range report-Mosin bubba

[snoopy]

137152Well, I couldn't get it bigger so you could really see the circles around the groups. Anyway the lower right is probably the best group size, I slowed way down on it. All are 100yds from bench, all light ball surplus,2 different lots. What do you think? KEEP IT OR SEND IT DOWN THE ROAD? I really don't know what to think, it aint bad, not good either. I shoot pretty quickly so heat is probably a factor on some of it. I think I'll try again in a few days and go really slow and see. My shoulder hurts.

[CHeatermk3]

My suggestion is to get some better ammo like Privi or S&B and try again. It's impossible to judge since we don't know what ammo/source you were shooting except it's mil-surp, some of which is pretty good and some is pretty bad.

http://media.midwayusa.com/productimages/880x660/Primary/963/963993.jpg

My son's M44 will shoot this stuff into 3" at 100 using the ATI scout scope set-up:

http://media.midwayusa.com/productimages/880x660/Primary/989/989895.jpg

Both presently available from Midway at this time.

[snoopy]

Yeah, I thought I would try some privi, I can get it locally,and see.

[littlejack]

Those groups are not that bad for the ammo you shot to make them. That is fairly typical for ball ammo. My 44 shoots reloads very well, but does not like ball ammo. The 44 groups are about like yours. It is way to soon to get rid of the rifle in my opinion.
Remember to clean throughly, as the military ball ammo will corrode.
I believe you can build some very good shooting ammo. Slug the bore, make a "impact cast" of the chamber. Get the dimensions so you will know what to feed the beast. Get you some good jacketed bullets and some powder, ( I use IMR 4064 in my 44).
Regards
Jack

[leebuilder]

Looks better than minute of man, keep it.
Look for the easy fixes, trigger foybles, barrel float and crown.
I have seen worse shoot really nice with a bit of TLC.
be safe.

[LAGS]

I would keep it and start handloading.
Work up a load , and bullet with a diameter to match your barrel, and your accuracy will improve.
Even if you are handloading with a Lee Classic Reloader Kit. You know the Wack A Mole set up.
I have one and still use it.
It will load some of my most accurate loads in my Mosin Nagants.

And, you can even use the Wack a Mole and a bullet pulling hammer to Pull down surplus ammo, and reload it with better or different bullets or even powder.
I pull down cheap surplus stuff, save the bullets and powder to reuse in reloadable cases, and then ballance the original powder charge for consistancy, then reload the steel berdan primed cases with something like Unique and cast bullets.
The military bullets and powder are good stuff.
It is the primers that mostly give you erratic performance.
they are mostly old, and not as consistant as what they were designed for.
That is why it is being sold as Surplus ammo.
You will need a reloading scale and a reloading manual to take that next step.
But you can end up with very accurate ammo on both conditions and cut your costs emensly.

[jugulater]

i also break down surplus ammo and load it with cast boolits, mainly because i have a TON of suplus 7.62x54r. i got real tired of the surplus stuff real quick, it was inaccurate out of both of my m91/30s and the recoil was a bit on the harsh side.

the real problem with surplus ammo is the bullets normally measure about .310, where as the normal groove diameter in the mosins seem to be around .314. the good news is that many of the "fat" .30 cals share the .314 normal groove diameter, meaning the mould you buy can be used in other guns aswell. i use my NOE copy of the 314299 in two M91/30s, two 1891 argentine mausers, and a 1895 chilean converted to 7.62 NATO

[Larry Gibson]

Better ammo for test. "L" ammo typically shoots to that size regardless of the claimed moa some always seem to get. My Russian sniper and Sako M39 won't do any better with most all "L" milsurp ammo. Both shoot moa with quality ammo such as Winchester 180 SPs and my own handloads with quality Sierra, Hornady and Speer .311 - .312 bullets. My own cast do much better as well.

Larry Gibson

[snoopy]

Thanks everyone. Lots of good info as usual.

[littlejack]

Another option, is to pull the FMJ bullets, and replace them with sporter bullets (of the same weight or lighter). I have done this with military ball ammo brfore. The results were that the groups were definitely better, and acceptable.
You really should slug the bore to find out what size bullets fit properly.
Jack

[Tackleberry41]

May be why they wanted to sell it. One I have, a prewar rifle, will shoot quarter sized groups with some surplus I have. Sights are off of course, but it groups well. Another I have a clunker war production, it shoots decent, better than those groups. Properly sized cast it shoots really well. Another I bought at the time keyholed at 10 ft, sold it off.

One thing to look into is the end of the muzzle, just a little off the end for fresh rifling makes a big difference sometimes.

[snoopy]

Well, got some privi and went to the range yesterday.No pics, but the old girl shows some serious promise ,happy.

[nagantguy]

Looks better than minute of man, keep it.
Look for the easy fixes, trigger foybles, barrel float and crown.
I have seen worse shoot really nice with a bit of TLC.
be safe.
The above is sound wisdom, those would be the starting point, if any one of the above or combination there of docent tighten things up even with mil surp is be shocked

[opos]

If you have a bayonet shoot with it in place and extended..Mosin's were made to shoot with it in place...has to do with harmonics and balance of the barrel...I didn't believe it at first but i sure do now...my 91=30 made pattern...now make nice groups...I shoot reloads but also shoot PPU that I get at SG ammo..cheap and good brass for down the line and it shoots well