Mosin-Nagants in 7.62 x 54R: How good a hunting rifle?

[Eleanors38]

Cabela's has this Mosin Nagant from "Russian Surplus" for sale in the Austin area. It goes for $149.99, and is described as in "excellent condition," although that may be ad. hype and not NRA rated. It is accompanied by Herter's ammo for $10.99/box.

Is this a good deer rifle? Are there periods when the rifle's quality dropped off? What are the prospects for continued ammo availability? Is it a decent target rifle? Is the posted price reasonable? What should I watch out for? Does Cabela's stand by the rifle?

Thanks for your input.

E38

[ManiacJoe]

1. If I remember correctly, it would not be one of my hunting choices.

I used to work with a bunch of guys that loved to buy them.

The ammo is certainly capable; the Russian army still uses it for sniping, etc., like the US army uses the .308/7.62x51.

The rifles are cheap and fun to shoot, but no one bragged about their accuracy, if I remember correctly (not a safe bet). One of the running gags was that you could improve the accuracy by attaching the bayonet. (I don't know how true that was.)

[oneshooter]

3. The MN accuracy does improve with the bayonet mounted.

There was no scabbard developed or issued with the MN. It was designed to be shot with it attached. Accuracy does improve with it on, from about 5" to 3 1/2 at 100 yards. All of the ones That I have seen have been arsenal reworked and in near new condition. There are scope mounts and new stocks available as aftermarket, along with JSP ammo. $149 is a good price as the stocks are getting low.

http://7.62x54r.net/

[EX500rider]

10. My shooting range made me fold my bayonet back down when i tried shooting with it deployed..

...i had read that they were more accurate with them out...I thought it was funny, 50+ people all with loaded guns and you worry about my bayonet? 'Cause yeah, THAT's the weapon of choice for attacks at gun ranges in session...lol

[rafeh1]

2. mosin nagant

Was used by comrade valery zaitsev when he dispatched 250+ nazis at stalingrad. If it good enough for dispatching nazis it should be good enough for deer..

[tularetom]

4. For the money you can't do any better

Check the rear sight before you buy one, some of them are calibrated in some weird Russian units that don't easily translate into yards.

I have three of them of which I've actually fired two. They are pretty accurate out to 250 yards which is the limit of my back yard range. If you want you can sporterize the rifle with a composite stock and add a scope mount for a couple hundred dollars.

The best part is that the ammunition is dirt cheap. It's also the worst part. You can buy a "sardine can" of 440 rounds (150 gr FMJ) for less than a hundred bucks. Problem is they have Berdan type primers which makes them useless for reloading and the compounds used are hygroscopic and corrosive. You probably need to field strip the rifle and clean the bore after each use. US type ammo with Boxer primers and brass cases is available but it's hella expensive compared to the surplus stuff. You can reuse the cases and bullets are available for reloading.

At the price I'd recommend it. The first one I bought was probably 5 years ago and it cost me $79. They are now going for about $150 wherever you see them.

[Valakut]

5. The 54R:

+Can take any game in North America (comparable to .308)
+Simplistic rifle design
+Surplus ammo is very cheap (~25c/rd)
+Archangel now makes a pretty decent aftermarket poly stock
+Cheap ammo means literally more bang for your buck and range time

-No easy optics option which can make going past 100 yards with irons tricky
-Trigger pull tends to be rather long, gritty, and 8-12#. Gunsmiths can often fix this for cheap(<$50) or you can invest in something like a Timney Trigger($100).
-Surplus has Berdan primers (corrosive) so you need to clean that same day or risk barrel damage
-Long wooden stock gets heavy on treks and tries to snag brush constantly
-Cosmoline (the thick grease Russians used for long term firearm storage and needs to be thoroughly cleaned off before use)

Overall unbeatable for the price but don't expect a 100+ year old rifle design to compete with a brand new $800 R700. Also be wary of "sporterized" Mosin-Nagants as they tend to be horrific DIY Bubba gunsmithing projects.

[Eleanors38]

6. Thanks for the info. Maybe I'll hold off on getting one,

and stick to my plans for getting a Ruger American .22 to emulate using my R700 .270 on the range. I need an inexpensive option to practice -- too many deer-scattering efforts in the last few years. It ain't the R700 (1" groups)), it's me!

[Valakut]

7. Another view about purchasing a Ruger bolt 22

is comparing the investment of $350 on a rifle(this is just the Ruger and not accounting for glass, ammo, or any accessories) vs how much training ~420 (or more) rounds of .270 would provide. A potential downside is .22 is very hard to find for reasonable prices. Personally I would value training time with the caliber I would hunt with over getting a different caliber rifle and having to acclimate back and forth. Your preference may vary and honestly range time with either beats range time with neither!

As for 1" groupings at the range not translating to 1" groupings for the hunt...a controlled and "sterile" environment like a public range is worlds away from being miles in the woods on rough terrain, poor target visibility, and having no benchrest to pamper your aim. A nice training drill I made for myself since I have a good amount of wooded land is have 50/100 yard target sheets and deer silhouettes placed in several areas. Treat them like a real deer (spot/stalk/position) and strive for that golden double lung shot. It really helped reduce my spoiled shots from getting in a hurry and/or adrenaline giving me shaky hands. Another trick is scouting and cultivating areas where you may hunt. Simple things like walking out and noting where the game activity levels are before the season begins, (gently) pruning a shooting lane where applicable, finding out if that awesome hunting spot you saw in the afternoon actually has the sun blinding in the morning, etc. The more you prepare the little things before you run out with a rifle means better and easier focus for taking the one shot that matters the most.

"Fortune favors the prepared mind." -Louis Pasteur

[Eleanors38]

8. I generally follow the advice you gave, as I rarely hunt from a stand...

or prepared blind. I prefer finding a tree & brush to comfortably hide in, or to still hunt, but most ranges afford few opportunities to practice even basic techniques, like prone or off-hand shooting. I usually shoot well, but have had to fire back over my right side when being right-handed, or not better anticipating my shots and squeezing off a round when the deer takes a step. Just need more practice!

This year I got an 8-point buck shooting opposite from a sitting position; he went down within 50 yds. And got a doe poking through brush, also from sitting position. A yr earlier, hunting from the exact locales, I spooked one and missed another!

[Brown Coat]

9. I agree with everything valakut said.

Be sure to check your states hunting regs for the type of ammo to use. Soft point ammo is easy to find with a simple google search. If you reload I believe bullet diameter is around .311 not .308. Lastly try not to shoot Steel at less than 100m most surplus ammo has a mild steel core that tends to bounce.