What is your most accurate milsurp?

[Bob01605]

I have here about 30 milsurp rifles and I try to shoot them all on a regular basis. Of all the rifles the one that consistently shoots the best is a Finnish 1944 VKT Model 39 Mosin Nagant with hex receiver. I acquired this rifle with a number of other rifles from a collector abour 10 years ago. Most of these rifles he had never shot. This one was unissued with a perfect bore. This rifle will consistently put (from a solid rest) virtually all shots under 2 MOA and sometimes 7 or 8 out of 10 will go under 1 MOA. The interesting thing is that M39's have open sights with a sight radius of only about 22.5 inches. I have a number of rifles with receiver sights (US Springfield, US Enfield, US Garand, French MAS 36 etc.) and a longer sight radius that shoot good but still not as well as this Mosin? I have even shot 2 different sized bullets (.308 and .311 inch) in this rifle with a few different powders and ALL combinations shoot well. Included here are a couple of targets - one at 50 meters and the other shot at a different shooting range at 100 yards. The 50 meter group was shot with 49 grains of 4064 powder and the .308 diameter Remington 150 grain PSP bullet. The 100 yard group was shot with a 170 grain .311 Remington RN bullet and 47 grains of 4895 powder. All loads were full length resized in Redding dies with either S&B or Lapua brass.

I am in my '60's and I keep thinking that if my aging eyes were better this rifle might group even better? So - Do you have one milsurp that consistently groups better than your other milsurps ?

Bob

 

[noddaduma]

My CMP Garand had MW and TW of 1.0 when it showed up at my door. When I lived in the California desert, I could consistently hit the 3' steel gong at 600 yards (in sitting position) with that Garand. None of my other milsurps could reach out that far.

Now my Swiss Vetterli -- for what it is -- is pretty accurate too. Nice groupings at 200 yds.

 

[martin08]

I have many (read: several, dozens, scads, etc.) milsurps that I have not shot. But if I had one that stands out in my memory, the 1902 Carl Gustavs Swedish M96 Mauser did put together some impressive 1.5 MOA groups.

 

[majspud]

I just learned MOA at my Appleseed training last month. I shot my M03 Springfield there to a MOA target and averaged 1.5 MOA at 25 meters. Before training, my Mausers, especially the Gew98M, were doing 5 inch groups at 100 yards.

I will make up some targets and slowly find out what I can do.

MS

 

[ARV]

Fin M39

 

[NinerMaine]

Out of my personal experience... I am in agreement with Martin. My Swede M96 does sub 1 inch groups at 100 yards benched. That is with loads worked up for accuracy. My Sako M39 does well, but not like the Swede. But I do not reload for the Nagants so it is like comparing apples and oranges.

I liked the Swede so much for accuracy, 20 years ago I bought a SOG U-Fixem barreled M38 action. I worked that up from scratch including a brand new Swede barrel into my deer rifle. With the scope, I can do .5 inch groups benched at 100 yards.

 

[Boris]

I got an inch group once with 5 shot, 100y, Mosin, surplus ammo, lead sled. I just don't remember which one Mosin I always wanted to reload a bunch and may be slug the bore on each one, just to see differences. I generally can't see that well at 100, so that was the reason I was surprised.

 

[BillF]

My M1903A3. Been able to do 1.5" groups with iron sites at 300 yards. Thats with Greek milsurp ammo too.

 

[mac1911]

my 1942 Springfield M1 Garand after finally getting the barrel clean shot my best score on CMP 100yard reduced targets 413/500. Groups where about baseball size.
Some day I will have a head to head
1903a3
42 M1
53 M1
43 M1 carbine----shoots very good @ 100 yards
1939 MN
SKS russsian.romanian,yugo-------so far the romy is the better shooter.

 

[JuergenG]

For me it's a tie between the
- 1900 Mauser Oberndorf Swede m/96
- 1918 Eddystone M1917 and
- either one of my K31's or G1911

 

[PatMcD]

On average, your basic Swedish Mauser is probably the most accurate surplus rifle. There will be exceptions to the rule, but in a rack full of multi-national milsurps from 1880-1960, the Swedes will generally shoot the best.

 

[samandglove1]

Smith-Corona 1903A3. It is more accurate than any of my M1 garands or carbines.

 

[George D]

Tie between my H&R Garand and my Yugo Mauser.

 

[SKS Ray]

I've got an 1891 Argentine Mauser that out shoots any Swede I've ever owned. Its probably my most accurate rifle.

 

[PatMcD]

I've got an 1891 Argentine Mauser that out shoots any Swede I've ever owned. Its probably my most accurate rifle.

They are about the prettiest mauser ever made, too.

 

[majspud]

I forgot, my Turked 1890 Loewe contract Gew88 is pretty good.

Needed a couple of rounds to remember how to counter aim...

MS