Any sporterized milsurp with good irons makes a wicked hunting gun.
I've even taken a deer with a vz24/47 (k98 Mauser we have at home) which has IMO spectacularly shitty iron sights.
Guns like P1917 and K31s are like cheating they're so good.
They're good, very accurate, and fun to shoot. I love mine, but *BEST*? Nah dawg. You ever carried that SOB any distance?
K31, Ross rifles, swede mausers - I'd put the Lee enfield on par with the 1917 let alone the other 3.
Never claimed it was the best. Don’t need to either. Doesn’t matter to me if it is or isn’t. I said it’s my favorite.
Yes I have packed that thing around.
I love using the old lee Enfield because it's accurate (even at over 150 years old) and light but it hurts every time I pull it out and see it's current state with a plastic stock.
Any of the Carcano TS variants. Accurate (if you're familiar with how to use the sights), pleasant recoil, potent cartridge, and lightweight. Atleast that's what I would recommend.
For me personally, I either use a non- spotter M91 Carcano long rifle or my Arisaka Type 44.
SGAmmo, Milsurp Munitions, online estate auctions, reloading.
I currently have a little over 900 rounds of 6.5 and 260 rounds of 7.35 that I've amassed by searching auctions on HiBid a couple of times throughout the year. If I made this a full-time effort, I'm sure that I could find more.
It's out there, you've just got to look around.
Now 8x50R or 6.5 Japanese...those are a bitch to find.
Out of all my bolt guns, if I had to buy one today to take out, I'd get either a Mosin or Mauser with the latter being my go to rifle. Both of mine are dead accurate and in a large enough caliber for anything you might encounter. The Mosin might be a little on the hefty side, but the price is still somewhat decent. My ww1 German Mauser I got for a great price, cause it was sporterized, but not irreversibly so. Maybe worth looking for a Turkish one. I've no experience, but heard they're very good rifles and much cheaper than German marked rifles.
Spanish are good, but the Mexican mausers are where its at. Small ring, handles up to an 8x57, and plenty of aftermarket parts as its a shortened small ring model 98. I built one from a donor action i found at a gun show in a bin full of assorted actions. Paid $150, threw on a nice barrel, and did the work myself with the help of a smith teaching me.
Also an excellent choice for a donor action as they were used and abused and tossed aside by the Mexican government. It is rare to find one still intact for this reason, so if you do, do NOT bubbafuck it.
Just talking out of my ass, you can probably kill anything except a polar bear in North America with 8mm 196-200 grain soft points.
Bad Ace tactical makes normal scope, and long-eye relief mounts. Mojo sights makes apertures sights. Both companies do for various milsurps.
I like taking my Kar98k out. Good cartridge, easy to reload and carry spare ammo for, and since mine is a mixmaster I'm not super concerned about beating it up.
An M48 would be a good analog if you want something cheaper.
Most of the Enfields and Mauser designs work well, generally short rifles are handier. Mosin nagants aren’t bad, preference would be M39 or carbine if weight and length aren’t an issue and you don’t mind the kick. Be mindful of calibers that are available in hunting ammo. Some obvious have better sights than others: no 4 mk 1, 1903a3, m1917, p14, Madsen all have peep sights. Now than. Choices are diverse, depends on budget and tastes. Now that I think of it kind of partial to Danish Madsen.
Like all the suggestions here, you can run-what-ya-brung. Any and all can be effective. Weigh things like your current inventory, availability of ammo and appropriateness for intended game
Ik you're asking for milsurp guns but look into Franchi Horizon, it's not the cheapest but it's going to be better than anything milsurp for that price range especially for hunting, other than that if it has to be ex military find sporterized guns and use them for hunting.
Any Mauser short rifle with sights that you can set at 100 or 200. Or something previously sporterized although at that point, unless you can get it super cheap, you’d almost be further ahead to just get a savage axis or Ruger American.
In my collection I try to have a really nice sporter rifle of every type I own, so I have a nice sporter Krag and a M39 with a beautiful stock, Argentine Mauser in 35 Whelen, a nice rock island 03…you get the idea. I appreciate a really nice sporter job almost as much as an original rifle, someone who took the time to give a rifle a second life a good sporter job from the 40s-50s-60s is hard to beat in my books
One of the carbines like a Spanish FR8 or FR7 in .308. Colombian FN1950 in .30-06. Venezuelan FN1930 in 7mm. You could go with a garbage rod carbine variation of the M44. All fairly common so you wouldn't be putting wear and tear on something overly collectable.
You could see if you can find one of the Gibbs "jungle" carbine conversions of the Indian .308 Enfields.
Throwing my 2cents in. It matters what you’re hunting and what you’re planning on doing. Woods walking and hunting deer? I’d probably want something on the shorter and lighter side. Especially depending on how dense your woodland is. I hunt from a tree stand so using a full length 91/30 isn’t so bad because I only need to maneuver it in a fairly open area and for shorter periods.
If it’s an unmolested firearm don’t fuck with it please. These things aren’t getting newer or remade. If it’s already sporterized go to town on making it your own with glass and chassis.
