Using a Mosin for hunting

1

1940izhevsk

New member
Stated in another post of mine, I bought a 1940 Izhevsk 91/30 back November of last year. I bought it because 1. It's a Mosin, 2. Good start to a WWII collection, am I right? 3. Possible hunting rifle.

Is a Mosin a good option to use as a hunting rifle? Brown Bear has 203gr JSP 54r that seems like a good round. I plan on using it for deer/elk, good size Coloradan game.
 
Millions of Russians and others use the Mosin for hunting.

Haven't shot the Brown Bear ammo you mentioned but shot a lot of Winchester 174 gr stuff to get the brass, I reload pretty much all the ammo I shoot.

The Winchester I believe is cheaper, accurate and more then adequate to hunt the game you mentions, or anything else in North America.
 
The ballistics of the 7.62x54R an the .308 Winchester overlap.

I'd recommend American-made commercial ammunition for hunting. Call the manufacturer and tell them what you intend to hunt; they'll tell you which SKU has the correct bullet for your purpose.
 
A Mosin will do. Sights and trigger aren't great though. Especially the sights. However, the 7.62 x 54 isn't any slouch. Similar to the .303 British that's been killing moose up here since just after W.W. I.
Brown Bear ammo may or may not shoot well out of your rifle. A 203 grain bullet isn't necessary either. A 150 to 180 will kill any game you care to hunt.
In any case, if you're not reloading, you need to try a box of as many brands of hunting ammo as you can to find the ammo your rifle shoots best. The price of said ammo means nothing.
 
The Mosin will be fine. Its not the rifle, its the bullet that does all the work. Buy proper hunting ammo and practice a lot.
 
sure

If you don't mind carrying the dang thing, and can run those sights to whatever range your shots will be, sure, you can hunt a Mosin. The 54R cartridge is no slouch, despite its rimmed and antiquated appearance, and as noted, is the equal of the '06 and .308. It dates from well before WWI and has been getting it done afield and on the battlefield, from then till present.

The recommendations on Win ammo are good advice and I second it. Other sources are PPU (usually affordable) Norma, and I believe Lapua, the latter two very expensive.

The lighter bullet weights from PPU will kick substantially less than the heavy 203's and 174/180 tribes.
 
I would recommend changing at least the front sight with an adjustable one. It's been my experience that they shoot 8 inches high or more at 100 yards because the Russians taught to shoot at belt buckles. Deer and elk don't wear belts and the goal is to kill them rather than just get them to stop returning fire
 
I bagged a nice buck last year using a Mosin, and Privi 150gr soft point. One shot and done. I'd hunt with it again, granted my has a few "modifications" :D but the base gun is still a Mosin.
 
It wouldn't be my first choice but if you can shoot it well, it is certainly capable. The 7.62x54R is essentially the Russian equivalent to the 30-06. Just make sure you use ammo loaded with a proper hunting bullet.
 
i have a chinese md. 53 with a ex bore that i shoot and load 150gr bullets to 2200 fps and with that load its not a beast to shoot. more than enough for deer. eastbank.
 
One issue is that safety.
In the field, if you carry a round chambered, the safety's a nuisance to use & not particularly convenient to disengage.
If you don't carry a round chambered, the sound of cycling the bolt may spook your game.

Just something to consider, not necessarily a deal-killer.
Denis
 
Reply to DPris

What seems best to me is to work the bolt, let the striker down, then pull back the cocking knob when I'll need to.Still a "click", but less than working the bolt
 
What seems best to me is to work the bolt, let the striker down, then pull back the cocking knob when I'll need to.Still a "click", but less than working the bolt
Click to expand...

That is unsafe, if you let the striker down the firing pin is resting against the primer and you have no idea what it would take to make the primer detonate at that point. A bump, a sharp movement, no one knows.

The safety on a Mosin isn't great, but it's quiet enough if you are careful even if it isn't as convenient as other designs.

I've used Barnaul 203gr JSP hunting ammo, it's a fine choice for big game.

Jimro
 
You can make a Mosin into a great hunting rifle with aftermarket stocks, scopes, bolts, etc.... Or keep it as made. Crude, ugly and very effective. The ammo you mentioned would likely work fine along with any of the other SP or HP ammo on the market. If you intend to shoot bear from the ground you might want to consider more careful ammo selection. Shot placement is everything regardless of the rifle/cartridge used. Dont take shots that are beyond your ability. I have a few vintage rifles including a mosin that I would love to take game with. Unfortunately my hours in the woods hunting are very short and I need to take every advantage to harvest. My modern rifles offer more advantages than the milsurps.
 
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