Ballistics 7.62x54r soft points

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

daniel craig

Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2009
Messages
2,815
So, I hunt with a bubbad Mosin. It’s got a 21” barrel with an 11degree target crown. I shoot 180 S&B and Privi soft points out of it. Around me there are no 100+ yard ranges I can go to but there is a 25yd range.

If I sight the rifle in at 25yd where do I need to be on the target so that I’m zeroed at 100yds? It’s tough for me to figure this out because ballistics seem to not have been done for a mosin with a cut down barrel.

I’ve uploaded some pics, I guess it’s a 22-24 inch barrel (depending where you measure from with 1.5-2” from the top of the receiver to the center of the scope.
 

Attachments

  • 8E1DB2AF-B6A7-4F55-AB21-3E0B74E4F894.jpeg
    8E1DB2AF-B6A7-4F55-AB21-3E0B74E4F894.jpeg
    80.7 KB · Views: 12
  • E9B6CCF3-A5A4-46EE-BC7F-9F89016E70F2.jpeg
    E9B6CCF3-A5A4-46EE-BC7F-9F89016E70F2.jpeg
    83.5 KB · Views: 12
  • 6BD1748F-5CFC-4F70-992F-97700A8FBC46.jpeg
    6BD1748F-5CFC-4F70-992F-97700A8FBC46.jpeg
    64.3 KB · Views: 12
Last edited:
Somewhere around .20. but a 25 yard zero is pretty well useless if you don't check it out at 200 or more.

Good luck

Steve
 
You can get close if you know your actual velocity, exact scope over bore height, and make sure your shooting pretty level.

It still wont take the place of actual range time tho.

Heres what I THINK you should be getting velocity wise (i used QL to generate a load that matches velocity of the factory ammo from a 24" barrel, which is generally industry standard)
2580+/-

if your scope over bore is about 2" which wouldnt be unusual for a Nagant. your 25yd poi for a 100yd zero should be about 1" low. If the scope is only 1.5 your poi should be about .5" low.

If 25yds is the BEST you can do, I would suggest sighting .5" low at 25 and limiting your shooting to 100 or less untill you can fire some verification shots. Even if you have to do it at the end of the first day, its still better to take a box and do it than risk hunting any longer than necessary with a short range zero.
 
My son first hunted with an old mosin. Nothing wrong with that. You do need to do some homework / leg work and find a place to shoot. Find the nearest range or gravel pit. Talk to people you know. Someone may have family land outside of town that you can shoot on. I've found being nice and polite will open many doors.
 
Does 1 or 2 inches really matter in shooting a big game animal as long as the horizontal plane is correct? Pardon me for being a skeptic but I think + or - 2" around the heart or shoulder of an animal is not going to allow it to get up and walk away.
 
Steel Horse Rider said:
Does 1 or 2 inches really matter in shooting a big game animal as long as the horizontal plane is correct? Pardon me for being a skeptic but I think + or - 2" around the heart or shoulder of an animal is not going to allow it to get up and walk away.
Click to expand...


Steel Horse Rider, I'm not trying to pick a fight, but do you hunt? You seem to take a pretty cavalier attitude toward taking a life away. 2 inches is the difference between a quick humane kill and a miserable drawn out death from infection of a nonlethal wound. The least we can do is verify where our shots will land at different ranges to ensure a quick humane kill. The animal at least deserves that respect.
 
Steel Horse Rider said:
Does 1 or 2 inches really matter in shooting a big game animal as long as the horizontal plane is correct? Pardon me for being a skeptic but I think + or - 2" around the heart or shoulder of an animal is not going to allow it to get up and walk away.
Click to expand...

To be that honest statement is probably true. IF we know that our rounds will for sure land somwhere in that 1-4" of poa.

Were guessing at a lot of variables here, and checking at VERY short range.
1 or 2" might be all it is, or 3 or 4 or even more. If the load hes using is spec'd from a 28.75" barrel which is stock for a Mosin, not the shorter 24" barrel i used in my calculations, velocity could be significantly different. If for some reason he has extra high or see thru rings on his already high ATI mount, then his scope over bore could be 3"....dont laugh ive seen it.
All of these can combined to having a significantly different poi with the same 25yd zero.
And thats just the Vertical
Perhaps his reticle is canted, he holds it canted, or his targets canted, now there is induced horizontal dispersion. couple that with a zero that isnt perfect, and it might offset, or it might compound. we dont know untill its shot farther out.

If you only shoot at 25yds, the only range you KNOW your rifle is zeroed for is 25yds. Personally as Ontarget suggested, I feel we owe it to our prey, to KNOW where our rifles will hit.
 
I'm with Loon Wulf...... We owe it to our prey to know where that rifle hits and IMHO there's no substitute for checking it at a minimum of 100 yards or more depending on your anticipated hunting distances. If you're in western NY state there's no scarcity of rifle ranges of at least 100 yards, and 200 yards is pretty common. My clubs rifle range gives you a choice between 50 -100-200 yards with shorter ranges in the pistol bays where rifles are allowed if shorter range is desired. Most clubs allow members to bring in a guest so perhaps that could be your ticket to get in. My club is located in southern Monroe county.... If you're in the vicinity I could get you in there and you'd have your choice of shooting distance. I also shoot on a friends property but it's a little too wooded to get a full 100 yard open shot.
 
Sight in at 25 and keep the ranges on game short, under 100. Scouting and stand placement are more important.

Do shoot a few boxes of shells however. If you are confident and competent, have a good spot, and so your job as a hunter you won’t have any issues.
 
ontarget said:
You can not count on some ballistics calculator to put you in the bulls eye. There is NO replacement for actually checking your zero and then actually firing at different ranges to KNOW where your shot will land.
Click to expand...
I know that I’d like general knowledge on this that’ll help me get close when I do actually check it out.
 