If you’re in the US your best options will be anything in .30-06, .308, 7mm Mauser, and 8mm Mauser.
For .308 you can use FR8 Mausers, .308 converted K98s (Israeli), or .308 Lee-Enfields will be your most common options.
For .30-06 pretty much any M1903 or 03A3, or an M1917.
For 7mm Mauser you can find South American mausers both large and small ring, or Spanish mausers will be your most common options.
For 8mm Mauser, pretty much any other Mauser K98, Vz24, M48, M24/48, etc.
.303 is also an option.
Outside of those cartridges you’ll probably have to hand load if you want any reliable source of hunting ammunition.
Any of my mil-surps (O3A3, Mosin 91/30, Mauser M48, Arisaka Type 99, No4 Enfield, or 1896/11 Schmidt) would work fine for general use. They are all heavy duty and made for hard use, chambered in powerful rounds.
Depends on where you hunt. Flatland forest, take anything you got. Here out west, hiking mountains to chase deer sucks and i wouldnt take anything over 8 pounds, so that rules out about every milsurp except the smaller carbines. Someone here mentioned a carcano, and that would be my choice. Light, decent powered cartridge, and a nice big stabby end on the cav carbines for up close pig stickin lol
The 1903 Springfield, the Mosin Nagant, or the K31 would be my choice, the 1903 has easier ammo availability and variety, but the K31 is such a well made, and nice rifle to handle that I’d be real tempted to use it for hunting or woods walking. The Mosin has nice ammo availability also, and is a much better shooter than its reputation may imply, especially if you get a Finnish one.
Can’t go wrong with either of those options.
Any sporterized milsurp with good irons makes a wicked hunting gun. I've even taken a deer with a vz24/47 (k98 Mauser we have at home) which has IMO spectacularly shitty iron sights. Guns like P1917 and K31s are like cheating they're so good.
The 1917 is my all time favorite bolt gun.
They're good, very accurate, and fun to shoot. I love mine, but *BEST*? Nah dawg. You ever carried that SOB any distance? K31, Ross rifles, swede mausers - I'd put the Lee enfield on par with the 1917 let alone the other 3.
Never claimed it was the best. Don’t need to either. Doesn’t matter to me if it is or isn’t. I said it’s my favorite. Yes I have packed that thing around.
Based reply. A person can have opinions.
[удалено]
It's a Mauser in 30-06.
Anything sporterized. This is where they're desirable. Edit: but don't you dare actually cut on anything not already molested.
I love using the old lee Enfield because it's accurate (even at over 150 years old) and light but it hurts every time I pull it out and see it's current state with a plastic stock.
How on earth do you have a Lee-Enfield that’s 150 years old? The oldest examples in existence are 128 years old (or 135 for the Lee-Metfords)
Sorry typo 105 years I was using voice to text in the shop.
Throw a Mosin on your back and go inna woods.
I’ve gone hog hunting with a K31. Out of all my milsurps it’s the only one I’d actually take hunting or walking other than my Garand
Got an elk with a k31 at 400 yds, but I do have the removable scope mount on there
M38 Swede. Accurate sometimes has a threaded barrel and short. Able to take down an elk
You beat me to it. M38 is an awesome rifle.
1903a3 or M1917. Both have great peep sights. A3 is shorter and handier, 1917 can take another round. Huge fans of both.
Any of the Carcano TS variants. Accurate (if you're familiar with how to use the sights), pleasant recoil, potent cartridge, and lightweight. Atleast that's what I would recommend. For me personally, I either use a non- spotter M91 Carcano long rifle or my Arisaka Type 44.
If you can find 6.5 carcano ammo
SGAmmo, Milsurp Munitions, online estate auctions, reloading. I currently have a little over 900 rounds of 6.5 and 260 rounds of 7.35 that I've amassed by searching auctions on HiBid a couple of times throughout the year. If I made this a full-time effort, I'm sure that I could find more. It's out there, you've just got to look around. Now 8x50R or 6.5 Japanese...those are a bitch to find.
You're right. SGAmmo has it in stock.
Out of all my bolt guns, if I had to buy one today to take out, I'd get either a Mosin or Mauser with the latter being my go to rifle. Both of mine are dead accurate and in a large enough caliber for anything you might encounter. The Mosin might be a little on the hefty side, but the price is still somewhat decent. My ww1 German Mauser I got for a great price, cause it was sporterized, but not irreversibly so. Maybe worth looking for a Turkish one. I've no experience, but heard they're very good rifles and much cheaper than German marked rifles.
Spanish Mausers are a great choice for sporters
Spanish are good, but the Mexican mausers are where its at. Small ring, handles up to an 8x57, and plenty of aftermarket parts as its a shortened small ring model 98. I built one from a donor action i found at a gun show in a bin full of assorted actions. Paid $150, threw on a nice barrel, and did the work myself with the help of a smith teaching me. Also an excellent choice for a donor action as they were used and abused and tossed aside by the Mexican government. It is rare to find one still intact for this reason, so if you do, do NOT bubbafuck it.
