7.62x39 brush gun SKS v.s. Mini 30?
- Thread starter steelgray
- Start date
So what? It doesn't get much wetter than the BC coast, and my blued rifles do just fine. Well, my savage axis does just fine, my savage mark II doesn't do nearly as well in the rain but that can easily be fixed with some oil each night.
Depends on the terrain of the day. I hate buck shot, but will load it for the super thick stuff where I might trip over a deer when kicking it up. I’ve yet to actually utilize it. I’ve put some deer in the freezer with slugs though while dogging.
Well that was a waste of money...
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
If a hunter can't kill a deer with a suitable load in decent 7.62X39 rifle, it speaks more of him than it does his rifle. I would probably choose a CZ 527 since I like the trigger, the rifle is lighter, than an SKS, is easier to mount optics on, and has detachable magazines.
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I agree strongly with this. And that being said, the 7.62x39 is one of my top five favorite cartridges. I have a love hate with this round. I find it neither feast nor foul. Too much for small game, too little to be a fast killer on even deer. Calm deer with a well placed shot are a sure thing, but it just seems to lack the quick kills I would love to have with it. A wound up deer with a marginal hit will not make this cartridge shine.
I just took 5 deer on Haida Gwaii with the 7.62X39 with a Howa Mini Action and a Ruger American Ranch. Mind you the Haida Gwaii deer will not win any size competitions but I have 5 deer filling my freezer this winter from the 7.62X39.
wayupnorth
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northern Alberta
i have both, sks and mini30.
while i have never taken either hunting deer i wouldn't hesitate to take the mini30 should i be hunting in the situation you are talking about.
the sks to me has always been a toy, i had a co worker bring his over last year to have me help me fix it up some and i have to be honest i hadnt touched my sks in over 10 years. i was surprised by how cheap and shaky the sks felt. mounting a rail on it was gross for lack of a better word and the base was still a little wobbly at the end of the day and lets face it, a wobbly base makes for a wobbly optic and a wobbly optic..... well that dosnt put deer in the freezer.
but, the mini30 price has skyrocketed over the last 10 years.
while i have one i would not pay today's prices for one.
the mini30 is a excellent gun at $700-800, the mini30 is a sh!t gun at $1400.
so there ya go, your stuck.
put out big money for a decent semi or put out very little money for a rifle that is at best a surplus east block mass produced gun.
for me, my vote is neither.
(well, technically its the mini30 but not at today's prices)
i feel like that entire post helped not at all....
but what i will say is a couple people mentioned the Ruger Ranch in 7.62 that uses the mini30 mag, there ya go right there!
there is a Mosberg bolt rifle that is very similar, also a Howa as well.
now that i sit back and read my post again im gonna change my answer.
M305 is what ya need.
just a but bigger than the mini30 and sks round - price of the rifle is still inexpensive.
its like a mix of both the sks and mini30.
its a much more reliable platform than the sks and is basically just a bigger version of the mini30. (the mini14 and mini30 are all based on the M14 platform, the M14 is the M305 just chineese-afide)
yup, there's my answer, M305.
and because im a visual learner i shall add some pictures to assist the other visual learners here.
mini30
sks
M305
(the black M305 in the last picture is the same rifle as the one with the winter camo, my wife painted it for me, and the M14 on the wood stock is my dad's shorty M305 i just put it on a Boyd stock for him, he hated the plastic stock)
while i have never taken either hunting deer i wouldn't hesitate to take the mini30 should i be hunting in the situation you are talking about.
the sks to me has always been a toy, i had a co worker bring his over last year to have me help me fix it up some and i have to be honest i hadnt touched my sks in over 10 years. i was surprised by how cheap and shaky the sks felt. mounting a rail on it was gross for lack of a better word and the base was still a little wobbly at the end of the day and lets face it, a wobbly base makes for a wobbly optic and a wobbly optic..... well that dosnt put deer in the freezer.
but, the mini30 price has skyrocketed over the last 10 years.
while i have one i would not pay today's prices for one.
the mini30 is a excellent gun at $700-800, the mini30 is a sh!t gun at $1400.
so there ya go, your stuck.
put out big money for a decent semi or put out very little money for a rifle that is at best a surplus east block mass produced gun.
for me, my vote is neither.
