7.62 ammunition in the Yukon?

[Freyr_255]

Hi, first post on these forums.

So I just moved up here this summer and plan on going out hunting next fall since I no longer get free meat(ranch raised...I was spoiled I know..). I was looking into getting a Mosin Nagant but I'm unsure of how available the ammunition is in Whitehorse(7.62x54R). It seems like online retailers will not ship to the territories and I don't want to buy this rifle if I cannot find any hunting rounds for it. The alternative is to get a higher priced 30-06 of some sort which I'm trying to avoid due to being poor-ish.

Following that I was also looking at getting a SKS for play at some point so is there much 7.62x39 kicking around?

 

[bearhunter]

Freyr, in your case, why would you want a firearm that is difficult to buy ammunition for? Look on the EE for one of the Israeli K98s that have been bubbaed in 7.62x51(308Win) or even a decent Lee Enfield No4. All of that ammunition is available in your neck of the woods. They are all almost identical in power factor as well.

The Mosin Nagant is a decent rifle and will serve well. It was designed to work in the climate you now live in. It certainly leaves a lot to be desired as a hunting rifle.

As far as shipping to your location. It is costly. If memory serves me after 35+ years you are about 100km south of Whitehorse, on the highway. There are a lot of truckers that go through your area. Many of them are in Calgary or Edmonton. They can pick up a case of ammunition for you easily and bring it up for you as personal cargo, if you do something for them in return.

I still think, IMHO you should pick up something other than a MN for an all purpose rifle. They are long and can be awkward to carry. The full length stocks may or may not cause you problems. A No4 MKI Lee Enfield with a composite stock that is bedded properly would suit you to a T. Privi Partisan hunting ammunition can be had for under a dollar a round in 174 grain SP. $200 would give you a couple hundred rounds of reloadable ammunition and another $200 would get you a low end Lee hand loading kit and enough primers, bullets and powder to load another couple hundred rounds. Get in touch with Mystic Player. He can problably set you up pretty well as far as the LEE makes a couple of cheap loading presses for under $50. A set of neck sizing dies, for $30. If you're only going to load for one rifle, they are Ideal for your purposes. The one Lee press, including dies, powder measures, funnels etc would fit into a small shoe box. If you bought bullets, primers, powder, press kit from the same supplier and had them box it all up with some photocopied instructions you would be well set up.

 

[Freyr_255]

Thanks for the reply. I'm actually probably going to go a route similar to what you suggest as I've done some more digging around and have found a few other cheap rifles. I wasn't that dead set on the MN just because I was aware that ammunition could be an issue...its just the price of them is hard to pass up.

As for a cheap hand loading kit I'll have to look into that a little more as well. I've always wanted to do my own reloading but the start up cost has previously been a major deterrent.

*edit*

Just noticed I now have access to the EE forum and a quick look tells me I'll probably be buying from there.

 

[fiddler]

The Mosin Nagant is a decent rifle and will serve well. It was designed to work in the climate you now live in. It certainly leaves a lot to be desired as a hunting rifle.

Whats left to be desired? Sounds biased. I think its a great hunting rifle and I used mine all last fall. You can buy commercial loads in 150 or 180Gr soft points that puts you into the 30.06 class of bullet performance. Although 30.06 is easier to buy ammo for locally, its not like you can't obtain a few boxes of soft points for several seasons of hunting. This is the way things are done up north.





I was born and grew up in the Northwest Territories over 45 years ago as my Father was a radio operator for Transport Canada ( later dept of communications). Also later lived in Whitehorse and Teslin.Everything came up on Barge unless you were wealthy and could have stuff flown in. My Father used to buy 200 rounds at a time. There was always someone who was making the drive south and return. Everything we have available here is also available up north, it just needs a bit of planning.


I won't say that a Mosin is better than a 30.06, but you can buy a lot of Russian soft points and a Mosin with what you save on buying the 30.06 rifle alone. I have both and like hunting either of them. Both work well in thick bush, but I shoot irons on the Mosin and won't get the range I do with the 30.06 and the scope. I rarely take shots at more than 350 yards and most moose I shoot at are less than 75 paces. Both rifles will do a nasty job on a moose. I won't say how you should spend your money, but 500 bucks can get you a new Mosin and a pile of ammo, even if it temporary for a few years until you can buy a more premium rifle.

 

[Freyr_255]

I actually just bit the bullet and bought one of the Enfields off the EE for a steal which has solved my problem nicely. More or less the initial sparking of this thread was that I was trying to find a cheap rifle with irons and all of the enfields I've seen around they were asking more than I was willing to pay(until I joined this forum of course...makes me think I should have done this a month ago..).

I'm probably still going to get a Mosin Nagant at some point in the future though becasue of all the reading I've been doing on them they sound like a fun rifle. And I just kind of like the old military rifles.

Thanks for the replies guys!

 

[sunray]

Get into reloading.
"...just kind of like the old military rifles..." There is something about 'em commercial hunting rifles just don't have. An M1 Rifle is like no other rifle I've ever fired.

 

[bros]

Check with hogan's in whitehorse they carry some of the not too common calibres, I was suprised to find 9.3x62 so who knows. I was there about a month ago and they had crates of surplus 7.62x39 for the sks.

 

[fiddler]

There are lots of Enfields up north and you should have no problems finding ammo. The Federal government gave a million of them away to the Natives and Inuit after the war and they are still being used today.

 

[angrysoldier]

i just has my m44 carbine out yesterday and put 100 rounds through her. what a fun little rifle.

 

[Freyr_255]

Check with hogan's in whitehorse they carry some of the not too common calibres, I was suprised to find 9.3x62 so who knows. I was there about a month ago and they had crates of surplus 7.62x39 for the sks.

Ok good to know. Reason for asking in the first place is I'm down south still for the holidays and was contemplating buying something here and shipping it up. Otherwise I would have just asked around town on my own

And I don't know about a MILLION Enfields being given away...entire population of all 3 territories combined is like 100,000. That would mean about 10 Enfields per person. Why do I like the sound of this? But really most of the inuit hunt with them and all the Rangers still pack them. Heard some impressive shooting stories from those guys. Alot of them can hit a running caribou at 2-300 yards with irons.

Methinks you guys are going to be a bad influence on a poor soul. Came here looking for a cheap rifle and I'll leave with a full set of reloading dies and 20 rifles.

 

[fiddler]

And I don't know about a MILLION Enfields being given away...entire population of all 3 territories combined is like 100,000. That would mean about 10 Enfields per person.

Inuit, AND Natives ( all the provinces and Territories), as well as Metis Peoples, and those sold to Trappers, minors, and poor farmers for ten bucks a piece.