mosin nagant for hunting
 

i was wondering would a mosin nagant be good for deer hunting i know it has the power to do it i dont have much money i have a muzzleoader and a smoothbore 870 but am looking for an inexpensive rifle i know that quality will depend on the rifle will perform and im not gonna just pick the first one up off the rack but what i was wondering is would it be worth it to buy one and sporterize it

they are a cheap and fun gun to have (like 80-100$) but by the time you get the scope mount and scope youll be near to over 200$. the barrel tolerances aint all that but can be pretty accurate. if your gonna get a dedicated hunting rifle just look for a savage model 110-111 in something like 30-06 as a package at one of the big stores like Dicks sporting goods or wallyworld. comes with a budget scope but my buddy killed some nice deer with that set up. ive seen them on sale for under 350$ if you wait for a sale. another option would be to slug out the 870 with a dedicated rifled barrel or just throw some fiber optic sights and use a open or imp, cyl, choke and some federal tru ball slugs (like 4$ a box) for a great 100 yard BIG hole puncher.:barmy: what kind of muzzy do you have? you could get a cva muzzy inline for like under 150$ and shoot sabots out to 200 yards maybe something like this http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...ducts_id/57455

Personally, I accurized my ML to reach to 300+ yds.

If you want a cheap but good rifle, get a Stevens 200. This is a Savage action and barrel without the Accutrigger in a cheaper stock. If you feel a few extra bucks burning a hole in your pocket after mounting the scope of your choice, either look up how to swap springs to improve the trigger it has or get a Rifle Basix trigger and it will be a prime weapon.

The Savage package guns are a great value but you will likely want a new scope immediately.

The nagant stops being cheap by the time you sporterize it. You'll be in between $80-$120 for the rifle. $50 or so for a synthetic stock and $35+ for the scope mounts. Also, it will have to be drilled and taped, and the bolt cut off and altered. I've done it for ppl, and they really aren't saving any money. Go with the stevens like mentioned above^^^.
-Jake

Not a good hunting rifle, considering their bulk and weight. Though mine will assuredly group (if only at the 25yd indoor range...kneeling):


And has had some cosmetic changes:


Sporterizing will be as complicated as you make it, but they seem to shoot fine as-is.

First of all one major expense of sporterizing them that everyone mentions is a new synthetic stock, but that really isn't necessary unless you just want one. The wood stocks they come in survived Russian winters. They will do just fine here. Also it's unfair to list the price of the scope and mounts because you are going to have to buy a scope and mounts no matter what rifle you buy. So really you are just looking at the expense of having a gunsmith drill and tap it and modify the bolt to a bent version that will function with a scope. Aim Surplus has really nice factory refurbished Mosin Nagants for 80 bucks. The bolt conversion by a gunsmith will run about 50 bucks. That takes you to 130 dollars invested . I haven't had anything drill and tapped in a while so I'm not current on the cost. But it shouldn't be that bad. I would have to believe that you would still be at or around 200 dollars as you start to look for mounts and a scope. I haven't seen any bolt action rifle of any type in a store cheaper than about 350 bucks anywhere.

So I would say that it's more time consuming to have a Mosin Nagant converted to a hunting rifle compared to just buying a cheap savage or stevens. But I disagree that it costs the same.

Here's a link to a guy that does the bolts. http://www.angelfire.com/gundam/boltman/bolt_work/

I don't care for them but you could always put a scout mount on it. Just a thought

actually i have 2 muzzleloaders a t/c black diamond and a cabelas hawkins rifle

by sporterizing it i dont plan on getting a new stock and for a scope ill probably get a scout scope

I own one an it is very accuarte. They are a good long range gun.

I have two Nagants a M44 and a 91/30 both are very accurate I have killed deer with both of them. Don't bother putting a scope on it they are good out to 150 with open sights. They will shoot farther but you can't see that far and still make a pinpoint shot. Most deer are taken at 100 yards or less anyway. Check the bore before you buy make sure the rifleing is good and the crown is not shot of the barrel most of these guns are surplus

Then you can really save some money. No drill and tapping or any need for a bent bolt. There are some good scout scope set ups that mount to the rear sight base. No gunsmithing required.

