Re-loading for Mosin M91/30

[blackcat_attilio]

Hi folks! I got a little trouble loading bullets for my Mosin M91/30. It's a Soviet production, captured and re-worked by the Finns - it's marked "D".
Well I shoot Lapua D166 (.310 cal.) "the right" bullets for such a rifle marked "D" and I use powder Vihtavuori N140. Now: the D166 are 200gn bullets, on the Vihtavuori manual is written to use max. 40.0gn powder N140 loading. I did it. My Mosin on the 100 meters line "shoots low", very very low. Is there anybody who knows about? All the advices are wellcome. Many thanks.

[res45]

Most likely your problem is the 200 gr. bullet,it's just going to drop more at 100 meters than the standard weight 147 gr. bullet that most of the Russian Mosin rifle were sighted in with. Even using the MAX load of N140 which you are at 40.0 grs. and the 200 gr. bullet your muzzle velocity is right at the bottom. If you have to use that bullet move your rear sight up to the 200 meter setting it should raise your point of impact up somewhat.

You need to have the bore slugger and measured to match the correct diameter bullet,some of the reworked finn's have .308 bores and a .308 bullet in the 150 gr. ranges would probably work better and get you closer to point of aim with the factory sights. It would also bring your muzzle velocity up and chamber pressure down as opposed to the bullet your currently using if it turns out the .310 is oversized for that rifles bore.

[blackcat_attilio]

Originally Posted by res45

Most likely your problem is the 200 gr. bullet,it's just going to drop more at 100 meters than the standard weight 147 gr. bullet that most of the Russian Mosin rifle were sighted in with. Even using the MAX load of N140 which you are at 40.0 grs. and the 200 gr. bullet your muzzle velocity is right at the bottom. If you have to use that bullet move your rear sight up to the 200 meter setting it should raise your point of impact up somewhat.

You need to have the bore slugger and measured to match the correct diameter bullet,some of the reworked finn's have .308 bores and a .308 bullet in the 150 gr. ranges would probably work better and get you closer to point of aim with the factory sights. It would also bring your muzzle velocity up and chamber pressure down as opposed to the bullet your currently using if it turns out the .310 is oversized for that rifles bore.

Hi res45! Many thanks. I supposed it, now I'm sure. I have just "played" with the rear sight: I must move it like to shoot at the 300 meters line to catch the middle of the target ( 9 and 10 pts). My buddy also said, the D166 in 200gn are to shoot over 100 meters. Here isn't easy find a shooting range with lines over 100 meters, so it means I'll come back to the .311 spitzers in 175gn or, as my buddy shoots, in 150gn. Beside that I obtain better shots with spitzer bullets in .311 than in .308 caliber.

[LDBennett]

blackcat_attilio:

Don't fail to slug your barrel. There are all sorts of barrel diameters out there for these rather crud Mosin-Nagant rifles and the closer to the correct diameter bullet you use the better the accuracy. The correct bullet is one that is a thousandth or two greater than the grove to grove dimension that you can only determine by slugging the barrel.

The barrels slug from .308 to .316 inches. Which is yours???? accuracy is degraded by running either too loose or too tight of a bullet. Too tight may get you pressure problems. Unfortunately, for jacketed bullet the choice are only .308 or .310/.311 (Enfield 303 bullets). If you cast bullets then you can size the bullet to a correct dimension but you have to know what that number is (??) and shoot them at lower velocities.

LDBennett

[blackcat_attilio]

Originally Posted by LDBennett

blackcat_attilio:

Don't fail to slug your barrel. There are all sorts of barrel diameters out there for these rather crud Mosin-Nagant rifles and the closer to the correct diameter bullet you use the better the accuracy. The correct bullet is one that is a thousandth or two greater than the grove to grove dimension that you can only determine by slugging the barrel.

The barrels slug from .308 to .316 inches. Which is yours???? accuracy is degraded by running either too loose or too tight of a bullet. Too tight may get you pressure problems. Unfortunately, for jacketed bullet the choice are only .308 or .310/.311 (Enfield 303 bullets). If you cast bullets then you can size the bullet to a correct dimension but you have to know what that number is (??) and shoot them at lower velocities.

LDBennett

Hi LDBennett! Many thanks also to you. If my memory still is active, the seller said me it is a .309. ...why not?! Now I'll verify it by myself to be sure. Anyway, as I wrote, the best results I got shooting .311 cal. , the groups are more "closed". Shooting the D166 (.310) the groups are a little bit "larger" while shooting the .308 the groups... I haven't any "group", the shots are "moved".

[fightlivefree]

Originally Posted by blackcat_attilio

Hi folks! I got a little trouble loading bullets for my Mosin M91/30. It's a Soviet production, captured and re-worked by the Finns - it's marked "D".
Well I shoot Lapua D166 (.310 cal.) "the right" bullets for such a rifle marked "D" and I use powder Vihtavuori N140. Now: the D166 are 200gn bullets, on the Vihtavuori manual is written to use max. 40.0gn powder N140 loading. I did it. My Mosin on the 100 meters line "shoots low", very very low. Is there anybody who knows about? All the advices are wellcome. Many thanks.

Man, you're using expensive Lapua bullets for a Mosin M91/30!! Just out of curiosity what kind of groups are you getting at 100 yards? I have a M39 Mosin Nagant and using some recent production Romanian ammo (1973) I get about 2 inches on a bench rest. Disappointing from all the hoopla I have heard about this rifle.

[zkovach]

Originally Posted by fightlivefree

Man, you're using expensive Lapua bullets for a Mosin M91/30!! Just out of curiosity what kind of groups are you getting at 100 yards? I have a M39 Mosin Nagant and using some recent production Romanian ammo (1973) I get about 2 inches on a bench rest. Disappointing from all the hoopla I have heard about this rifle.

have you bought the after market trigger for it yet? if not google huber concepts i believe. Its about 80 bucks but eliminates all creep. i havent gotten one yet however some members here swear by them. I know what you are thinking i bought this rifle cause it was cheap and now i have to install a trigger that costs just a bit less than the gun.... i feel your pain.

[JLA]

I have a 1929 Tula that mikes .313 across the grooves and .300 on the lands (incredibly deep grooves) shoots best with .311 sierra bullets and .312 hornady interlocks. I have shot groups with .308 v-max and the groups were not very consistent. Slugging is highly recommended and easy to do.

[blackcat_attilio]

Originally Posted by fightlivefree

Man, you're using expensive Lapua bullets for a Mosin M91/30!! Just out of curiosity what kind of groups are you getting at 100 yards? I have a M39 Mosin Nagant and using some recent production Romanian ammo (1973) I get about 2 inches on a bench rest. Disappointing from all the hoopla I have heard about this rifle.

Hi! Just to have an idea, here are a couple of pics (I got nothing better) about my "groups". I shoot sitting on banch-rest (only front rest, buttstock is free).
Yes, I'm not a sniper anyway I belive I can catch a wild-pig...

[fightlivefree]

Thanks Blackcat, I roughly scaled the two widest holes on the top target and I get a spread of 10.8 inches.

The bottom target is much better with one flyer. Try breath control and squeeeeezee slooooowly.

[Popgunner]

Remember also that the original sighting in of Mosins was done with the bayonets affixed & extended. This changes point of impact.