When the eyes are no longer what they used to be, a person has to be willing to settle for second or third best. The rule about the front sight being the one to focus on still stands. Then front and rear sight alinement with the target. At my age and condition of the eyes, the front sight is some times in focus or barely so, the rear sight is nearly in focus and the target is very blurry. That is the best I can hope for until eye strain gets the best of me, then all bets are off. When the target becomes the point of focus, sight alinement suffers and groups tend to enlarge.
When we were young, our eyes were capable of focusing on the target, then the sights and back and forth so fast, we believed all three were in focus. Not really, but it seemed that way. As we age, the eyes can no longer switch focus from the sights to the target, switching back and forth rapidly. As the eyes age even more we need the assistence of more than one lense in our glasses and no one lense works for the three different points to focus on. What fun it is to grow old or older.
Shooting with peep sights and globe front sights, all one has to do is center all the blurrs and the "X" gets hit. That is a bit easier than lining up open sights with a target. With open sights similar to the Mosin Nagant, focus on the front sight and the rear blurrs a little. Vertical stringing of the groups is more common. The hooded front sight of the Mosin Nagant helps reduce the problem of vertical stringing of the groups.
There is hope, just work on the basics of sight alinement and let the target blurr some. The sight alinement is more important to more accurate shooting than a target in focus. Believe it or not.
I feel your pain on the eyes thing, but a couple of years ago a guy we all really liked here who passed last year(Kari) sold me a package of "Blurry Sights" these are static cling diopters for your shooting glasses and I sure enough enjoyed a return of my depth of field so I could see everything out in front of me at the range when I shoot from the bench with my rifles. Anyway here's a link to something similar http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/GNS027-34.html this might help you as Kari helped me.
Lyman Cast bullet number 314299 typically drops from the mould at .314" diameter using wheel weights and a little tin. My 91-30 Mosin Nagants all slugged at or near .313" groove diameter, so I simply size and lube in a .314" die after seating the gas check.
For those interested, Montana Bullet Works offers the Lyman 314299 200 gr cast bullet lubed and gas checked in .311" up to .314" diameter. They also offer a couple of Saeco bullets, 160 gr and 180 gr weights. They are not cheap but are a great bullet for the 7.62x54 and the 303 British. A good way to try them out so a person that casts their own can decide if buying the mould is the right thing to do. Slug your barrel and purchase the right size bullet for it.
I was able to find some info for lighter recoiling ammunition on the "Cast Bollits" page but most used ....cast bullets. Good luck and keep us posted
Damn, I'll bet that's going to leave a mark! Probably hurt too!
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"When I die, I want to be facing my enemies surrounded by their dead bodies and piles of spent brass"
"Never argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience." - Mark Twain
I really like the big booms and muzzle flash from the mil surplus ammo in my two carbines (M44 and M38). However, I wanted a more accurate, efficient load for carbine length barrels. I took a guess that the 123 grain AK type bullets were probably a bit light for this cartridge, so I went to a 174 grain FMJ bullet from Hornady (.303 cal). I'm loading PPU (Serbian) once fired brass with 40 grains of IMR 4895. This is giving me good results with the M44 and M38. The groups at 50 and 100 yards have tightened up and the load, although loud, has less muzzle flash and fairly mild recoil. I'm getting velocities of around 2000 FPS through my Pro-Crono. By the way, I use the same Hornady #3131 bullet for loading .303 British. I'm getting very good accuracy from my Enfield #1 Mk III using 37 grains of IMR 4320. This load also yields muzzle velocities of around 2000 FPS; very comfortable to shoot.
i like trail boss myself , i have used it since it came out , i have stuffed it in everything except , shotguns , muzzle loaders and autos , its very user friendly , its only drawback i see is that it dosent meter well through most auto powder mesures , but i like hand weighing all my charges , so i guess that's not a drawback for me ..
i am so poor i can only afford mustard and biscuits three times a week ..
BOLTMAN,
I TOO AM 72 AND HAVE BEEN AT THIS SHOOTING GAME FOR A LONG TIME. I LIKE THE 16.0 GRS OF 2400 FOR MY CAST LOADS IN .30-06, 7.62X54R, 7.5 SWISS, 8MM & .303 BRIT. ALMOST ALL MY SHOOTING IS ALSO TARGET/PLINKING AND THIS LOAD IS PLEASANT TO SHOOT AS WELL AS ECONOMICAL.
