First Outing with my Mosin M38

SeamusMac

SeamusMac

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Hey guys n gals,

I took my Mosin Nagant M38 out to the range yesterday for the first time with a couple of buddies of mine and I'm appalled at how poorly I shot with it! We were shooting from the 100 meter point at what I believe was a 6" steel plate and I only hit 1/20 :confused: I know this rifle is capable of at least 6"@100m because my friend was doing it with my rifle shortly after I shot.

This rifle is supposed to be my deer rifle for next year and if I can't get it to do at least 6" at 100m off a rest then something needs to be done. So I'd like to hear some CGN'ers chime in and help me make a decision.

Should I get an S&K Scout Mount (or something similar) or go for a set of Mojo peep sights? They both cost about that same and I have a red dot for the S&K so don't factor in the cost of adding optics to the S&K mount.

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Well, first, if you know from your friend's score that the rifle is accurate, you know you'll need to figure out why you were shooting off target; jolted trigger pull? Focussing on the rear sight instead of the front? etc.

Next, I know S&K make good "no gunsmith" mounts, so that probably applies to the Mosin. I do have a scoped M44, not with a S&K mount though, but given the chance, I may get that mount and swap it with the one I currently have. I have a long-eye relief scope on it and grouping is good, and the scope keeps its zero, so for short-range deer, it probably is more than apt.

Lou
 
Move up closer.
Get on it at 50yd or even 25yd , you'll be able to see whats up .
Don't forget to shoot in the position that you'll likely use when hunting.

...f'r m'self , it will likely be out of a lawn chair , in the "sloutch position"...;)
 
What ammo did you get? Heavy or light ball?
Usually, people aim center of the bullseye and hit about one and a half feet over it. Aim at the bottom of the bullseye, preferably a six inches diameter black one.
Focus on the FRONT post, not the target or the rear sight. Squeeeze the trigger.
And finally check the rear sight's adjustment: it may seem obvious but, with short handy rifles, they are often handled near the rear sight and sometimes the slider gets pushed a bit higher and goes unnoticed.
Good shooting!
PP.
 
Ya mine was shooting about a foot high with czech silvertip. Since you can't easily raise the front sight a scout mount is a good option. If the lands in the barrel are well defined it most likely will do 6" groups. If you are more then an inch high at 50 with the irons you will be airmailing at 100. I put 20 shots inside the 6" circle at 100 with scout mount and cheap scope. Great rifles for the price.
 
Your first time with it at the range?

Like Timberlord said, shoot it at 25 yards and 50 before you shoot at 100. And you can't really find out anything by shooting at a gong. Use a paper target, and if you're still unsure about where the gun is grouping for you, use a 200 yard target at 100 yards.

I have a 91/30 MN and it shot several inches low at 25 yards so I adjusted it to hit bang on at 25, then checked it at 50 and then 100 before I went hunting with it.
 
It's a major boomstick of a rifle. I was accurate with my 91/30 till about four shots in, after which I developed a monster flinch. It took alot of dry firing and airgun work to work through it, and get accurate again.

The carbine is even worse.
 
SHOOT! SHOOT! SHOOT! To get comfortable enough to hunt with it, my suggestion is to know exactly how it shoots before you scope it. I know my M38 shoots about 6'' high at 100y. With regards to the whether you put the S&K scope mount or the Mojo Peep sights, go with whatever your the most comfortable with. Personally, i'd go with the scope but thats personal preference.
 
Hey guys, thanks for the input! We were shooting Czech silver tip, so maybe my friend had found the proper point of aim and I was just shooting high. I'll shoot some of my S&B hunting ammo at a big target board next range day and see what's up. Despite the problem being ammo rather then my ability to aim (presumably) I still need to get an adjustable sight. I don't feel aiming at a deer's knees to hit it's vitals.

Bobby, I remember reading your comments on the unpleasantness of shooting MN carbines haha. It's a pretty brutal recoiler, after 20 rounds my shoulder was really sore!
 
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Thanks for the link tony, although I don't like the idea of permanently altering my Mosin, even if I can't shoot it worth a damn haha. Mojo doesn't ship their sights internationally and I'm not willing to go through the hassle of trying to find someone who can get them for me so I'm going to go on the prowl for an S&K (or similar) scout style base. Until then I might experiment with a few ways of altering the height of my front post without drilling/tapping/cutting anything.

You'll have to come to the MVRRC and try it out! PS bring the Garand :D
 
Drill and tap for a p/u type mount. Then heat up the bolt handle with an acetelene torch and bend 'er up! :dancingbanana::dancingbanana:

Actually my buddy has a scout setup, and it works really well. I tend to hate scout rigs, but even I didn't mind shooting his rig. Best of all is that you can hit consistently out to 300 yards with it.
 
I put a B-Square scout mount on an MN once.

Some say they're no good, but it worked for me.
 
put up a nice big paper target to shoot at...a fig11 or something of that size. You'll find out pretty quick if your problem is breathing or flinching.
 
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