Hunting With Milsurp Weapons- 2010 Edition

Much more satisfiying than a range trip, taking an old Military firearm into the woods can give the user much more input as to a particular rifle's traits and handling quirks ove rthe course of several hours, days, months, or years. Even if you don't shoot it at all on a particular outing (as I did not in the example below) you will learn a bunch, if you're paying attention.

So, I'm interested in what y'alls' impressions are of rifles you've used- preferably in "stock" or "original" configuration.

To start below is a brief rundown of what I learned about a rifle with which I've never before hunted:

Japanese T99 4x scoped rifle ("Sniper")

Did a brief range session as detailed here:

https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=25713

Next morning dark and early, off to the woods we went. No hunting from stands or such, I like to skulk about, usually w/ the rifle at a low ready postion.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff003-2.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff004-1.jpg
These two photos were taken at about the same time, but the flash was used on the second one. Reality was somewhere in the middle.

Started scoping before sun-up: objects down range were no problem- plenty of light transmission, but the reticle was VERY difficult to see as the fines are fairly fine, and the woods are rather thick. In more open areas it might not have been so bad. Unfortunately, I could not get a good photo through the scope all day, I think because the camera couldn't focus at infinity due to all the growth!

Use of the battle peep sight in the low light was difficult as well (but marginally do-able) until about an hour after "sun rise". Thereafter, the peep was OK to very good even as far forward as it sits.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff001-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff002-2.jpg
Also taken at about the same time as above. Generally, one can not swing the rifle in the firing position w/o hitting a tree trunk...

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff005-2.jpg
Transitioning from the pines to hardwoods.- Sun is getting well up, but the scope crosshairs are still easily lost or confused as to the proper one at this point.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff007-1.jpg
By now the undergrowth is a bit less daunting, and the light has improved. Scope use still slow.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff010-2.jpg
This full daylight shot was taken about the time I reckoned the optics superseded the iron sights in utility. Sitting down now...

Hey, look- this here's a pretty nice rifle, at least in full sun! It's condition just never really impressed me before today. It's not often these old arms look better in harsh lighting!

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff012-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff013-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff014-1.jpg

Well into the afternoon before we decided to make the trek back and report. Nice day!

:cheers:

Oh, a couple of other points;

The rifle generally handles well. It's light weight is appreciated after a few hours of toting.

The bolt handle is a bit annoying. Straight would not have been much less weildy, but more turn down would have been preferred. The in between-ness seems a poor concession to the scope placement.

Safety use right handed is fine, but it tends to "pop" when coming off. Left hand use is compromised by the scope. Not quite enough clearance to manipulate easily.
BTW, the "pop" upon release seems to be peculiar to this particular rifle. May be a bit of internal burr? It still works fine, but the noise is not desirable whilst hunting.

Grip seems a little awkward at times, but is fine when aiming.

LOP is good!

I just got my hunter safety certification, and I'm going with the club next year. Think I'll take the M1917 with me, to see how she performs in the woods. I always thought if I went back to hunting it would be the Lee Enfield 303, or the 91/30. But my next hunting trip will be with the M1917. That will be the deciding factor whether or not I keep her.

I've never gotten a deer with anything but a milsurp. I haven't been deer hunting for all that many years but I've gotten nine deer in total all with milsurps, all but one were in original condition. First deer with a 1903A3 Smith Corona, second with a T97 Japanese sniper minus the scope, third with a T99, fourth with a Pattern 14 Enfield, 5-7 with a sportered M94 Swedish carbine, 8 with a M28 Finnish Mosin, and 9 with a Russian SKS45. This year I'm taking out the old MAS36 to see what it can do. I've hunted with sporting rifles but always seems the deer came by when I had a milsurp at hand. The milsurps must be good luck.:D

Yes, I've taken milsurps hunting. My first deer was shot with Springfield M1 #328219 which resides in the lockup now. It doesn't hunt anymore however. I've also taken out #5 Jungle Carbine, M1917, #4 Lee Enfield and K98.

