M-N accuarcy at 200/300 yds?

[BullRunBear]

I picked up a 91/30 Tula Mosin-Nagant rifle recently, made in the late 1930's. It seems to be standard issue but has a good bore. I have some Russian made 147 grain ammo coming from Sportsman's Guide. I know the ammo is Berdan primed and corrosive.

What would be considered reasonable accuracy at 200 to 300 yards, using the original iron sights, from a bench rest? Assume I'm not messing things up. (I know, a big assumption!) I don't expect MOA accuracy but don't know if I should be happy with 6 inch groups or 20 inch.

I don't hunt anymore. Just got the rifle for fun and inexpensive paper punching. Thanks.

Jeff

 

[cat_IT_guy]

Im not very experienced with Mosins, but I'd be surprised if 6-8" at 200 wasnt doable, or close to that anyway.

 

[bainter1212]

Here is a 5 shot group I shot at 100 yds with my '37 Tula SCW MN. Shot using iron sights and top quality 180gr Norma commercial loads.

My hand is there for scale.

If I use the crappy surplus, group size doubles or triples. Even the commercial steel case Russian stuff will shotgun pattern on me.

I have found that these rifles need good ammo to wring out their potential. Most Eastern Block stuff doesn't cut it.

Edit: sorry the pic is upside-down. Dont know how to fix that.

 

[bainter1212]

To add: the Norma ammo I shot was given to me and is probably 30 yrs old. Dont know if Norma makes the stuff anymore.
I know Winchester makes a good brass case 180gr load, you just have to find some.

All of my MNs like heavier bullets. The lighter ball ammo tends to shoot WAY high.

 

[Normandy]

There were lots of M-N rifles that shot minute of skull at 500 yards or more. Look up the lady snipers from Russia. Gutsy females, with very accurate and reliable rifles.

 

[LAGS]

My 1942 Finn will keep them on a 24" gong @ 600 yards with my handload ammo with the open sight set on 800 meters.
I never wanted to walk out that far to post a target, but it would be interesting to see what they actually group at that distance.

 

[illinoisburt]

Realistically 4 to 7 moa with surplus is what to expect assuming you are doing your part at the bench. Anything better is well beyond the averages for the garden variety m-n and surplus light ball. Modern commercial hunting ammo will significantly improve your outcome (like maybe get into the 2-3 moa area)as will tweaking the rifle by bedding the forearm with a cork shim and cleaning up or replacing the trigger.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

I think a lot would depend on the condition of the bore, the fit of the forestock, and the condition of the muzzle crown. There is such a wide variable of the condition of the Mosins I have personally examined in the store that I don't believe there is a "standard" answer. I can consistently hit a 6"x12" gong at 300 yards either in a standing or kneeling position with my Mosins. I have corked the forearm on one but have done nothing other than cleaning to the other.

 

[TIMC]

The 91/30 sniper I have will do about 5" at 200 which I think is pretty good.

 

[Mk VII]

Buy (or make) some decent ammo, not surplus crap. Put garbage in, get garbage out.

 

[tacxted]

I was on a range trip with my buds when we met a new shooter with a mosin. I was able to hit a 8inch steel plate at 200 yards.

 

[carbine85]

The accuracy of these rifles varies widely. I have seen and shot 2" MOA and have struggled to get below 6" with others. The iron sights and triggers on these suck at best. Two of the best improvements you can make are Mojo sights and a trigger job. Some Mosins have a very loose fit in the stock and need some bedding.

 

[ford8nr]

Just looked back on my Vintage Military Match targets from this past summer. My Mosin 91/30 has been bedded and the barrel completely free floated, trigger has been polished but otherwise stock.
With sorted and 'seated' surplus ammo, shooting iron sights I averaged 95/100 on a 21C target, 2-1/2 to 3" 10 shot groups and 85/100 on a 52C target ~5" 10 shot groups shooting with a front sand bag off a bench.

 

[BullRunBear]

Thanks for the perspective. My expectations won't be high but I'll still have fun getting what accuracy I can.

Jeff

 

[Swampman]

I've got an M44 with a barrel that mikes .316". It won't hold minute of pie plate at 50 yards with surplus, but does pretty well with properly sized cast bullets.

On the other hand, I've got a friend with a pre war 91/30 that'll hold about 2.5 inches at 100 yards with 1965 dated Czech (BXN) light ball. I remember that the rifle shot about 18 inches high at 100 yards until he had an extension silver soldered to his front sight.

 

[denton]

Two of the best improvements you can make are Mojo sights and a trigger job.

Yes. And float the barrel.

If the barrel is good, and you're shooting good handloads, some rifles will average 2 MOA.

Bore diameters varied.

Some of the guys who shoot Mosins at the local annual Mosin event can regularly hit a pop can at 100 yards.

My eyes are approaching 71 years old, and with Mojos, my Finn will also pretty regularly do that.

With surplus ammo and no improvements, 5-7" groups at 100 are more common.

 

[caribou]

Milsurp via 91/30 will ghet you 6-8 inches on average,200-300 yards out very doable for hunting.

Tune it up and use some handloads and youll likely get it down to 4 inches at 300.

Most Finn Mn's can do that with milsurp.

Its a combination of Shooter, ammunition and rifle quality. A great rifle and the best ammo is worthless with bad shooting skills, or bad ammo, or a bad rifle.

 

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hello,

Most Mosins can be made to shoot 2.5MOA to sub-MOA with good ammo. I can handload mine to right around MOA, but I've shimmed the action and made a new trigger for a better interface.

Suffice to say they are more precise than I can use, and I like to use the rifle with open sights for 200 yards on coyotes. I've never failed to kill cleanly using either soft points or (more recently) SST.

Josh

 

[BCRider]

With surplus military ammo it's a total crapshoot. But when I buddy and I shot a box of Privi ammo through my Mosin we got 3 to 3.5" groups at 100 and managed a 6" group at 200 without any changes and after having shot a bunch of milsurp ammo.

So I'm hoping that with my own loads and with a well scrubbed and de-copper fouled barrel I can better these numbers without too much of an issue.

I know it's a battle rifle but with a good highly visible target down at 200 and with the "U" shaped notch I've cut into the rear sight and a little load development I'm thinking that 2'ish inches at 100 is possible. And while my eyesight issues will hurt me at 200 and 300 yards out I'm hoping to manage 5 to 6" groups at 200 and 7 to 8 at 300.

If I can figure out a way to put on a rear target peep sight then I expect to make such groups easily and likely even smaller. But the key is in feeding them some good ammo as a start and them working with the floating and padding as noted above to find and stack up ALL the sweet spots for each factor.

 

[denton]

rear target peep sight

Take a look at the Mojo sights. They solve this problem very nicely.