Shooting the Mosin Nagant M91/30 Sniper Rifle 

Amazing accuracy.That old ww2 soviet sniper rifle with that litle scope make tighter group than most of the modern hunting grade rifles.

Just picked up mine today. Its an original Hungarian model from the early 1950's with a Russian scope, can't wait to test it out this weekend. Thanks for sharing.

These are just about the only affordable authentic sniper rifle out there, everything else is crazy expensive.

Those 91/30 snipers are some gorgeous rifles. I love my regular 91/30, but the looks the PU scope add really can't be beat.

Did you do anything to modify your rifle to make it more accurate? Those groups just look too good to be true.

I do not get good results in my '42 '43 and '44 Molot IzhevskPU Snipers with heavy ball, especially the PPU 182gr as you are shooting, it seems the bullets may be undersized for the bore. I actually shoot the best groups with 1970s' 147gr light ball silver tip surplus. Late 80's 147gr is garbage compared to the 70's loads, be wary of it. I do have a "B" barreled Finnish M-39 SOV clone I built with a Russian Progress PE scope which will shoot 1MOA with surplus Russian Extra surplus. Love that rifle, though the PUs don't particularly like that ammo for some reason.

partizans are yugoslavian soldiers during ww2 and the ammo translates to 1st partizan

Probably because those people are not good shots! With a standard, non sniper Mosin Nagant 91/30 it is almost always necessary to shoot the rifle with the bayonet fixed so that it will shoot to the point of aim. A decent iron sighted 91/30 with good ammo should hit a man sized target to at least 400 yards.

.311" bullets should be just about right for most of these rifles, but as they say in reloading books "bore sizer may vary considerably". This is an original sniper with original mount and optics. I've been lucky enough to examine seven of these original snipers, interesting to see the variations in optics used.

The Soviets seemed to do a better polishing job on the sniper rifle bolts, so it operates reasonably slickly. You are correct, the Mosin operates a bit slower than a Mauser, but a Mauser is slower than a Lee Enfield and a Lee Enfield is slower than a Ross rifle.

This is an original sniper, not a reproduction. As far as I know they did next to nothing to the trigger, it is not at all different than most standard 91/30 triggers.I don't think the barrel is wrapped with cloth, but to be honest I've not had the action out of the stock yet.

The rifle is an original sniper rifle with matched mount and sight. I've done nothing to the rifle other than tighten all the screws up and clean the barrel well. I suspect that the soviets did some better quality bedding work on these when they were made.

It would be difficult to shoot 7N6 Russian ammo in a Mosin Nagant since it's a different caliber (5.45x39). I'm undecided as to shooting any surplus ammo in this rifle, I may just reserve it for use with handloads and commercial ammo.

I dont know about "moden" scopes, but there are reproduction PU scopes with coated glass, and reproduction scope mounts that are on the market, you could assemble a convincing imitation 91/30 sniper rifle.

If those were original 91/30 sniper rifles with the proper matching scopes/mounts, $600 is a decent price. On the other hand if it was a "put together" with a modern scope and mount it was worth more in the neighborhood of $450.

An original Mosin Nagant sniper comes with the bent bolt seen in the video. You should be able to switch the bolt body from a sniper to a regular infantry rifle, but if you change the bolt head have the headspace checked.

Personally I think $650 is cheap for an authentic WWII era sniper rifle, check out the prices of real M1D Garands, Lee Enfield No 4T, or any other real sniper and you will see just how cheap $650 looks.

I'm not sure what targets you use for service rifle but we use "Figure 11" army style targets and they do get mighty hard to see when you get back far, especially against certain backgrounds.

I suppose you could mount a modern scope if you wanted to, I guess I just don't understand why you would want to. I think the dealer I got the rifle from obtained it from Tradeex Canada.

In my opinion yes they are worth it, especially when shooting the heavier weight bullets. Why get bruised and develop a flinch when a simple $8 slip on pad can make shooting comfortable?

