The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

With these being the two most available ammos and since the question has come up I decided to do an accuracy test of the two. There's of course a lot of room for human error, I tried to at least help that some by using a front rest. Here's the conditions I used.

Outside temp: 25-30f

Distance: 50 meters

Ammo: Bulgarian marked 10/71. Russian 188/76. I also felt I needed a control, I have a box of modern Winchester and a Tulammo but for this I decided to instead go with the Novosibirsk from AIM. These are marked LVE 10 7.62x54R.

Rifle: My undesirable 42 Izhevsk, I had buyers remorse with this one almost immediately. My first mosin, I really wanted one and it was the only one Dunhams had that day. 42 Izhevsk, you can barely see the receiver stamps and every part has been electropenciled. I also had a really bad sticky bolt problem which has been resolved, although it does still scratch the case a little. Now for the good, I need to test my others more but this rifle so far may be my most accurate. It doesn't shoot high, it shoots low. At 50 meters I set the rear sight at 1.5 for perfect elevation. Also at some point in history somebody adjusted the front sight. You can see where it's been ground down a little. I've also adjusted the front sight with the elby tool a bit.

To try and create even conditions for all the rounds I first shot 3 rounds at another target to warm the barrel up. I would then load the gun with 3 round in this order, LVE, 188, 10. So the Bulgarian round comes out first, LVE last. I did this 5 times.

Here's the setup


The red circles are a lot harder to see in person


A backwards shooter


BULGARIAN


RUSSIAN


NOVOSIBIRSK


First a disclaimer, there's way too many variables to say to go out and buy any certain ammo. The biggest variable would be human error, also different rifles seem to like different ammo better.

That being said, the Bulgarian seems to be the clear winner. First looking at it I thought that spending the extra for the LVE is even a waste. But I think if you remove that one shot in the yellow for the LVE it's a pretty nice group there. If you remove the high shot in the orange for the Russian stuff, it's results are pretty close to the Bulgarian at that point.

No offense intended and I appreciate the time and effort you put into the test and all but I have a couple of hundred rifles and each and everyone of them will take to a certain ammo differently then the next one. I would let you borrow them and test them one at a time so we have a real overall picture of these ammo types by batch and all. The only catch is you provide the ammo!!!! Nice attempt but I really think the effort is wasted due to the above fact. I finally just bought only one kind of ammo and only shoot it accepting the fact that rifles just are different in the way they adopt to a certain ammo. If I said this certain kind of ammo was the best for all I am afraid I would be playing the fool for I am certain someone would dispute my facts and justifyably so I bet. I have read what you posted and for the most part agree but that is only with the rifles I have shot and only generally too. I am sure others will disagree with us and after many years realize why. Hoping you take this the way I intended it and know that I am meaning well. Best Regards Bill

PS I must be getting old or your disclaimer just wasn't there when I first read the post! Now I agree 100% Sorry! Bill

This is a great post. Nice report. I like the picture of the prone shooting too. I would still be thereif it was me. Nice pics too. I am to old to shoot in the cold i guess, so to see someone doing it is nice.

Thanks !!!
Nice report, as i have been wanting to know between the Bul. And Russ. ammo, since the Russian is a little cheaper. I'm way to old and fat to assume your shooting position and my shoulder only seems good for 25 rounds or so.

I have only shot the Bulga. and was at the range yesterday, this is the best i could do with my #53 Carbine at 100 yds. As i have learned from the forun,paper plates make a cheap target .

Want to work on the same comparisions on SP ammo for next deer season. i have some Brown Bear SP on backorder now,unless you beat me to it !


Thanks Again For Sharing Jim

The various shooting targets can be pretty cheap if you buy them online but the red circles are always too small for much beyond 25 meters.

5 shots inside 9" plate is not to bad.

Thanks desdem !! Since the guys shotting there also looked like they were astrometors with there scopes, hell i don't even have a spotting scope so had to wait forever just to check my targets. A spotting scope is on the wish list !!!!

Jim

Good shooting with both of them, better than I could do anymore

Ditto with a carbine!

Word to the wise if you buy a spotting scope I would spend the extra money and get a good one.

Nice shooting. What kind of stand is that u are using for ur rifle? I need something like that i can use while laying down and sitting...that seems like a good choice...

Great report and pictures! Sometimes the ugly rifles will surprise you!

That particular stand is called the Rock Jr by Caldwell. The thing that sucks about is that you have to put something under it to make it tall enough to shoot with.

Yeah this rifle has made me rethink passing over all the wartime ones I see.

Very nice shooting! Great report as well. Your rifle just goes to prove it's what is on the inside that counts