Mosin m91/30 Range Report!

[yellowtail3]

A pal & I took my newly-acquired Mosin M91/30 (1938 Izhevsk) to the range today. In addition to the 91/30 we brought along an M44, and a Mauser (Yugo M48) & couple pistols. I'd heard that M91/30s shoot high, that the front sight needs to be raised (a modification) if you want to be on at hunting ranges, and blah blah blah. I was ready to be disappointed, and have to start planning on the expense & trouble of a forward-mounted LER scope if I want to really hunt with it. Well... this Mosin, with rear sight set to 200 meters, hits point-of-aim at 50 yards. Windage? Dead on. I managed a some small fist-sized group at a little over fifty yards. Yippee, I'm jazzed. The sights aren't all that good, but they'll do for now. Ammo was military stuff from a big green sardine can.This puts me in a strange position, hunting-wise: I'm likely to use the Mosin hunting mid-day in areas where short shots area expected... and use the scoped Marlin for longer shots (100+), even thought it has nowhere near the paper ballistics/power of the Mosin. I'm a lot more confident in the Marlin.40 rounds through the Mosin, and I'm a tad sore. The Mauser, stoked with those 196gr S&B loads, contributed to shirt-sleeve soreness... .

[1911crazy]

I like to zero all my hunting rifles at least at 100yds then there good at any distance out to 100yds.  You zero it with the mosin ladder too.  There's a guy who made a 300yd shot at a hog o9n you tube with a 91/30 mosin no scope just with the irons.  Look it up. "300yd hog shot with a mosin"
 
Example;  I seen my hunting friends zero there scopes at 25yds + maybe 40yds max.  Now a trophy of a lifetime great grandpa 18 or 20pt buck looks at them at 100yds and laughs and walks on.  I been tracking this buck for many years now.  Give me 1 bullet at 100yds thats all i pray for.  This is a BC score white tail deer for sure.

[yellowtail3]

I like to zero all my hunting rifles at least at 100yds then there good at any distance out to 100yds.  You zero it with the mosin ladder too.  There's a guy who made a 300yd shot at a hog o9n you tube with a 91/30 mosin no scope just with the irons.  Look it up. "300yd hog shot with a mosin"

good idea... though if this is on at fifty, it oughta be pretty close to on a 100... it's pretty flat, and sight is maybe 1" above bore. I'll be at the 100yd line next time I take it out. For me, it'll be the short range gun, due to iron sights...

[Pat/Rick]

I have a couple of Mosins that I need to set the rear sight at 200 to be on at 100 yds. Some that do good set at 100 for 100yds.  According to the manual battle sight zero was made with the rear sight set at 300.  I've never had a blacktail sneer at my mosins. Good cartridge, Winchester Metric 180 grain SP's (sellior and bellot made) work great for hunting game.

[yellowtail3]

[size=78%]hey pat/rick - do you shoot that copper washed milsurp ammo in your rifle? Does it shoot to same point of aim as your hunting ammo?[/size]


I'm only had one outing with the new-to-me Mosin; prob out again next week. It's a blast, I'm glad to have gotten it. I got some 203gr wolf and 150 Privi JSPs - next time I'm going to shoot those, too, to see how close they are to the 147gr milsurp stuff. Hopefully, close - part of the motivation of this rifle was cheap milsurp ammo.

[Pat/Rick]

Yes, I shoot copper washed, and brass cased both. Have alot of both.
 
In the FMJ to SP thread I mentioned that I buy my SP ammo at Big 5 sporting goods, and yes it shoots very close to the mil-surp stuff. Again thats white box Winchester Metric 180 grain SP and its made by Sellior and Bellot. Kind of a rounded bullet but it performs well.
 
 
Good looking 91/30 BTW.

[scotsman]

My son and I each bought a 91/38 a few weeks ago and a couple of spam cans of the surplus russian ammo. So far we have shot about 120 rounds through them. While we both have better rifles for just about any purpose we have had a ton of fun shooting them. Both shoot a little high but with a really fine bead we are on at 100 yards. "On" at 100 yards is relative about a 4 inch group is what either rifle will do. At 90 bucks out the door and surplus ammo running about 20 cents a round delivered it is the best bargain out there for just a fun afternoon. If you like to shoot try one you will like it!

[OldH&R156er]

OP!
 
A few weeks ago, I bought a 91/30 as well.
Mine is a Izhevsk 1938 model too!
It came with all its accessories, is in near new condition with very strong rifling.
I took it to the range with milsurp ammo, factory 188/1976 147gr copper washed, spam can 440rd.
Shooting at 100 yards, no rest, elbow resting on bench, open sights
I first shot wild and to the bottom right, next was wild and to the lop left, the next three was around 2" to top and right.
I reloaded and the next 5 hit inside and around the 10 ring.
I believe that mine shoots 2" high and 2" to the right so with the last 5 I adjusted and WOW, this thing shoots nice!
Noticed it didn't kick like I expected "Probably why I shot wild at first" but the bark it produced was excellent!
I had a blast with it, so much so that I am ordering another one the first of next month! 
 
