SKS for hunting?

I personally see no advantage to using a military semi for hunting, and the SKS is no bolt rifle when it comes to accuracy, but it will get the job done at reasonable ranges, ie. under 100 meters if using irons. Prvi Partizan makes a good 123 grain SP that is widely available in any good gun store.
 
Fast follow ups are a bonus also, most folks beat the heck outa their SKS's and don't give two hoots, nice feature when hunting.

If you can hit a milk jug with it at a given distance, that is your safe range to shoot a deer.
 
Pimpley Bum said:
Sure, bout the same as a .30-30. Lots of SP ammo for it as well.
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Same as 30-30, providing you shoot 125grain bullets in your 30-30, but most people shoot 170gr or 150gr in theirs. 7.62x39 soft points/hunting loads only available in 125gr. In this case, it is not the same as 30-30 or even close to it.


Having that said, your SKS will have enough energy to kill a deer up to 100 yards or so. It has a fast drop in steam beyond 100 yards. Good rifle for in the thick trees where you won't see a great distance.
 
Wow, thanks for the fast replies! Alright then, my first rifle is going to be a commie gun. I was going to buy a Remington 700, but I guess that will have to wait.
 
I say NO to big game hunting with an sks... I love them for shooting but not for hunting.
We have much better calibers and rifles to hunt big game respectfully with.

My cross bow shoots more accurately than the sks at up to 35 yards, which I consider max range for the x bow... so where does that put the sks besides a plinking gun?cou:
 
I'm going to be using my SKS this year for the 50 and under hunting areas this year. The gun shoots pretty consistent 4 inch groups while shooting offhand. Will use the Savage .270 for the 50+ areas.
 
Alright, I finally got my SKS. Here are some pictures:

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Can't wait to shoot it!
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7mmlefty said:
I say NO to big game hunting with an sks... I love them for shooting but not for hunting.
We have much better calibers and rifles to hunt big game respectfully with.

My cross bow shoots more accurately than the sks at up to 35 yards, which I consider max range for the x bow... so where does that put the sks besides a plinking gun?cou:
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Not my sks. I took 20 shots at 50 yards with the original sights and the grouping was like a Mauser. 1 inch grouping dead on. I took my sks out this year ang got some grouse with it. Nice gun. It would be perfect for deer and black bear.
 
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I took my SKS with me hunting in Northern Ontario this year. Alot of people's opinions an experiences varies on the SKS, as many of the rifles do vary in performance. I have a red dot on mine, and at 100 yards from a rest I have gotten very respectable groups, more that adequate for hunting. We were hunting in fairly thick hardwoods, which I feel is where the rifle is best suited (100 yards or less). I didn't get a shot off, but I felt confident with the gun. It rained heavily a few days, an it got absolutely soaked, held up well.

My only complaints is the bayo lug and front sight get caught when trekking through the thick stuff (obv the lug can be removed if you don't care), and it starts to get a little chunky after hauling it around all day. But aside from that it's cheap, reliable, tough, and will get the job done. Just my 2cents though.
 
i took mine hunting this year for deer, never had a shot at any, but did shoot at a yote running full speed. i got teased by the guys in the hunt camp about the bayonet, and they kept calling it a pea shooter cuz of the small ammo. I liked it because i didnt mind banging it around or scratching it.
 
YOu don't need to shoot less than 1MOA with an SKS to drop a deer. A lung shot a 100 yards will do the job. The limitation is not only the accuracy of the rifle, but the in the energy of the bullet. The energy drops rapidly after 100 yards and is quite low compared to other standard hunting calibers. The odds of not recovering a wounded animal increase greatly.

Hitting a gong and killing a deer are two entirely different things. Have enough respect for the animal that you can hit it and kill it within the limitations of your bullet and gun. Its not impossible to hit a deer at 300 yards with an SKS, it becomes unethical to shoot animals with bullets that are far below killing standards and energy.


Two of the deer that I took this year were less than 50 yards away. An SKS would have done a proper job on any of them. My Girlfriend took a Boone and Crockett deer last year with 7.62x39 in her CZ bolt action. PRVI soft points are extremely accurate by North American standards, and expand quite well ,given the shot.


Its an adequate caliber for within its limitations. Know what they are and shoot straight.
 
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