Top and bottom: original MNs with long and short barrels; centre: sporterised version with synthetic stock, modified bolt and synthetic stock.
Another view of the sporterised MN showing the side-mounted scope
In comparison, most modern sporting rifles have shorter barrels( less than 600 mm) and weigh less than 4.2 kg, including sights. I understand these rifles were sighted in with the bayonet fitted, so if you are sighting one in without the bayonet( a more likely scenario among hunters) you can expect a large shift in the mean point of impact – around 600 mm at 100 metres.
Ammunition
MN ammunition has seen three main variations as military doctrine changed. Like many of the contemporary rifle and cartridge combinations of the late 19th and early 20th century, military loadings featured a round-nosed bullet of about 14 grams( 216 gn) and a muzzle velocity of about 2,100 ft / sec. Mosin Nagant ammunition was, in 1908, loaded with a 9.5 gram( 148 gn) spitzer bullet. In 1930 a heavier 12 gram( 184 gn) bullet was adopted for longer-range Russian machine-guns. This parallels the changes in ammunition pioneered by German development of the lighter, pointed bullet in 1905 for their military calibres, which so revolutionised downrange ballistic performance.( The Germans probably also used captured Mosin Nagant rifles for second-line forces, just as they used captured. 303s, in World War 2) These innovations increased muzzle velocity to about 2,700 ft / sec, which considerably flattened the downrange trajectory, extending it by some 30 percent. In the same way, the British and Americans were able to extend the reach of their. 303 and. 30‘ 06 respectively( Griffin, 2008). All these factory loads produce sufficient power to humanely kill any animal we hunt in New Zealand.
Ammunition by Barnaul and Tula is provided in Berdan-primed steel cases, which are technically reloadable but have twin flash holes that pose difficulties; and perhaps more importantly, they use primers in sizes that are not readily available. Sellier & Bellot, Highland and PPU factory ammunition is available with 180 grain bullets, and Barnaul and Tula in 174 and 203 grain bullets respectively. In the latter two, FMJ, hollow-point match and soft-point options are available.
Sporting cartridges for the Mosin Nagant can, of course, be handloaded: Norma, Highland, PPU and Sellier & Bellot all offer boxer-primed cases. Reloading dies are offered by RECBS, Redding and Lyman, among others.
Test firings
The results of test firings( three-shot groups), which with one exception were undertaken at 100 metres from a rest, are as follows( Table 1):
Four three-shot groups using. 30 calibre bullets( diameter 0.308”), when compared with those of. 31 calibre( diameter 0.311”) as used in. 303 British ammunition), showed very little difference – 47 mm vs 44 mm. Similarly, four three-shot groups with factory ammunition( bullet diameters of 0.308” and 0.309”) gave an average of 44 mm. For a hunting rifle, this is of little practical consequence at less than 300 metres, given that the vital target area of a deer is a circle of about 300 mm diameter.
Groups fired from open-sighted, standard-issue rifles and carbines average about 70 mm at 100 metres, which is normal with iron sights and a 150 mm black aiming mark on A3 paper.
NZ Hunting & Wildlife 196- Autumn 2017 43