There are custom rifles on the market that have a price tag of several thousands of dollars that can only dream of shooting that well. Lots of people poo poo these rifles but I find them to be excellent shooters. And here in Texas, one can still purchase them for under $175 but I have noticed that the prices are starting to climb at the gun shows. Regards, Max

I'm indeed lucky to have access to a 600 yard range within an hours drive. That Privi should shoot well at a distance as it's loaded with a heavy boat tail bullet.

The rifle is fitted with is fitted with an original 1940 production PU optical sight, it is original to the rifle as this is an authentic 91/30 sniper rifle.

Which Hornady bullet were you using? Hornady makes a .3105" 174 gr FMJ BT and a .312" HPBT match bullet. 311 (not listed on their site but it is available).

No, the bolt is just the way it was manufactured. Rifles selected for sniper use seen to have better fit and finish than you will see on a regular 91/30.

Military 7.62x54R uses bullets .310" to .311", .311 bullets have worked well for me. Some rifles have bigger bores and can use .312" bullets.

No, the barrel/bore is plain steel, no chrome. The muzzle crown is not blued, apparently the crown was trued up some after the rifle was blued.

Ive seen several of these original 91/30 sniper rifles in action and all of them were quite a bit more accurate than I expected them to be.

With the 3.5 power scope on the rifle I had no idea that I had a potential live target. Would have been cool if I had it it though!

I would try some different ammo, if that does not chamber I suggest you take it to a qualified gunsmith to have it check out.

Notice the fade between the shots? That's where I edited out the time I took between shots. Believe me I don't shoot that fast!

No doubt a cheek piece would help, as it stands one get's more of a "chin weld" on the stock and it's far from repeatable.

With the 80x of the video camera it looks tempting but with the 3.5x of the rifle scope I couldn't even see the flies.

An interesting rifle. Would love to see you shoot with no scope tho. I have been thinking of geting a Mosin my self

Perhaps later this fall. I shot more Privi last night at 300, 500 and 600 yards, it did pretty well. Video to follow.

Sierra makes .311 dia. 174 gr. HPBT MatchKing bullets and I'm keen to give those a try as soon as I can get some.

Nope. This an original 91/30 sniper rifle, no one is selling them for $200. These sell for closer to $700.

I don't have much of a choice in surplus ammo as there is not a lot of different types for sale up here.

No problem. Read up on mounting those things, they can give you grief if they are not put on properly.

You might want to check and see if the scope mounting screws are sticking out into the bolt raceway.

314299 Shooting Channel A couple questions for you: I have thought about buying a iron sighted 91/30 and shooting some good ammunition instead of the corrosive stuff. Would an iron sighted mosin still shoot good with PPU or Sierra handloads even though it doesn't have a scope? Thanks! James P.S. Nice shooting BTW!

Yeah the high scope is a challenge. I`ve considered one of those lace-on leather cheek pieces.

If it's $89 it's not a genuine Mosin scope, it would be a reproduction of dubious quality.

There's just not much selection of surplus and it costs more than it does in the US of A.

Reproductions and new PU scopes and mounts can be found on auction sites like eBay.

I suppose you would have to get the barrel muzzle threaded by a qualified gunsmith.

That does not seem out of line for an original - did that include the mounts?

The Privi performs well in good rifles, my buddy got a 1-3/4" and a 2" group (three shots) at 300 yards last week. I expect we'll be heading back to 500 yards tomorrow to see what they will do from there.

I was using an "Recoil Eraser, Recoil Reducing Pad" made by the Allen Company, size medium. Works well, fits well and is reasonably priced, I paid $9 for mine. Being slip-on it's easy to switch between guns.

I have yet to find a range that allows FMJ AND my camera usage, some are nervous about that. I've found that the surplus Bulgarian stuff is oddly enough the best to use, better than reloads (due to the fact that finding 150gr. SP rounds at .310 is really hard, for me at last, so .308s and .311s have differing patterns on paper). Nice vid!

Tnx for the info. on the reloads...I started with .311, thought it was a bit big, went to .308, found it was waaaaaay off the mark, now about to test 125gr. .310 rounds. I didn't see it in the vid, but is this a true original sniper, or a repro version like mine?

For me it's more of a "chin weld", not the most comfortable position!

Apparently there are a lot of "shooting coaches" here on RU-vid.....