And I just love taking these ol military surplus rifles out hunting. Here is a hog I killed with a Finnish M-28 version of a Mosin Nagant. 203 grain Silver Bear bullet dropped him like a rock.

They're good guns but the safeties leave alot to be desired for hunting.

A Russian
 

at the front at Stalingrad did it with a military grade Mosin Nagant.

I have a picture of a Russian sharpshooter, Vassali Zaitsev, with a general admiring his scoped Mosin Nagant.

I think Zaitsev would have harvested many a deer, if they had been in range.

buy a slug barrel for the 870.

Thinking about getting this gun as well, but where can you get the setup mentioned here? http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?groupid=227 that's the model I want to get, and I'd like to get a scope setup that wouldn't require any gunsmithing, as I'm basically poor and have no prior experience with that type of stuff.

Anyone got any info? Sorry for bumping a dead topic, but I figured it was better to bump a topic with a relevant post, than it was to make a totally new one.

TD....search for a mosin nagant scout mount online, plus a scout scope. It's like a 30 dollar mount or so, just pop the pins outta your rear sight, slide it off, and put the scout mount on.

I wouldn't give a dime for a truckload of them.

If you want a cheap rifle find a Mauser.....at least then you actually have something to build on later or something you can re sell later.

Find a Finn reworked one SA stamped or a model 39 and they will shoot better than the guy holding them.Many were reworked/barrelled by TIKKA and SAKO.......some have .308 bores as well.Simo Hayha a Finn sniper killed over 500+ Russians in the 105 day war with a 28/30 and open sights! One at 600 meters after being hit in the jaw himself later evacuated......................Harold

Yes it is worth it. If you take the time to find a good one and put a little tlc into it and this is a effective deer rifle. Dont waste your money on the scope mounts they offer online... There crap and rarely hold zero(minus those which are drilled and tapped). I dont like them because they require permanent modification. I think a better alternative is to simply remove the rear sight(theres a tutorioal on you tube showing how to do it). Beneath it you will find a 3/8" dovetail. This means the only money you need to spend is on a good scope and rings(an emphasis on the rings) the rest is just tlc and the right ammo. :happy0001:

mosin nagant for hunting
 

I realize this is an old thread...I came across it in a Google search and was interested in what people may have submitted. I thought I'd share my experiences messing with military surplus rifles that I buy after Bubba has had his way with them. If the bore is decent and the price cheap, I'll buy them and bring them back to life again as decent hunting rifles. Most have been Mausers of some sort and caliber, but also a few Mosins.

I own at least 6 Mosins...three of which are still in their original military condition...one an M44 and one is a 91/30 Hex and the other a round receiver 91/30. The other three I have turned into 2 "sporters" and a "fun shooter" The fun shooter is an M44 that kicks like a mule, still in it's original stock with bent bolt handle and an ATI scope mount (drilled/tapped) w/ a cheap $50, 3-9X40 scope and I installed a bolt-on muzzle brake w/2 tack welds after I was sure I had it lined perfectly w/the bore. I can shoot 2- 2.5 groups with surplus ammo all day long @ 200 yds with it. The two sporters were hex receiver 91/30s that I cut down to 22", recrowned and put in cheap ($55) Ramline stocks I found on Ebay, bent the bolts and pillared the stock, free floating the barrel in the process and again used ATI scope mounts with $50 scopes. Granted, I bought the scopes, mounts and stocks on Ebay(some used) because I wasn't willing to invest too much into rifles I didn't really expect much from upon completion, so my total investment in the "fun shooter" was about $125...and no more than $200 in the 2 sporters I built from hex 91/30s. Keep in mind I did all my own work as well in a fairly well equipped basement shop. My uncle was a retired USMC armorer who taught me most of what I've acquired as far as smithing acknowledge. He'd always introduce me as his "barnyard gunsmith nephew" when meeting his friends.

