7.62x39 for bear

Deer yes, bear Yes as long as you have well placed shot. Now would I use it for bear....not likely.
 
FMJ is usually not legal to hunt big game with. Buy ammo with soft point or other expanding type bullets for big game. As far as the cartridge goes, plenty of people have taken deer and black bears with 7.62x39, use hunting ammo and good shot placement at reasonable ranges and you should be fine. Practice with your rifle/ammo combination and know your limits of making a clean shot.
 
AB.boy said:
FMJ is usually not legal to hunt big game with. Buy ammo with soft point or other expanding type bullets for big game. As far as the cartridge goes, plenty of people have taken deer and black bears with 7.62x39, use hunting ammo and good shot placement at reasonable ranges and you should be fine. Practice with your rifle/ammo combination and know your limits of making a clean shot.
Click to expand...

Got it. Thanks.
 
x39 Hollowpoints or Softpoints are fine for deer. I've used the Hornady SST rounds and gotten good results.

I'd want something punchier for a bear defence gun. Hard to get a well placed shot in when your shorts are full.
 
Hornady x39 SST's do black bears just fine.

Don't let anyone make you believe its not enough power for this application at reasonable distances. As others have said, shot placement is key as usual.
 
Have you taken a hunter training course?

If you had you would know fmj is illegal for hunting big game.
 
Phat Eagle said:
^^^ this is true, but a Mosin would certainly give you more margin of error, especially when trying to take bear.
Click to expand...

Any particular reason why a deer and bear gun needs to be a milsurp?

There are bolt action rifles available in more suitable calibers for not much more money. If money is that tight, you need to save up before using marginal stuff on game animals. You'll soon find out that buying ammo and a suitable gun is the least expensive portion of hunting.
 
Kenny_G2 said:
FMJ is legal for hunting In Ontario. It is not recommended by anyone, but there is no law against its use.
Click to expand...

Really? Sorry about being wrong earlier then. I'm in BC where it is illegal.

I can't see how anybody in their right mind with fmj bullets.
 
MD said:
Really? Sorry about being wrong earlier then. I'm in BC where it is illegal.

I can't see how anybody in their right mind with fmj bullets.
Click to expand...

Don't knock it! It's the one last piece of of gun related anything that has been left to people's common sense. As long as we're smart enough to not hunt with fmj, we can use this as a foothold to build up trust with the powers that be, and we can have more gun freedom!!!

<rolling eyes>
 
bearkilr said:
Any particular reason why a deer and bear gun needs to be a milsurp?

There are bolt action rifles available in more suitable calibers for not much more money. If money is that tight, you need to save up before using marginal stuff on game animals. You'll soon find out that buying ammo and a suitable gun is the least expensive portion of hunting.
Click to expand...

Just went with the Mosin as its similar in cost. I have NO QUALMS using 7.62x54r on anything other than the largest game. It is ballistically similar to .30-06, and quality hunting ammo will take almost anything. Fiddler has a ton of photos of game he's taken with Red Rifles.

That said, you're correct... Rifles and ammo are a fraction of the cost of hunting costs, though there is plenty of good day hunting for deer or bear within an hour of my place in the Fraser Valley.
 
You need soft points not FMJ...the 7.62X39 is roughly equivalent to a 30-30...the SKS isn't very accurate but if you're getting up to 50-70 yards or then fine...and black bears only! Good thing is the SKS is a semi, so if you just injure the bear and it comes at you, you have four/five more shots.
 
I think most hunting accuracy revolves around practice. The advertisements would have us believe in the latest and greatest but the old boring cartridges kill nice and dead within normal hunting conditions. 123 gr soft point doesn't expand hard but does kill animals. Shot a mule deer with a CZ 858 once and it worked. 150 yards or so.

The one thing I would worry about on the SKS is how accurate it is. May want to tweak it a bit if the groups are too large.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom