Sighting in Grandma Mosin, what grain ammo?

[David Mark 2,452]

I picked up a couple boxes of Wolf 148 gr FMJ but was wondering whether this is the best to use for sighting in.

 

It's considered light by 7.62 X 54R standards.

 

I see 174gr, 180gr, 182gr, and 203gr available.

 

What would be the best to use for her first outing?

[jimdigriz 580]

I picked up a couple boxes of Wolf 148 gr FMJ but was wondering whether this is the best to use for sighting in.

 

It's considered light by 7.62 X 54R standards.

 

I see 174gr, 180gr, 182gr, and 203gr available.

 

What would be the best to use for her first outing?

 

Most of the surplus is 147-150 grain, so that's what I focus on.

 

I'm curious what you mean by "sighting in". You may adjust the windage, but barring special procedures, you are pretty much stuck with whatever elevation it already shoots at (which is probably high).

 

Also, the heavier grain ammo will tend to group higher than the lighter grain stuff.

Edited September 1, 2010 by Jim Digriz

[David Mark 2,452]

I'm curious what you mean by "sighting in". You may adjust the windage, but barring special procedures, you are pretty much stuck with whatever elevation it already shoots at (which is probably high).

 

I've heard of guys adding length to the front sight post for some compensation.

I've read some guys use a coffee stirrer over the front sight post and just nipped away at it till it was on.

Sounds odd but what the hell. I may give it a try if its way off.

 

Thanks for the reply. Your answer makes a lot of sense.

[going12220 125]

[jimdigriz 580]

I've read some guys use a coffee stirrer over the front sight post and just nipped away at it till it was on.

 

I tried a coffee stirrer on one of mine, and that worked OK, except that it made the front post ridiculously wide. Plus, that stirrer could easily be knocked off. I eventually decided to take it off, and treat the gun not as any sort of sharp-shooter, but a Minute-of-Man type gun, shooting mostly at human silhouettes at various distances. When you factor in the high shooting, it works just fine. But hopefully yours will be very close to point of aim. I have a 91/30 that shoots one inch high. Close enough for me.

[v_door 1]

Thinking about getting a rail and bent bolt kit and putting it on my Russian Mosin,it's the long verson. Scope will be a DWC416x40,(4-16x40 Tasco)203 grain bullet. Just curious what that long rifle will do,I own a 25-06 Remington Sendro thats a good shooter but just curious,any comments from anyones experence would be a great help,..Thanks Jon T.

[jimdigriz 580]

Thinking about getting a rail and bent bolt kit and putting it on my Russian Mosin,it's the long verson. Scope will be a DWC416x40,(4-16x40 Tasco)203 grain bullet. Just curious what that long rifle will do,I own a 25-06 Remington Sendro thats a good shooter but just curious,any comments from anyones experence would be a great help,..Thanks Jon T.

 

No offense, but why bubba a piece of history when there are other guns with no historical significance which more readily accept scopes?

[scoutjoe 276]

Rifle right? Stay with the lighter ammo to start, buy it cheap and spend some time at the range with your .22 first so you don't flinch/get warmed up before going full bore .

 

I like Czech Silvertip the best, but its hard to find now, the new production 203gr stuff doesn't do all that well in my M44. 7.62x54r.net has a wealth of information.

[David Mark 2,452]

Rifle right? Stay with the lighter ammo to start, buy it cheap and spend some time at the range with your .22 first so you don't flinch/get warmed up before going full bore .

 

I like Czech Silvertip the best, but its hard to find now, the new production 203gr stuff doesn't do all that well in my M44. 7.62x54r.net has a wealth of information.

 

Thanks scoutjoe,

I'll keep that in mind and do some homework on 7.62X54r.net.

[v_door 1]

Thanks for the input Jim and for being polite, but I thought the Mosin was used as a sniper, bent bolt and scope equipped,and like I said just curious as to how it would perform.I guess though I would be changing a rifle that wasnt originally made as a sniper thus putting the bubba to it. But the way I understand it the rail could be taken off but the bolt would have to be lined back out or replaced so there goes the matching serial numbers. Like i said am just curious. Thanks again,..Jon T.

[Casp 119]

You could use a non-matching bolt body with the handle already turned down, and a non-matching buttstock to cut the notch out for the side rail, but once you've drilled and tapped the holes to mount the rail there's no going back from that. I intend to do the PU sniper conversion on my forced-matched POS rifle after I accurize it, but I'd never do such a thing on one as pristine as what DaveM has. Also, they don't shoot so high if you shoot them with the bayonet attached.

Edited September 1, 2010 by Caspian Sea Monster

[jimdigriz 580]

Thanks for the input Jim and for being polite, but I thought the Mosin was used as a sniper, bent bolt and scope equipped,and like I said just curious as to how it would perform.I guess though I would be changing a rifle that wasnt originally made as a sniper thus putting the bubba to it. But the way I understand it the rail could be taken off but the bolt would have to be lined back out or replaced so there goes the matching serial numbers. Like i said am just curious. Thanks again,..Jon T.

 

Some people use a scout scope mount where the rear sight leaf is, which has the virtue of not being a permanent alteration to the gun.

[308SAIGA 55]

Rifle right? Stay with the lighter ammo to start, buy it cheap and spend some time at the range with your .22 first so you don't flinch/get warmed up before going full bore .

 

I like Czech Silvertip the best, but its hard to find now, the new production 203gr stuff doesn't do all that well in my M44. 7.62x54r.net has a wealth of information.

 

You can find it on GB......