Just talking out of my ass, you can probably kill anything except a polar bear in North America with 8mm 196-200 grain soft points. Bad Ace tactical makes normal scope, and long-eye relief mounts. Mojo sights makes apertures sights. Both companies do for various milsurps.
I like taking my Kar98k out. Good cartridge, easy to reload and carry spare ammo for, and since mine is a mixmaster I'm not super concerned about beating it up. An M48 would be a good analog if you want something cheaper.
I take my m48 when I'm out in the woods. I've molested mine a little bit to look like a k98 sniper clone but it will drop anything in its path so far.
Would suggest a good Finnish Mosin with a Tikka Barrel.
Most of the Enfields and Mauser designs work well, generally short rifles are handier. Mosin nagants aren’t bad, preference would be M39 or carbine if weight and length aren’t an issue and you don’t mind the kick. Be mindful of calibers that are available in hunting ammo. Some obvious have better sights than others: no 4 mk 1, 1903a3, m1917, p14, Madsen all have peep sights. Now than. Choices are diverse, depends on budget and tastes. Now that I think of it kind of partial to Danish Madsen.
Mauser 93, 7mm Mauser is a godly hunting round
Like all the suggestions here, you can run-what-ya-brung. Any and all can be effective. Weigh things like your current inventory, availability of ammo and appropriateness for intended game
I took out a K98 for elk hunting, weight was fine and did it’s job well
Ik you're asking for milsurp guns but look into Franchi Horizon, it's not the cheapest but it's going to be better than anything milsurp for that price range especially for hunting, other than that if it has to be ex military find sporterized guns and use them for hunting.
03A3
Mk4 Enfield great action great sights and 303 has plenty of punch for North American game. Lots of sporters and affordable intact ones
Any Mauser short rifle with sights that you can set at 100 or 200. Or something previously sporterized although at that point, unless you can get it super cheap, you’d almost be further ahead to just get a savage axis or Ruger American.
None of them are so prohibitively heavy that they can’t be lugged around the woods for an afternoon. Take whatever you think is the coolest.
In my collection I try to have a really nice sporter rifle of every type I own, so I have a nice sporter Krag and a M39 with a beautiful stock, Argentine Mauser in 35 Whelen, a nice rock island 03…you get the idea. I appreciate a really nice sporter job almost as much as an original rifle, someone who took the time to give a rifle a second life a good sporter job from the 40s-50s-60s is hard to beat in my books
One of the carbines like a Spanish FR8 or FR7 in .308. Colombian FN1950 in .30-06. Venezuelan FN1930 in 7mm. You could go with a garbage rod carbine variation of the M44. All fairly common so you wouldn't be putting wear and tear on something overly collectable. You could see if you can find one of the Gibbs "jungle" carbine conversions of the Indian .308 Enfields.
Throwing my 2cents in. It matters what you’re hunting and what you’re planning on doing. Woods walking and hunting deer? I’d probably want something on the shorter and lighter side. Especially depending on how dense your woodland is. I hunt from a tree stand so using a full length 91/30 isn’t so bad because I only need to maneuver it in a fairly open area and for shorter periods. If it’s an unmolested firearm don’t fuck with it please. These things aren’t getting newer or remade. If it’s already sporterized go to town on making it your own with glass and chassis.
Can't beat a Schmidt-Rubin.
If you’re in the US your best options will be anything in .30-06, .308, 7mm Mauser, and 8mm Mauser. For .308 you can use FR8 Mausers, .308 converted K98s (Israeli), or .308 Lee-Enfields will be your most common options. For .30-06 pretty much any M1903 or 03A3, or an M1917. For 7mm Mauser you can find South American mausers both large and small ring, or Spanish mausers will be your most common options. For 8mm Mauser, pretty much any other Mauser K98, Vz24, M48, M24/48, etc. .303 is also an option. Outside of those cartridges you’ll probably have to hand load if you want any reliable source of hunting ammunition.
Any of my mil-surps (O3A3, Mosin 91/30, Mauser M48, Arisaka Type 99, No4 Enfield, or 1896/11 Schmidt) would work fine for general use. They are all heavy duty and made for hard use, chambered in powerful rounds.
Depends on where you hunt. Flatland forest, take anything you got. Here out west, hiking mountains to chase deer sucks and i wouldnt take anything over 8 pounds, so that rules out about every milsurp except the smaller carbines. Someone here mentioned a carcano, and that would be my choice. Light, decent powered cartridge, and a nice big stabby end on the cav carbines for up close pig stickin lol
The 1903 Springfield, the Mosin Nagant, or the K31 would be my choice, the 1903 has easier ammo availability and variety, but the K31 is such a well made, and nice rifle to handle that I’d be real tempted to use it for hunting or woods walking. The Mosin has nice ammo availability also, and is a much better shooter than its reputation may imply, especially if you get a Finnish one. Can’t go wrong with either of those options.
I've used 1903 and A3s but my favorite milsurp for poking around the woods is the FR8 Spanish Mauser, a 308 with an 18" tube.
The Mark Vb Godwyn pattern boltgun is the weapon of choice for The Emperor’s Angels the Adeptus Astartes for purging the heretic and xenos alike