SKS for a newbie

.22LRGUY

.22LRGUY

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Hey guys~being in S. Ontario, I can't use an SKS anywhere but the range...and I avoid ranges anyway. I DO have a friend in Northern Ontario considering one, but the guy has had his PAL less than a year and not knowing much about these rifles...I'm slightly reluctant suggesting one. I do know the climate (=availability) is changing for these rifles, and he's prepared to buy a Russian one very soon. What (if you were me) info would you pass on to someone contemplating one right now? Best ammo? Cleaning regime? Where to get 7.62 x 39 soft point ammo, etc.

One other note~unlike myself, his firearms serve a very real-world, "put food on the table" role...but he's on an extremely limited budget. He already has a 12ga. and it's doing a good job, but he's looking for reliability/durability/ability to knock a deer down if req., and some measure of security for bear defense. Being from S. Ontario, he finds the numbers of black bears up there a bit unnerving. Before anyone goes off the cuff telling me they're not an ideal deer gun, I already know that~especially with FMJ ammo...but he's looking for something that will fill a few roles, and not cost a ton to feed/maintain. He has no plans or optics.

In his budget, an entry-level bolt gun (Savage Axis) might be the only alternative, but I get the impression it's priced a little beyond reach for him right now.

Just starting a discussion I guess...hoping the collective expertise here can chime-in with something I can pass along.

Regards,
Rob

(.22LRGUY)
 
Get as many as you can aford right now if you can find them for less then 200$.
You can't go wong with an sks. They're cheap, cheap to shoot, uber reliable and good for deer out to 150m and more the capable of droping a bear. It migt take a few shot but if all els fail you still have the bayonet.
Soft points can be had for 9-10$ but if i were going to shot bear id want to go with quality brass cased S&B or PPU ammo that goes for 16-20$ a box.
 
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the advice i give is to buy 2 and read the sks sticky in the red rifle forum. cheap,reliable and easy to work on yourself if something ever goes wrong.
 
and more the capable of droping a bear. It migt take a few shot
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Dude. Are you serious?
You'll need something different for a bear, unless you're trying to save your own life of course. More than one shot? Not good enough.
 
drifter dave said:
Dude. Are you serious?
You'll need something different for a bear, unless you're trying to save your own life of course. More than one shot? Not good enough.
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For hunting bear, I agree %100, but for bear defense, an SKS is a pretty good choice. Bear defense occurs at close range, and if all 5 (or at least 3) shots hit the bear, that's a dead bear.
 
.22LRGUY said:
One other note~unlike myself, his firearms serve a very real-world, "put food on the table" role...but he's on an extremely limited budget. He already has a 12ga. and it's doing a good job, but he's looking for reliability/durability/ability to knock a deer down if req., and some measure of security for bear defense. Being from S. Ontario, he finds the numbers of black bears up there a bit unnerving. Before anyone goes off the cuff telling me they're not an ideal deer gun, I already know that~especially with FMJ ammo...
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Not only is it not ideal, it is also totally illegal to hunt with FMJ ammo


.22LRGUY said:
... but he's looking for something that will fill a few roles, and not cost a ton to feed/maintain. He has no plans or optics.

In his budget, an entry-level bolt gun (Savage Axis) might be the only alternative, but I get the impression it's priced a little beyond reach for him right now.

Just starting a discussion I guess...hoping the collective expertise here can chime-in with something I can pass along.

Regards,
Rob

(.22LRGUY)
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Sounds to me like an SKS would be an excellent rifle for what he wants to do. If he is not going for optics, he likely won't be trying many shots over 200 yards. And with my SKS with standard sights I can make killing shots all day long with surplus ammo. I can only assume it would be better with some proper hunting ammo. It ain't no target rifle. But I am thinking a guy could put a lot of meat on the table with it. It punches pretty similar to a .30-.30.

As for bear defense, what PatchRat said. Not a good rifle with which to hunt bear, but if you are in a true bear defense situation (eg: it is coming for you ...) semi auto, iron sights, .30 cal, and decent in brush is the way to go in my opinion.
 
the11 said:
Not only is it not ideal, it is also totally illegal to hunt with FMJ ammo
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It's legal in Ontario. Not recommended, but legal.

Sounds to me like an SKS would be an excellent rifle for what he wants to do. If he is not going for optics, he likely won't be trying many shots over 200 yards. And with my SKS with standard sights I can make killing shots all day long with surplus ammo. I can only assume it would be better with some proper hunting ammo. It ain't no target rifle. But I am thinking a guy could put a lot of meat on the table with it. It punches pretty similar to a .30-.30.

