[Rick W.]

If you are shooting high, then that might be normal for a lot of these rifles because they were zeroed with the bayonet on. This can be easily fixed with a piece of rubber shrink tubing installed over the front post at the correct height. Raise your front sight and it will lower your point of impact. Also, move your target in to 25 yards if you have to until you get your rifle zeroed, then move it out to farther distances. A good site to visit for the correct way to aim these rifles and to zero them out is 7.62x54r.net. There is a lot of info there for these rifles.

I now have a 1929 Tula MN 91/30, hex receiver, ex-dragoon. I came to the realization that the ammo(brown bear)that I was buying had an overall differance in length between one bullet and the next. This overall length differance is as much as 3/32 of an inch shorter from what the original factory specs call for(3.038"). This also makes a differance with how accurately a rifle shoots. I'm thinking about gathering reloading equipment a little bit at a time and reload my own to get the results that I want. Bullet weight sometimes makes a differance too with these older surplus rifles. Find a bullet weight that your rifle likes. That's what I had to do with my .303 British Enfield, Long Branch, number 4, mark 1*. With it, I was able to get my pattern within one inch of the bulls eye at 200 yards using factory loads and iron sights. I brought down a deer with it last year at about 250 yards without a scope.

I'm also thinking about doing some light sporterizations to my 91/30 too. After I get the accuracy problems figured out(I'm still working on getting the inside of the barrel clean!)I'm thinking about putting a NO DRILL scope mount and a scope on it. I'm also thinking about changing the stock too, so I can screw a bipod on the stock. The rifle can easily be put back to original condition whenever I want to. With these changes and the long barrel, I should be able to make a 400 yard plus shot at a deer or an elk and be able to hit it.