Hunting with Milsurps

[PFCLEE11B]

I was just wondering if anyone else here hunts with Milsurp weapons, ie the mosin nagant, lee enfield, mauser, garand, springfield or any other battle rifles? I use my garand for pig hunting but looking to branch out and start actually using my Milsurp collection for something other than the occasional trip to the range.

 

[Kachok]

I would if I was confident in their accuracy. Some of those old calibers are more then enough for deer/elk 8x57, 7x57, 303 British, and of course my favorite the 6.5x55 which is my go to gun even over my modern high performance cartrages.

 

[gunner69]

Yeah, the 6.5x55 is one of my favorites too. Along with the 6.5 grendle and the 6.5x284 Norma. Seems like if its a 6.5 it flies true.

I hunt with my 7.62x54 Nagant, my British .303, my 8mm Mauser, my 30-40 Krag and my 7.5 French each and every year. Of course I reload for all of them so I have loads the rifles like. I just "rotate" through my gun safe when its time to grab a rifle to hunt with. If its for a certain situation or type of gun I can also choose based on that too.

 

[caribou]

I use my M-39 Finned mosin Nagant to great effect for most Hunting.

 

[critter]

Took a whitetail last season with a Springfield M1 A. BTW, the semiauto capability was NOT needed!

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Before the values jumped, I used to hunt with my CMP Garand. I used a 3 round clip and made my own "buckhorn" sight. It worked great but I took a lot of ribbing from time to time for the weight. Then I used an 03-A3 a time or two as well. Point is, I already had them and wasn't about to buy another firearm on GI pay just to snag a deer once or twice a year.

Back east - a lot of folk used M-1 Carbines in the day. Works well on those bitty white tails out that way.

Before retiring, I would see a fair amount of fellas standing in line on base for permits with SKSs.

 

[Vlad357]

I used to use my old 03-A3 but not for the last 30 years or so since I got a few "new" rifles. I have been using my Mosin 91/30 up in my tree stand lately when the deer are out of range of my .357. With the Brown Bear 203 grain soft points a few deer have tipped over right after the shot.

 

[brnmuenchow]

Accuracy and confidence with the rifle in question are the only factors here.
.303 British, 7.62 X54R Russian, and 7.92X57mm Mauser and like calibers are accurate and powerful enough to take any North American Game.

Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson Hunted at least one of the two Lions in Tsavo with a .303 Lee Enfield rifle. Exact number of shots are really unknown I would imagine it might take 3-4 shots on an angry Lion charging, but killed just the same.

Russians have been using Mosin Nagant M1891 - M91/30's to hunt everything from Moose, Hogs to Brown Bears. (Now with some ammo companies putting out Soft Point's we have more options than using FMJ's where some places are illegal.)-- Or just Re-load your own ammo.

 

[ClickClickD'oh]

I use a VZ-24 that I scout scoped and put a match trigger in. With S&B 196gr SPCE ammunition it shoots 1" groups at 100 yards. Took two bucks and a doe with it last season.

 

[wombat13]

I've used my Garand deer hunting. Took a buck with it in 2010. I'm just not a fan of the stock aperture sight for hunting. It's not great in low light and gets clogged easily with snow or rain.

 

[wombat13]

Before the values jumped, I used to hunt with my CMP Garand. I used a 3 round clip and made my own "buckhorn" sight. It worked great but I took a lot of ribbing from time to time for the weight. Then I used an 03-A3 a time or two as well. Point is, I already had them and wasn't about to buy another firearm on GI pay just to snag a deer once or twice a year.

Back east - a lot of folk used M-1 Carbines in the day. Works well on those bitty white tails out that way.

Before retiring, I would see a fair amount of fellas standing in line on base for permits with SKSs.

Why would anyone give you a hard time because your rifle is heavy? Are they feeling less masculine because they can't haul a heavy rifle through the woods?

