Tips for Mosin and Svt-40 Sighting in

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PajamaSurplus

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Hello everyone,

I'm a beginner for rifle shooting and was planning on sighting in my sights for the first time with my Mosin and Svt-40 at a 100m range and wanted to know if there were any tips or tricks you guys know that would help, I just bought some 1000rd 7.62x54r non-corrosive ammo from Leverarms and was going to try out that ammo. Thanks!

PajamaSurplus
 
PajamaSurplus said:
Hello everyone,

I'm a beginner for rifle shooting and was planning on sighting in my sights for the first time with my Mosin and Svt-40 at a 100m range and wanted to know if there were any tips or tricks you guys know that would help, I just bought some 1000rd 7.62x54r non-corrosive ammo from Leverarms and was going to try out that ammo. Thanks!

PajamaSurplus
Click to expand...

I don't have a SVT but I took my Moisin out a few weeks ago. No proper bench rest, but my last three shots were right on for elevation, they were in less than 1", 3" right of the bulls eye. Once we have our outdoor range up and running I will revisit it. I did find that the recoil from Chinese surplus ammo to be substantial. I do have an SKS and before I took it to the range, I bought a sight adjustment tool. I needed it; both windage and elevation was out in the weeds at 50 yards. Once I got it zeroed in at 50, took it to 100 and it was still right on. Not a "target rifle" group, but it shoots more consistently than my 1980's Mini 14 ever did.
 
Unless your windage is spot on, which I'm giessing it won't be, you'll need a way to adjust the front sight. If you have the sks sight adjustment tool, I've heard that will work, I just rest the barrel on a piece of wood and GENTLY tap the sight over with a small hammer and brass drift.
 
Your ammo may or may not be corrosive????
Clean after every shoot to be safe..and do a nail test. But even with that it doesn't account for every rd. in the case
 
Get it on paper at closer range first, if necssary - harder to chase that part out at 100M. I have the SKS sight tool and it worked fine on my SVT and Mosin.
 
Start at 25 yards. Fire at least 3 rounds before making any changes to the sight. Once you are on at 25 yards, move to 50 and repeat. Finally move to 100 yards. Never make sight changes after a single shot, use 3 or 5 round groups to determine where you are hitting. If you look up a ballistics table for the round you are using you'll be able to tell where the shots at 25 and 50 yards should hit to be on at 100. Use the same point of aim (POA) at each range. Point of impact (POI) will change. For instance, with the original soviet round if your sight is set on 1 and zeroed for 100 yards you will be 3" high at 50 yards and 5" low at 150.
 
Pajama: You can also "bore-sight" both prior to first trip to the range to see if they're even close. Just pull the bolt (mosin), bolt/ carrier and open rear latch (SVT) and set the rifle up in a solid rest. Center some object at a couple of hundred yards in the bore then, without touching rifle, see how it looks through the sights. Or buy a cheap laser bore sighting tool (won't work in the SVT due to the brake). For making the windage adjustments there are excellent original Mosin tools out there that make it a snap. I don't know of special tools for the SVT but if you have a LE No. 4 tool you can file on it and make it work on the SVT. If you don't own several of these you probably won't want to buy tools so if you plan to drift the front sight try to set the gun up so that the sight base is clamped in the jaws of a vice (using small brass pieces as spacers) and you can then drift the blade insert over with ease- it does sometimes take some real force hence the setup in vice. Don't be surprised if either is way off- my $200.00 Lever Christmas special SVT shot 2 ft low and 2 ft to the left as it came to me. Good luck and have fun!

milsurpo
 
Mosin front sights can be a pain to drift! With mine, I just shot groups at 50m and learned where to holdover (or under) and adjust for "Kentucky windage". Then adjust POA for further distances. The shim kit really helps accuracy too (if interested I have a few leftover shims, PM me), along with floating the barrel. No special tools needed.

As for SVT's - I gave up! Owned 4 of them, sold them all. All shot substantially different groups with the same ammo, and it's not the easiest rifle to "accurize" in terms of shimming/bedding. Playing with the front sight post height and windage is the easiest way to dial it in (if it shoots left, drift left. If it shoots low, lower the sight post, and vice-versa).


PajamaSurplus said:
Hello everyone,

I'm a beginner for rifle shooting and was planning on sighting in my sights for the first time with my Mosin and Svt-40 at a 100m range and wanted to know if there were any tips or tricks you guys know that would help, I just bought some 1000rd 7.62x54r non-corrosive ammo from Leverarms and was going to try out that ammo. Thanks!

PajamaSurplus
Click to expand...
 
Start at 25 yards to make sure you are close to where you aim.

Assuming you have iron sights (not a scope) the group should be about 1/4" low, for a 100 yard zero.

At 50 yards the group should be about 1/4" high, for a 100 yard zero.
 
Thanks for the answers, I have an sks sight tool so I'll try using that to adjust my front sights. I've never heard of bore-sighting but it sounds like a great idea!
 
It is not unusual for Mosins to shoot high at 100 m. I have one that shoots 12" high at 100 m using Bulgarian surplus ammo. If you are lucky enough, yours will shoot closer to point of aim after after adjustments...
 
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