"Collectors Forum" - All Mosin Nagant are discussed here. Also the Russian and "Finnish capture" SVT38 and SVT40. This is an excellent place for new Mosin owners to ask questions. We have some of the best experts here looking forward to your questions. If you post a Mosin sniper rifle here, we may or may not move it to the sniper forum.
Preservation forum, please no altered military surplus rifles or discussions on altering in this forum. No sportsters. Please read the rules at the top of each forum
I have days where I really obsess about my groups. I really want to have that 100 yard 5 shot group all within 1". I don't like hearing the black rifle crowd at the range saying it's not capable of 1 MOA (yeah, like any of those guys actually shoot 1 MOA either). But for me it's a challenge, I wasn't military, taught myself to shoot and really haven't been doing it all that terribly long either. I've got plenty that have gotten really close but I always wind up with 1 flyer that breaks my pattern, even with my PU! Of course that's all with surplus. Now I've started reloading because I've got to prove to myself that both ME and at least one of my Mosins is capable of doing 1 MOA! I get a little OCD about things sometimes. I came close with some hand loads on my PU two weeks ago and am tinkering with my load a bit. I think I can hit 1 MOA with it either this weekend or next.
As far as with iron sights, well, my eyes aren't quite good enough at 100 yards anymore for me to really have a 1" group. Not going to stop me from trying though! Below is the best I've shot in a while with just iron sights. This was at 50 yards with my new 1933 Tikka M27. Roughly translates to 2.4" @ 100 I guess. That'll hunt. Not bad considering that it's only the second time I'd had that rifle out. What I find funny is that this rifle absolutely HATED my 150gr Sierra SPT hand loads. Had a 4" group with those. Put in the regular Russian surplus and I get this... Go figure..
Lotema Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they're yours. -- Richard Bach
I just want to produce decent groups. I hear alot of people get at least 4" at 100 yards with a good target and good ammo. I'll try my best and keep you guys updated on how it goes. Going to try different ammo like I said, at 50 and 100 yards. I'll use the twelve inch targets so can see it well. Then once I find an ammo type that works best. I'll keep practicing. I just want to be able to take safe shots at game and to ring a 12" gong from 150 yards away (already done this a bit) and get AT MOST, 5" Groups. This seems like a realistic expectation from what you guys are telling me.
Unless you have the rifle secured in a weighted lead sled or some type of gun vice that eliminates any movement before firing then I just don't see it being feasible to even consider getting rid of a rifle. Back to what I mentioned about using a scope, if you rest a scoped rifle on a good bag, not a vice, but a good bag rest and just look how difficult it is to hold the crosshairs on the center dot. The slightest movement, your breathing, your pulse, your grip on the rifle, etc..... and the crosshairs move ever so slightly. Then factor in the trigger, twitch from the coming recoil, wind, it just doesn't take much to open up a group. Marauder, I can tell you're military, you know all this, and also a little gung-ho on your group expectations and that's a good thing. But some guys reading this stuff might just think that they can grab a old stiff bolt action rifle with a post sight that has a sight pin that totally covers a 8" bullseye at 100 yards and put all the shots in the center with a nice tight group or it must be the ammo! Right? I find the most accuracy from my handloads, but even my best usually doesn't produce a target that I want to post pictures of.
Thank you for the compliment, but I've never been in the military, I'm 14. I am in my High school NJROTC program though.
Bunkysdad, in your opinion, what should I expect to get from this at 100 yards? From a stable rest w/ sandbags (what I've been shooting these groups off of) and based off of what I've shot? What ammo type do you reccomend I use before I start loading?
14? That is just awesome man. To be 14 and this interested in accurate shooting? Heck man I am impressed. You hang in there and you can teach the ROTC guys all about it. I don't know what kind of group to expect but I can see it is quite capable. You got a nice rifle and young eyes. That is a great combination.
Go figure..
