1943 Tula PU sniper rifle - very happy

[spinecracker]

Managed to get my 1943 Tula PU sniper rifle to the gun range this morning. Was shooting Sierra .311 174gr Match Kings with 44gr IMR 4064 and Prvi brass. Target was 100 yards away, and I was shooting from a sandbag. Using On Target software, the 4 round group was 0.715. I moved to a different target for the last round of the day, slightly adjusted the turrets, and managed a dead center with my last shot.

I think I can do a little better, and I need to sort out more reloads. Have been using a Classic Lee Loader for my British .303 and 7.62x54R reloads, and those kits are underrated. All I did to the rifle was sand a tiny area in the stock to fully free float the barrel, then add a small piece of cork at the muzzle end, as per original Russian instructions I have seen here and on other forums. I am tempted to see if oiled felt might improve things even more, but why mess with the rifle when it is shooting so well?

Attachment 49339Attachment 49340

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Patrick Chadwick]

but why mess with the rifle when it is shooting so well?

Hear, hear!

I find it so difficult to see the tip of the PU "blade" that if I ever managed a group like that, I would consider it to be practical perfection. As for the last shot, that is one where you have to stop immediately - it can only get worse!

Looking at it soberly, if you do want to try for further improvement, you will need to shoot much larger groups to establish a reasonable statistical probability of the result. You are already at the level where variation in light conditions, wind, etc etc - and your personal condition - are going to make it difficult to see the effect of a particular variable.

[spinecracker]

I have shot the rifle once before with comparable results at 100 yards (i.e. almost identical). Now I will try the rifle out at 200 and 300 yards and see what it (and I) can do. Will report back.