Ever heard of Gun and Game forum?

* Yes * I am a Member but after I signed up the computer I was using blocked me from that website.* PO.*

1) A Mosin-Nagant is a good gun for pleasure shooting, but with a few caveats: a) It isn't particularly accurate. You may find a very accurate example, but that's unlikely. They're generally considered to be 2 MOA rifles, on average. That means that they'll make 2" groups at 100 yards from a benchrest. Sounds impressive until you realize that most modern rifles are capable of 1" or smaller groups at that range. b) It kicks like a mule. If recoil isn't a big deal for you, that's not a problem. However, if you've never owned any other gun, or if you're sensitive to recoil, a Mosin-Nagant simply isn't for you. c) While a lot of people like to modify their guns, a Mosin-Nagant isn't one that I'd suggest that for. To me, that would be like putting a $5,000 custom paint job on a Ford Pinto. It might look nice, but it's still nothing fancy. Leave it original, and buy ammo with the extra money. About the only thing that might be worthwhile is having it drilled and tapped for scope mounts. 2) A Remington 870 is generally more expensive than an equivalent-grade Mossberg 500. Leverage your money, and get a Mossberg. You can find a field-grade with wooden furniture around my neck of the woods for $250. 3) You can find a good entry-level bolt-action rifle for $400. I bought a Savage 111 in .270 Winchester for less than $400 before tax, and Remington 700s were going for a comparable price. A Savage Axis can be bought for less than $300 ($267 at the local Wal-Mart where I live), so all you'd have to do is buy rings and a scope. Any of those three models would be more accurate than a Mosin-Nagant. They've all got a reputation for being 1 MOA rifles (1" groups at 100 yards from a benchrest). EDIT: I suppose I should clarify, because there are some serious Mosin-Nagant fans in here. I'm NOT saying that a M-N is a bad choice- only that most are not nearly as accurate as modern firearms. They're very nice guns, especially for the price, and you may even find one that is incredibly accurate, but most of those have already been found and modified into sniper's rifles by Communist countries during the Cold War, if not before. The odds of you finding a sub-MOA Mosin-Nagant are pretty low, and most will be the 2+ MOA rifle I described above. For $100, though, that's not so bad. It all boils down to how much accuracy you want. For the price, they're good, reliable, and accurate rifles. They simply don't match up to modern rifles.