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How to Build A Budget "Sniper" Rifle Part 7 - Accessories
At this point, you've got your scope mount and scope installed on the rifle, which has been fit into either a refinished original, customized or completely new stock. The scope needs to be zeroed for 100 - 200 yards as that's really the ranges you'll likely be shooting - though you could push it out further if you so chose... Technically speaking, you could consider your rifle completed as by definition and form it is as much a sniper rifle as the originals were.
TRIGGER
There are a bunch of different things you can do to the rifle from here. My first suggestion to help with the accuracy would be to purchase an aftermarket trigger. The reigning king is - at the time of this writing - manufactured by Huber Concepts, and it's literally a drop-in installation that takes less that five full minutes. The "HC Trigger" is a serious upgrade, and though other companies make MN triggers, this one has everything you need at a decent price. There are also ways to modify your factory trigger but this should not be done if you have no idea what you're doing as you can render the rifle unsafe of non-functional.
BIPOD
There are a bunch of different bipods on the market, ranging in quality from junk to superb and prices tend to reflect quality. My suggestion would be to get a decent quality bipod but stay within your budget. Remember, you will typically get what you pay for, but top of the line prices often aren't justified by their performance difference.
An excellent bipod that I personally use on my Ruger No.1 is a Harris "bench rest" style bipod. These tend to be very expensive at around $80 but I've seen prices much higher. In my opinion, it makes no sense to use a bipod that costs as much as the rifle its being mounted on!! I received mine from my father with the Ruger rifle referred to before. I suggest finding a less expensive alternative, like the Leapers UGT Multi-Function Bipod, which is available at Cheaperthandirt.com for $30. I've used one of these on my buddy's AR-15 and it seemed pretty tough. It has some excellent reviews and I've heard of guys using it successfully on .30-06 rifles, which is more powerful than our Mosin-Sniper.
I suggest against the barrel clamp-ons but I have heard of them being used successfully - they just don't seem durable to me. If you're willing to try one out and it comes loose, consider using Loc-tite on the screws to tighten things up.
There are a lot of deals out there but "Caveat Emptor" - do some research before you spend your hard earned money.
SLIP-ON RECOIL PADS
A slip-on recoil pad is a serious consideration for those shooters who are of smaller frames or those who will be required to take repeated shots. These pads can also be slipped on over the top of any other recoil pads that you have added to further reduce the recoil of the rifle and make it a bit less painful (and therefore more pleasurable) to shoot.
For some people, the recoil of this rifle doesn't hurt that bad - at least that's what they say. These guy are either made of rock or they're simply trying to act more masculine (because lying about pain is masculine?) to compensate for something. This particular author is very large guy with a relatively high pain threshhold and I can tolerate shooting this rifle, but after 50 rounds being put through it I receive a bruise on my shooting shoulder and it's tender for a few days afterward. This rifle is not comfortable to shoot, period. A recoil pad is highly suggested.
The recoil pad pictured on the right is made by Pachmayr Slip-On "Decelerator" and is available for approximately $20 (without shipping) at Cheaper than Dirt. I suggest looking into one of these. Make sure to purchase on that is sized medium or large as the heel of the stock is kinda square shaped.
SLINGS
A sling is a requirement for any rifle that is to be carried for any distance, as in a lot of ways it is like the holster of a pistol - it's the only way to securely carry the rifle on your body. Through the last century there has been a lot of advancement in the styles of rifle slings but in my opinion, a basic sling is really all that is needed for our purposes - anything extra is great but the expense for it could be used to purchase ammunition.
The sling that comes with your rifle is about as basic as they come. It uses two leather belt straps (called dog collars) to attach the sling to the stock through slots cut in the wood. Super basic. It's durable and reliable, and more than sufficient to carry the rifle. Since I intend to use an upgraded version of my stock, I am personally going to use the big yellowish-green canvas sling with leather collars as it does the job for me.
If you're using an aftermarket stock, odds are that you've got little sling swivel studs through which the sling is attached to the stock. There are a variety of slings that can be used here but I suggest purchasing a "shooting sling" to use to help aid in leveling the stock. I'm not too familiar with the more exotic styles of slings but I suggest you do some research as you might find that you like a 3-point or single-point sling more beneficial for your needs.
There are many different ways you can rig up your rifle but remember that the weight of the rifle is a serious consideration. You may have to carry this rifle over your shoulder on long hikes and you might have to run on the way. The more you add to it, the more you're going to be carrying. Remember to test the durability of each of your additional components and always use durability as the deciding factor when choosing additional accessories.
