That is the only word that I can use to describe it.
I had my first day off in the last 2 weeks, so despite the Colorado Low that hit southern Ontario I went shooting.
I wasn't concerned with 1 or 2 MOA groups, I just had to put some lead down range (Ok, steel too, as I was shooting some mulsurp). I did have some 'testing' that I wanted to do. Nothing super precise, just proof of concept type testing. (more on this to follow)
This is how it looked the whole time I was out. I was shooting prone using the sandbag in the lower right as a forearm rest. I would lay a tarp down when I was shooting. Even so, by the end my pants were wet.
I was glad that I decided to change into my rubber boots, as the field was still very muddy
The first 'test' that I wanted to was to test the new firing pin in my M1917. The old one had been broken before and repaired by a smith (previous to my ownership) and broke again in my ownership. So I bought a new one and wanted to make sure that it worked. I shot 1 round off into the hill, then shot 14 more to see my group. I was using factory Remington Core-lokt 180gr. Targets were 12 inch 'tin hats' with a 2"x3" square, 3.5" and 5" inner circles. (All targets were of this type, and about 100yds away.)
I must have missed with one, and I pulled a couple, but it was a 5 inch group, and I am happy with that. Good enough to shoot at Huns and good enough to take hunting. All I need to do is drift the sight over a little. I do want to try this with some 150gr bullets and see how that runs, but I will wait for some nicer weather.
Next up was my Karabiner 98. When I took it out of the case it started cursing in German at me. I guess the weather brought back some bad memories of the Eastern Front. This was the first time that I shot this rifle since I bought it in September. Some of you may remember, it was sporterized and I found a stock for it to give it it's dignity back. Was shooting PPU 139gr soft point.
This is how it is shooting with the action dropped in to the non-matching stock. So, with a little tweaking it should tighten up some more. I figure it was shooting so high b/c the sights are regulated for 198gr bullets and I was shooting 139's, thus they were going faster. With heavier bullets it would be good enough to shoot at Commies and good enough to take hunting. (7 inch group. Mind the high flier and low flier). I think I will be waiting till spring to work on the mating of the action and stock, so I can take it apart and tweek it then and there, and not worry about everything getting wet or lost in the snow.
Finally out came the mosin. I took it out of the case and it just smiled.
Shooting standard light ball surplus. With the bayonet (Triangles. Cirles and squares are the M1917 and K98)
No bayonet (no markings) At this point I was starting to get cold b/c of the wet pants, and glasses were starting to fog with every breath. I pulled quite a few of the no bayonet shots. Should have worn the insulated coveralls, oh well.
Nothing spectacular for military grade ammo. When I first shot this gun, nearly a year ago, with PPU 182gr FMJ I was able to get a 4" groups. I did notice when I got home that the action screws had loosened so I'll have to put a little BLO on the screws to lock them in place. Another one of my projects for the new year is to work up a load for this b/c we all know that these are very capable rifles.
When I was leaving, I had taken several armloads of stuff back to the vehicle, with the Mosin and ammo box as the last to go. When I went to put the Mosin away it looked at me, said "Tovarishch", and smiled. Well! I couldn't just put it away after that. So I grabbed a few more chargers out of the ammo box, picked a clump of mud in the field and shot away at it. The whole way home I was serenaded by Red Army Choir songs, which thankfully droned out the grumbling of the Mauser. Despite being cold and wet I was smiling the whole way.
I did learn that for some reason I shoot everything about 6" to the right. I first noticed this in the summer whilst shooting an enfield. Oh well. get the drift out and problem solved.
I also made my New Years resolution already. I have to get out shooting a lot more. Perhaps I'll have to get a range membership. Right now I've been using a field behind my friends house, which is unusable when the crops are on.
По долинам и по взгорьям
Шла дивизия вперед
Чтобы с боем взять Приморье -
Белой армии оплот
Наливалися знамена
Кумачом последних ран
Шли лихие эскадроны
Приамурских партизан
Этих дней не смолкнет слава
Не померкнет никогда
Партизанские отряды
Занимали города
И останутся как в сказках
Как манящие огни
Штурмовые ночи Спасска
Волочаевские дни
Разгромили атаманов
Разогнали воевод
И на Тихом океане
Свой закончили поход
(A little easier than reading cyrillic)
[youtube]L6MuBslefto[/youtube]
Post Script. Oh great, now look what I've done. The enfields are singing "It's a Long Road to Tipperary"
I had my first day off in the last 2 weeks, so despite the Colorado Low that hit southern Ontario I went shooting.
