Weakside Bolt Placement – When and Why It Works

September 3, 2021
Most bolt-action rifle shooters use their trigger-pulling hands to operate the bolt. This is because most rifles that are sold to right-handed shooters have right-side bolts. Lefty rifles have left-side bolts. This “standard” configuration requires that the shooter takes his dominant trigger-pulling hand off of the stock to cycle it, then reposition his hand on to the stock and “reclaim” the trigger. The shooter often has to lift or move his head in order to work the bolt. He also needs to re-establish the cheek weld after every shot. It’s not good.
This is not a good idea for precision shooting with foreend support*. There is a better method. You can leave your trigger hand in place and work the bolt (and the feed rounds) with the other hand. This will eliminate the need to shift grip or head position with every shot. This requires a weakside-placed bolt (i.e. A left bolt is for a right-handed shooter and a right bolt is for a left-handed one. The video below shows a Lefty working a right bolt. This is a very efficient operation.
Boyd Allen, our friend, says: “If you are going to build a rifle that can only be shot from a rest and you have a factory action with left bolt and left ports or right bolt and left ports, then using the left/left configuration for a RH shooter and using a right/right configuration for a LH shooter is better than the standard configuration.”
Shoot like a Champ and Use Your Weakside Hand to Work the Bolt Yes, Derek shoots right-handed using a left bolt. Derek shoots right-handed, but he uses a Left Bolt/Left Port action. He pulls the trigger using his right index finger and works the left-side bolt using his left (weakside). This allows him to remain in place and preserve his cheekweld. He places his righthand on the grip and manipulates the bolt (and the feeding rounds) using his non-trigger-pulling, left hand.
Recent F-TR World Champion, King of 2 Miles Derek Rodgers
This is the rifle Derek won the 2013 F-TR National Championship.
*For true standing, offhand shooting (whether in competition, or a hunt), a traditional strongside bolt placement makes sense. The non-dominant hand must support the front end of the rifle at all times. It’s a completely different story when shooting from a rest or bipod.
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Tags: Derek Rodgers, F-Open, F-TR, Offside Shooting, Opposite Hand, Weakside Bolt