Looking for a good shooting milsurp

ArmedGinger

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Decided I want another milsurp but I'm looking for something that shoots decently accurate. I'm not talking a precision rifle but something certainly better than a 4 MOA. So what are the options for something like that? Obviously ammo needs to be available for it so I was sort of looking for 308, 3006, or 303 since I can reload for those easily enough (although for 303 bullet selection is few and far between), thus why I haven't looked into the cheaper K31 rifles (which I love but ammo sucks for them).
 
An 03-A3, in good condition, would work pretty well for you, I think. Also, don't forget the 6.5x55 Swedes - great cartridge, lots of reloading options (not to mention factory - Lapua has lots of options and then you have the brass to reload) and if you can find a late 30s or early 40s example with lots of life left in it, it will shoot the lights out! Happy hunting!!
 
7.5 Swiss is easily loaded by FL sizing .284 Winchester. Use .30 caliber bullets. The Swiss rifles do shoot very well indeed.
Any of the Swedes will be a fine shooter if the bore is crisp. 6.5x55 is available and easy to load.
Actually, most any military rifle will shoot well if in fine internal condition.
The M-1 rifle probably has the best sights.
 
Yes, a Ross with a shiny bore will do very well. There are a lot of dogs, though. An as-issued Ross in suprior shooting condition is going to be one of the more expensive military rifles, though.

The list is long. Ammunition availability either factory or readily handloaded is a convenience factor.
 
I should mention I don't have a reloading setup. I do have a couple of the Lee Classic Hand loading kits for 308, 303, and 30-06. Sadly they don't make any for 7.5x55 or 6.5x55
 
I should mention I don't have a reloading setup. I do have a couple of the Lee Classic Hand loading kits for 308, 303, and 30-06. Sadly they don't make any for 7.5x55 or 6.5x55
Maybe try a Lee handheld press as an inexpensive way to handload? I used to load 7.62x54R in it, worked pretty good until I got a proper reloading bench.
 
A bit of a flex, but if you want a milsusrp shooter that will allow you to challenge yourself at long(er) range, give strong consideration to a sniper or Designated Marksman Rifle configuration. Options and associated price-points range from scoped Swiss K31s to Mosin Nagant Snipers, to M1D Garand Sniper Rifles to arguably the very best of the WW2 Sniper Rifles - the Lee Enfield No 4 Mk 1 (T). The Enfield Sniper is a durable and repeatable system with 1/2 MOA Vertical (Range) and Horizontal (Windage) adjustment "clicks". Care must be taken to ensure that the No 32 Optic is matched to its specific Rifle and Mount so that the scope tube and bore are correctly collimated (bore-sighted). Otherwise, it may not be possible to zero the system due to the limited Windage adjustment (16 MOA) available ini either direction. This is the single, biggest limitation of the No 4 Mk 1(T) Sniper Rifle - the need for Rifles/Mounts and Scopes to be properly matched by serial number to form a 3-part (Scope, Mount, Rifle) System (plus numerous accessories).

This example, an unissued late-WW2 manufactured Canadian Long Branch No 4 Mk 1*(T) with matching No 32 Mk 3 Scope and Mount is complete and correct with issued ancilliary equipment ranging from (Right to Left) a Scout Regiment Spotting Telescope, a Compass, a Time-Piece, Binoculars, a matching Scope Case, Sniper's Camouflage Denison Smock, a (rather useless) Mk 4 "Spike" Bayonet, a Fairbairn-Sykes Mk III Fighting Knife, a canvas Rifle Case, Rifle Cleaning Kit, Spare Parts Tin, at least one Spare Magazine (cannot load with stripper-clips due to scope placement), and a Utility Knife.

I've no idea what the entire package is worth off the top of my head, but the Rifle with Matching Scope and Mount, Scope Case and Canadian Transit Chest alone is worth approximately $17K CAD these days. Not inexpensive, but then what worth having ever is? A barrelled action in a fancy chassis with some decent glass with set you back $14K easily these days, so for a few thousand more you can have a significant piece of military history along with your precision shooting experience
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20250515-163428.jpg
 
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A bit of a flex, but if you want a milsusrp shooter that will allow you to challenge yourself at long(er) range, give strong consideration to a sniper or Designated Marksman Rifle configuration. Options and associated price-points range from scoped Swiss K31s to Mosin Nagant Snipers, to M1D Garand Sniper Rifles to arguably the very best of the WW2 Sniper Rifles - the Lee Enflied No 4 Mk 1 (T). The Enfield Sniper is a durable and repeatable system with 1/2 MOA Vertical (Range) and Horizontal (Windage) adjustment "clicks". Care must be taken to ensure that the No 32 Optic is matched to its specific Rifle and Mount so that the scope tube and bore are correctly collimated (bore-sighted). Otherwise, it may not be possible to zero the system due to the limited Windage adjustment (16 MOA) available ini either direction. This is the single, biggest limitation of the No 4 Mk 1(T) Sniper Rifle - the need for Rifles/Mounts and Scopes to be properly matched by serial number to form a 3-part (Scope, Mount, Rifle) System (plus numerous accessories).

This example, an unissued late-WW2 manufactured Canadian Long Branch No 4 Mk 1" (T) with matching No 32 Mk 3 Scope and Mount is complete and correct with issued ancilliary equipment ranging from (Right to Left) a Scout Regiment Spotting Telescope, a Compass, a Time-Piece, Binoculars, a matching Scope Case, Sniper's Camouflage Denison Smock, a (rather useless) Mk 4 "Spike" Bayonet, a Fairbairn-Sykes Mk III FIghting Knife, a canvas Rifle Case, Rifle Cleaning Kit, Spare Parts Tin, at least one Spare Magazine (cannot load with stripper-clips due to scope placement), and a Utility Knife.

I've no idea what the entire package is worth off the top of my head, but the Rifle with Matching Scope and Mount, Scope Case and Canadian Transit Chest alone is worth approximately $17K CAD these days. Not inexpensive, but then what worth having ever is? A barrelled action in a fancy chassis with some decent glass with set you back $14K easily these days, so for a few thousand more you can have a significant piece of military history along with your precision shooting experience
....

View attachment 953957

Oh trust me if I could afford an Enfield (T) I would definitely would do so. I had built a K98 Sniper rifle clone 20 years ago and took it out to 600 yards many times. I have shot open sight Lee Enfield No4 Mk1 to 1000 yards but that was mostly luck as I couldn't see what I was really aiming for. I've got my Kimber precision rifle in 6.5 creedmoor and it's just gotten... boring. I miss shooting with "old tech" as it seems to feel better when you hit those targets.
 
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Actually, most any military rifle will shoot well if in fine internal condition.
The M-1 rifle probably has the best sights.
The choices are simple. Read my signature line if you are unclear. However, as Tiriaq says, the M1 has the best sights. Few rifles have easily adjustable windage. My second recommendation, again because of good sights, is a No.4. Not a No.1. Leaf sights are good, but for winning matches, apertures are the best. My third suggestion is a Swiss rifle. They are all very good.

In the current apprehension about buying guns, I highly encourage shooters to fill their gun lockers with whatever they like. Buy an SKS or two, because the feds hate them. Buy a Garand, because the pingy clip makes it too hard to classify. I also suggest buying French MAS semi-autos. For now, they are on the GTG list, and because their design is so elegantly simple! Speaking of elegant, get yourself an FN49. All the full bore recoil of the classic 8mm Mauser with the machining goodness of postwar Belgium.

Regretably, SVT40, AG42B, Hakim, Rashid, and M1 Carbine suffer from lookism and are on the bad guns list.
 
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