[the allmighty]

i asked earlier if an sks would make a decent deer rifle, and the reply was kinda iffy. someone mentioned the mosin nagant, ive heard good things about it and just wanted to know the basics of it and what you all think of it. my main question would be do you think it would drop a deer at about 150 yds? also, if you know of any cheap military surplus rifles that i could pick up at a gun show for cheap that would do what i asked please tell me

 

[spicybeefjerky]

yes to all in my opinion...you can get them at just about any gun show or online and for future reference use the Mosin Nagant forum for mosin questions : )...also ammo is really really cheap...at least the military surplus ammo is...costs me about 8 cents a round

 

[troy2000]

A Mosin is roughly comparable to a .30-06

It should do fine on a deer at 150 yards.

But don't sell the .SKS short. It throws a 7.62x39 that I'd say has pretty much the same performance as a .30-30, and there have probably been more deer dropped with a .30-30 in this country than any other round.

It depends on where you're hunting. The SKS makes a fine brush gun. It'll do the job at reasonable distances, and is shorter and easier to carry than the average Mosin. It makes a good saddle gun too, for the same reasons.

f you're going after deer at longer range, the Mosin would be a better choice. But go with the 91/30 or the older long guns (or the Finnish Mosins), rather than with the carbines.

With any of them, remember that you don't want to be gunning after deer with FMJ surplus ammo. Buy some soft-point hunting rounds, and zero your rifle with them.

 

[phrogg]

A typical mosin will print groups about the same as an SKS (some out there do FAAARRR better - MOA or less - country of origin matters), but it's got a far greater powder load behind the same caliber bullet. If you want a hunting rifle, the SKS isn't full powered, while the Mosin Nagant is.

You could look into other milsurp rifles from Big 5, too, if you've got one of those locally. A Schmidt-Rubin K31 straight pull bolt action rifle is supposedly one of the most accurate of the lot, although ammo is at least a full $1 per round. I've actually heard the K31 is the favorite for the milsurp competition in Sacramento because of its accuracy (i'm near there). That competition goes from 50 yards out to... 500? 600? It's out there a ways, anyway.

The Mosin would be good for hunting dear out to about 400 yards if your gun is accurate enough and you're a good enough shot. I wouldn't reccomend beyond 250, but at 150, the mosin could really shine, yeah. An M44 could fit your bill - short, light enough, but accurate as heck.

 

[Beer Forever]

THe mosin has a 7.62x54 caliber, which is very similar to the .308/7.62NATO. The .308 is a perfect round to take down some fair size game. THe 7.62x.39 is not as powerful or have the distance the .54 does, but is good for warfare within 100 yards. For hunting, go with the Mosin. You can put a scope on it or go with the iron sights, pretty accurate guns for being produced in large numbers and so very long ago.

THe sks is a fun plinker/target gun, but not my first choice for hunting deer. I would suggest buying both of the guns because everyone should have at least one SKS!

 

[NRAJOE]

Swiss K31 is better....

 

[myarmor]

I've killed deer with my Mosins and they slay them. The 7.62x54R is a heck of a round, and pack quite a punch. So to answer your question of 150 yards...Absolutely! If you get a decent shooter, and are capable with open sights they can deliver all you need.

 

[FutureMarine]

Swiss K31 is better....

but ammo is harder to find

 

[BattleRifleG3]

One recommendation I would make is that with all the hunting ammo for the 7.62x54R that is much more affordable than other commercial ammo, don't sell yourself short, use the good stuff for hunting and siting in.

 

[Beer Forever]

I agree, you don't want to bite into a piece of bullet fragment.

 

[jellydonut]

Most of the M91/30s I've ever encountered were MOA or very close to it, possibly even better than. (M.O.A.[minute-of-angle] means it can shoot a string of three shots within a 1.04'' circle at 100 yards). A 150 yard deer shot would be a piece of cake for the gun/caliber, providing you're a good enough of a shot to hit it right.
JD

 

[FutureMarine]

most definately, its all about the placement

 

[billy]

well on a bench my m44 produced a 3 shot group of 0.942 in. @ 100 yds.quite accurrate

 

[jellydonut]

sweet. And that's just the carbine version (many of them are magnificent-quality guns too)

 

[OldShooter]

Here's my two cents.

I don't hunt, but I shoot a few Mosin Nagants, though I'm also not a great shot. My 91/30 is most accurate of the three I own. I like the M38 because it is easiest to carry. The M44 shoots well but I don't like the balance with the fixed bayonet. I can hit a 12 inch diameter gong at 200 yards with the M38, so it could probably be a better deer rifle than an SKS. I have a Yugo 59/66 too, fun to shoot. The Mosins will really bruise your shoulder if you are not careful. If you don't hit the deer with the bullet, the noise will probably scare it to death.

 

[FutureMarine]

you got that right about the noise. now try shooting your M44 without earplugs...OUCH!

 

[OldShooter]

Yeah, I did that once with a Steyr 95. It won't happen again.

 

[Mooseguy_87]

are those good guns, well they must be if you own one. I wonder how soldiers back then put up with that, Wait a min. they probably had more concerns like trying to kill the enemy and not get killed.

 

[FutureMarine]

yeah i think hearing might be on the bottom of my list

 

[Tallyman]

Put a scope on it and extend your range a couple hundred yards !!