Mosin sight-in messup

dabluesguy · April 18, 2012, 10:20 AM

So a friend and I go out to the range to do some shooting and for him to sight-in his hex receiver 91/30. We put it on my lead sled and eventually got it on paper. We used my new front sight adjustment tool to get the windage and then worked on the elevation. As is common, it shot high so we added a little piece of tubing on the front sight and got it dialed in. With his last cartridge he was going to shoot the 400 yard gong so he went to adjust the elevation on the sight. Guess what...it was already set at 400 the whole time we were sighting in. What a couple of knuckleheads!! So I guess we start over.

Hardcase · April 18, 2012, 10:29 AM

When I do stuff like that, I just consider it another opportunity to go shooting. It feels a whole lot better that way!

chiefr · April 18, 2012, 12:11 PM

I always remember FORS when sighting in any milsurp.
Front-Opposite; Rear-Same

I have made it standard practice to bring a hammer, a brass drift, and a file to the range when shooting a new milsurp. I have had to file down front sites on more than one occasion as people next to me ask- WTH.
Rarely have I ever found a milsurp that I did not need to site in. Yes I have made mistakes like you but chalk it up as learning.
One other interesting note in regards to milsurps involves the ammo IE: SMLE#4 used 174 mil ball ammo @ 2440 fps. As mil surp ammo is no longer around, it is common to shoot the easy to find domestic ammo 150gr @ 2600 fps, so naturally it will shoot high.

jsmaye · April 19, 2012, 07:27 AM

I had read somewhere, possibly on this site, that all these old full-figured turn-of-the-century battle rifles were originally sighted-in at a minimum of 400-500 yards. War was different then.

Avenger · April 19, 2012, 06:20 PM

The US Army used 200 yards for a battle zero...so did the Soviet Union. With a 200 yard zero, you'll be "close enough" to hit a human sized target out to 400 even if you forget to adjust the sights.

jsmaye · April 20, 2012, 08:42 AM

Re-consulting the vast (but inconsistent) internet gun forums and sites still places the battle zero of most battle rifles between 300-400 yards, with most around 300. Now, <they> could all be wrong or...

April 18, 2012, 10:20 AM	#1
dabluesguy Member Join Date: August 3, 2011 Location: Eastern Orygun Posts: 91	Mosin sight-in messup So a friend and I go out to the range to do some shooting and for him to sight-in his hex receiver 91/30. We put it on my lead sled and eventually got it on paper. We used my new front sight adjustment tool to get the windage and then worked on the elevation. As is common, it shot high so we added a little piece of tubing on the front sight and got it dialed in. With his last cartridge he was going to shoot the 400 yard gong so he went to adjust the elevation on the sight. Guess what...it was already set at 400 the whole time we were sighting in. What a couple of knuckleheads!! So I guess we start over.

April 18, 2012, 10:29 AM	#2
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	When I do stuff like that, I just consider it another opportunity to go shooting. It feels a whole lot better that way! __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

April 20, 2012, 08:42 AM	#6
jsmaye Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2008 Location: Amarillo, Tx Posts: 616	Re-consulting the vast (but inconsistent) internet gun forums and sites still places the battle zero of most battle rifles between 300-400 yards, with most around 300. Now, <they> could all be wrong or... __________________ No matter how big and tough you are, when a two-year-old hands you a toy phone you'll answer it.

April 18, 2012, 12:11 PM	#3
chiefr Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2010 Location: AR Posts: 1,401	I always remember FORS when sighting in any milsurp. Front-Opposite; Rear-Same I have made it standard practice to bring a hammer, a brass drift, and a file to the range when shooting a new milsurp. I have had to file down front sites on more than one occasion as people next to me ask- WTH. Rarely have I ever found a milsurp that I did not need to site in. Yes I have made mistakes like you but chalk it up as learning. One other interesting note in regards to milsurps involves the ammo IE: SMLE#4 used 174 mil ball ammo @ 2440 fps. As mil surp ammo is no longer around, it is common to shoot the easy to find domestic ammo 150gr @ 2600 fps, so naturally it will shoot high.

April 19, 2012, 07:27 AM	#4
jsmaye Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2008 Location: Amarillo, Tx Posts: 616	I had read somewhere, possibly on this site, that all these old full-figured turn-of-the-century battle rifles were originally sighted-in at a minimum of 400-500 yards. War was different then. __________________ No matter how big and tough you are, when a two-year-old hands you a toy phone you'll answer it.

April 19, 2012, 06:20 PM	#5
Avenger Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Posts: 274	The US Army used 200 yards for a battle zero...so did the Soviet Union. With a 200 yard zero, you'll be "close enough" to hit a human sized target out to 400 even if you forget to adjust the sights.