I wasn't concerned with 1 or 2 MOA groups, I just had to put some lead down range (Ok, steel too, as I was shooting some mulsurp). I did have some 'testing' that I wanted to do. Nothing super precise, just proof of concept type testing. (more on this to follow)
This is how it looked the whole time I was out. I was shooting prone using the sandbag in the lower right as a forearm rest. I would lay a tarp down when I was shooting. Even so, by the end my pants were wet.
I was glad that I decided to change into my rubber boots, as the field was still very muddy
The first 'test' that I wanted to was to test the new firing pin in my M1917. The old one had been broken before and repaired by a smith (previous to my ownership) and broke again in my ownership. So I bought a new one and wanted to make sure that it worked. I shot 1 round off into the hill, then shot 14 more to see my group. I was using factory Remington Core-lokt 180gr. Targets were 12 inch 'tin hats' with a 2"x3" square, 3.5" and 5" inner circles. (All targets were of this type, and about 100yds away.)
I must have missed with one, and I pulled a couple, but it was a 5 inch group, and I am happy with that. Good enough to shoot at Huns and good enough to take hunting. All I need to do is drift the sight over a little. I do want to try this with some 150gr bullets and see how that runs, but I will wait for some nicer weather.
Next up was my Karabiner 98. When I took it out of the case it started cursing in German at me. I guess the weather brought back some bad memories of the Eastern Front. This was the first time that I shot this rifle since I bought it in September. Some of you may remember, it was sporterized and I found a stock for it to give it it's dignity back. Was shooting PPU 139gr soft point.
This is how it is shooting with the action dropped in to the non-matching stock. So, with a little tweaking it should tighten up some more. I figure it was shooting so high b/c the sights are regulated for 198gr bullets and I was shooting 139's, thus they were going faster. With heavier bullets it would be good enough to shoot at Commies and good enough to take hunting. (7 inch group. Mind the high flier and low flier). I think I will be waiting till spring to work on the mating of the action and stock, so I can take it apart and tweek it then and there, and not worry about everything getting wet or lost in the snow.
Finally out came the mosin. I took it out of the case and it just smiled.
Shooting standard light ball surplus. With the bayonet (Triangles. Cirles and squares are the M1917 and K98)
No bayonet (no markings) At this point I was starting to get cold b/c of the wet pants, and glasses were starting to fog with every breath. I pulled quite a few of the no bayonet shots. Should have worn the insulated coveralls, oh well.
Nothing spectacular for military grade ammo. When I first shot this gun, nearly a year ago, with PPU 182gr FMJ I was able to get a 4" groups. I did notice when I got home that the action screws had loosened so I'll have to put a little BLO on the screws to lock them in place. Another one of my projects for the new year is to work up a load for this b/c we all know that these are very capable rifles.
When I was leaving, I had taken several armloads of stuff back to the vehicle, with the Mosin and ammo box as the last to go. When I went to put the Mosin away it looked at me, said "Tovarishch", and smiled. Well! I couldn't just put it away after that. So I grabbed a few more chargers out of the ammo box, picked a clump of mud in the field and shot away at it. The whole way home I was serenaded by Red Army Choir songs, which thankfully droned out the grumbling of the Mauser. Despite being cold and wet I was smiling the whole way.
I did learn that for some reason I shoot everything about 6" to the right. I first noticed this in the summer whilst shooting an enfield. Oh well. get the drift out and problem solved.
I also made my New Years resolution already. I have to get out shooting a lot more. Perhaps I'll have to get a range membership. Right now I've been using a field behind my friends house, which is unusable when the crops are on.
По долинам и по взгорьям
Шла дивизия вперед
Чтобы с боем взять Приморье -
Белой армии оплот
Наливалися знамена
Кумачом последних ран
Шли лихие эскадроны
Приамурских партизан
Этих дней не смолкнет слава
Не померкнет никогда
Партизанские отряды
Занимали города
И останутся как в сказках
Как манящие огни
Штурмовые ночи Спасска
Волочаевские дни
Разгромили атаманов
Разогнали воевод
И на Тихом океане
Свой закончили поход
(A little easier than reading cyrillic)
[youtube]L6MuBslefto[/youtube]
Post Script. Oh great, now look what I've done. The enfields are singing "It's a Long Road to Tipperary"
