7.62x39 caliber. Do you use it for hunting? Range?

Nearly two months ago, I purchased a Zastava M85 in 7.62x39 mm caliber from CanadaAmmo. Principally, for target shooting/plinking with still not so expensive surplus ammo. I paid $549.99+tax which is their present price. My M85 is a September 2014 production. IMHO the rifle is worth every penny I spent on it. The quality is very good, deep bluing on steel is perfect and it shoots like a dream. After about 100 cycles of the bolt with a few drops of Ballistol on it, it now moves like a knife in a butter. The initial slight roughness in the action is gone. The rifle is extremely handy. I also have a SKS and the M85 is half lighter than the SKS. Despite the total short length of the M85 its LOP is full 14” in contrast to barely 12" for the SKS.
I was also considering the CZ527 in the same caliber and I’m happy that I didn’t buy it. The 527 is twice as expensive as the M85 but, definitely, not twice as good. One thing I like in the M85 is its iron sights. I have not mounted any optics yet. The rear sight is very easily adjustable for elevation. Windage is set up perfect. In contrast, the CZ 527 has a fixed rear sight which in my opinion is cheap.
So far, I’ve been only shooting a NON-CORROSIVE, Chinese surplus 7.62x39 mm military ammo (their 1980’s export) without any issues. During ejection I’m pulling the bolt back gently without any jerking. With this technique it’s hard to imagine that the ejector would crack. I’ve never shot any “lacquered cartridges” so I don’t know how they work. With the iron sights and my aging eyes, I can manage (if I do my part) a 2-2.5” grouping at 100 yards (90 m) bench rest. I’m rather average shooter.
To provide my M85 a companionship I also bought the Zastava M22/Z5 in .22 cal. Excellent rifle. Verry happy with that one, too.
You bought one with sights right? I'm siriously leaning towards it if I will decide with the caliber. Just thinking if the one with sight would work better or the one without and add a scope later. Where do you buy non-corrosive military surplus ammo? is it as good deal as corrosive?
 
I've said this before, and I'll say it once again; when your hunting in a rural area with houses and other properties within eye sight of your hunting patch, and your shots are not going to be over 200 yards, small capacity cartridges are an excellent choice.
Hunting in areas where you can look and see (or even hear) other people is becoming quite common in this day and age, and due to population growth it's going to become more common. Now, given that their are idiots out there that will destroy property no matter what is in their hands; a cartridge with a small effective window is still a very good choice to ensure that a stray bullet does not harm someone or damage property. Using the 123-125gr bullets also ensures that you do not have a bullet over penitrating, and continuing on to parts unknown.
This cartridge is not in the same catagory as the 30-06 or 7mm Rem Mag, and this is a good thing; it fills a niche.
As to the accuracy potential of the case, there are these little cartridges known as ppc...
Ivor
 
I've said this before, and I'll say it once again; when your hunting in a rural area with houses and other properties within eye sight of your hunting patch, and your shots are not going to be over 200 yards, small capacity cartridges are an excellent choice.
Hunting in areas where you can look and see (or even hear) other people is becoming quite common in this day and age, and due to population growth it's going to become more common. Now, given that their are idiots out there that will destroy property no matter what is in their hands; a cartridge with a small effective window is still a very good choice to ensure that a stray bullet does not harm someone or damage property. Using the 123-125gr bullets also ensures that you do not have a bullet over penitrating, and continuing on to parts unknown.
This cartridge is not in the same catagory as the 30-06 or 7mm Rem Mag, and this is a good thing; it fills a niche.
As to the accuracy potential of the case, there are these little cartridges known as ppc...
Ivor

Knowing your target and beyond is every hunter's responsibility...... Thinking you can mitigate this by choosing a lighter cartridge is poor thinking..... People have been killed by .22lr at distances of a kilometer.....
 
Knowing your target and beyond is every hunter's responsibility...... Thinking you can mitigate this by choosing a lighter cartridge is poor thinking..... People have been killed by .22lr at distances of a kilometer.....
Read the post. I'm not talking about shooting into the unknown and hoping for the best. I'm talking about a safer tool that ensures that the unknown extra doesn't become an issue.
ivor
 
Read the post. I'm not talking about shooting into the unknown and hoping for the best. I'm talking about a safer tool that ensures that the unknown extra doesn't become an issue.
ivor

Read the post.... Some tips:

-Got buildings around?, don't point your rifle towards them or shoot something that stands between you and them

-Other hunters around?, ensure that you are shooting from an elevated position like a tree stand etc, or if you know where they are, don't shoot something between you and them.....

It's very simple.....

Trading down from a .30-06 to 7.62x39 does not mitigate a single hazard in the situation you have described.....
 
If your shooting a 150gr bullet at 2900fps, and hit a deer brodside, your bullet may still be travelling faster than a 7.62x39 upon exiting....with more momentum due to the heavier bullet. If you think that shouldn't be an issue because you KNOW where your bullet will end up all the time, thats the dangerous attitude.
Ivor
 
Superbrad, if you insist on using a sledgehammer to drive in a brad nail, be my guest. I assure you though that the day that you smack your thumb that you'll have wished that you used a brad push.
Ivor
 
If your shooting a 150gr bullet at 2900fps, and hit a deer brodside, your bullet may still be travelling faster than a 7.62x39 upon exiting....with more momentum due to the heavier bullet. If you think that shouldn't be an issue because you KNOW where your bullet will end up all the time, thats the dangerous attitude.
Ivor

So..... Same situation..... Do you KNOW where your 7.62x39 is going to end up?...... What velocity it will be travelling at, what direction it is headed in?
 
