Hunting with a milsurp?

I enjoy handling a milsurp.
I enjoy the reliability of using one.
I enjoy hunting.

Summed up : I enjoy using reliable (pretty much all) milsurp. rifles when hunting.
 
i think its safe to say that most of the hunting done in this contry for the last 50 years have been done with a milsurp. the sporterise lee enfield, i mean they are just everywhere
 
I'll spout-off and say the Lee Enfield has dropped more big game in Canada in the last 50yrs than any other rifle .;)
I've always used my '43 Longbranch for hunting.....next season will be 35yrs with it . Out of 25 -30 deer I've taken with it , I lost 1 buck and that was my fault for not knowing MY limitations...I took the shot while the buck was on a full run and I gut shot it . We found it at the end of the season and the wolves had their fill ....hair and chunks o' buck everywhere . I was not impressed with myself .
The one and only time I went moose hunting I took a cow at aprox 150yd and she folded on the spot ( using Wincester Super X CXP3 180gr sp's ) . After seeing that I came to a (pre)conclusion that moose are wimps compared to whitetail deer ..lol ;) .Those whitetail critters will run dead and not know it .
Wether it's a 1100lb cow moose or a 200lb deer to drag out of the bush , a rifle thats a couple pounds heavier than the fancy sport rifles is insignificant.
....and another thing...
Sport rifles are like new cars nowadays...I can't tell one from another until I see what the name tag/stamp is. :p
 
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I took a wild boar with a M96 6.5 mm Swede Mauser. I have taken a good sized buck with a M48a 8mm Mauser, a doe with my scrubbed K98k 8mm Mauser, another doe with my M38 6.5 mm Swede Mauser and a small buck with a 1935 7.62 Peruvain Mauser. All were one shot affairs. Milsurps are great hunting rifles, provided you hunt to your limitations.

I also shot a bear with my 91/30 Finned Nagant, but I lost it. I chalk that up to poor ammo selection. I will use the S & B 180 grain from now on when hunting with any Nagant. The Bell 148 grain stuff is just not reliable, IMHO.
 
I took another white tail last fall with a #4 Lee Enfield Long Branch, full military competition vintage model. 1shot in the lung, the deer was down for the count within seconds.
All .303 Lee Enfield models are excellent big game rifles in N. America. You can work up some heavy or lighter loads. Optics, aperature or V iron sights. Sporterized, full military, sniper or an accurized service rifle.
 
I hunted one year with an SVT40 - got some interesting looks from other hunterswith their remchesters. One guy told me I was breaking the law by hunting with a machinegun... actually, that satified me a great deal because I'm a #### disturber by nature... lol...
 
Picture of me and my "older" milsurp Snider!
northernguidewithtrophy.jpg

cat
 
I have been pondering this, since I am about to take my hunter's course this weekend. What makes a good deer caliber for (Québec sti) deer? I see above that many mention the 6.5x55, however I was told by some old-timers that you need .30 or more for deer. I reload 160gr round-nose 6.5x55 and wonder if it is too tame a bullet to take down a deer, should the opportunity ever present itself.
 
Proutfoo said:
I have been pondering this, since I am about to take my hunter's course this weekend. What makes a good deer caliber for (Québec sti) deer? I see above that many mention the 6.5x55, however I was told by some old-timers that you need .30 or more for deer. I reload 160gr round-nose 6.5x55 and wonder if it is too tame a bullet to take down a deer, should the opportunity ever present itself.
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I handlod the 160 Seirra for several different people who shoot the 6.5X55
One fella in particular has shot a number of moose and really big mule deer as well as White tails.

The "oldtimers" you are talking to don't know squat!
The Swede is the caliber of choice in Norway and Sweden for moose, so I would say " Oh YA! Go for it!!" as far as white tails go.
The 160 has a great killing power, due to its construction and the speed that the 6.5X55 propels it .
Fine round, I wouldn't hesitate to hunt with one again myself.
Cat
 
well the swedes use 6.5mm surplus m96 am m38 fer moose so it should make any cdn deer as satisfied customer as well.
ok and........
only missed 1 time with a milsurp, took a shot at a buck with an m71 mauser / 1871/74..........( 43 mauser/ 11mm ) didnt even come close....i retired that old gun soon after. shoulda known better.
 
Got my buck last year with a bubba'd No4 MkI. This year I intend to use the same gun or my bubba'd M98 in my wildcat 8mm ARP, but will have an additional gun at the ready if I have an extra tag and: have already taken a good deer, or I am presented with a doe under appropriate conditions, i.e. at a comfortable range for the gun. I would use either: a full military Swiss Vetterli; or my bubba'd Turk Mauser in 8x63mm Swedish.
 
Many years ago I remember asking my dad once if a certain caliber could kill a deer-and he said''sure-if you hold it straight''and there is more truth in that statement than most of the arguements pro and con most calibers
 
I know people that head or neckshot deer with a .223, and people who hunt deer with a .338. I would not recommend a .223 unless your rifle is accurate and you're a very good shot, but most things in between are fine. Personally, I think .243 and up is the best for deer.

-Rohann
 
Proutfoo said:
I have been pondering this, since I am about to take my hunter's course this weekend. What makes a good deer caliber for (Québec sti) deer? I see above that many mention the 6.5x55, however I was told by some old-timers that you need .30 or more for deer. I reload 160gr round-nose 6.5x55 and wonder if it is too tame a bullet to take down a deer, should the opportunity ever present itself.
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That is unmitigated horsesh*t! The 6.5 x 55 is an extremely effective deer cartidge. I used the Remmington factory 140 grain to great effect on deer and wild boar.

Same old timers would probably tell you that 270, 7mm, or 260 are not good for deer either. There are thousands of dead deer who would beg to differ. I would not hesitate to use either 6.5 x 55 or 7 x 57 for any animal in North America, with the exception of grizzly or brown bear.
 
catnthehatt, nice use of the Snider! What did you use to hold the shot?

Back when they were still just rifles, a buddy of mine took a moose IIRC with his Bren. Set himself up on a hill since he didn't feel the need to carry the 24 pound Bren around. ;)

I never used mine for big game, but my 8mm Bren was real fun to shoot gophers with. :)
 
I use an Israeli converted K98 in .308 for hunting. I hunt with some buddies in the bush in Saskatchewan so the irons work great for me. I don't mind the weight of it, didn't bother me. Great caliber to have in a milsurp. You can practice with all the cheap Port 7.62 milsurp off season and then buy or load the SP stuff in season.
 
I have taken allot of deer, and a few coyotes with my fin mosin m91. I would say learn to shoot with the plain iron sights... but bring bino's for sure. I also killed two deer with my polish m44... but man is that thing loud... so I keep using my m91.
 
Proutfoo said:
I have been pondering this, since I am about to take my hunter's course this weekend... 160gr round-nose 6.5x55 and wonder if it is too tame a bullet to take down a deer, should the opportunity ever present itself.
Click to expand...

Hell no! And if the gun has a good barrel it is going to be very accurate. Personally, I load with the 140 grain Nosler partition.
 
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