Both 91/30 came from J&G and had prisitine bores and much to my surprise, upon completion, they both shot 1 1/2" groups and better at 200 yds with S&B soft point, 180 gr ammo...better than the stock M44 and stock 91/30 using the same ammo at 100 yds. I credit this to the fact that they were cut from good 91/30 barrels, recrowned and pillared, as well as buffing the trigger to reduce the trigger pull. They shoot as good at 200 yds as my Marlin XL7 30-06 does for this 60 year old hunter. I've taken a half dozen whitetail between the two from 100-200 yards. There is a special feeling of satisfaction in putting meat on the table with a WW1 rifle that has an investment of sweat equity put into it.

The reason I decided to attempt the project in the first place, was due to something my brother-in-law (retired after 30 years from USMC)had told me while sharing some of his Vietnam experiences with me. He said the VC snipers were picking off US GIs using scoped (3.5 fixed powered) 91/30s from 500 yds plus...and I figured the Mosin had to be somewhere near accurate and with a little tweaking and careful buying after lots of searching, I've got myself a great truck gun and 2 great deer rifles for half the price I would pay for something off a shelf. Personally, I think the steel in a lot of these old milsurp rifles in far better than a lot of the new commercial rifles being produced today, that are selling for $400-$500.

Point of fact : I never discount the old milsurp rifles for use as hunting rifles for folks on a budget who hunt out of necessity in our present economy to help cut the grocery bill. If they have a good bore and with an investment of $30 for good ammo, you can put meat on the table.

I used one when I was a kid (Bought it through the mail) and it was my first deer rifle. Most of you guys never even heard of them back then because you could not buy ammo in the U.S. for them. I shot a deer with mine and I think it is the longest shot I ever took with a rifle at a deer, scoped or not. This one had no scope. I can't complain about accuracy, but it really was not much of a hunting rifle. You can see in the other posts what drawbacks they have for hunting. If I were you , I would check the used racks and go to gun shows and Pawn shops looking for used. There are a lot of good deals out there for used hunting rifles.

The 7.62 X 54 Mosin round is plenty for deer, but the guns (some of them) leave a bit to be desired. I have seen specimins that were remarkable, especially the Finnish arsenal re-dos.

The Mosin Nagant was made to kill a man out to 1,000 yards away, it darn sure will do the same on an animal.

Agreed. I hunted with an 8mm for years. Great gun. If you buy the Euro ammo it will perform like a 30-06.

Do tell! :)

i've got one, very capable of taking a deer, hog, or just about anything, i'd just pratice some you know how it shoots, like mine for example shoots to the right

You can adjust the sight on a Nagant, that's better than just knowing where it hits. Adjust it in, and it'll hit where you want it to.
-Jake

Does anyone really believe this?????

I believe that the Nagant CAN kill a man out to 1000 yards, but is no more capable than a ... take your pick ...

1. Mauser,
2. Enfield (Brit or Eddystone)
3. Springfield
4. Arisaka
5. Mannlicher
6. Swede 96, 38, 94
7. (fill in your own combat rifle)
8. (fill in your own combat rifle)
9. (fill in your own combat rifle)

I doubt the designers of the Mosin Nagant said "Let's make sure this weapon can kill a man out to 1000 yards". 99% of combat rifle kills probably take place at distances closer than the average deer kill shot .. under 100 yards. Never been in combat, so maybe I'm way off base here, just non-soldiers opinion. Plenty of trained snipers have made the long haul shots, just doesn't account for the lion's share of kills, methinks.

Almost all your military rifles were sighted 1000 yards plus. This was for enfelading (Spelling?) or grazing fire. A rifle company was told a general area to fire at and they all let loose. It can be quite effective that way. No definite target in sight , just a target area.