Neanderpundit

Today was a LONG overdue and MUCH needed Range Day

Took two rifles to my local range, an Arisaka that I just had some work done to, and a Romanian M59 22 trainer. I have never had a bolt 22 other than a single shot I got when I was 15, and the word on the street is that the Romanian trainers, though rugged and used, are good shooters. If not, I’ve got a guy who can put a nice barrel on one and make it a shooter again.

First, the Romanian. This rifle shows the signs of some very nice workmanship, where the action is concerned, it’s smooth and cycles nicely. The external fit and finish leave something to be desired, it looks like it’s been dragged through gravel on it’s way to being used as a canoe paddle; still, a little work, evenings in the summer will fix that. And make it a bit more presentable.

So, offhand with iron sights, I line up on the target:

Five rounds in under an inch and a quarter at 25 yards! Hell, I can BARELY SEE the target. (I didn’t put the good contacts in this morning) and I am quite impressed. I shoot a few more to get the feel, and even manage to get a couple in the X ring at 25 yards, and pack the rifle up.

Now, the Arisaka. I’m not looking for the X ring, I’m just trying to group, and I’m doing it offhand with some 30-06 ammo, which is what the barrel is stamped at.

Arisaka type 99 rifles were chambered for 7.7mm Japanese, and a LOT of them came to the USA after the end of the second world war. The ammunition is STILL hard to find and pricey, so a lot of gunsmiths took these rifles and re-chambered them for 30-06. They’ll shoot that, and do it all day long, but the 7.7mm round is actually (nominally) .303149 diamerer; the barrel is bored to that diameter and the grooves are cut to around .313. SO shooting a 30-06 cartridge in the Arisaka is actually not the optimum round; the 30-06 bullet is technically .308 in diameter and does not adequately fill the grooves. Optimally the best round would be the 30-06 cartridge for which the gun is now chambered, using a .303(nominal) bullet, which measures approximately .311 in diameter, which will more fully fill the grooves of the rifling and impart the maximum spin on the projectile. Aw, to hell wiht all that: Check THIS out:

The top three rounds are the first three shots (I like to do shoot three shot groups witha boltie, doing all three shots in less than a minute) offhand, again at 25 yards.

For the second three shots I’m using sandbags, and as the Arisaka has some pretty crappy rear sights I’m hoping for the best, but I’m not convinced I’ll do much better, being stock ammo and all.

What, og? What second three shots?

Look carefully. Shots two and three make an elongated hole in the 7 ring. Even with crappy sights and bad ammo, i’ve gotten two shots to print in almost the same hole. Yeah, it’s 25 yards. yeah, it’s from a bag. Let me get some express sights on it, and give me time to load up some good brass, and I’ll improve on that.

I’m not going to put a scope on this gun, ever. It came to me with the crysanthemum still on it, which meant it was probably a captured rifle. I have a close relationsip with the Japanese these days, but the Japanese of the second world war were pretty brutal. I will not deface the crysanthemum because it was the symbol of the Japanese emperor, and having it belong to the “enemy” with the cryanthemum intact was, supposedly, disgraceful. Some American GI saw to it that this mum came here in one piece, and I’m damed if I’m going to change that, Iron sights.

All in all, range day was a riot, and I’ve not destressed this successfully for many months. I’m ready for whatever work has to throw at me next.