[jyantkilr]

A Mosin 91/30 shouldn't be on your bucket list, it is a kick to shoot and has a ton of history while being a very dependable rifle. There were 17 million of them made, so chances are you will always have an opportunity to buy one. The 91/30's are not rare.

They are cheap to buy for what you get. The bulk military ammo is also cheap. I bought 880 rds. just recently for $163.oo delivered to my door. That's .185 cents a round. FMJ 148 grain, yeah steel, won't pass the magnet test, but will plow through that broken down car your shooting at !!! They have a velocity of max 2850 fps. Where as I also purchased some winchester soft point 180 gr., passing the magnet test for $23.50 plus tax for 20 rds., $1.25 a bang ! Velocity on the winchester is 2625 fps. Seriously doubt either ammo is too fast for Texas, but don't know.

You shouldn't have any problem taking a deer with one. Scopes don't go on the weapon easily, imo use it stock, iron sights and take a marksman course like Appleseed to hone your skills to 400 yards. But most deer are taken within 100 yards.

I would buy a pre 1930 91/30, that would insure it's an ex-dragoon and may hold a little more desirability in future markets. While Tula is preferred, I own both tula receiver and izhevsk, my izhevsk's bolt and accuracy is better. Go figure.

The more collectable rifles will not be 91/30's and carry a higher price tag. 91/30's are refurbished weapons. I didn't check the head clearance but I did check the firing pins, which were both a little too long for my taste. I floated both barrels, wrapped some tape around the cleaning rod so it doesn't vibrate against the barrel and they shoot just fine. Clean and oil them well after you purchase and you should be good to go.

Then again you can go out and spend a whole lot of money on a new deer rifle.