip in an M16/AR15 configuration, of sorts. Just worried about the cost of said items. And being able to clean it as well.

Onward Allusion - I've looked at those online, and while likin' what I see, having a few handguns that are in the 9mm, I'm already spending too much in ammo. as it is. And not being able to load my own, too many reasons to go into, I can't afford a larger caliber like the 9mm

Tis why I'm thinking a .22 or a .223. Ive done a few searches here and there and the closest I've come to something that might be a viable option, is the Mossberg .22 Tactical. Not a true 15 or 16 platform but close. And I believe a mention of a Marlin 60? is worth a look. Or was it a Savage. I've looked up quite a few different models and or brands over the last few days, so they are running together. My apologies.

And yes, I'm all ready thinking of a bipod, easier on the truck hood/porch rail or a bench rest at the range.

Thanks all for the responses so far.
 
An H&R youth Handi-rifle or Rossi single shot in .223, .243, or .357/.38. These are very short and light and being break open you should be able to just press the release lever and give the gun a flip to eject the spent shell.

Another possibility if you want a repeater might be a Rossi Ranch Hand. While technically still a pistol they have a longer barrel than most pistols and revolvers while still being fairly light. Steve McQueen used to operate a similar gun one-handed on the old TV show.
 
Tis why I'm thinking a .22 or a .223. Ive done a few searches here and there and the closest I've come to something that might be a viable option, is the Mossberg .22 Tactical. Not a true 15 or 16 platform but close.
Click to expand...

Have you looked into the S&W M&P15-22? It is .22 LR, runs a 25 or 10 round magazine, and uses the same manual of arms as its big brother AR-15. Charging handle that works, safety is the same as the AR-15, magazine release is the same, and bolt release too. It is light weight since the upper and lower are polymer. If you have a favorite AR-15 trigger, you can drop that in too. I even use my AR-15 mag holder for my 15-22....the mags are physically that close in dimensions. I removed the iron sights that came with it and mounted a scope. The GripPod in the below pic was added by me.

Seriously, take a look at it. You are welcome to browse my M&P 15-22 review.


And they are pretty tough on the elusive purple t-rex too! I've got my limit every season!

mp15-29.jpg
 
As an academic exercise, I just took apart my M4 using just my right arm. You would have no problems with any of the disassembly needed for basic operator level maintenance. The manual of arms would also give you no problems. Use of the bolt stop/release can be worked around using the charging handle and an empty magazine.

For your purposes of target shooting and nuisance animal control, you would be served just fine by any of the "mid tier" manufacturers' offerings with a light contour (pencil, or government at the most). Stag, Bushmaster, DPMS, etc. would all be just fine. The .223 cartridge would give you the power you need for controlling nuisance animals. I would avoid .22LR for this purpose.
 
Byrd666,

A stock Ruger 10/22 with the birch stock can be had for around $200 + tax. A used one is maybe $20 less. Get rid of the stock and replace it with an Blackhawk Axiom for $80 and maybe add a cheek piece for another $20. It'll shave the total weight of the 10/22 down to 4.25 lbs.

Another option is to go the Mossberg Plinkster 702 Tactical route. Looks like an AR but eats 22LR. MSRP on it is $276 but I have seen them going for $229+shipping on Gunbroker.
 
A .22lr isn't going to work well on hogs. (You better be DARN SURE those dogs ARE indeed FERAL and NOT just strays that don't posse a threat to people from a civill and legal standpoint.)

In regards to the originally posted question, I would suggest something in lightweight mid-range rifle caliber. The use of a bi-pod or rest for stability is probably a good idea.

My best suggestion would be a Thompson Contender in a caliber suited for the task at hand.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

S
  • Locked
Todays Hog Hunt...
Replies
14
Views
1K
Jaegermeister
J
N
  • Locked
You know what rifle I'd like?
Replies
5
Views
955
Nightcrawler
N
A
  • Locked
RANGE REPORT FOR THE SAVAGE & MagnumLight!!!! The good & the REALLY bad!!!
Replies
16
Views
867
AKElroy
A
H&Hhunter
  • Locked
High adventure hunting hogs with double rifles in the Texas sun.
Replies
17
Views
1K
H&Hhunter
H&Hhunter
3
  • Locked
My nylon 66 circa 1969
Replies
6
Views
609
Pistola
Pistola
Back
Top