gun newbie looking for good source of ammo and some pointers

N

nevarmore

Joined
Mar 20, 2003
Messages
196
Hey all, I've been shooting with family for 5 years or so and I just got a Nagant carbine for Xmas. I've burned thru most of the Wolf ammo I got for it (all except 10 rounds in case the zombies come). I'm looking for a decent source of non-corrosive 7.62x54 to shoot at the range. Any suggestions? The best prices so far seem to be at gunbroker.com at .26 cents a round (300 rounds at $78) or at the range for .25 cents (500 @ $125). I'll prolly buy from my range, I like them and no shipping hassles unless someone here has a killer deal on it.

Also, we've been browsing the incindiary ammo for when we shoot at the big family event around the 4th of July. Any suggestions here? The stuff on gunbroker is labeled as .308 with the remarks that it will shoot through any 7.62x54R rifle. I don't quite trust that, especially since 7.62mm = .30 cal not .308.

I went to the range today with my other gun, a .22 Marlin semi-auto and plinked off 150 rounds. I seem to be shooting high and right. I have been since I got it, others who have shot it are dead on, and I have shot Remington, Federal, CCI, American Eagle and Winchester (TOTAL CRAP) through it with similar results so I know its me and not the gun. The rangemaster suggested that I'm simply a new shooter and I should adjust my sights to compensate. When my groups drift low and left, then I'll know that my form has improved and I should zero the sights. Is this assertion correct? What else should I be doing? Where can I get some info on shooting form? If it matters I'm shooting at a 25yd indoor range and I'm trying to find a decent outdoor range near Akron.

I seem to have a similar problem with the Nagant. It is closer to center but still tends to be left (low and high). It does feel like I aim better with it, but I haven't run enough rounds thru it to start drawing conclusions. Its much heavier than my .22 and it doesn't drift as much, especially when I flip out the bayonet and hang another few pounds in front of the muzzle. The harder recoil also provides some motivation to tuck it properly and hit what I'm aiming at.

Sidenote: The Shoot-N-See targets take all the fun and challenge out of shooting. I got 5 rounds (out of 17, as noted above) of .22 into the center and then I just had to aim at the neon green dot, much easier than aiming at the 10 ring on a standard NRA slow fire pistol target.
 
I'd get some further information, I don't know if this is right.

The nomenclature of 7.62 x 54R is the name of the 'flanged' or rimmed round used in a Dragonov Soviet sniper rifle. And boy, oh boy, you are really testing my memory. I don't even know if the Dragonov's of the Vietnam era still used the rimmed round.

I never held one in my hand, my mind is just a miasma of useless information. Find an expert.
 
Every man remembers his first Nagant... ;)
I picked up a M.G. (stamped 1943) @ a gunshow here in VA (late 1980's) for approx. $40.00. I seem to remember 50 rds of ammo being just at $40.00.
The cost/availability of ammo spooked me and I really couldn't justify owning the thing- so I sold it to a co-worker- he's probably knocked down a good number of deer w/ it by now.
 
i don't know how other people judge shooting competency, but when i was tutoring my men during my stint in national service, we looked at their shot groups
when their rounds give a small spread, there's only the zeroing left
you are familiar with MPI? your rangemaster should zero your weapon based on this
 
This guy has a table of on-line ammunition dealers - http://www.billstclair.com/ammo.html

I've gotten ammo from several of the sources. J&G and Ammoman are my primary sources, but I've used Cole and AIM as well.

As to 7.62X54R - I'd as soon shoot the old corrosive as the non because a few squirts from the Windex (ammonia) bottle wetting a patch neutralizes the residue (and makes your barrel lemony fresh:D ). This followed by a good cleaning allows you to shoot very cheap ammo ($50/600). That being said, I only shoot non-corrosive match grade out of my Finn Mosins and any junk out of my Russian Mosins.

http://www.empirearms.com/clean.htm has a good corrosive ammo cleaning page
 
First, high and to the right is almost always a trigger control issue. DO NOT adjust your sights to compensate. You will reinforce a bad habit. If others are shooting dead on with the sights zeroed, it's an operator issue, not a weapon issue. As a side note, I had a problem with a highly customized Sig P239, that was boresited by a Sig armorer. I was consistentely shooting low, which annoyed the blazes out of me. Only after I spoke at length with the armorer did I discover that he zeroed the sights for a "dead center hold". As a target shooter, I was trained for a "six-o'clock hold", which explained the whole damn thing, but that's pretty rare scenario. Plinking is ALOT of fun, and that is what I do AFTER the serious range work is finished. As a begginer, you need to learn discipline first. This sucks, but it's what ya gotta do if your ever going to get half way decent as a shooter.

May I suggest the following drills? O.K. start with your target at the minimal allowable range (25-50 yards). 1 round at a time, (no magazine, please) shoot until you have tne consecutive rounds at least "in the black". Shoot very slowly and analyze everything you are doing. Try to enter "the zone". Shoulder rifle from the bench, chamber round, achieve a "spot weld" on the target, while focusing on the target. Notice how the "target is 'moving around'"? That's because your breathing! Inhale a normal, resting breath. S L O W L Y let 1/2 out STOP. Target should be square, GENTLY increase pressure on the trigger until the round goes off. You SHOULD be "suprised" when the rifle fires. Spot your round. High right? You probably jerked the trigger and anticipated the shot. Low or high, but center? Work on your breathing. Left of center high? Poor spot weld, rifle is not centered on the shoulder. Those are some basics. Most importantly, observe your groups. If the pattern is all over the place, it's definitely you, not the weapon. If you have a 1/2 group at 50 yards, and you think you are doing everything right, THEN adjust you sights. 1 click at a time in 5 round groups.
 
Thanks for the tips. Both the ammo sources (soo many dealers, soo little time, thank god for calculators) and the shooting tips. Theres just so much information and my shooting mentor (a gun collecting uncle) is 4 hours away, so I cant get much help from him. I really appreciate the tips here.

A very helpful member on another board directed me to some better ranges than where I'm at now. The range is only a 25yd indoor range and is really only set up for standing up and shooting, there are bigger better ranges just a bit of a drive away.

Thanks again.
 
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