deer hunting question
- Thread starter buckfever12
- Start date
The calibre is certainly big enough - the bullet is a .308, like in .308Winchester, .30-30, and .30-06. But the cartridge's power is much closer to the .30-30 than the other two. 125grain bullets are common in this cartridge and if they are hunting bullets and your SKS is accurate enough you should be able to use it effectively to about 200yards. Most deer are taken well within that range.
I am using the same round tomorrow morning (albeit in my Remington 799) easily shots out to 200yds.
I have also used 150gn bullets with great results out past 250yds. I have one SKS that will shoot carefully Mexican-matched rounds MOA. And by carefully, I mean, pull the bullets, dump the powder, charge all with an equal measure of powder, seat the bullet, crimp, fire. Not as worried about losing steel cases as I am brass in the bush.
Unless you are not intending to stretch your hunting out past 150yds, personally I'm not convinced. At my range there is a lot of 120gn FMJ lying in piles at the bottom of the 24"gong (being shot from 200yds based on the discarded piles of steel casings from lazy a$$hat shooters who choose not to pick up after themselves). these rounds are barely deformed at the tip and have shown virtually no rebound from the gong suggesting they have pretty much spent most of their energy just getting there. Ballistic charts show approx 880ft/lbs energy at 200yds, which is below the 1000ft/lbs energy often considered to be the ethical minimum to dispatch deer. And and a drop of 7" with a 100yd zero and a +/-3" MPBR of 175yds (zero@160yds, POI 3" high at 100yds). So with similar performance to the 30-30 (actually some what less than all but the most reserved appraisals) it would be suitable for a brush gun, but the physical dimensions/characteristics of the rifle would suggest perhaps not.
Will it work on deer?, well as long as you do your part yes, but it sure isn't a rifle I'd take into the field. I'd take a $100 bubba'd .303 over an SKS every time.
Will it work on deer?, well as long as you do your part yes, but it sure isn't a rifle I'd take into the field. I'd take a $100 bubba'd .303 over an SKS every time.
- Location
- northern ontario
7.62x39
hi.i shot a 8 pointer 2 years ago with an sks 7.62x39.the results were dramatic.exit wound was 2"s round.more than enough energy on this round for deer.hope this helps.got pics to prove it. serge
hi.i shot a 8 pointer 2 years ago with an sks 7.62x39.the results were dramatic.exit wound was 2"s round.more than enough energy on this round for deer.hope this helps.got pics to prove it. serge
- Location
- London Ontario
what range? I'm looking at my SKS in the same light, and thinking about what loads to use.
Can I buy 7.62mm soft point ammo? Or is that what came in those sardine cans from Poland when I got the thing?
Nothing wrong with hunting deer with a SKS. Just have to keep the shots fairly close range. I used mine one year for my second tag and met up with another hunter who thought it was pretty cool-especially since I was just using open sights and still had the folding bayonet on it. It reminds me of a 30-30 in terms of performance so don't push it any further than you would one of those.
If by .30-30 you mean a 7mm Ultramag on steroids....
from Chuck Hawks:
"The Remington factory load starts a 125 grain PSP bullets at 2365 fps with a muzzle energy of 1552 ft. lbs. At 100 yards the velocity has dropped to 2062 fps and the energy to 1180 ft. lbs. At 200 yards the velocity is 1783 fps and the energy is 882 ft. lbs. The trajectory of the Remington factory load for the 7.62x39 looks like this: +1.5" at 100 yards, 0 at 150 yards, -3.8" at 200 yards, -10.4" at 250 yards."
so 1180 ft lbs at 100 yrds is adequate (1200 ft lbs for deer according to my CFSC book). 1500 is preferred, and thats the close range, so your good to go.
souce: http://www.chuckhawks.com/7-62russian.htm
"The Remington factory load starts a 125 grain PSP bullets at 2365 fps with a muzzle energy of 1552 ft. lbs. At 100 yards the velocity has dropped to 2062 fps and the energy to 1180 ft. lbs. At 200 yards the velocity is 1783 fps and the energy is 882 ft. lbs. The trajectory of the Remington factory load for the 7.62x39 looks like this: +1.5" at 100 yards, 0 at 150 yards, -3.8" at 200 yards, -10.4" at 250 yards."
so 1180 ft lbs at 100 yrds is adequate (1200 ft lbs for deer according to my CFSC book). 1500 is preferred, and thats the close range, so your good to go.
souce: http://www.chuckhawks.com/7-62russian.htm