TRIGGERThere are a bunch of different things you can do to the rifle from here. My first suggestion to help with the accuracy would be to purchase an aftermarket trigger. The reigning king is - at the time of this writing - manufactured by Huber Concepts, and it's literally a drop-in installation that takes less that five full minutes. The "HC Trigger" is a serious upgrade, and though other companies make MN triggers, this one has everything you need at a decent price. There are also ways to modify your factory trigger but this should not be done if you have no idea what you're doing as you can render the rifle unsafe of non-functional.
BIPOD
There are a bunch of different bipods on the market, ranging in quality from junk to superb and prices tend to reflect quality. My suggestion would be to get a decent quality bipod but stay within your budget. Remember, you will typically get what you pay for, but top of the line prices often aren't justified by their performance difference.
An excellent bipod that I personally use on my Ruger No.1 is a Harris "bench rest" style bipod. These tend to be very expensive at around $80 but I've seen prices much higher. In my opinion, it makes no sense to use a bipod that costs as much as the rifle its being mounted on!! I received mine from my father with the Ruger rifle referred to before. I suggest finding a less expensive alternative, like the Leapers UGT Multi-Function Bipod, which is available at Cheaperthandirt.com for $30. I've used one of these on my buddy's AR-15 and it seemed pretty tough. It has some excellent reviews and I've heard of guys using it successfully on .30-06 rifles, which is more powerful than our Mosin-Sniper.I suggest against the barrel clamp-ons but I have heard of them being used successfully - they just don't seem durable to me. If you're willing to try one out and it comes loose, consider using Loc-tite on the screws to tighten things up.
There are a lot of deals out there but "Caveat Emptor" - do some research before you spend your hard earned money.
SLIP-ON RECOIL PADSA slip-on recoil pad is a serious consideration for those shooters who are of smaller frames or those who will be required to take repeated shots. These pads can also be slipped on over the top of any other recoil pads that you have added to further reduce the recoil of the rifle and make it a bit less painful (and therefore more pleasurable) to shoot.
For some people, the recoil of this rifle doesn't hurt that bad - at least that's what they say. These guy are either made of rock or they're simply trying to act more masculine (because lying about pain is masculine?) to compensate for something. This particular author is very large guy with a relatively high pain threshhold and I can tolerate shooting this rifle, but after 50 rounds being put through it I receive a bruise on my shooting shoulder and it's tender for a few days afterward. This rifle is not comfortable to shoot, period. A recoil pad is highly suggested.
The recoil pad pictured on the right is made by Pachmayr Slip-On "Decelerator" and is available for approximately $20 (without shipping) at Cheaper than Dirt. I suggest looking into one of these. Make sure to purchase on that is sized medium or large as the heel of the stock is kinda square shaped.
SLINGS
A sling is a requirement for any rifle that is to be carried for any distance, as in a lot of ways it is like the holster of a pistol - it's the only way to securely carry the rifle on your body. Through the last century there has been a lot of advancement in the styles of rifle slings but in my opinion, a basic sling is really all that is needed for our purposes - anything extra is great but the expense for it could be used to purchase ammunition.
The sling that comes with your rifle is about as basic as they come. It uses two leather belt straps (called dog collars) to attach the sling to the stock through slots cut in the wood. Super basic. It's durable and reliable, and more than sufficient to carry the rifle. Since I intend to use an upgraded version of my stock, I am personally going to use the big yellowish-green canvas sling with leather collars as it does the job for me.
If you're using an aftermarket stock, odds are that you've got little sling swivel studs through which the sling is attached to the stock. There are a variety of slings that can be used here but I suggest purchasing a "shooting sling" to use to help aid in leveling the stock. I'm not too familiar with the more exotic styles of slings but I suggest you do some research as you might find that you like a 3-point or single-point sling more beneficial for your needs.
There are many different ways you can rig up your rifle but remember that the weight of the rifle is a serious consideration. You may have to carry this rifle over your shoulder on long hikes and you might have to run on the way. The more you add to it, the more you're going to be carrying. Remember to test the durability of each of your additional components and always use durability as the deciding factor when choosing additional accessories.
 LJ26's Weapons and Practical Skills Corner by (LJ126) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License. Based on a work at www.zombiesurvivalwiki.com. |
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