Sporterized guns...?

[Justice06RR]

The days of modifying a military rifle to a sporter as a more economical way of getting a quality hunting rifle are gone. This made a lot of sense when they were a fraction of the price of the bottom of the line Remington or Winchester, and could be found by the barrel full in the local hardware store for $10. Those days are long gone.

Well, not completely gone.

A Hex 91/30 goes for $170 at Budsgunshop. $70 aftermarket stock, $40 scope, $15 scope mount, and you're under $300 total. Granted you get a good-to-excellent bore and rifling, that makes maybe 3-4MOA at best. Around 100yds that may be ok-- not exactly ideal for hunting but not bad if you only intend to sporterize a rifle and use it for light plinking.

Personally I won't bubba a Hex Mosin or any other collectible milsurp, but its your money so you can do what you want with it. A $350 Ruger American from Walmart is a better rifle, but you don't get the thrill of modifying and working on a rifle.

 

[tobnpr]

Well...
I don't think it's "economical" to sporterize a MN.
Forget the price of the optic and mount, you'd have one either way (or not...)

The RS mount (most popular, and arguable the best choice) is pricey...

With an aftermarket stock (and even Boyd's is north of a hundred bucks, mine more still, as are Richards Microfit) you're already into the area of a Ruger American, which will shoot just as well, if not better, than just about any Mosin with handloads.

The real attraction to the MN, IMO, is two-fold...
For some of "us", it's a way of doing a bit of amateur (from very amateur, to downright professional quality re-barrels) smithing to produce something unique.


For others, it's the still-cheap surplus ammo. I'm all about accuracy so I have nothing to do with anything but handloads, but for those that enjoy plinking at larger-size target inexpensively it's the ticket. That same rifle can be used with factory soft-points (still, relatively inexpensive) to take any game on this continent.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Throwing a $200 worth of parts at a $150 rifle does not make a $350 rifle, it makes a $100 rifle

Oh,I don't know. I paid $60 for this Colombian in 30.06. I rebuilt in in .308 win. Enjoyed hunting with it(taking quite a bit of venison)and eventually traded it for a new Leupold VX111 w/target turrets(retailed for $750 @ MidwayUSA). This is only one of many Mauser sporters that I have built from parts.