My Mosin Build
-Well I've been debating whether or not to post my build because I simply didn't know if it would influence you down the right or wrong path of the LR game. What you should do is look into buying a used remington or savage in say .223 and learn the basics. Start with something small in caliber and cheap to shoot. Some people will say .22lr but I don't see the point, because you won't buy a match rifle and quality ammo anyway. Then buy some QUALITY optics. You may not see the point yet young jedi, but if you invest the money now you will be set for life and can use it then when you buy/build a quality rifle.
-And if you truly insist on using your Mosin Nagant, here is my build and the way you should go.
-First you need to lose the bubba-junk from your rifle and sell it to your friends for whatever you can get. You need good optics. At least a Millett TRS1 or bushnell 3200 for now. And obviously lose the scout-mount. Rock Solid Industries makes the best scope mount you can get for the Mosin. It costs almost as much as the Mosin itself but is pure quality.
- Give your bore a good cleaning. Consider having a gunsmith cut the barrel down and re-crown it. This is necessary in most cases because Mosins with good crowns are few and far between.
- You are gonna have to work on that ATI stock because those bastards are usually warped. I had to remove a lot of material to free float it and the forearm on mine was warped badly. I went ahead and pillar bedded it with Rock Solid Industries aluminum pillars. Also bought there action screws which are super hard hex head units. Try removing the rear action screw when a scope is mounted. It's impossible with a flathead.
-Now comes the bolt handle. I did mine myself. PM me if you wants further instruction. Don't want to waste space.
-Handloading. I reload so its standard for me but this is pretty important if you want any type of real accuracy. Bores range from .310 on the tight side and clear out to .316. I had the opportunity to look through about 50 rifles and hand-pick mine with a borrowed bore scope. You will need to slug your bore and find out where your at. This is very easy. Involves tapping a greased fishing weight through your bore and measuring it. Google is you friend here. Mine shoots well with .311 174gn sierra matchkings. Surplus ammo won't give you and consistency past 100yds.
-Trigger. Timney makes a trigger unit for the Mosin, however I've never had one. Couldn't justify spending another $90 on this rifle.
-If your looking for groups you want to shoot from a cold bore and let it cool before your next shot. A lose bore really opens up groups when it gets hot. And please don't expect too much from a 100+ year old design. Military rifles are meant to have lose tolerances so they will run full of grease and muck and ice (except AR-15's). And don't get frustrated with it. If it won't shoot, it just won't shoot. My group pictured is 200 yards with handloads and the taped over holes are surplus.
If you have any other questions pm me.