 

[clamman]

I took my first deer with my first deer rifle, a 7.35 Carcano.

 

[der Teufel]

.303 Enfield

I started out several years ago using a No. 4 MK1 Enfield. These days I keep it at my Father-in-Law's farm so I'll have something when the hogs show up there. The largest hog I've shot to date weighed about 220 Lbs. and went down after a bullet to the spine from the .303 Enfield.

 

[RevGeo]

I've been hunting with '93, '95, '96 and '98 Mausers since the early 70s. Of course every one of them was sporterized

 

[MrDig]

other than the fact that most of them weigh a ton so they are no fun to lug around they are for the most part flat shooters and all in calibers that will drop a lot of game animals so why not?
Mauser and 03 rifles have dropped Tons of American Game animals

 

[newfalguy101]

SKS, Swiss K-31

 

[SWAT1911]

Last 10ish deer have all been with a No. 4 Mk1 sporter using soft points.

 

[PFCLEE11B]

i just like them because they all have decent or good iron sights. For most of the places I hunt you never take a shot longer than 150yds so irons work just fine. Though I do want to get an Enfield model T and that PU scope on a Mosin.

 

[The-Reaver]

The hog pest problem in Florida has been dwindling thanks to my Spanish FR-8

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

The hog pest problem in Florida has been dwindling thanks to my Spanish FR-8

I forgot all about having taken out my FR-8 twice so far. Very handy, easily slung, good selection of ammo, outstanding hunting sight options... What a great improvement over carrying the 03-A3 for the most part given ranges that are (in my case) realistic. And I don't have to worry about dinging valuable and beautiful furniture.

 

[MCgunner]

I see Caribou weighed in. He's the shining example. Me, I've shot one deer with my SKS, about it. I have better rifles for hunting. I carry the SKS as a knock about truck gun and have put some hogs down with it. I trap hogs in the cooler months. It'll do anything a .30-30 will do.

SIL shot a little 5 pointer with his sporter 98 Mauser on my place 2 years ago. He'll be home next month, was in Afghanistan this past deer season. We'll all be happy to see the boy home in one piece, especially my daughter. LOL He loves that old Mauser and I can see why. A might heavy, but he mostly hunts from a stand, no matter. I had a 7x57 Spanish 93 for a while, cool gun, got a scope on it. I hunted with it a few times, passed on a small doe with it I coulda shot and it was close, would not have been a problem for a Hornady 175 grain RN. But, it was so scrawny, wasn't worth shooting for the meat. I've seen jackrabbits bigger. I sold that gun, not sure why, just didn't care much for it and didn't need it. Shoulda took the scope off and kept it in the collection, probably, but didn't. Such is life.

I have a Hakim in 8x57 that's HUGE, weighs close to 12 lbs, is as long as some cell towers are tall. I just bought it for fun and collection and because it was only 80 bucks. Got a bayonet for it, thought about sticking a hog with it, but it's kinda heavy for a spear. I have an old 8x57S chambered 88 Commission rifle, my first mil surp. I paid 27.50 for it back in about 1976. I've shot it, not hunted with it. Again, have better rifles.

I've been through the handgun hunting phase. Now, I'm in to black powder. I really don't hunt much with my hunting rifles anymore, let alone milsurps. I took my deer this year with a CVA Wolf inline. I have YET to shoot anything with one of my Hawken rifles. That's a must do. THEN, maybe my Ruger Old Army, maybe.

 

[janobles14]

i still take my sks on deer drives. silver bear softies have done the trick on 3 deer over the past two seasons.

 

[nosmr2]

Hogs with my 8mm Mauser

 

[Todd1700]

I have killed hogs and deer with a Finnish M-39 Mosin Nagant and a Russian 91/30 Mosin Nagant. Even killed one hog with a fairly rare Finnish M-28 Mosin Nagant.

 

[newfalguy101]

While it may not be a true Milsurp, I have also taken a deer with my Century FAL