SKS, AK-47, or Mosin Nagant for target shooting at 100 yards?

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Since you said accuracy isn't the be all end all....AK is the way to go. I have a few mosins, a sks, and a saiga conversion. Out of the bunch the saiga is the most fun to shoot, a SHTF rifle, and the most likely to face future legislation banning it.
 
Mosin Nagant Model 91/30

I recommend the Mosin long rifle, the Model 91/30, for any serious target shooting. IMHO the longer barrel is a real advantage, and not just for the longer sight radius. If you think you might get into SERIOUS target shooting, you may wish to spend the $10-$20 premium for a laminated stock, which is more stable than a "regular" wood stock.

The 91/30, for all it's length, isn't a particularly heavy rifle. There is a LOT more gunpowder in the 7.62x54R cartridge than in the 7.62x39. That means the 7.62x54R cartridge will deliver a healthy recoil when fired from a 91/30. I'm "recoil averse", (old fart with arthritus in right shoulder joint) so I use a recoil pad. (Cabela's has one with velcro for easy on/off - I also use it on my K31s, 7.5x55 Swede, 8mm Mausers and M1 Garand.)

The 91/30 will be the cheapest of the three rifles in initial cost and in ammunition supply. I checked ammo prices today and 7.62x39 is more than double the cost of 7.62x54R at my usual sources.
 
Another vote for the mosin. I love my '47' M44. pristine bore, nice bluing (by Russian standards), nice wood, Matching #'s All for $65 at a gunshow last summer. Cheap to shoot, and a real boomer (not to mention that fireball). I recently just received a lamanate stocked M91/30, that was in very good condition for about $100. Careful though, Mosin's can be habit forming. :evil:
 
Another vote for Mosin

Not that x39 is expensive ammo, but the 54r is definitely cheaper. Plus, for target shooting, working the bolt and reloading after 5 rounds slows things down, which helps you take a break and relax a bit. Sometimes you get in the zone and just work the bolt and keep going, but I find myself losing my concentration in the middle of a string with a semi. Maybe the brain needs to use some bigger muscles in between rounds to stay focused.

Anyway, I put a Mojo sight on my 91/30 and love it (being able to zero precisely for whatever crate of ammo is a nice thing) I just picked up the aperture pack, so next time I hit the range I'm hoping that the smallest peep will shrink my groups some.
 
I've shot one of each.


Norinco SKS: Fun to shoot all day, burning through ammo as fast as I can shove stripper clips in. I could hit a 10" dinner plate at almost 200 yds. 70% of the time. I don't consider myself a shooter with even decent skill.

For kick: Have a friend hold their closed fist out straight in front of them. Touch his fist with your chest, then have them bend their arm while you walk two inches forward. With their fist still touching your chest, have them punch you.;)



Mosin-Nagant M38: short barreled carbine. Ammo can be found under 15 cents a round if you shop around. Never shot it more than 100 yds, but my experience is that folks like it better than an AK. Just a louder bang, more recoil, seeming better accuracy, more "gun experience".

For kick: Do the friends fist to your chest thing while thier arm is straight. Have them pull their fist back 3-4 inches. Let them punch you again. Notice a difference?:neener:


AK: My experience was relatively forgetable.:evil:
 
Get a Mosin. The 91/30 will kick least between the 3 variants (M38, 91/30, M44). IMO, it kicks about the same as my Mini 30 did. Is you sit there and tense up, it'll bruise and it'll ache after awhile. If you relax, stay loose, control your breathing, and let it "suprise" you, the recoil will be far less. It is the most accurate but you'll need to check the throat and crown and be picky if you're looking for the best accuracy. The best part is when you cycle 5-10 rounds quickly through it and watch the cosmoline bake out of the fore grips.
 
I am limited to these choices in terms of price (read: Poor college student).
Click to expand...

You are probably looking at a mosin and a small pile of corrosive ammo.

If you look around enough, you will find someone wanting to dump an SKS
at a comparable price. The russian ammo is cheaper, non-corrosive and far
more pleasant to shoot. Stripper clips are nice, but you can also top load
one at a time. Don't buy one of the aftermarket SKS 30 rd'ers --many of
those have problems anyway.

It doesn't sound like an AK would be cost-effective for you at this time since
it will be at least double the price for just the rifle. Then you might want to
do something crazy like buy a chinese drum and slap a kobra on top.
 
I too own all three and my pick is the SKS.