Steel Horse Rider said:
Does 1 or 2 inches really matter in shooting a big game animal as long as the horizontal plane is correct? Pardon me for being a skeptic but I think + or - 2" around the heart or shoulder of an animal is not going to allow it to get up and walk away.
Click to expand...
In my neck of the woods we call that “minute of deer”. Ethically speaking it’s the difference between being instantly dead vs running scared and wounded for 50 yards.
 
Last edited:
22250Rem said:
I'm with Loon Wulf...... We owe it to our prey to know where that rifle hits and IMHO there's no substitute for checking it at a minimum of 100 yards or more depending on your anticipated hunting distances. If you're in western NY state there's no scarcity of rifle ranges of at least 100 yards, and 200 yards is pretty common. My clubs rifle range gives you a choice between 50 -100-200 yards with shorter ranges in the pistol bays where rifles are allowed if shorter range is desired. Most clubs allow members to bring in a guest so perhaps that could be your ticket to get in. My club is located in southern Monroe county.... If you're in the vicinity I could get you in there and you'd have your choice of shooting distance. I also shoot on a friends property but it's a little too wooded to get a full 100 yard open shot.
Click to expand...
I’m in western Monroe county but don’t mind driving to get this right.
 
Shot many a critter with my M39 Mosin. All I could afford back in the 80's. A calculator like already said won't get you all the way there, but it can get you close. I was using open sites on mine and I got to know my rifle well. There are plenty of ranges in NY especially in the smaller towns and villages. There are at least five close enough to my house that have up to 200 yards.
 
ontarget said:
Steel Horse Rider, I'm not trying to pick a fight, but do you hunt? You seem to take a pretty cavalier attitude toward taking a life away. 2 inches is the difference between a quick humane kill and a miserable drawn out death from infection of a nonlethal wound. The least we can do is verify where our shots will land at different ranges to ensure a quick humane kill. The animal at least deserves that respect.
Click to expand...
I see your opinion but realistically around where I hunt most people use shotguns and most of them are happy enough just getting rounds in a pie plate at 50 yards. So yeah not super ethical but also not uncommon.
 
dh1633pm said:
Shot many a critter with my M39 Mosin. All I could afford back in the 80's. A calculator like already said won't get you all the way there, but it can get you close. I was using open sites on mine and I got to know my rifle well. There are plenty of ranges in NY especially in the smaller towns and villages. There are at least five close enough to my house that have up to 200 yards.
Click to expand...
Most of those ranges require you to be a member and I don’t have the cash for membership fees right now. Otherwise I would just be a member. The 25 yard range allows you to rent range time by the hour without being a member for 15 bucks. That’s why I was trying to side in at 25 yards.
 
dh1633pm said:
Shot many a critter with my M39 Mosin. All I could afford back in the 80's. A calculator like already said won't get you all the way there, but it can get you close. I was using open sites on mine and I got to know my rifle well. There are plenty of ranges in NY especially in the smaller towns and villages. There are at least five close enough to my house that have up to 200 yards.
Click to expand...
Yeah exactly when I bought this it was super cheap had a bunch of cheap ammo I could practice on and the guy got it from gave me hook up for some soft point ammo for cheap.
 
Daniel C. : I'm also in western Monroe County and a member of Rochester Brooks Gun Club. I usually go to the range on weekdays because I'm retired and it's less crowded but if you're only available weekends we could figure something out and you could get in as a guest either way. Send something to my inbox and we'll see what we can figure out.
 
22250Rem said:
Daniel C. : I'm also in western Monroe County and a member of Rochester Brooks Gun Club. I usually go to the range on weekdays because I'm retired and it's less crowded but if you're only available weekends we could figure something out and you could get in as a guest either way. Send something to my inbox and we'll see what we can figure out.
Click to expand...
Done! Thanks!
 
Loon Wolf: The only hunting I have done in the past twenty years is shooting prairie dogs from 50 yards to 300 yards. I was not trying to cause a problem just making what I thought was a logical observation based upon marksmanship observations of hunters I have observed shooting at a range, but then that is just me.
 
Steel Horse Rider said:
Loon Wolf: The only hunting I have done in the past twenty years is shooting prairie dogs from 50 yards to 300 yards. I was not trying to cause a problem just making what I thought was a logical observation based upon marksmanship observations of hunters I have observed shooting at a range, but then that is just me.
Click to expand...
It's cool, I totally get what you ment.
I've also seen similar performance by local hunters/shooters.
They still kill stuff, but as offten as not lose a few also.
Personally I feel we should do what ever we CAN to avoid the situation tho.

As I said your observation, and statement, we're correct in general.
It's the variables that make it a real crap shoot.
Honestly we're I limited to a 25yd zero, I'd still probably hunt that first morning, but keep my shots to less than 100yds, and as close as possible. That evening I'd check my zero before leaving tho.

Case in point I sighted my SKS 1" high at 50 a few days ago and was 4-5" high at 100. Thought I'd be about 2-3.

Still would have worked, but isn't as close as I want it.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

303 hunter
  • Locked
1891 Mauser Sporter
2
Replies
45
Views
4K
saiga308
saiga308
D
  • Locked
Questions regarding Maximum Point Blank Range with Iron Sights
Replies
9
Views
506
DMW1116
D
H
  • Locked
Soft Point, Hollow Point, Balistics Tip aaccuracy differences
Replies
6
Views
554
Walkalong
Walkalong
R
  • Locked
Range Report - Mosin M38 and short range ammo.
Replies
10
Views
1K
boerseun
B
A
  • Locked
What .223 bolt gun should I get?
Replies
24
Views
934
yote master
Y
Back
Top