Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles 96 Swede sights

Anyone else like these better than other standard Mauser sights. Thanks to the wider rear sight gap and what seems like a patridge type front sight marked 0 T I'm able to use these out past 100 yards a lot better than the sights on any other mausers I've shot.

It's my understanding the battle sight on the 96 is calibrated for 300 yards and they seem to be right on the 300 yard metal plates at our range with a moderate load of 35 gr of 4064 and 140 gr bullets. I haven't chronied this load but I guess it's got to be around the same velocity as the original heavier RN bullet load. I also tried some factory 140 Sellier & Bellot ammo. According to the box it's loaded a little hotter at 2582 fps and it shot higher at 300.

I have always been able to shoot the square post/square notch sights on Swedes better than the barleycorn sights on most Mausers.

I too like the 96 sights better. If shooting at 100 yards, you'll need a taller front sight blade. I run a +1.5 on mine, to get a good 100 yard zero:

Good shooting. I've got a +2 front sight I used a while back on another 96 for 100 yd targets. I've considered putting it on this one and might eventually but for now there's something about hearing the bullet consistently whack the metal out there after the noise of the shot using a 120 year old rifle. I'm going to try the 400 yd plates next week with a little more powder.

I've shot Swedes and 98ks, but the best open sights I've personally used are on the Finnish M39. The front post is big and square, the rear notch is correspondingly large; they're easy for older eyes to use. Apparently the Finns were the only army that trusted soldiers to adjust windage on the front sight since they made it so easy with only a screwdriver.

You can always put the +2 on and then adjust the rear sight for elevation. No problem reaching out to 400, set up that way. I shot my m96 last weekend in prep for a military rifle shoot coming up. I tried some 140gr sierra's and that thing was doing well. 1.5 moa for 5 shots, so I imagine 10 shots into the 10 ring is going to be fairly simple in the up coming match. I've shot against guys using all sorts of old military rifles. But in the end, it's the Swedes that come out on top. That speaks for the sighting system and inherent accuracy of the rifle and cartridge. The other rifles that tend to do well are the Swiss K31's. We have some guys that shoot some nicely modified CMP garands as well. Those rifles shoot well, but never as consistent as the m96's. Also, back to your load in the OP: I was shooting 38gr of IMR 4064 with the sierra's last weekend. Excellent accuracy, but 3 grains more than your load. Have you worked up beyond 35 grains in your rifle?

I shot two three shot groups this morning using 35.5 gr 4064 with the 140 Hornady Match FMJ BTHP bullets at 100 yards. Still using the 0 marked sight. Both groups were 1.5"in size 12" above point of aim. The #2 sight should be about right at 100 for the 300 yd battle sight but would be low further out. What sight settings are you using with the #2 sight at three & four hundred yards?

My old man took JB weld and added to the front, and then filled it down to suit factory Federal ammunition.

I'm using a +1.5 (see info on target) if a 2 works for you at 100, it doesn't matter what my rear sight is set at for 400 yards, because its not going to match yours. Around here, the +2 is slightly too tall and has to be ground/filed for a 100 yard zero. Not a big deal. Sounds like your rifle is shooting well. It may shoot better with a slightly stiffer load.

Thanks for the info.

Hell yes. When I shoot 400-500, this is what the target looks like:




Almost as big as a barn door

Put the #2 front sight on it and took it to the range with a brass hammer & punch. 1st three shots at 25 yards with the 300 yard battle sights were centered and right on point of aim. I'm thinking maybe I lucked out and won't need the hammer & punch. Wrong. At a hundred yards with the battle sights it was a little over an inch low and about two inches left. After six or seven shots I got it centered to point of aim. I tried it with the the 400 yard setting and that put it 5" high at a hundred. I believe the 1&1/2 sight like you're using is the way to go for this rifle too if I want to be on at 100.

I bumped the 35 &1/2 gr 4064 load up to 36 and it shot a little tighter just a little over an inch. I had my doubts about a rifle with a #3 marked bore but it was bright, all matching nos. and overall in very good condition so I bought it anyway. Those old Swede armorers must have had some real high standards. I'm pretty sure I couldn't shoot it any more accurately with a new or lower marked barrel.

Yeah, those armorers were nit pickers. They had very high standards. I've heard people say the exact same thing about their barrels and getting good groups. Mine isn't pristine either and it shoots like this:



Working on loads for an upcoming military rifle shoot at my club.^^^ These are in the ballpark.

I'm contemplating buying a set of real sights for the rifle and see what it can do... Those groups were shot at 100 yards, so you can see the front sight height is calibrated very well at that distance. Sounds like your rifle is shooting very well too. I love my swede. Its one of the funnest rifles I have. It also gives me a chance to practice on my weak side (right handed)...

Anybody should be able to hit a Tacoma at 400 yards.

Yeah and even better yet a Tundra.. A guy that can't tell the difference doesn't make much of a shooter either.

I can't tell the difference between a Chevy and a Ford either at first glance. Trucks mean nothing to me in my world. But I can spot the difference between a Morgan and an MG at a thousand yards.

Considering they look completely different AND the former may be short a wheel I would expect so