7.62 x 54R

[garsher]

Hey, Im thinking about getting a mosin nagant, just because it looks cool and I found one for $130, I was wondering, can you hunt with a cartridge like that?

[ohno]

This cartridge would work fine for deer and even moose in a pinch. BUT good luck finding ammo for it. Most available ammo will be milsurp which means FMJ you can't hunt with. Finding SP ammo will be tricky, but not impossible.

If you want a milsurp that is cheap and has ammo available look at one of those Swede's M96 in 6.5x55 or 8x57. Lots around the $200 mark.

O.

[todbartell]

Sellier & Bellot makes a 180 grain soft point, and they sell for around $22 a box. Ballistics very similar to 303 British or 300 Savage. Should work just fine if you feel like lugging a Nagant around

[garsher]

ya, i just wanted to know if i could take anything down with it, i figured just deer.

I probably wont be hunting with it, but im a big military/ world war 2 fan, so i gotta have one lol.

[Mattimoose]

The 7.62x54R will do anything a .308 or .30-06 will do. If you buy European ammo instead of the anemic american crap you will do better. It is an inherently accurate cartridge, and I defy anyone on here to show me any real difference between Norma's 180-grain 7.62x54R load and US commercial .30-06 of the same grainage. I own half-a dozen Nagants and have shot .30-06 also.

All the US inspired coldwar malarky about it being weaker or the actions being weak was just spin. I have never personally ever heard of one blowing-up due to pressure. It does however have, like, 9% less powder capacity on average than the .30-06 but is a more efficient case anyways; by virtue of being shorter and fatter. It duplicates or betters the .303 British and the .308.

It shares a nearly identical body taper as the .303 but is much more reloader friendly as the Mosin-Nagant locks in the front and does not stretch cases like the rear-locking Lee-Enfield. It also has an idiot proof magazine that defies you to make-it jam and can handle the most brutal of conditions easily. Beyond this, it's one piece stock responds readily to bedding unlike the quirky, two-piece stocked, Lee-Enfield. The floorplate is easily dropped or removed for unloading and cleaning, unlike Mausers or Enfields that require the tip of a pointed bullet.

If you can, hold-out for a Finn one as they are the best pick of-the-lot. Finland was forbidden after the second world war from making any additional recievers by the soviet union for some time after the war, so every Nagant released from Finland is a shooter. Any poor shooters were re-conditioned to meet a 3cm/100m specification. Some old 91's are SA marked but have never been re-conditioned because they passed this test, so don't necessarily tear-one down just because it's long.

My first rifle was bought for me at 12 from international firearms in Montreal for 24.95. It has a full-length 91 barrel that has been counterbored for about 4" from the muzzle to restore accuracy by an arsenal in Finland and had no problem hitting a pop-can at 100 yards every time with military ball and the older style Tsarist sights. It did well on Black Bear, Deer and Moose, but has retired since I found a Winchester model 1895 in 7.62x54R. It shoots Norma and Lapua factory ammo well too.

[CanAm500]

Well said Mattimoose.

[MichelD]

I had several of those guns and thinned down the herd to the best one.

I have shot one deer and numerous black bears with mine and wouldn't hesitate to shoot a moose or elk with one either.

I'm getting older though and prefer to use a scope now, so I've effectively retired my M-N as a hunting rifle.

Plenty of horsepower in the 7.62x54R.

I bought Norma hunting cartridges at gun shows for about $20.00 a box until I had enough.

I think as others have mentioned, there are other commercial hunting loads available now too.

[rollingrock]

I shoot 174gr hornady in front of 44 gr of IMR4895 and get 5 shot group within 2 inches. Both of my M44s are 1948 production, one will be kept in grease unfired. :)

[MichelD]

From: http://www.mosinnagant.net/finland/Finn-Mosin-Nagant-M91.asp

The First Finnish M91's
The Finns captured a vast number of Russian M91's during the Finnish Civil War of 1918 with these rifles in various states of condition. After the fighting the Finns needed to quickly equip their armed forces with suitable weapons and they rightfully decided to use the captured rifles on hand. As this was the case the Finns needed to find a solution for M91 rifles in lessor condition. One of the first Finnish modifications of the older Russian rifles was the little known Ulanie Carbine. This was a modification in which the Finns cut down M91 barrels that had damaged crowns or worn bores near the muzzle. The length of these carbines is about a meter and in most cases have a Civil Guard marked bolt, as it was the Civil Guard that did this alteration. These carbines are very rare as most were scrapped by the early 1930's. The Ulanie Carbine was never made in large enough numbers to receive an official designation by any Finnish organization, as was the case with what is commonly referred to as the M24 Carbine.
While these carbines were a good solution to the M91's that had suffered damage near the end of the barrel, the carbines were not a solution for M91's that had more extensive troubles. For the rifles in this category there were only two reasonable alternatives, relining the worn barrels or new production of replacement M91 barrels. The Finns decided to undertake both tasks and this is the true beginning of the Finnish manufactured M91 Mosin Nagant.

As is the case with all the Finnish Mosin Nagants, the receivers used were older Russian receivers. The Finns never manufactured receivers on their own but "recycled" Russian receivers to create Finnish models.

[Mattimoose]

This is all good. Anyone wanting customization hints on their nagant should pm me.