Range report for 91/30

[zidave]

Went out to the range today to find a load that my Mosin liked.

It seems 18.1 gr of IMR SR-4759 is a good one.

Shooting 185gr cast boolits from my Lee C312-185-1R sized to .311, GCed, and lubed with home-made Barry Darr’s Lube.

Shot this from approximately 80yds away. I am by no means a marksman so I'm pretty proud of this group.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/09/4amupy7y.jpg

[Docjames]

Image isn't loading. I was wondering what a good mosin group looked like. I have 500 rounds of milsurp 147gr ap but I think I'm going to load the rounds and powder into Winchester brass. Tried it?
4759 is next on the list if the milsurp powder isn't consistent.

[zidave]

Fixed the image.

Never tried that doc but if you do, let me know how it turns out.

[Docjames]

That's a great group for a cast bullet in a 60+ year old rifle. Imagine the guys in Russia that had to use these as sniper rifles. They wouldn't complain about that shot group.

[texassako]

Nice target zidave. Load looks like a winner. SR-4759 is one of the powders I have not been able to try.

[Ben]

Went out to the range today to find a load that my Mosin liked.

It seems 18.1 gr of IMR SR-4759 is a good one.

Shooting 185gr cast boolits from my Lee C312-185-1R sized to .311, GCed, and lubed with home-made Barry Darr’s Lube.

Shot this from approximately 80yds away. I am by no means a marksman so I'm pretty proud of this group.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/09/4amupy7y.jpg

Looks to me like you're off to a VERY GOOD start.

Ben

[EMC45]

Well done!

[Hang Fire]

They can indeed shoot well, this is a target from my 1939 Russian 91/30 Izhevsk MN and my 75 year old eyes.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10100542.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10100581.jpg

[seagiant]

Hi,
I COULD be wrong (I was wrong ONCE in 1968!) but I think groups are measured center to center! I think you shot a smaller group than you measured!

[zidave]

Thanks guys.
Gonna try and fine tune the load sometime.

See if I can shrink that group any.

[captain-03]

I consider that an EXCELLENT start!!

[kungfustyle]

Nice job. It just makes you feel warm and fuzzy to shoot hand-loads from a 70yo rifle and get groups like that. Get a steel target and bring it out to 200yards what a hoot.

[petroid]

Great shooting and great load! The best i can get with that mold is 2" at 50 yards. My bore slugs .312-.313 and my boolits drop out of round at .310-.314 so I size them to .314 and PC with HF red and gas check them and load over 15 gr 2400. Can you share more details on your boolits and how you size/load them and your rifle bore/groove so that I may learn and hopefully get some better results with my setup? Thank you

[madsenshooter]

That's an awful lot out of round petroid, more than sizing can correct I would think. Sounds like you have a bad mold.

[Fishman]

That's an awful lot out of round petroid, more than sizing can correct I would think. Sounds like you have a bad mold.

I agree. Petroid, you might check for burrs on the edge of your cavities which would cause exactly the problem you are describing. A micro file held flat across the cavity will take off those high spots easily. Go slowly.

[petroid]

I need to get it out and spend some leementing time with it I guess and see what happens. The PC helps but you can't beat a dead horse

[I'll Make Mine]

That's a great group for a cast bullet in a 60+ year old rifle. Imagine the guys in Russia that had to use these as sniper rifles. They wouldn't complain about that shot group.

I've got a 91/30 from Izhevsk (usually considered the worst of the Russian arsenals), 1943 date (was that the year they moved the entire factory?), that's had almost nothing done (shimmed action off wood, scraped barrel channel to leave support only at the last inch of the forearm, trigger came out of the cosmoline with sear spring "Finn" bent and sear polished) and will shoot about 2 MoA from a rest with iron sights (original rear, Smith Sights front post) -- using Brown Bear factory ammo. I have no doubt I'll be able to beat that with paper patched cast boolits, once I have time/money to develop a load.