As for bear defense, what PatchRat said. Not a good rifle with which to hunt bear, but if you are in a true bear defense situation (eg: it is coming for you ...) semi auto, iron sights, .30 cal, and decent in brush is the way to go in my opinion.
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Definitely not a great bear hunting rifle, OK for deer within 100 yards. I would have to give the edge to .30-30 though, usually available with heavier boolits. You want one-shot one-kill when hunting.
Other than being a bit heavy, an SKS is a decent bear defense gun. make sure it's running smooth and practice getting that bayonet out quick though, in case five shots is not enough. ;)
 
relic38 said:
It's legal in Ontario. Not recommended, but legal.
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As far as I know it in NOT legal to hunt with Full Metal Jacket ammo anywhere in Canada. If you have evidence to the contrary please post a link.

7.62 x 39 with soft point ammo is just fine for Ontario Black Bear. Lots of fellows hunt them with 30-30.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. No, wasn't suggesting he ever shoot a deer with FMJ, but more because I know it wouldn't be effective. Had never looked into the legality of it but again, I'm not the one contemplating a 7.62 x 39 anything at the moment.

Caleb314 said:
Get as many as you can aford right now if you can find them for less then 200$.
You can't go wong with an sks. They're cheap, cheap to shoot, uber reliable and good for deer out to 150m and more the capable of droping a bear. It migt take a few shot but if all els fail you still have the bayonet.
Soft points can be had for 9-10$ but if i were going to shot bear id want to go with quality brass cased S&B or PPU ammo that goes for 16-20$ a box.
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Thanks Caleb, but what is this ammo exactly? Care to elaborate? Links? Don't mean to be a pain, but I don't know what X&B or PPU even is.
 
.22LRGUY said:
Hey guys~being in S. Ontario, I can't use an SKS anywhere but the range...and I avoid ranges anyway.

Just as a clarification, why can't you use an SKS in Southern Ontario? I use mine all the time and not at the range. I use it for target practice, plinking and generally just to
have a fun time shooting at stuff.

If you are saying you can't use it to hunt with, I agree, as legislation states that you cannot hunt with a rifle any larger than .270 caliber in Southern Ontario. But you are allowed to
discharge larger calibers on private property in the way of target practice and plinking. I can understand if you do not have any private land to shoot on or have anyone you know that would allow you to shoot on their land, in that case I understand why you would not be able to use a SKS other than a range.
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.22LRGUY said:
Thanks for the replies guys. No, wasn't suggesting he ever shoot a deer with FMJ, but more because I know it wouldn't be effective. Had never looked into the legality of it but again, I'm not the one contemplating a 7.62 x 39 anything at the moment.



Thanks Caleb, but what is this ammo exactly? Care to elaborate? Links? Don't mean to be a pain, but I don't know what X&B or PPU even is.
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PPU is Prvi Partisan and S&B is Sellier and Bellot they are ammo brands. I suggest those because cheaper steel cased ammo also has steel jacketed bullets and they don't expand reliably but the copper jacketed ammo should.
I believe tradeex has some.

A nice mosin nagant might also fill his requirement. They are just as tough and reliable as an sks but a packs a bigger punch . They are cheaper but ammo is slightly more expensive.
http://www.tradeexcanada.com/content/mosin-nagant-m9130-rifles-762x54r
http://www.tradeexcanada.com/produits/78?page=2
 
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Is the soft-point ammo's safe to shoot with a floating firing pin?
I read somewhere that some of 7.62x39 hunting ammo is boxer primed and could be unsafe in an SKS without the spring loaded firing pin kit?
 
MD853 said:
Is the soft-point ammo's safe to shoot with a floating firing pin?
I read somewhere that some of 7.62x39 hunting ammo is boxer primed and could be unsafe in an SKS without the spring loaded firing pin kit?
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I've shot both with no problems. Yes the boxer primer are softer , than surplus, but still no problem out of my 1952 and my SKS-D
Cheers
Brian
 
timandkimandshea said:
You can hunt small game with no calibre restriction as far as I know where I am in S Ontario
Tim
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Well, I live in Southwestern Ontario, so not sure if that makes a difference than being in South Ontario but in the hunting regulation for small game it specifically states
a caliber size cutoff for certain counties. And I was wrong about caliber size, as it is capped at .275 not .270

Here is the regulation as copied and pasted straight from the MNR website.


A person hunting small game may not carry or use a rifle of
greater calibre than a .275-calibre rifle, except a muzzle-loading
gun, in the geograhic areas of Brant, Chatham-Kent, Durham,
Elgin, Essex, Haldimand, Halton, Hamilton, Huron, Lambton,
Middlesex, Niagara, Norfolk, Northumberland, Oxford, Peel,
Perth, Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington or York.
 
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