Most Accurate 7.62 X 54R Surplus rifle?

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I would assume the Russian sniper would.The 91/38 is accurate but to put a scope on it you would have to have the bolt turned down and then find a mount.None of them are really accurate with surplus ammo. I have a M-38 with surplus it shoots about a 8" group.With my handloads It shoots about a 2" group.Russian snipers don't use regular ammo they are issued special ammo.
 
It is probably a Finnish M39 Nagant. They can be scoped with a little drilling and tapping, and with a new bolt handle. They were actually accurized by the Finns. These are more expensive than a regular bargain bin Soviet Bloc Nagant, but they are not too much.

Next would probably be a Russian 91/30 Nagant Sniper... The Russians hand-picked the most accurate standard Nagants to slap scopes on and call sniper rifles. You have to get a true sniper rifle though, not just one of the ones that has been scoped. They tend to be high dollar.

Then a standard service 91/30 Nagant. Needs to be drilled and tapped with a turn down bolt handle added, or you can use one of those scout mounts that replaces your rear sight. This would easily be the cheapest option.

Next in accuracy would probably be a Russian SVD. They are very easy to mount a scope on... they have a side rail just for that purpose. They are very expensive as well.

Bottom of the barrel as far as accuracy goes in this caliber would probably be the PSL. They cost a lot more than a Finnish Nagant, but far less than a SVD. They resemble the SVD strongly, but are not as accurate because they use the AK-type gas recoil system instead of the lighter weight short stroke gas piston, like the SVD.
 
The Finn M 39 with its oversized stock and heavy barrel makes for a soft shooting rifle. I would say its par with a 7.62 x 51 NATO in bolt action.
 
The Finn version is a good prospect. The Finns were using them still as sniper rifles until not that many years ago.

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Je Suis Prest
 
henschman said:
It is probably a Finnish M39 Nagant. They can be scoped with a little drilling and tapping, and with a new bolt handle. They were actually accurized by the Finns. These are more expensive than a regular bargain bin Soviet Bloc Nagant, but they are not too much.

Next would probably be a Russian 91/30 Nagant Sniper... The Russians hand-picked the most accurate standard Nagants to slap scopes on and call sniper rifles. You have to get a true sniper rifle though, not just one of the ones that has been scoped. They tend to be high dollar.

Then a standard service 91/30 Nagant. Needs to be drilled and tapped with a turn down bolt handle added, or you can use one of those scout mounts that replaces your rear sight. This would easily be the cheapest option.

Next in accuracy would probably be a Russian SVD. They are very easy to mount a scope on... they have a side rail just for that purpose. They are very expensive as well.

Bottom of the barrel as far as accuracy goes in this caliber would probably be the PSL. They cost a lot more than a Finnish Nagant, but far less than a SVD. They resemble the SVD strongly, but are not as accurate because they use the AK-type gas recoil system instead of the lighter weight short stroke gas piston, like the SVD.
Click to expand...

Other than what he said about the M39 just ignore the rest of this post.

The M39 is a nice shooting rifle. The PSL is hardly the bottom of the barrel, and generally sells for a little more than an M39.
 
The M39 Finn is probably the best "stock" rifle in the bolt guns. My enhanced Mosin Olympis is no slouch for a custom gun, and my PSL is probably right up there with the semi-autos. Shooting that round is both an adventure and a lot of fun, and you can find a lot of different tricks to make them work better.

WT
 
Probably one of these Finish target rifles:

http://www.centerfiresystems.com/RIFLE-M28FIN-6161-05.aspx


I believe both the Russians and Finns used 7.62x54r in Olympic biathalon 50 years ago, so they can be accurate.

However, 50 year old communist 7.62x54r ammo is really not that accurate. It was designed for arming untrained partisans and conscripts or being used in Machine guns. A $5,000 custom rifle with a surgeon action and match barrel could not shoot this ammo better than 3-4 moa.
I'm sure you can handload match ammo, or find some somewhere. However, If you want cheap accuracy I think you would be better off with an off the shelf savage in .223 or .308.
 
However, 50 year old communist 7.62x54r ammo is really not that accurate. It was designed for arming untrained partisans and conscripts or being used in Machine guns. A $5,000 custom rifle with a surgeon action and match barrel could not shoot this ammo better than 3-4 moa.
Click to expand...

Horse pucky.
I have two M39's, as issued, that will shoot some types of surplus almost as good as handloads.
Mine showed preference for both Bulgarian HB (YT) circa 1950's, and Hungarian steel core LB (SYT) 1970's.
Here is a pretty target of mine from a couple three years ago with typical Bulgarian HB results. 2-1/2" CtoC @ 100 yards off a sand bag.

b-3.jpg
 
The Finn M39 would also be my choice. I'm not sure why so many folks are intent on scoping these old rifles, as the iron sights are quite good. If you want a scoped rig, just buy a new Remington or Savage and be done with it.
 
These rifles are really sensitive to bullet weights. My Olympic shoots a consistent 1.25" group at 100 yards with 203 grain Silver Bear, and consistent 3" groups at 300 with 174 grain Silver Bear. My PSL is designed to use 147 grain commie ammo, and shoots quite well with just about any light ball ammo I'm able to feed it. I don't measure groups with it, because its got a range finder on it, and not a "scope", but it still shoots consistently at 2, 3, and 400 yards using B-27 man targets and the sighting chevrons in the rangefinder. If I can find a scope mount for a conventional scope, I think I'll have a tack driver with the old copper wash ammo. It's doing fist sized groups at distance now, and with the actual ability to see X's and rings, I think it will 'target' out pretty well.

Having cataracts doesn't help my shooting any, but until they are bad enough to be removed, I'll just have to keep on muddling through and be satisfied with what I can make the guns do.

WT
 
photo.php

From a 91/38 using surplus ammo.
 
I use Czeck light ball all to doodle long day, with excellent results.

The only ammo that I know of being more consistant and accurate is handloaded.

An M-39 is "THE accurate of the accurate" when it comes to standard issue Military surplus bolt action rifles.Right up there with the Springfeilds.

Then again, a Rifle is only as accurate as its ammo is consistant and its shooter able.
Handload for your M-39 and youll be able to extend your Will for hundreds of Yards, as far as you can see clearly, anyway.....

The best bargin in Bolt action rifles today.
 
Ok I should have qualified that, MOST 50 year old communist 7.62x54r ammo is really not that accurate. If you find match/DMR bullets you are fine.

Accuracy with commie calibers always seems to come down to the ammo, you can dress up the rifle all you want, but if the bullets are crap no rifle is going to be that accurate.

2-1/2" CtoC @ 100 yards off a sand bag.
Click to expand...
still only .5 from 3-4 in.
 
M39

I'll 100th the Finish M39.

I can't remember where I read it but I thought each rifle was supposed to be 2" MOA @100 yards. Don't bet money on that statement since I think I read it on the internet....

The Finn's made the best Mosin. I'm sure you can find some Russian version that was made on a good day and it will shoot as well. On the whole the Finish is the safe bet.
 
Do the long SVDs and their derivatives not have similar accuracy at 100/200 yards or such?

The Dragunov was designed to be used by designated marksmen, and they developed special sniper ammo to help meet objectives.
 
Its better to shoot with open sight s on them the way it should be. Yes, those cheap Barnaul 203 gr SP shoots very well in just about any Mosin rifles.
THey are around $8 a box of 20 rds. Pretty good for deer and big game.
 
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