Spent a hour so early when the range opened today. I won't plug the range since you have to buy their over priced ammo to use there and the targets. Which I know they have to profit to remain in business but how much of a profit? Which is not why I am writing this post. So to keep from Hijacking my own post, I will move on. I recently bought my first Surplus gun, a Mosin Nagant 91/30. I spent last week in the back yard cleaning the cosmoline from it and reassembling it. A learning experience indeed. Today I picked a small pack of surplus ammo and some other shooting supplies. I had bought ammo when I bought the gun. So then I walked out behind the store. First one there and need not wait for a "cold range" got some paper hanging. It's 9am on a Friday and the R.O. and self are the only ones there. I have not shot this rifle yet so I hung one on the 25 yard and one on the 50 yard. Put the 1st ten down range, Kick I had read was notorious bad. So may have over anticipated it. Crap that's not a kick. I mean it's not 50 BMG, hell my coach gun with factory ammo kicks harder. Who are these girlie men on the gun boards complaining about kick/recoil? My old eyes are as good as they once were, but i can see some holes appearing in the right upper quarter. I am aiming center. So I use some windage adjustments and am able to strike closer to center. All 10 in the paper and for 50 year old ammo and a 60 plus year old weapon, I guess I couldn't complain too much. The range is still hot so I move to the 50 yard line. I run the 2nd ten rounds. Same higher and right. This time only 7 of them made it to the target. I can't swear to it but the 3 probably struck off paper to the right. Few people are rolling in now and the R.O. is calling for a "cold range" So I work the bolt open and show the R.O. I am finished by throwing my hand in the air. Things I noticed at the range the after market stripper clips are harder to use than loading individually. the bolt got harder to open near the end. The barrel gets as hot as my 1860 Henry's using Black Powder. Okay maybe not that hot. Then when I got home, (Ten minutes) I learned these are a pain in the ass to clean. However I do love the smell of Hoppe's #9 in the morning. The final thing I learned is when you don't have the proper patches. Squares cut from drier sheets work really nice, yielding about 20 from a generic brand sheet. You can cut them about 1-1/4" square and use two if not tight enough. I might add buy a good one piece rod or a Boresnake for a .308 caliber and it will save you time and effort. My little home defense carbine the Hi Point 4595 stayed in the truck, I will shoot it next time out. I need to get some guns wiped down and ammo sorted for a match next weekend.