Well...those AIM ones are REAL sniper rifles, and they have the marks to prove it, so that $580.00 is a killer deal...same ones go for $899 from R-Guns. The $420.00 ones (and ones like mine, from Southern Ohio Gun for $389.95) are just repro models.

Hello, Try 45 grains Varget with solid point 150 grain bullets, and 51.2 grains H4350 with 174 grain match bullets. These are both sub-MOA in my Mosin. Soft point opens up just a bit, but plenty precise for coyotes at 200 yards with open sights. Is this an original or repro sniper? What's been done to that trigger? Is the barrel wrapped with cloth at all? Regards, Josh

That would have been long term rust preventative grease or "Cosmoline", it was put there to keep the rifle from deteriorating during storage.

Doood....... Do you have any idea how well you do instructional videos??? I am a trainer and instructor for a large oil company. I wrack trainers and instructors as (Poor, Ok, Good, Excellent or exceptional). I have been told and hope to maintain a Good / Excellent status. You blow my mind!

That's a great looking PU Sniper you got there, I got a 1942 PU a month ago, Only problem is the bolt keeps getting caught on the metal when closing. I Have to hold it to the right side when pushing it in so it clears what ever part it's getting caught on. Hope it will be okay when shooting.

I will be watching with interest...! As well, I see you used 180 grains over 45 grains Varget. I'm working up to this with SMK, previously having used slower powders for bullets heavier than 150 grains. As for the trigger, it just looked like you pulled it more easily than most can. Regards, Josh

Ive seen several of these original 91/30 sniper rifles in action and all of them were quite a bit more accurate than I expected them to be.

I bought one of these rifles, Cleaned it up good, and op checked it with a Snap Cap. All worked great. But when I took it to the range, I could not chamber a round. Seemed the round would go into the chamber, but he bolt wouldn't close. Any suggestions?

Nice scope on the rifle and does the bolt work nicely? I've heard in a documentary that the mosin nagant bolt is slower compared to other rifles like the German mausser

Yes, I tried Czech light ball and Chinese light ball, both sort well enough but no where as well as the Privi ammo or handloads.

Those were well trained flies - they stayed down by the target instead of back at the firing point where they might bother me!

You might as well buy a modern rifle to mount a modern scope.

Good shooting! One little tip I learned with my mossin from an old timer. Never load the rounds directly into the chamber always feed out of the magazine tray. If you do not you will eventually brake your extractor on the bolt head.

Where did you get the 91/30? Aim's is selling for around 580.00 The price has gone up i remember year a half it was 420.00. i have three 91/30 but i need to modify for scope and bolt.

Enjoyed the video immensely. I've owned several non-sniper 91/30's but they have all gone down the road for other projects....lol. I do have one that I cut the barrel to 24", had Blazen9999 on Ebay turn down the bolt, I recrowned the muzzle, and installed a JMECK scope mount with a Weaver K-4 post reticle scope. Before I did all this, the rifle would shoot 1/2" to 3/4" groups at 30yds with open sights, so I was pretty sure I had a good shooter. So I did what I did to it. I was shooting corrosive ammo but now that I have a scope mounted, I was looking for good shooting non-corrosive ammo and your video has made me decide that the Prvi ammo is the way to go. Thanks so much. Max

I lucked out and got a really clean, clear scope, nicer condition than the ones I've seen on some 91/30 sniper rifles.

I had good luck with PPU case 174 311Smk, IMR 4350 52grn. 2.300ogive . Try this load but adjust seating depth by .010. I started with2.290". Remember that my Hornandy gauge may be different it's a comparator only. I have no chronograph . NNTR.

This rifle has an SVT40 scope on it, of 3.5 power magnification. The Prvi Partizan ammo costs about a dollar a round.

Probably one of the Century International "put together" rifles for that price (original rifle, reproduction mount and scope).

I shot one of these yesterday, it's fun to shoot. It left a nice mark on my shoulder too!

This is an original 91/30 Sniper so the mount and scope are original, I did not put either on the rifle.

I too got one of those snipers. Didn't get to shoot it yet due to missing the scope mount thumb screw. Got a repo, can't wait to try it out.