Jmoore, that is a beautiful rifle. Thanks for the nice pictures. You almost persuade me to go hunting again, its been at least 20 years. I would love to have a 4x scope, mine are 2 1/2. riceone

My hunting started w/ milsurp rifles as well, but my first deer was actually taken w/ a 44 Mag revolver. I've strayed a bit, but more often than not, I'll be using a weapon that's at least military derived.

The little outing above covered a span of eight hours or so, all with the rifle in hand (RH or LH).

Feel free to post you evaluations of features you like or don't like about your rifles. The more detail the better! This isn't a "combat" evaluation, obviously, but more of an ergonomics study.

I learned to hunt with lever action rifles, Savage 99's. Had a bolt action 22 for a couple of years but never cared for it much and soon got a Marlin 39 lever action. They have been what I have hunted with nearly every season for the last 35 years. I made the switch to a bolt action 17HMR last year for small game. I have however taken various other rifles doe hunting in the past. My first milsurp was a 303 British Mark III that I got at Woolworth's about 20 years ago for $90 or something like that. Not sure why I picked that one, but I've always had an interest in the 303. Took it home disassembled it, worked for a couple of weeks getting the cosmoline out of the stock. I assembled, disassembled that rifle so often I could do it in the dark. I've always been a scope hunter so that was a pretty high priority with me. Found a B-Square mount that required no drilling and tapping and stuck a scope on it. It shot well enough for deer, about an inch and a half group.

So this was the first season after all that effort, I wanted to see what I could do with it. I had gotten a buck in buck season so a doe was no longer "high" priority. I went to one of my usual spots, a place that overlooks a group of pines that intersect with the mountain and waited. After an hour or so I hear deer coming up out of the pines, I got the rifle ready, had my right hand on the safety. The deer came up over the rise, they were a pair of does. I eased off the safety, lined up on the first, pulled the trigger and "CLICK". Both deer now staring at me from about 30 yards. I realized immediately what I had done, I had put it in the half cock position and the charger went in stopped. So I slowly ease my right hand back, with both deer watching me, pulled the charger back, "CLICK", which was finally enough for the deer and off they went. I pushed the safety off, lined up on the first running deer, pulled the trigger, "BOOM", chambered another round, lined up on the second which by this time was about 100 yards away, "BOOM" and the forest went quiet. I didn't think I could operate a bolt action that fast but it was very smooth. The first deer was lying about 60 yards away and the second about 120, two shots, two deer. Never took it hunting again. Not sure why but I should. Still have it. Brother in law wanted to borrow it and I said heck no.

Only time I hunted with a milsurp. I'm getting so many of them now though I need to start.

i harvested two whitetail's using as issued military rifles > first was a 03A3 using a handloaded 150gr the other a swedish M38 using a handloaded 140gr both deer dropped like they here hit with the hammer of thor.

I don't know if this counts since there are no milsurp M14's, but I went hunting this year for the first time in 20 years. I used my standard M1A with mostly GI parts and a Bassett scope mount with a Zeiss Conquest 3x-9x X 50. It would be a bit heavy for some but I'm a big guy and it was not really a problem for me.

I wanted to hunt with irons only but I was persuaded by someone that I should have a scope for positive identification and to avoid shooting a doe or a deer without a fork so I installed the scope.

I carried it around for 3 days. Some of it was walking through the woods and some was sitting on the edge of a clear-cut watching for movement.

I don't know if I'll use it next year or not. I have a Savage 110 project to work on this winter.

Also, I took along a leather hunting sling just in case the GI nylon sling would not work. It was a good decision. After hiking witht the rifle over my shoulder and adjusting it, the GI sling keeper would pop open due to rubing on my backpack straps but I caught it every time. I canged it out after the first day. I would like to try a biothane M1907 style sling for next year if I decide to take it again.

Slings are hateful things in my mind. At least until AFTER the shot has been taken, and the work begins.