Superbrad, if you insist on using a sledgehammer to drive in a brad nail, be my guest. I assure you though that the day that you smack your thumb that you'll have wished that you used a brad push.
Ivor

Just because I think that superbrad might have missed it.
Ivor
 
My 7.62x39 was in a Mini 30. It was fun and I used it for 30cal centre fire plinking and hunting Renfrew County deer and bear. It was OK and I'm not dissing it but, at the end of the day, I determined that anything the Russian can do the 30-30 (and 32 Win Spl or 35Rem) can do better.
 
Just because I think that superbrad might have missed it.
Ivor

The only one "missing it" is you...... If you want to go hunt deer within the range of the 7.62x39 have at it...... I am not telling you it won't work....... Or that you need a sledgehammer to drive in a Brad nail.....

But I am telling you that your idea that using a lower powered cartridge will make all of the people and buildings around you safe is completely false..... And your assertion that you somehow KNOW it is safer is even more false.....
 
If your shooting a 150gr bullet at 2900fps, and hit a deer brodside, your bullet may still be travelling faster than a 7.62x39 upon exiting....with more momentum due to the heavier bullet. If you think that shouldn't be an issue because you KNOW where your bullet will end up all the time, thats the dangerous attitude.
Ivor

Wrong..... I take the attitude that I have a rifle in my hands capable of launching a projectile a very far distance..... I execute principle number two.... "Know your target and beyond"....... And that principle is in play whether I am hunting rabbits with a .22 or deer with a .308.......

The attitude that you are safer by hunting with a lower velocity round is completely irresponsible and unsafe and violates the principles of safe firearms handling......
 
Wrong..... I take the attitude that I have a rifle in my hands capable of launching a projectile a very far distance..... I execute principle number two.... "Know your target and beyond"....... And that principle is in play whether I am hunting rabbits with a .22 or deer with a .308.......

The attitude that you are safer by hunting with a lower velocity round is completely irresponsible and unsafe and violates the principles of safe firearms handling......

You know, I've actually stood on the top of mountians and not taken shots because something wasn't right. I doubt that superbrad has done the same.
Ivor
 
You know, I've actually stood on the top of mountians and not taken shots because something wasn't right. I doubt that superbrad has done the same.
Ivor

Well.... First off, I have passed on many shots that I questioned in regardst to safety..... I wager most ethical hunters have as well......

Let's stick to the root of your argument, and that is that you can be more confident that you can take more shots with the 7.62x39 than you can with, say a .30-06........... Because the 7.62 is lower velocity.....

Again Ivor, what is your argument?..... you are all over the place here...... Do you not need to know you target and beyond with the 7.62 as you would with an aught six?...... What makes it "safer"?..... It's a simple question that you have yet to answer......
 
A 39 can and will kill deer, but, if you are buying a hunting rifle for big game why limit yourself? The 39 is not the best choice. It' fun cheap and available, I have 2 SKSs, but there are so many better rifles cartridges. A 308 can be shot reasonable with surplus and good ammo for hunting. To play at the range get a 10-22 it's cheaper. 7.62x39 might be fine but a 6.5x55,260,270,280 7x57 all the way to 30-06 is a much better pick. I think the game deserves that much. JMHO AJ
 
You bought one with sights right? I'm siriously leaning towards it if I will decide with the caliber. Just thinking if the one with sight would work better or the one without and add a scope later. Where do you buy non-corrosive military surplus ammo? is it as good deal as corrosive?

Yes, with sights. The rear sight is ingeniously simply adjustable even in the field. IMHO the sights are very good. I shoot with open sights at 100 yards without any problem. In the future I'll mount a scope but I have not decided which brand yet. The rear sight is folded down so it would not interfere with a scope. That's another great feature of the M85 which is not available on a much more expensive CZ 527 carbine.
I wanted the 7.62x39mm caliber because of availability of surplus ammo. So far, I don't hunt just do target shooting so, surplus it's not a problem for me. Although, like I said earlier, I stick with non-corrosive. I have both the SKS and Mosin which shoot corrosive surplus.
I bought 1,500 rounds of Chinese non-corrosive at Lever Arms Service Ltd. With taxes and shipping to Ontario it comes to $0.32/rd. Still not bad.
 
Well.... First off, I have passed on many shots that I questioned in regardst to safety..... I wager most ethical hunters have as well......

Let's stick to the root of your argument, and that is that you can be more confident that you can take more shots with the 7.62x39 than you can with, say a .30-06........... Because the 7.62 is lower velocity.....

Again Ivor, what is your argument?..... you are all over the place here...... Do you not need to know you target and beyond with the 7.62 as you would with an aught six?...... What makes it "safer"?..... It's a simple question that you have yet to answer......
Not all over the place at all. I'm simply calling you out when you want to accuse me of having unsafe or inethical practices. If you don't see any reason to shoot a cartrige such as the 7.62x39 that is your perogative. But stalking hits on certian topics makes me suspect that you spend more time on the computer than out in the field.
Ivor
 
Not all over the place at all. I'm simply calling you out when you want to accuse me of having unsafe or inethical practices. If you don't see any reason to shoot a cartrige such as the 7.62x39 that is your perogative. But stalking hits on certian topics makes me suspect that you spend more time on the computer than out in the field.
Ivor

Lol...... Very simple question that you have yet to answer..... Yet one you asserted...... Is the 7.62 x 39 safer in a situation where there may be a person or a building in the background?

Does shooting a 7.62 make you any safer than someone shooting something more "powerful" in the same situation? ...... Keeping in mind you should know your target and beyond.... Does it give you the ability to relax the safety rules?..... It's a very simple yes l no answer that you have yet to provide....
 
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