I just bought a 1943 russian mosin nagant for $79, it was actually used in ww2, took it to the shooting range, shot like 30 rounds, after all that, i couldnt move my right arm that well, it hurted so fucking bad, and i have a huge ass bruise on my shoulder from the metal buttplate.

whats the best way to hold it while shooting?

Standing up? Put the buttstock into your shoulder, grab the forearm with your other hand, compress the buttstock into your shoulder. The most important thing is stance, you want your knees slightly bent, and you want to lean slightly forward. Kind of hard to explain without some teaching, ask the range master for some advice.

What could help you is a buttstock pillow, basicaly this http://tinyurl.com/4fmp6p, and/or an aftermarket stock.


The MN is pretty brutal, but your best bet is to master the stance. You want to lean into the recoil, with your feet spread apart, knees slightly bent.

Your experience sounds normal for what these rifles do, especially after 30 rounds.

A trick we used down here while on a hunt to improvise is to duct tape some women's menstruation pads (kotex) to the butt of the weapon. 2 or 3 and you're set.

Also master stance. Don't let the stock get a running start at you.

Put the butt stock on your chin like this |--
.................................................. ....You^ Butt^
Pull the trigger, lulz will ensue

Throw a folded towel over your shoulder. Russian guns were designed for use with heavy winter clothing, hence most of 'em have a shorter stock. The proper method involves a half dozen layers of wool, vodka, and huge slavic balls.

^
This

Learn how to shoulder your weapon, Ive shot 200-300 rounds and not been sore the next day.

It has a LOT to do with conditioning too, think of it like your average high school kid compared to a pro boxer, a hit that would make the kid start crying wouldn't really phase the boxer because he's used to getting hit. Same with recoil, if you're used to .22's or .223's ect a shotgun or 7.62mm will seem to kick a lot and you will get a stiff shoulder and bruising after maybe 10 - 20 rounds, where as once you've used it for a while you'll be able to fire off 40+ without much stiffness. Also be sure to hold it nice and firmly into your shoulder and lean forward into it (Leaning in wil help with muzzle rise too).

BTW something i found when i got my M44 was if you take a match stick and carefully cut a U shaped notch into it (almost all the way through the stick) and blu-tack or superglue it to your back sight so you now have a small apeture, i found it more accurate for target shooting.

Savage that is the cheapest and most heinous idea i've heard all week... and I like it.

On MN sights if you are shooting too high even when your sights are level (trust me a lot of MN have this problem specially with surplus ammo) then get a piece of q tip (the plastic straw bit) a bit longer than your front sight post and press it on there (there is a hole above it in the hood for orininal pin mounting i believe). Extending the front post obviously means you aim the front of the rifle lower to get it level and thus the mean point of impact will be lowered.


EDIT: as for it hurting your shoulder get some balls. Kidding. Savage is right you'll get used to it. I shoot lee enfields and mausers a lot so the mosin nagant aint no-thang. You'll get used to it... C'mon, whos a big guy? Yeah you are

Basically sums it all up, basic rule of fire arms with recoil... lean into it and eat the recoil.

Especially handy info if you ever fire off a heavy gauge shotgun. If you let it, it'll break your shoulder!

Remembre, LEAN INTO THE RECOIL!