That said, I was on a hike back to the truck w/ a bl**dy huge and heavy M85 (a real one, not just a post P-H put together), so I utilized the push button QD sling that came with it. Apparently one of the swivels was a bit flogged and it did it's "QD" thing all by itself about 1/2 mile down the trail. Had there not been a muzzle protector installed, it would have been a bad day!


BTW, missing a perfectly grand day of hunting right now as there's a building being demolished next door to my friend's store. He's got LE training scheduled, so I get to hang about waiting for disasters...PHOOEY!

Packed my M1917 around the first day of deer season,all I can say is,Doughboys were tough sob's.

Yea, I do love the m1917.

The M1917 is the first rifle I used for deer hunting. Never shot one whilst fielding it, though! I just wish I hadn't sportered ("Bubba'd") a really nice spare US$15 (early 1980's $s) stock for it. Could have put it to better use, and the results were less than optimal. (I was MAYBE 18 at the time.) The upside is that I kept all the bits, so it's now been long back to full military configuration. Shoots better that way, BTW. Not a spectacular rifle condition-wise, but it's "goodness" led to several more that are way prettier (and cost way too much)!

Gonna hog up some more of this thread, be glad I haven't been able to get out more this year so far! (still no meat for the table): Take a camera on your next hunt and show off your goodies! Dead criiters are NOT required, but feel free to add 'em if you get 'em.

Here's some photos from Monday (1 November 2010):

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...tuff0091-1.jpg
At least the upper is real Milsurp! And yes, I often find the stock to be hugely useful when shortened that much in actual field use. (Just not whilst standing.) The Mag-Pul CTR stock is very nice in that wiggle can be eliminated by using the clamp at the lower front, if desired. Quiet adjustments are easy as well.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff003-1.jpg
A bit more open area, but VERY downhill!

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff007-2.jpg
OLD 3x scope.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff004-1.jpg
Cruddy photo, but it shows the reticle. It's actually a very clear scope w/ very good resolution.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff008-1.jpg
Inner tube rain guard for ocular and (forward a bit) exposed barrel under handguard- the rear portion is protected by the internal heat shield.
It's a bit of a shock even to me, but this ugly old thing is becoming my favorite deer rig. Terminal performance has been outstanding to date!


More Type 99 hunting today (5 November 2010), at least until I felt some moisture. Unlike the all-weather AR, I'm NOT going to soak that 7,7mm bit of scarcity.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff011-2.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...tuff0131-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...tuff0141-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff015-1.jpg
Note the yellow thread tied to the "cleaning rod". Wind was quite variable all day. Makes me nuts!

This rifle is really growing on me. I'm rethinking my opinion on the bolt handle- It's really kind of an early "Tactical" speed handle set-up much like the oversized and extended handles popular in certain circles today I just wish the iron sights had a 100yd setting. The rear band and front swivel doubled as a grasping point early on today when the cool weather made the foreend kind of slippery w/ the "easy on the finish" non-textured gloves worn.

I have taken 23 deer, 18 antelope, two bear, two elk and countless coyotes with my 3X9 Leupold mounted S/A M1A. I can do no wrong with that rifle!!!

I have hunted all 32 seasons I have been hunting with either a 1917 SMLE, Type 99, or 190303. I have been well fed by all of them. Next year I will have the honor of hauling a P14 along with me. I would have used it this year, except I scored it on the weekend after elk season. I am blown away by its accuracy with 180 grn Privi soft points. All the previous stated rifles have killed deer, elk, and bear. I have hunted in 12 states and 3 European countries. Folks look at me weird for what I carry, but look amazed when they see what I harvest....

