7.62x39

Gatehouse said:
A few years ago I tried to talk a new hunter into a .308 or .270 but he wanted a 300. The reason? He had been out hunting a couple of times with buddies and their .270s and 7RMs hadn't knocked the deer right over. A 270 wasn't adequate for deer!
Click to expand...

User issue !!
 
ratherbefishin said:
Years ago my hunting partner who was also a surgeon, was hunting feral goats on one if the gulf islands and his weapon of choice was a 22 magnum...he took neck or head shots only at ranges under 50 yards and according to him,dropped every goat in its tracks..he was a world class accomplished hunter taking everything from tigers in India to moose,elk ,grizzlies black bear and a polar bear in Nunavit with a 308.He generally used a single shot 243 for deer ,everything else including the tigers were shot with his 308.Heck of a shot and He only had the sight in one eye too.He believed in getting close,taking his time and putting one careful shot right behind the shoulder,then sitting down and waiting before following up...John shot the tiger that was on the wall in the 'Bengal Room' at the Empress in Victoria,his widow has the other one for sale
Click to expand...

There's not much you can not do with a .308 if YOU can.

Some might call it boring, some might say it's not as flat as "x" but when it comes right down to it I'd rather own a hammer than a nail gun for a necessary tool. I'd take a stack of .308's over the caliber flavor of the week anytime, because it works.
 
The x39 has its place, l get the itch to buy one every so often, then I shake my head realize I'm being drawn into the fad cartridge of the time. I'll just pull out my 10/22 for plinking and use my 308 win. or 6.5x55 ,s for hunting big game. If all you have is a SKS or an other 7.62x39 use it and enjoy.
 
If all you have is an SKS to use, then you have made some bad choices previously and it is time to rectify the situation......that's like saying all I have is a 22 mag so that is what I'll use to hunt moose...........incorrect response.....JMO
 
Putting words in peoples mouth is fun for some, this is a forum, if you like to argue like a child that's your privilege.
 
Last edited:
Snobbery or not, its sound advice, an SKS isn't a good hunting rifle. You would be better off searching for a used parker hale or husky chambered in 308 or 30-06. If all you got is an SKS that shoots 4moa off the bench at 100 yds, then keep your shots at deer less than 100 or you will be in for a few surprises.
 
Personally I really like the 7.62x39 round. I do not have an SKS but did get a CZ MiniMauser Carbine in the calibre. I love the gun and round. I picked up a case of the Federal AE FMJ rounds (mainly so I had brass to reload) and they shoot one inch 5 shot groups routinely. With my handloads I can get the groups down to .75 inches with 123gr Hornady SST and H4198. I love to plink with this round. No recoil, cheap to reload for as it takes very minimal powder and is really quite accurate. In fact, I took it out this weekend at the range and was shooting the "pig" silhouette at 300 yards standing (about 50% of the time) and at the bench I never missed. Would I ever take a deer at 300 yards with one?? NO way. But I have a 257 WM, a 243 WIN, a 300 Win, etc for that... LOL.
 
ratherbefishin said:
I have a SKS in a Choate Dragunof stock which is a fun gun to shoot,cheap ammunition is readily available.But apart from that ,what practical use is a 7.62x39? I see some very nice CZ and Ruger rifles chambered in that cartridge,but is there any practical advantage to them that a plain SKS doesn't offer? Notwithstanding that ' just because' is a valid reason to spend $600 or $700 for something that a $200 rifle can do just as well or better. But apart from that, what identifiable advantage is there ,the 7.62 x39 does not seem to be even as good as a 30-30 ,definately less than a 6.5x55 swede for deer hunting,under gunned for elk, moose or bear and is overkill for rabbits and not the best choice for squirrels or potting grouse.Its hardly qualifies as a target shooters choice..but if fun shooting is what you want,what does a CZ or Ruger offer that an SKS doesn't? Each to their own,but it Seems to me that the $500 diference might give more value spent on a couple of cases of ammunition for cheap plinking,in a 'truck gun' which seems to be the best use of the cartridge ... your thoughts?
Click to expand...

Might as well put the OP back in to the thread..... :)

Advantages pointed out so far,

-Cheap practice at the range to improve field position shooting skills.
-Increased accuracy potential with a bolt action over an SKS.
-Better trigger and easier scope mounting.
-Pride in ownership of a nice rifle

If "fun shooting" means blasting away as fast as you can at the gravel pit then an SKS is probably all a guy needs.... if "fun shooting" is working on developing your skills to be a better all round shooter/hunter then maybe a nicer bolt action is the way to go.
 
fuzzy39 said:
Personally I really like the 7.62x39 round. I do not have an SKS but did get a CZ MiniMauser Carbine in the calibre. I love the gun and round. I picked up a case of the Federal AE FMJ rounds (mainly so I had brass to reload) and they shoot one inch 5 shot groups routinely. With my handloads I can get the groups down to .75 inches with 123gr Hornady SST and H4198. I love to plink with this round. No recoil, cheap to reload for as it takes very minimal powder and is really quite accurate. In fact, I took it out this weekend at the range and was shooting the "pig" silhouette at 300 yards standing (about 50% of the time) and at the bench I never missed. Would I ever take a deer at 300 yards with one?? NO way. But I have a 257 WM, a 243 WIN, a 300 Win, etc for that... LOL.
Click to expand...

Great post right there!^^ This thread is about using the 7.62X39 cartridge for hunting - not about using the SKS for hunting.

Having said that: go ahead and use the SKS for hunting deer at LESS than 100m, no problem for the average shooter to hit an 8 inch target area while
standing off-hand, great for hunting in thick bush where your average shot is going to be 50m anyhow. Have fun pushing it thru bush instead of
worrying about your $2000 rig.:)
 
pete dobinson said:
Snobbery or not, its sound advice, an SKS isn't a good hunting rifle. You would be better off searching for a used parker hale or husky chambered in 308 or 30-06. If all you got is an SKS that shoots 4moa off the bench at 100 yds, then keep your shots at deer less than 100 or you will be in for a few surprises.
Click to expand...

These guys do ok with it ..

h ttp://www.sksboards.com/sksinfo/SARSKS.html
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom