What makes the LN9 so good for shooting are the large cheeks and the position of the handle placed directly above the cutting edge.

However having said that, the LA can be used for shooting, especially with the hot dog handle, but a LN9 cannot be used as a bench plane because of the lack of forward and rear totes.

I have a Lee Valley Bevel Up Jack, and it has a large dimple on the side on which your thumb sits for shooting. I find it works really well for that purpose. And of course being a bevel up design it can be a regular and high angle plane too.