Cosmoline
Member
On a whim I picked up a nice looking Tikka M91 1942 built Mosin-Nagant last week for $300. The barrel looked mint and these are not as cheap as they once were. The stock had some repair work done in Finland so it may have been at least issued, if not shot a lot.
https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1383158_10202343125127646_63697601_n.jpg
So I took it to the range today with my usual kit of mixed rounds I use to see what new Mosins prefer. This one did OK with light ball, throwing a 2 1/2" group to the right of center. It really seemed to prefer heavy ball. This group at 25 yards is the result of changing the front sight's position in the rear. As with most M91's it's calibrated to shoot high and the tangent starts at 200 meters. So to get lower, I drop the tangent down on the barrel and then alter the sight picture so the front blade is nestled down in the "V" notch, with the target also in the notch. This drops POI to the 75-100 yard range.
https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1384090_10202343128887740_2016727934_n.jpg
Taking it out to 100 was impossible due to wind gusts by the berm, so I brought it to 75 and shot some off a crude rest. This was just a rough cut mind you, nothing fancy. Just to get a first impression. No handloading involved yet. I kept getting nice groups esp. with heavy ball but then I seemed to have fliers that totally missed the target. I began to realize they weren't missing, they were cutting through the same danged holes! This is a SEVEN round group of 180 grain S&B for example:
https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1393820_10202343125607658_250394432_n.jpg
So unless this is truly tossing random rounds a foot and a half left and right but still hitting the bull for the rest, I think I may have stumbled upon the greatest Mosin-Nagant rifle I've ever owned. I can rule out wind gusts because they would shake the target and I had to wait for them to stop before shooting again.
I'm going to work up some stout D166 loads and see where it takes me. Also some 180 grain Lapuas.
I'm calling it PERKELE
https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1383158_10202343125127646_63697601_n.jpg
So I took it to the range today with my usual kit of mixed rounds I use to see what new Mosins prefer. This one did OK with light ball, throwing a 2 1/2" group to the right of center. It really seemed to prefer heavy ball. This group at 25 yards is the result of changing the front sight's position in the rear. As with most M91's it's calibrated to shoot high and the tangent starts at 200 meters. So to get lower, I drop the tangent down on the barrel and then alter the sight picture so the front blade is nestled down in the "V" notch, with the target also in the notch. This drops POI to the 75-100 yard range.
https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1384090_10202343128887740_2016727934_n.jpg
Taking it out to 100 was impossible due to wind gusts by the berm, so I brought it to 75 and shot some off a crude rest. This was just a rough cut mind you, nothing fancy. Just to get a first impression. No handloading involved yet. I kept getting nice groups esp. with heavy ball but then I seemed to have fliers that totally missed the target. I began to realize they weren't missing, they were cutting through the same danged holes! This is a SEVEN round group of 180 grain S&B for example:
https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1393820_10202343125607658_250394432_n.jpg
So unless this is truly tossing random rounds a foot and a half left and right but still hitting the bull for the rest, I think I may have stumbled upon the greatest Mosin-Nagant rifle I've ever owned. I can rule out wind gusts because they would shake the target and I had to wait for them to stop before shooting again.
I'm going to work up some stout D166 loads and see where it takes me. Also some 180 grain Lapuas.
I'm calling it PERKELE
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