:DI started Deer hunting in 1979 at age 11. Got my first one Jan.1 1980 with a shotgun. Started hunting with milsurps in 1986 when i became old enough to buy them myself. First one was a jap. t99. Took lots of Deer and Hogs over the years witha wide asortment of old militays rifles, including an 1884 Trapdoor. My trade is Millwright/Welder and doing that for close to 25 years has taken it's toll on my eyes so i have had to retire most of my milsurps cause i can't see the open sights anymore. Inow use a 1936 dated M1903 NM that BUBBA had hold of. Restored it as close to original spec as i could w/ original parts but went the extra mile and outfitted it as a 1903A1 sniper. Was already drilled/tapped for unertl blocks. The other is a replica/repro no.4 mk1T i made up using repro parts. It gets lots of use. Took a Deer this p.m. with it at 233 yds according to rangefinder. Too bad my eyes gave out, have quite a few more i never got to fire a shot in hunger.

Guess what happens when you cook deer ribs for 20hrs in this contraption:

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...DSCF0921-1.jpg



Folk that won't eat deer jump all over it!:

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff007-2.jpg
I'd show you who's hand it was but I didn't get a suitably flattering photo of her! Don't need that kind of trouble.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much left by the time the camera came out. Knife not required...

Christmas fun.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...tuff0061-2.jpg
Esp. for the young 'uns!

Hey jmoore, didn´t expect that you´re cooking meals for old toothless warhorses! Hahaha, yummie!

I know that an SKS can work just fine in a pinch with a bear. Though not my first choice, one does not always have the option of selecting a different firearm when a bear decides to charge you in the bush.

I have deer hunted almost exclusively with bolt action rifles for 40 years. I have used a Model 70 Winchester in 30-06 that has been fitted with various 3-9 power scopes for the last 26 years. Before that I used an Interarms Mark X commercial Mauser in 30-06. I started out with a sporterised military Mauser chambered in 8mm that wore a Weaver 2 1/2 power scope that my grandfather let me use because my father hated guns and wouldn't let me have one. This coming year I plan to use one of my No. 4 Enfields at least some times.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by U-712

I know that an SKS can work just fine in a pinch with a bear.

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So you've had a close encounter that you weren't expecting? Welcome to the forums, BTW! (I often miss the post counts...)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gunner

old toothless warhorses

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I'm getting there!
Actually, one meal had about 30(?) participants! However, the ribs were reserved for a smaller crowd, maybe 10-15(? hard to tell, some folk got to eat both times and others had to have a few held back) and were split into two shifts about eight hours apart. Only had four sets! Fortunately, larger deer- lots of meat- surprising to those that hadn't had them before.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rumpelhardt

This coming year I plan to use one of my No. 4 Enfields at least some times.

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The .303 Br round works fine! Oddly, deer only get in the way of my P'14 with the BSA scope. Scoped a small buck w/ a No.4 Mk.I (T), but not enough rack to be legal. No results w/ SMLEs yet, either. :dunno:

I cut my teeth on the Lee Enfields. Up here, they were the iconic Canadian hunting rifle. Every rural home had one, ammo was inexpensive and plentiful (both milsurp & soft point), and the rifles themselves were very inexpensive whether they were in untouched military dress or sporterized. I nailed my first deer with a No.4 at about 150 yds, open sights. One clean shot through the lungs and she went about 20-30 yds and dropped. Over the years I've had many pass through my hands, some I've restored, some sporters I've customized for me or my buds, and some were abused beyond salvage as anything other than "parts" rifles. It has it's limitations as a modern hunting rifle, but it's mechanically simple to maintain, and with the right ammo it's a consistent game-getter. Don't get me wrong, I love a good commercial sporter. My M77 Ruger .308 HBar has put lots of game on the table so I'm not slavishly dedicated to milsurps as hunting rifles, but there's something satisfying about carrying a piece of military history into the woods and coming home with meat on the table.

I've deer hunted the past 10 years with a sporterized Swedish M38 using handloads. Sweet shooting rifle, very accurate. I hunt on my own land and wanted a round that would not go far on a pass thru or ricochet. There are neighbors thru the woods and they have animals right across the fence so I did not feel comforable using my 30-06.
I've also killed one deer and one hog using a ChiCom SKS with handloads. Great gun for thick creek bottoms when used open sights.