Ive got a nice Mosin Nagant 91/30 sniper that's a decent shooter. I was thinking about using it for a whitetail or maybe a Wild Boar hunt. I know the caliber is sufficient and I know its LONG and I know the scope isn't up to 21stCentury specs; but I thought it might be fun to hunt with a piece of history.

I plan on taking some whitetail with mine someday. 1939 Tula, full-length bedded, with a 4-12x48 mounted on it. I'll need to ay my brother in Milwaukee a visit, can't use the caliber to hunt in Indiana.

My buddies are either laughing at the idea ("its too big for a tree stand) or telling me FMJ is good enough because it killed a lot of Germans. Im not so sure I agree with either of them.

Sounds like fun. Go for it.

My buddies are still laughin' I hope Itll be me after the hunt. I found a source of soft points today (not cheap like surplus FMJ, but cheap enuf'). Now Im picturing laying in snow waiting for a wolf...

so use SP ammo. it's out there.

Our Finnish "Pystykorva" rifles are pretty much the same. In other words they have been used plenty and today still make a very popular platform for projects.
In real terms, it's becoming increasingly rare, however.

I assume it's 7,62x53R (which everyone insists on calling 7,62x54R)?
If so, then the caliber is essentially similar in performance to the .30-06.
For best performance, use Lapua Naturalis.
I used it to take the biggest moose I've shot - the gun was a 1895 Winchester lever action.

- Lars/Finland

two hunt stories:

Seeing blonde pigs in Southern Monterey County is not rare even though they probably represent only 5% of the ferals but taking two simultaneously is pretty unusual.

My rifle being of Russian descent apparently has an affinity for blondes, the rifle has taken two pigs and both were blondes.

Roger and I met Kyler Hamman at o'dark 30 and headed into the ranch. We saw what seemed to be a very large (judging by how it compared to calves he was milling around) pig before shooting light. The wind was not the best and the pig appeared to have had checked the paper that morning regarding legal shooting time and slipped back into the cover around the ranch creek to disappear for good.

We saw no pigs the rest of the morning but the turkey count was just stupid. One flock had to be 200 birds and they were several that ranged in the 30-40 bird count.

I was not interested in a turkey but Roger was and he connected on this nice tom. Happy Thanksgiving.



We saw lots of deer that morning and afternoon including several nice typical California blacktail bucks.



We met back up at 3:30 and start patrolling the usual haunts for the pigs. The first hour or so were just more deer and turkeys.

About 4:40 we spotted a nice dark pig about 50 yards out and to our left as we were cruising a long. We dismounted but it quickly scampered up the hill and into the brush and trees.

We decided to see where it may have gone so we started toward where we had last saw the pig. Thinking any shot might be quick I turned my scope down to 1 3/4x.

As Kyler and Roger got further ahead, I saw the sticks go up and Kyler waiving me up (Roger was up first).

As I approached, I saw two blond pigs about 50 yards out and heard Kyler say he is taking the one on the right. I slung up and held on the one on the left.

We have long agreed as a team that 1, 2, 3, shoot just doesn't work. So I wait till Roger shoots and then follow.

Boom! Roger's pig goes down and the one on the left takes off and dips into a slight depression in the terrain. Kyler says he will pop up on the left at the base of the tree line...I take two big steps to the right and line up where I think he will be and sure enough about 85 yards out he pops up out of the little depression, I push the cross hairs past his nose and squeeze one off...to everyone's amazement he tips over and does the dirt paddle dance. I put another one into him for good measure.

Roger is saying nice shot...Kyler is alternating between gracious congratulations, amazement, and laughter.

Understand the likelihood that Dettorre makes a running shot at 85 yards with only 1 attempt in a split second window is about 1:15.

I was just acting like it was an every day occurrence. The pigs went 75 lbs and 55 lbs, respectively. Pretty small for this area but it is all we had and we were down to probably 30 minutes of shooting light trying to fill 2 tags and they will be great eating.

As usual a great hunt with Kyler filled with lots of laughs.




the other hunt story

Well...the pig doesn't really have any Russian look to him but it makes for a catchy title and I guess according to some there is a debate about are there true Russians or are they all the same species with just slightly different characteristics...but whatever...

Anyway couldn't pass up a deal on a $79.99 Russian military surplus 1932 Mosin Nagant so I bought it and for a little extra cash had the barrel cut to 600MM, new bolt handle welded on, scope mount, ATI stock...and cause the gunsmith thinks I am a nice guy he threw in a Timney trigger. I also have a wood stock coming but that is still in the works.

Scope is a Burris 1.5x5

Anyway, I worked up a load for the 7.62x54r with Barnes 150 gr .311 TSXs that shoots right at an inch. 46.9 grns of Varget @ a chrono'd MV of 2794fps

So I just had to go pig hunting...and voila, my first milsurp animal.

This blondie evaded in us a creek bed but we had an idea of where he was headed so we set up an ambush and sure enough he showed. Quartering shot at about 90 yards. The blood you see just in front of the ham is an exit wound...he took off and he slowed to a walk at about 150yds or so and I hit him with another. The shot was low but it broke both front legs.

When I got to him he was still alive, so we slit his throat.

Taken near San Ardo, CA

Thanks for the fun stories!

Go for it! 99% of the time when I head out the back door to hunt it's with a piece of history. I think it's pretty neat!

Most people don't get laughed at when they grab an M94 .30/30 and go out the door.(At least those of us with white hair and beards) I see no reason that a M-N couldn't be taken out. When I was a kid just starting out, a lot of us used M98s and SMLEs.
Have fun,
Gene

Why not? Agnes Hailstone doesn't feel outgunned when she shoots moose, caribou, seal and bear with her unsporterized 91/30 Mosin Nagant. My son shot an eight point buck with an M-44 -- a shorter version of the 91/30. Of course, the same year he shot a doe with an as-issued British No. 4, Mk 2, and another doe with a K98 Mauser. He prefers Sellier and Bellot SPCE ammo over Privi Partizan ammo for hunting with these military rifles, as the S&B bullet seems a little tougher.

I have killed a Blue Wildebees with a Mosin Nagant in South Africa. it was loaded with 215gr Woodleighs, velocity unknown.