Best surplus ammo for a Mosin 91/30?

[TheResearcher]

Am looking around Aims' and there are a few different types of surplus ammo. I was thinking to just buy the cheapest stuff, but then figured that I would be willing to pay $5 more per can of 440 just to have any improvement. here is a link to the ammo http://www.aimsurplus.com/catalog.aspx?groupid=40&name=7.62x54R (this is basically Russian vs Romanian, but am totally open minded) So how does this work? Whats the best? Or are they all the same?

 

[Shadow 7D]

there isn't ONE ammo, unless you find russian sniper, which wasn't even designed for the mosin BTW.

it depends on the rifle, some like one, some like another.

 

[kingcheese]

czechslovakian light ball steel core if you can find it, the russain sniper ammo is some of the weekest stuff out there, the steel core czechs round is the strongest, making around 3000 foot pounds muzzle energy, and that sucker flys, i was shooting at 1/2 inch plate steel around 50 yards punching holes through it, and not even telling i was hitting it because the steel didnt een move, sure enough i put holes clean through

try 7.62x54r.net some time, they have an ammo section

 

[wrench]

In my little ammo cache, I've got Albanian, Czech, Hungarian light and heavy, Polish, Bulgarian, and....at least one more I can't remember
Every one of those different flavors is a favorite of at least one rifle. That is, no one ammo is best in all of my guns.
One example, one rifle shoots Czech like a dream, load it with Albanian, and it shoots like a shotgun. Another rifle shoots cloverleafs with Albanian.
I'd try to buy small amounts of as many different types as you can find, and see which one(s) shoot well in YOUR rifles.
Good luck.

 

[wnycollector]

I have found that both Hungarian light and heavy ball to be more consistent and accurate than other brands. That being said, I'm not talking about huge differences...maybe 1/2-3/4" in my 91/30.

 

[deimos256]

Russian surplus in spam cans has worked best for me. The stuff I currently have was made in the 70s.

 

[Babarsac]

I've got a few cans of Yugoslavian military surplus. It's brass cased on shoots real nice.

 

[leadchucker]

I would bet that there's not much difference in any of the seventies vintage Russian or Romanian stuff in the 440 round spam cans, regardless of where it comes from. It's all been fairly reliable, consistent, and affordable for me.

I did find some Yugoslavian (Prvi Partizan, I think) surplus stuff also from the seventies and eighties that cost a little more, but it is brass case and 182 grain lead core bullet. Also reliable and consistent. Maybe a little more accurate in my old Mosin.

 

[Cosmoline]

There's a huge array of it, and no way to know what will be best in a particular Mosin until you try a variety of it out. Here are some specs and details of various sample batches:

http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinAmmo.htm

 

[caribou]

For me its Czeck LB, then the Hungarian LB, for accuray and cosistancy.... but Ive shot Polish Lightball with great effect, but little ammo.......

Try aabit through each rifle, see what they like. Most every M-39 variant I have loves Czeck, the 91/30 too, and they do well enough with teh heavy ball as well, but The sights on the Finns are just that much better.