Has anyone hunted with this S & B soft point? I'd like to use my upcoming SKS this fall for close in (50yd and less)deer hunting, and though my reading says it's OK, I'd like to hear actual experiences from anyone who's taken deer with this ammo. From what I've read, the round performs ballistically about the same as the .30-30. True?
Soft point 7.62 X 39
- Thread starter LawrenceN
- Start date
madtrapper143
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Steep Rock Lake NWO
I have shot them with Igman soft points. Killed well. I have not shot a deer in years with a .30-30 but I recall that it performed somewhat the same. Shot in the lungs, 50 yard dash, dead deer. It won't bang flop a deer like a .270 does but then again it does not damage as much meat if you happen to hit the shoulder. It will kill relaibly to 100 + yards don't sell it short. I shoot a Tula SKS.
regards, Darryl
regards, Darryl
Thanks Madtrapper. I was pretty sure that it would be fine for the terrain I'm hunting this fall, but nothing beats the voice of experience. Mostly, I'll be engaging deer at 20 - 75 yds., and the SKS is just the right size for walking and stalking. As we all know, bullet placement is everything. I'm getting an SKS with the dragunov stlye stock from a chap on EE, so looking forward to that.
It might have seemed that way, but a 7.62x39 does not have nearly as much energy as a 3030.
If you are going to hunt with a 7.62x39, buy lots of the ammo that you will hunt with, and practice a bunch inside of 100m.
Thanks all for the input!
If you read the initial thread Carbonrod, you'll note that in the terrain where I'll be, I'd be engaging whitetail at 70 yd max. I'd not think of that cartridge as useful for much longer range, but of course bullet placement is everything. In the one area where I have line-of-sight out to about 140 yds, I'll either have my 8mm Steyr, or my Ruger .308. My buddy and I take turns at the various stands, and sometimes do a little bush stalking.
I read it, and understand where you are coming from. In this post you asked about the opinion of people who have used the cartridge, and the x39s comparison with the 3030.
If you look at the specs, you will see that the x39 is not as powerful as a 3030. Does that mean that it can not be used for deer? No. It just means that your margin of error is smaller. Is it the best option you have available? You decide.
If you have other rifles available, you will likely be better served with them. If you do not, the x39 will work, but it will take more practice for that to be the case(less margin of error).
All said, would I rather hunt with someone that puts buckets of rounds through their x39 rifle, and knows where it impacts, or a guy who has a magnum Sako and fires 100rnds a year? The guy with the x39 comes.
your going to email me back right? i need to know if your did your part on the tranfer before i ship the gun.
heavyBullet
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Just off the island of MTL
SKs has taken deer at my camp, and one was a bang flop, and the other ran no more than 20 yards. Like any other bullet, bullet placement is key. I think it makes a fine bush gun.
7.62x39 out of an SKS is deadly accurate up to 70 yards. Factory rounds shoot about 1900-2100FPS~ with 123-125grain bullets. Some of the factory 30-30's I've looked at do about 2000FPS with 170grain bullet.
This isn't taking anything but size and speed into effect but there's no one that can argue that it's not a decent deer load. Is it better than 30-30, or just as good? I'm not going there.
This isn't taking anything but size and speed into effect but there's no one that can argue that it's not a decent deer load. Is it better than 30-30, or just as good? I'm not going there.
Thanks to all of you for your input. I picked up 2 boxes of Sellier & Bellot 123gr.locally, so that'll be my deer round for the close up work, depending of course on what kind of group I get out of it. I have a line on some czech stuff for plinking, so tha'll be "fun" shootin', and familiarization.