[308SAIGA 55]

 

Most of the surplus is 147-150 grain, so that's what I focus on.

 

I'm curious what you mean by "sighting in". You may adjust the windage, but barring special procedures, you are pretty much stuck with whatever elevation it already shoots at (which is probably high).

 

Also, the heavier grain ammo will tend to group higher than the lighter grain stuff.

 

I must be missing something here, I have a rear elevation site on mine.....

[Casp 119]

Well, the rear elevation setting is supposed to be a bullet-drop compensator, not an arbitrary zeroing adjustment. If you set it to the 200 meter mark, and fire at a target at 200 meters, and it shoots high, then it's not zeroed. That's why on SKSs and AKs (last time I checked) and AR-15s (post-A1) have a bullet drop compensator on the rear, and an arbitrary elevation adjustment on the front. The Mosin has no arbitrary elevation adjustment, only windage (at the front). This is half the reason for installing something like a Mojo rear sight.

 

Thing is, even if your 91/30 was zeroed at the factory (unlikely on late-war production examples like mine), it was zeroed with the bayonet attached; they were never meant to be used in the field without it. Firing without it shifts the POI (usually) upward. This also applies to the M44 folding-bayo being extended. AFAIK the M38 wasn't meant to be used with a bayonet at all.

 

Then again, this is all of the top of my head, and time has a way of screwing with my memory.

[308SAIGA 55]

Thinking about getting a rail and bent bolt kit and putting it on my Russian Mosin,it's the long verson. Scope will be a DWC416x40,(4-16x40 Tasco)203 grain bullet. Just curious what that long rifle will do,I own a 25-06 Remington Sendro thats a good shooter but just curious,any comments from anyones experence would be a great help,..Thanks Jon T.

 

No offense, but why bubba a piece of history when there are other guns with no historical significance which more readily accept scopes?

 

Agreed here, you do not want to alter this one at all... I have a 1942 round receiver that I am going to bubba up once I get a steady job..... I will be removing the front and rear sight, putting a PU side mount, scope & bent bolt... I was hopping to find a wood stock that did not have a floor plate and use it as a single shot... I & others where very impressed in the accuracy of this rifle.........

 

I use the 148gr steel core ammo.... see pic

 

 

[308SAIGA 55]

Well, the rear elevation setting is supposed to be a bullet-drop compensator, not an arbitrary zeroing adjustment. If you set it to the 200 meter mark, and fire at a target at 200 meters, and it shoots high, then it's not zeroed. That's why on SKSs and AKs (last time I checked) and AR-15s (post-A1) have a bullet drop compensator on the rear, and an arbitrary elevation adjustment on the front. The Mosin has no arbitrary elevation adjustment, only windage (at the front). This is half the reason for installing something like a Mojo rear sight.

 

Thing is, even if your 91/30 was zeroed at the factory (unlikely on late-war production examples like mine), it was zeroed with the bayonet attached; they were never meant to be used in the field without it. Firing without it shifts the POI (usually) upward. This also applies to the M44 folding-bayo being extended. AFAIK the M38 wasn't meant to be used with a bayonet at all.

 

Then again, this is all of the top of my head, and time has a way of screwing with my memory.

 

Ohhh just cut your front post down!!!! LOL It was explained to me that it was after a certain distance that you would actually need to use the rear elevation.... 300 yards and all is good for me..... I will have to test this someday.... Sorry to hear about your rifle.....

 

Thanks for the in depth explanation.....

[scoutjoe 276]

Rifle right? Stay with the lighter ammo to start, buy it cheap and spend some time at the range with your .22 first so you don't flinch/get warmed up before going full bore .

 

I like Czech Silvertip the best, but its hard to find now, the new production 203gr stuff doesn't do all that well in my M44. 7.62x54r.net has a wealth of information.

 

You can find it on GB......

 

275 rds for $85? I think my problem is I was buying it 440 rds for $30 and I'm out of that now

[308SAIGA 55]

Rifle right? Stay with the lighter ammo to start, buy it cheap and spend some time at the range with your .22 first so you don't flinch/get warmed up before going full bore .

 

I like Czech Silvertip the best, but its hard to find now, the new production 203gr stuff doesn't do all that well in my M44. 7.62x54r.net has a wealth of information.

 

You can find it on GB......

 

275 rds for $85? I think my problem is I was buying it 440 rds for $30 and I'm out of that now

 

No, it was 279 rounds for $85 lol.... How long ago did you buy this stuff?? 440 for $30 now that is a deal....

[jimdigriz 580]

Ohhh just cut your front post down!!!!

 

If it shoots high, then the post needs to be taller to be properly zeroed.

 

Thing is, even if your 91/30 was zeroed at the factory (unlikely on late-war production examples like mine), it was zeroed with the bayonet attached; they were never meant to be used in the field without it. Firing without it shifts the POI (usually) upward. This also applies to the M44 folding-bayo being extended. AFAIK the M38 wasn't meant to be used with a bayonet at all.

 

A lot of them shoot high even with the bayonet attached/extended.

[308SAIGA 55]

Ohhh just cut your front post down!!!!

 

If it shoots high, then the post needs to be taller to be properly zeroed.

 

Thing is, even if your 91/30 was zeroed at the factory (unlikely on late-war production examples like mine), it was zeroed with the bayonet attached; they were never meant to be used in the field without it. Firing without it shifts the POI (usually) upward. This also applies to the M44 folding-bayo being extended. AFAIK the M38 wasn't meant to be used with a bayonet at all.

 

A lot of them shoot high even with the bayonet attached/extended.

 

 

OK then weld on a cleaning rod....