I PUNCH A SMALL APERTURE IN A PIECE OF ELECTRICAL TAPE WITH A LEATHER PUNCH AND PLACE IN A GOOD SPOT ON MY GLASSES AND IT CERTAINLY HELPS CLEAR UP THINGS. THIS IS WHY MOST OF MY "CIVILIAN" RIFLES HAVE PEEP/TANG SIGHTS ON THEM.
I'M DEBATING ON GETTING THE 314299 MOULD FOR THE "OVERSIZE" BORES AND SIZE IT EITHER .313 OR .314 BUT THEN IT MIGHT BE TOO LARGE FOR MY .30 CALIBER RIFLES WHICH I USUALLY SHOOT WITH .311 SIZED CAST BULLETS. DECISIONS, DECISIONS.
FWITW,
DOCBOB
I haven't had any problems sizing the 314299 bullet down to .310" or .311" diameter for my 30-06's. I did find the nose of my 314299 bullet can run .303" diameter and that is a bit tight for some true 30 caliber bores. My solution to that problem was to order a special bullet sizing die that would size the nose of the bullet to .300". I would select a nose punch that fit the base of the bullet with gas check. Install the .300" sizing die and simply start the bullet into the die nose down and size until the bullet just touches the throat of the bore when seated and note the over all length of the loaded round for that rifle as well as how much of the bullet nose had been sized to .300". This custom fits the bullet to whatever rifle a person chooses.
Sounds like a lot of trouble and maybe it is for some, but it allows me to use this Lyman 314299 bullet in all my rifles from 30-06, argentines, 303 British, 7.62x54 and some others. This bullet is quite easy to find accuracy loads for the many rifles and is a must for the over sized 30's that run from .311 to .314" groove diamter.
I did find when casting fairly fast, the bullets were dropping out of the mould very hot and were being bent at times even though they were dropped on a soft towel on a wooden bench. I went to dropping into cold water and that stopped the bent bullets and also made them much harder. This is when using wheel weights and 2% tin.
millman wrote:Have you guys tried one of the Limbsaver slip on pads? They are only like $20 at Wally world, and they really do take the sting out of the MNs. There was a time when I had some medical issues that made the steel buttplate unbearable, and the pad really helped. I don't use it now, but I know what to use should I need it in the future.
+1
"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it". Mark Twain
Ya I got one for the M95 I use to have that sucker was a real shoulder breaker and the slip on pad helped for a number of reasons the kick and the fact that the length of pull was so short on those rifles.
Hi im new to this forum just purchased my firts Mosin get it next week . As for loading down i reload for all my guns except .22 of course. I never would load light
this leads to more pressure . I like to think you would call powder company, hornady ,or someone that has data with pressure numbers before you play with light loads.
The only reloading mistake i have see was a friend that loaded light for ar 223 the first round stuck half way down bore he fired again no big injurys but a ruined gun .
Be safe im sure i will have ?????????? when i get my gun .
Welcome aboard bick. Post your rifle up when you get it.
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Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
my go to plinker load is , 15.5 gr of IMR trail boss under a 125 gr .310 hornady sks bullet at 1400 fps , its Minuet Of turkey accurate to about 50 yards with the sight set to 500 m , no recoil , and it is quite safe considering it can't be double charged , the only rule trailboss seems to have is to not compress it , you can make up plinker loads for just about anything with it ..
i am so poor i can only afford mustard and biscuits three times a week ..
I am new here and thank you for the add. I came here looking for information and advise. I have a M44 and a M39. The later looks like it was issued yesterday and the M44 is great looking from 10 feet. Both have absolute perfect looking bright bores. I have been shooting Garands and M1 Carbines with little regard for these two bolt guns until a few weeks ago. I have stay clear of shooting them due to bad shoulder and not wishing to aggravate that condition with heavy recoil. I have been looking for some light recoil load information for them. I came across one for 150 gr jacketed and 10 gr Unique. I don't have any 150 gr but do have 125 gr jacketed and wonder if it will work with the 10 gr Unique load? Also, the load included large rifle magnum primers which I have. My concern is, how well does that small amount of Unique perform in a large case without issues? I have read also that fillers are not used anymore for saftety reasons.
Thanks for any info the group may provide.
Cav Trooper
I use a lot of trail boss powder in my reduced rifle loads. I use only jacketed bullet. They are almost as accurate as my full power loadout to 100m.
I shoot in a suburb so, noise of a full power load is a factor for me.
As for loading down i reload for all my guns except .22 of course. I never would load light
