Mosin nagant vs lee enfield for hunting.

[lyon13]

So I am trying to figure out which of my milsurps to take hunting this year but I am unsure which to use. I know that both of them shoot a round that will take a whitetail, the main problem I am having problems with is that the Enfield I can set up as a normal style hunting rifle but the ammo is kinda uncommon. While the mosin's ammo is a dime a dozen but has to be set up as a scout rifle. I am hoping that someone can help me come to a decision.

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[Aragorn243]

No question on this one. Lee Enfiled is vastly superior in all categories. First off, Mosin Nagant ammo for hunting is not dime a dozen. You don't use FMJ for hunting, it's even illegal in many states. So price is going to be about the same for hunting ammo. Enfield is a smoother action, holds more rounds, not that you should need more than one. And best of all has a safety that doesn't require both hands to operate. The Mosin Nagant is a fun range gun, does have cheap range ammo and you don't have to worry about putting the safety on and off quietly and with minimal movement at the range. It does not make a very good hunting rifle for all of the above reasons.

[Daan Kemp]

Depends on your perception of a hunting rifle. Either one would do the same job with the necessary preparation.

You only need one shot per buck so ammo shouldn't be a problem. Depending on how much you hunt, 20 [hunting] rounds should last you a couple of years. I'm not talking plinking or fun shooting, but serious hunting.

With ammo out of the way, use the rifle that feels best to you and is the most accurate of the two. Or take both and alternate days with them, familiarising yourself each time with the one you are using that day.

[mrclark303]

Simuna Häyhä used a Mosin for hunting Russians and did just fine! That said, patriotic hat firmly on head, has to be a Lee Enfield, no question....

[browningautorifle]

No question on this one. Lee Enfield is vastly superior in all categories.

Have to agree here, I don't like the handling characteristics of the Mosin in any shape. The Russians only used them because they couldn't figure out anything better...

[CINDERS]

Lee Enfield all the way 10 round mag an action that can take a good deal of crud & still function if you come a gutsa and fall over and if its a No.4 using the 300 yd aperture sight then thats just like a ghost ring for fast shooting in dense wooded areas I used my No.4 like that in heavy timber and good clumps of bull rushes for porkers till I got my 444 Marlin 336.

Seen to many guys at the club have issues with Mosins not saying you will but well they just seem clunky to me!

[Sunray]

Which Lee-Enfield? Sort of matters what Mosin you have too. That's more about it being a rifle or carbine.
The cartridge isn't the question. It's which rifle shoots better. However, you'll have to slug the barrel of the Enfield to determine who's ammo to use(you'd need to slug for reloading too). Not all Enfield barrels are .311". And commercial hunting ammo uses either .311" or .312" bullets.
Cabela's(who will send anything you buy on-line to your local Cabela's shop) and Midway both carry 7.62 x 54R and .303 Brit with SP. 150(more than enough for deer) and 180's in the Brit. 180's in the Russian.
It's May. You have lots of time to buy a box of each, try 'em and sight in.
Oh and I did the Wal-Mart Test online. They don't know what either cartridge is.

[lyon13]

I am still trying on my own to find some kind of a straight up comparison of the differences between the traditional scope set up and the scout set up. What I have managed to gather is this.

• The scout is lower powered, but provides a better field of view.
• The traditional on the other hand has a higher power, a narrower field of view.

Looking back on my post I should have asked about this over which rifle to use

[Aragorn243]

The only way to tell if you will like one over the other is to try both out. Everyone has different expectations on optics. I hunt exclusively with scopes which seriously limits my use of milsurp rifles for deer.

Scout scopes are a super option if you want to hunt with your milsurp but don't want to permanently alter it. They are not ideal however. Power is what you buy, I expect either type of scope can have different levels of power. The drawback to the scout scope is that it sits several inches in front of your eye rather than right in front of it. This limits the view range inside the scope. It does provide one side benefit in that it allows you to see around the scope and possibly more easily find your target.

Traditional scopes can be mounted on Enfields. I have one for my No 1 MKIII made by B Square that works great. It is a combination screw on, clamp on mount that requires the removal of one screw on the rifle and then clamps onto the loading bridge. I killed two deer with it many years ago, one shot each from the same group which attests to the smooth workings of the rifle.

I have a pistol scope on a Contender which I love but in its case, eye relief is in feet rather than inches. But you get used to it.

[Sunray]

The no gunsmithing mounts for Enfields usually aren't terribly reliable. Mind you, either rifle(still depends on which Enfield) will work just fine with the factory irons sights. Enfields have been used since just after W.W. I for moose and everything else up here. So you really don't need a scope.
However, between the traditional mounting and Cooper's daft idea it will depend on how much you practice with it(off hand, at 100 yards. on a 9" pie plate). The field of view is mostly about magnification, not eye relief. There are a few options that don't require a long eye relief scope too.
Simuna Häyhä is supposed to have not used a scope. He allegedly said the scope was too high on the Finnish Mosin he used.