These things generally have the effect of surprising people with the accuracy they are capable of .

Enjoyed this video. Nice "for real" shooting. Hope you document more of the Mosin experience over time.

I'll never be a real sniper - I could not hit that fly!

That's a commonly overlooked issue with iron sights.

Yes it was sourced from Tradeex. I've seen four of these from Tradeex and all were in quite nice shape.

The first Mosin I ever bought cost $29.95 (over 25 years ago!), now a plain 91/30 costs $179 (here in Canada).

Get your Curio and Relic license they will deliver to your house Mosin ,Takorav Mauser etc. for cheaper

Yeah they do. Before I bought one all ever heard was that they basically were just meant to sling lead. They are very accurate rifles for the money. There is a good video that iraqveteran8888 does with a mosin he sporterized, he is using Sellier and Bellot match ammo in it and he is absolutely driving tacks with it.

I have the same Mosin Nagant M91\30 it is a FREAK it shoots 3round groups that can be covered with a 25 cent piece at 400 yds with a clean barrel and spam can ammo 2 mph wind. And i am a every day patriot not a sharp shooter. My 2nd cousin a Retired Gunny Sgt. is amazed after he witnessed it himself. He just shook his head , commy platform just works sometimes.

Ive had my Mosin for a little over a year and i Love Love Love it. I really respect the gun and im trying to learn more about it. Do the sniper Mosins come with the bent bolt or is that an aftermarket part? I have just a regular 91/30 built in 1938 manufactured in Tula i think and want to know if i could just switch bolts out of a sniper Mosin?

Nice shooting. The main reason I have resisted scoping my M91/30 is the period scope mount produces a very high shooting position relative to the stock - having quite a small head I would not get anywhere near the cheek weld you are able to obtain here. Which would not only lead to inaccuracy, but would be painful lol

it's kinda crazy they charge that much considering they just picked any old well shooting mosin to be a sniper. Buying a mosin and mounting a pu scope yourself is only like $300 max. I guess you just pay to have one that is a bit more rare. But they're uber hard to find these days anyway.

Use the 2 screws on the part that stays on the rifle.(Not the scope rings part) There will be one on top and one on the bottom. They are used for large elevation adjustments. They may be locked in place but I doubt it from a century gun. Be sure to loctite/superglue them in place.

Anyone help me sight my sniper in would be much appreciated. I have a Century Arms remake sniper and for the life of me can't get the rifle to shoot about 6 feet low even on the highest setting. No idea what I'm doing wrong and I'm not a scope guy. Let me know if anyone can help.

Thats a great gun and fun to shoot.Great video.

A 'chin' weld is still far more than I would have! Anyway you have had good results here :) So, I will have to learn to shoot the [so-called] "real" way. Difficult to see a Service rifle target @ 300m when the front sight totally obscures it :p

I want one so bad lol. cant wait til a gun store near me has one in stock, nice cheap price for a great rifle.

To do that i would have to get my hands on a super-rare "sniper bayonet".....

have you tried shooting with the bayo on? I cant tell if mine shoots better with it on or off, i always heard that they were sighted in @ 300yards with the bayo fixed, but I have no where close by to try that kind of yardage.

still privi is a commercial ammo. that being said out of the box ammo you can buy online or in store works just as good as the hand load. now try it with 7n6 Russian or Bulgarian surplus and see the results.

What kind of ammunition are you using? I've heard that the finnish style mosins aren't compatible with 7.62x54r because they are 7.62x53. I shoot surplus from Bulgaria or Russia, I'm really not sure.

That is pretty phenomenal accuracy for a mosin. Is that a factory sniper? Or just a standard $99 special with a PU scope slapped on it? Any kind of accuracy modifications to the rifle?

I've never had any kind of problem from the recoil of a Mosin but I see allot of people adding those rubber recoil pads to their rifles..... is it really worth it ?

What model scope do you have on your Mosin and where did you purchase it? I've been looking for a quality scope for mine, but I can't seem to find one. Thanks!

Hi 314299 with scope being as high as it is you might want to build up the cheek pice a bit, it could be why most of the groups are wider than they are high