December 20, 2005, 01:54 AM | #1 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 20, 2005
Location: Lutz
Posts: 1,528
|
Which surplus?
I was curious and would like to see if any of the wonderful people on this forum are using military surplus rifles for hunting and if so, which ones and for what animal? It is a growing trend in my circle of friends to build sporters out of Milsurp rifles. I know some will think we are crazy for doing so but the fact is that quite honestly, I don't care what any of my guns are worth to anyone else, only what they're worth to me. Havong said that, one of my favorite hog/deer guns is a Smith-Corona Model 1903-A3. I picked it up rather cheap because it had been drilled and tapped and removed from the original stock. I then shortened and recrowned the barrell and added a full length Mannlicher type stock with a high roll-over cheek piece. It now wheres a Nikon Buckmasters 3-9x40 on the scope mounts that made it such a good bargain. Not a great collectable, but it's my favorite shooter. And man, talk about accurate... What about you?
|
December 26, 2005, 10:22 PM | #2 |
Junior Member
Join Date: January 20, 2005
Location: Buffalo Wyoming
Posts: 5
|
I do
I've switched to mil-surps almost exclusively and re-load the hunting ammo I use for them all, except the 7.62x39. Just a personal thing, I wouldn't hack on an original mil-surp, but would have no qualms about finding one already hacked and making it into a fine hunting gun. My M-43 Spanish Mauser is a real tack driver and has all the power and range I need for North American hunting, but I really am looking forward to scout mounting a scope on my M95 Steyr as it packs a real punch and is very unusual in it's own right. When talking mil-surps, I could go on and on and on....................
Oops, forgot part two of the question. M43 is used for everything and it took 2 deer this year. M95 Steyr, if accurate enough, will most likely get a lot of use , also on everything. Looks like it could be a great full power fast handling brush gun. This year it took a small black bear. M-1 carbine eventually for deer at least once (don't get going on that power thing, eh!) Otherwise, whatever and whenever, i have a lot of mil-surps but not much hunting time. We do mostly whitetails but occasionally head west for Elk. |
December 27, 2005, 05:57 PM | #3 |
Member
Join Date: November 10, 2004
Location: Northern Sweden
Posts: 36
|
M 96 Swedish Mauser 6,5x55! new stock(bedded), scoop mount,1/4 safety, bent handel, Weaver k-4 =sub MOA groups and proven in the woods (Beaver and Roedeer)
Cant bye this quality at 10 times the price. My 2 cent Ursus
__________________
Bears aren’t cuddly! |
December 28, 2005, 11:31 PM | #4 |
Member
Join Date: November 30, 2004
Location: kansas city area at the present, but Colorado and Wyoming have been home. Lived 2 years in the middle east.
Posts: 33
|
I have and do
I have a spanish model 1893 in 7MM that works just fine. I understand in it's time it was "The Gun" for use on game in Africa. I have a Russian M44 I'm playing with now for use on deer. Most surplus rifles have the power for hunting, it's the sights and getting it zeroed thats the pain, and finding the right shell. If you reload you can make them shoot just fine for hunting.
|
December 29, 2005, 09:05 PM | #5 |
Senior Member
Join Date: December 20, 2005
Location: Lutz
Posts: 1,528
|
Glad I'm not the only one. I love my surps. I also kick around a Mosin Nagant M38 carbine. I put it on a monte carlo stock (I found it at a thrift store of all places) and put an XS sight system on it. Shoots great. Nice close range hunter. Thanx for the responses guys. Keep on keepin' on!
|
December 30, 2005, 10:24 AM | #6 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 14, 2004
Location: Blacksburg, VA, USA
Posts: 246
|
Hmmm lets see, I have used the following for hunting:
Mosin Nagant 91/30 Yugo SKS Swiss K31 Of these I think I like the Swiss K-31 the best, though the MN 91/30 is a close second.
__________________
Current Collection Marlin Model 60 (my first gun) Ruger Mark-II .22LR Competition pistol (heavily modified) CZ-50 CVA Bobcat .50Cal Blackpower Mosin Nagant 91/30 (1942) Marlin 336 .30-30 Lever Action Yugo SKS 59/66 CZ-52 Bulgarian Makarov Swiss K-31 Rock Island 1911A1 Near Future (hopefully): M1 Garand CZ-75 |
December 30, 2005, 10:54 AM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: May 31, 1999
Location: N. Texas
Posts: 5,899
|
My favorite hog and brush deer rifle is my 1903 Springfield I had rebarreled to .35 Whelen and restocked (by someone else) in a walnut monte carlo stock that I've whittled down and painted and glass-bedded before putting an ivory bead-on-post front sight and Williams peep rear sights.
I've carried .303 SMLEs in full military trim for deer hunting and a No. 5 ("jungle carbine) varient for elk hunting in the black timber with 180g handloads. I've gone coyote hunting with an AR-15 with plenty of M16 parts in it in the creekbottoms. (okay, not really a milsurp)
__________________
"Welcome to The Firing Line, a virtual community dedicated to the discussion and advancement of responsible firearms ownership."T.F.L. Policy Page Will you, too, be one who stands in the gap? ____________ |
December 30, 2005, 07:40 PM | #8 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 12, 2005
Location: not from Svalbard
Posts: 346
|
I hunt with a Yugoslav M48, 8mm Mauser, in a "sporterised" stock, with iron sights. I also have an M48b, in the full military stock...and I will use this for hunting (in future), as well.
|
January 1, 2006, 05:44 PM | #9 |
Senior Member
Join Date: March 11, 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 348
|
me too....
6.5x55 Swedish Mauser, Fajen stock, scoped, handloaded with Nosler Partitions. Shoots .75" at 100 yards. Very effective.
M1 Garand, used it to kill a nice doe with Federal Gold Match. Will use Sierra Game King 165 grainers next time... SKS Just built a .35 Whelan on a VZ24. I have some "un-cut" originals as well, though they'll never see any mods - a 1909 Argentine will all matching numbers, and the swastika-marked Kar98 my father-in-law brought back from WW2. But mostly I use my Savage 7mm Mag.
__________________
Earth First! We can hunt the other planets later. |
January 2, 2006, 10:53 AM | #10 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 3, 2005
Location: podunk, Texas
Posts: 1,610
|
+ 1 on the 303 british. Many deer and coyotes fell to my old mk4. Wise man say " dont try to kill 30 large wild pigs with M1 carbine unless you are in tree" Tried this once, I moved to a larger caliber. 30 carbines kinda bounce off the hard heads of ferrel hogs. Not cool!! I climbed a 3 inch wide mesquite tree.!!
|
|
|