My Mosins are all carbines (M44's, M38, type 56) and I use a Limbsaver slip-on recoil pad on them all. Awesome kick and fireball but can be scary for new shooters if you bring a friend or girlfriend to the range.
My AK is an Armory USA AK, made in Houston. I'd like to think it's more accurate than the average AK, especially since I paid alot more for it than the usual AK. But, let's ne honest, an AK isn't going to win any accuracy competition. It's fun for plinking but I find the stock is a little small and ergo's suck. It's a keeper but not my #1 range gun.
My SKS however are a blast. I recently bought the two that I have, a 1950 Russian and a 1980-ish Norinco (bought NIB, never fired!). Recoil is alot lighter than the AK ( and WAY lighter than the Mosin) and they seem to be more accurate than AK's. There seems to be alot of parts available for them and they're really simple to disassemble and clean.
 
I vote AK. The recoil of the 7.62X39 is somewhat akin to a .30-.30 except that the mechanism of the rifle absorbs most of it. I don't believe these rifles will be around long (or the SKS's either) and are worth have to shoot cheap as well.
 
I've owned and shot SKS's and Mosins. Their both fun, except for accuracy I'd lean toward the Mosin. However, the suggestion about the Swiss K-31 is a good one, too. The ammo is a bit higher, but they are affordable ($150), are a pleasure to shoot (very smooth, Swiss-tuned trigger), and dead-on accurate.
 
I wonder though, What gun did the guy end up with?
Click to expand...

If you really must know!

I have decided I am going to get a pair of Mosin Nagants (had to wait until after x-mas!). A 91/30 for main target shooting/plinking and an M38 for secondary plinking and hog hunting.

Following that an SKS or AK is on my list.

I would like to thank everyone for any and all suggestions in an attempt to persuade me. It is appreciated.
 
None of the above?

Most any decent .22 will suffice, and outshoot all of them for less money and with less recoil.

(Some Mosins are accurate, of course, but they're the worst-kicking and most expensive to shoot, of the three.)
 
Get a good rifle, then.

Shooting targets at 100 yards is no fun unless you have a rifle that shoots MOA.

Shooting at gallon jugs is fun with an so-so rifle, but not targets.

A .223 with a good barrel is a good place to start. An AR or a bolt gun.

Heavy barrel .308s are readily available, but ammo gets expensive.

If you want cheap recoil and don't care about what you hit, shoot the combloc gun. If you want to hit small things at long distances, get something else.

Or use bigger targets. That's my solution, if I want to shoot something fun but not so accurate.:)
 
See: Poor college student.

Hey now, commies made reliable rifles. Ugly, sub-accurate, heavy....but reliable.

I am not looking for 1 MOA at 100 yards at this time. In due time I will come back to the right side. Never fear.
 
I have all three and I would rank them as follows:

For target/accuracy: Mosin, SKS, AK
Sight radius on my AK underfolder isn't very long.

For fun factor: AK, SKS, Mosin
Mosin is fun because of the big blast factor, but I can't shoot 200 rounds without paying for it later, as in sore shoulder.

Mosin is cheapest and AK most expensive.
 
I saw a test a while back on one of the Mosin Nagant websites (or was it Surplusrifle.com?) where they compared a Mosin Nagant carbine against a Russian SKS for accuracy. It was a wash. They were pretty much equal.

The Mosin does have the advantage of shooting much cheaper ammo.

Get the 91/30 (unless you can scrape the funds together for a Finn M39 which I highly recommend). The longer rifle not only has a longer sight radius, but also will be a little heavier to absorb some of the recoil.

Buy light ball ammo (around 147 grain). It will be easier on your shoulder. Light ball often shoots to a lower point of impact also. Most milsurp rifles shoot very high at 100 yards, so this will help a little.

Get a recoil pad. I really like this one at Cabela's. It slips on and uses a velcro strap so you can easily move it from rifle to rifle in the same shooting session.

Have fun! Mosin Nagant's are a blast! :)
 
What if you hold a Mosin M38 like a shotgun will the recoil just push your shoulder back like a push instead of hitting it like a punch?
I have a 12 gauge shotgun it has a rubber pad and I want to know how it compares to a Mosin m38 in recoil.
 
What do you mean "hold it like a shotgun?"

Proper shouldering is the same.

A Mosin has much faster recoil, since it has a much higher-velocity projectile. Feels different from a shotgun, one way or another.
 
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