(well, technically its the mini30 but not at today's prices)
i feel like that entire post helped not at all....
but what i will say is a couple people mentioned the Ruger Ranch in 7.62 that uses the mini30 mag, there ya go right there!
there is a Mosberg bolt rifle that is very similar, also a Howa as well.
now that i sit back and read my post again im gonna change my answer.
M305 is what ya need.
just a but bigger than the mini30 and sks round - price of the rifle is still inexpensive.
its like a mix of both the sks and mini30.
its a much more reliable platform than the sks and is basically just a bigger version of the mini30. (the mini14 and mini30 are all based on the M14 platform, the M14 is the M305 just chineese-afide)
yup, there's my answer, M305.
and because im a visual learner i shall add some pictures to assist the other visual learners here.
mini30
sks
M305
(the black M305 in the last picture is the same rifle as the one with the winter camo, my wife painted it for me, and the M14 on the wood stock is my dad's shorty M305 i just put it on a Boyd stock for him, he hated the plastic stock)
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i have both, sks and mini30.
while i have never taken either hunting deer i wouldn't hesitate to take the mini30 should i be hunting in the situation you are talking about.
the sks to me has always been a toy, i had a co worker bring his over last year to have me help me fix it up some and i have to be honest i hadnt touched my sks in over 10 years. i was surprised by how cheap and shaky the sks felt. mounting a rail on it was gross for lack of a better word and the base was still a little wobbly at the end of the day and lets face it, a wobbly base makes for a wobbly optic and a wobbly optic..... well that dosnt put deer in the freezer.
but, the mini30 price has skyrocketed over the last 10 years.
while i have one i would not pay today's prices for one.
the mini30 is a excellent gun at $700-800, the mini30 is a sh!t gun at $1400.
so there ya go, your stuck.
put out big money for a decent semi or put out very little money for a rifle that is at best a surplus east block mass produced gun.
for me, my vote is neither.
(well, technically its the mini30 but not at today's prices)
i feel like that entire post helped not at all....
but what i will say is a couple people mentioned the Ruger Ranch in 7.62 that uses the mini30 mag, there ya go right there!
there is a Mosberg bolt rifle that is very similar, also a Howa as well.
now that i sit back and read my post again im gonna change my answer.
M305 is what ya need.
just a but bigger than the mini30 and sks round - price of the rifle is still inexpensive.
its like a mix of both the sks and mini30.
its a much more reliable platform than the sks and is basically just a bigger version of the mini30. (the mini14 and mini30 are all based on the M14 platform, the M14 is the M305 just chineese-afide)
yup, there's my answer, M305.
and because im a visual learner i shall add some pictures to assist the other visual learners here.
mini30
sks
M305
(the black M305 in the last picture is the same rifle as the one with the winter camo, my wife painted it for me, and the M14 on the wood stock is my dad's shorty M305 i just put it on a Boyd stock for him, he hated the plastic stock)
The M305's are cool, not trying to knock that, but arent they like 8 or 9 pounds without ammo or a scope on them?
My vote is for the win 94 or 336 in 30-30. Similar performance to the other two, other than that Id take the SKS with the mag mod for LAR mags.
From what I've seen a Haida Gwaii blacktail is on par size wise with yearling whitetail doe locally. A big buck can easily be twice as heavy.
I would disagree. They have the balance and pointability of a fencepost...and I as well have hunted deer successfully with them.
You need to expand your horizons friend, try a Winnie 94 carbine in 30-30. Now it balances nice.
I find an OEM SKS to be narrow and tall in my supporting hand. They can be swung into action fairly quickly...just not a natural pointing firearm IMO.
I handloaded rounds for the Howa that use 150 gr Sierra Prohunter soft point bullets at 2400 fps velocities, the same velocity as the 123 gr standard load. Those will down any deer walking to 200 yds or a little further at least.
I really don't think it's a question of power ...... You suit the gun to your hunting environment. 0-50yrds shots in the woods and this 7.62x39 caliber is just fine. Remember 220lbs dressed.... To me because of eyesight issues, scopability is the main issue and why not short and light as possible? Stretch the distance with a bolt rifle with good optics..... I would call it good at 150 yards. The best caliber is still shot placement !!! I would love a bolt gun with those Sierra 150 grainers....
That sounds like a warm load, and while I'm sure it's fine in a bolt action, I'm not sure I would want to run it through a semi. It's also a good cut above any factory 7.62x39, and is really equivalent to a factory .30/30 with the same bullet weight.