I also have a request in the classifieds here, wanting to buy an M-38, I think it would be cool to give this one a little brother.
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

[shot1]

Here is how you can make a MN 91/30 shoot at 100 yards with handloads and a little tweaking of the rifle. This 10 shot group was shot with the open sights from a bench rested on sandbags. I did make a new front sight post out of a finishing nail to replace the old post to lower the POI. I did do the Non-Bubba accuracy tuning I found on Surplusrifle.com which is basically shimming under the action at the screws to free float barrel and wrapping a piece of cloth felt around the barrel about 3" back of where the barrel exits the forearm to stabilize and center the barrel and keep it from hitting any wood. I slugged the bore and found that I needed to use .312 diameter bullets because it came out at .311. I tried .311 diameter bullets but they just did not shoot all that accurate. By the way I have never seen any 7.62X54R caliber rifle that would shoot accurate with .308 diameter bullets. They are just too small. I have a load that I have tested in all my 7.62X54R caliber rifles. I have three 91/30s, one each of M-44, M-38, M-39 Finn & M-91 Finn. With exception of bullet diameter they all will drive tacks with this load but especially the 91/30s do need the Non-Bubba accuracy tuning which in no way harms the original rifle. The M-39 Finn is just down right accurate.
THE LOAD: 50 grs Accurate Arms 4350, CCI 200 primer, Graf/Prvi or Lapua case, if your rifle needs .311 diameter bullets for target work Sierra .311 174 gr Match King, hunting bullet Sierra 180 gr sp. COAL 3.000      If you need .312 bullets 174 gr Hornady RNSP, COAL 2.790 and this is important to accuracy. USE A LEE FACTORY CRIMP DIE ON ALL LOADS.  I have not killed any deer with these rifles because in my present hunting situation if it is inside 125 yards I am shooting them with a Contender pistol and using a long range scoped rifle for anything further. I have to hunt out of an elevated stand over bean fields or on a logging road between two cut-overs.

[yellowtail3]

OP! A few weeks ago, I bought a 91/30 as well.
Mine is a Izhevsk 1938 model too!
It came with all its accessories, is in near new condition with very strong rifling.
I took it to the range with milsurp ammo, factory 188/1976 147gr copper washed, spam can 440rd.
Shooting at 100 yards, no rest, elbow resting on bench, open sights
I first shot wild and to the bottom right, next was wild and to the lop left, the next three was around 2" to top and right.
I reloaded and the next 5 hit inside and around the 10 ring.
I believe that mine shoots 2" high and 2" to the right so with the last 5 I adjusted and WOW, this thing shoots nice! -  -

Congrats, OldH&R - ain't it grand? I'm smitten by the Mosin. Such a deal; I got a neat rifle and 440 rds for the cost of 200 rounds of 30-30.

Here is how you can make a MN 91/30 shoot at 100 yards with handloads and a little tweaking of the rifle. This 10 shot group was shot with the open sights from a bench rested on sandbags. I did make a new front sight post out of a finishing nail to replace the old post to lower the POI. I did do the Non-Bubba accuracy tuning I found on Surplusrifle.com which is basically shimming under the action at the screws to free float barrel and wrapping a piece of cloth felt around the barrel about 3" back of where the barrel exits the forearm to stabilize and center the barrel and keep it from hitting any wood. I slugged the bore and found that I needed to use .312 diameter bullets because it came out at .311. I tried .311 diameter bullets but they just did not shoot all that accurate. By the way I have never seen any 7.62X54R caliber rifle that would shoot accurate with .308 diameter bullets. They are just too small. I have a load that I have tested in all my 7.62X54R caliber rifles. I have three 91/30s, one each of M-44, M-38, M-39 Finn & M-91 Finn. With exception of bullet diameter they all will drive tacks with this load but especially the 91/30s do need the Non-Bubba accuracy tuning which in no way harms the original rifle. The M-39 Finn is just down right accurate.
THE LOAD: 50 grs Accurate Arms 4350, CCI 200 primer, Graf/Prvi or Lapua case, if your rifle needs .311 diameter bullets for target work Sierra .311 174 gr Match King, hunting bullet Sierra 180 gr sp. COAL 3.000      If you need .312 bullets 174 gr Hornady RNSP, COAL 2.790 and this is important to accuracy. USE A LEE FACTORY CRIMP DIE ON ALL LOADS.  I have not killed any deer with these rifles because in my present hunting situation if it is inside 125 yards I am shooting them with a Contender pistol and using a long range scoped rifle for anything further. I have to hunt out of an elevated stand over bean fields or on a logging road between two cut-overs.

Great info; thanks. This sort of thread is much more fun than polytics...

[czvz]

I have used Shot-1/1-Shots handload recipees in several of my Mosin's... guns that shoot 4 inch groups @ 50 yards with surplus ammo will shoot shoot Sub one inch groups with his load.... Without any accuracy tweaks!  If you don't reload, start, otherwise you will never realize the accuracy potential of your guns shooting surplus ammo.
 

[shot1]

I told you that load was accurate. At 50 yards I used to shoot a M-44 carbine in military rifle matches. We only shot at 50 yards with carbines. I would have one ragged hole that you could cover with a quarter for each 10 shot target using this load with the 174 gr .311 diameter Sierra Match King. It would also cause the people on the benches to my right and left to stop shooting and back away until I got done shooting. They could not stand the muzzle blast concussion. 

[yellowtail3]

It would also cause the people on the benches to my right and left to stop shooting and back away until I got done shooting. They could not stand the muzzle blast concussion. 

M44 does that, doesn't it?