Norinco SKS 7.62MM X 39

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Shimanocono

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Not sure if this is the right section of the fourm for this post but the firearm in mention will be used for hunting so I decided to post it here. Just wondering how the Norinco SKS 7.62MM X 39 would do against a moose? Any comments would be great. Thanks
 
I agree with effinggoof, you'd be ridiculous to take an SKS out for moose.
You might as well close the thread now, because I think the only people who will disagree will be stirring #### for no reason.
 
Devil's Advocate:
As i recall the 7.62X39 cartridge is a ballistic equivalent to the .30-30. Many moose have fallen to the .30-30 over the last century when used at appropriate shooting distances and with proper loads

Voice of Reason:
Use something bigger as the 7.62X39 will not allow for much error. As well, the accuracy of the rifle it's chambered in is less than match grade. save a few more $$ and buy a Stevens 200 if money is tight or a Savage combo. If you have something more conventional (7mm, 30-06 etc) use it
 
I'd buy a bubba'd Lee-Enfield No.4 for $150.

That caliber has probably killed more moose in Canada than any other.

Don't get me wrong, I love shooting my SKS, I just wouldn't hunt moose with it.
 
Thanks for all the comments everyone. After reading this thread I've decided that the Norinco SKS 7.62MM X 39 isn't suitable for what I'm looking for. Thanks for the help, now to check out the Enfield.
 
actually, it's not the 7.62x39 is too little a gun for moose, it's really moose is too much animal for the 7.62x39- up close, these things are huge- far away too, but not so much
 
slicknick said:
Devil's Advocate:
As i recall the 7.62X39 cartridge is a ballistic equivalent to the .30-30. Many moose have fallen to the .30-30 over the last century when used at appropriate shooting distances and with proper loads
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Well said...I'd take my P-14 .303 Enfield Moose hunting long before my SKS.
If I had to go small and in heavy bush I'd use my 30/30 Win94 with the new Hornaday ammo, but as mentioned above use at an appropriate shooting distance.

The Less Rifle I have to pack in means more Meat I can Pack out. :D

Also keep in mind that the Hunters I know that use 30/30 are well within 150 yards of the critter, and have been using these rifles before they could walk.:D
 
Hmmmmmmmmm..... I'll throw this into the mix. Yeah, I agree the SKS is maybe too light a rifle to hunt moose with. By that I mean, you are limited to to 7.62x39mm ctgs to work through that action. So, that would be say 125 grain soft points [for hunting purposes, no?].

But what if you loaded for the 7.62x39mm and loaded good quality 150 grain SP's.... like a Nosler bullet. And you used a bolt rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm. Like a stainless Ruger 77 MkII... Wouldn't that work on moose out to about 150 yards with a correctly placed shot?

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If your going bolt action anyway, then why not upgrade to a chambering that has more power/reach/load selection etc?

Then again the guy who started this thread already decided he isn't gonna go for an SKS. Are we not flogging a dead horse?
 
Nothing wrong with the 7.62x39mm for moose or any North American game as a matter of fact.
Practice, practice and some more practice, make sure your sks in in good working order,clean and you have good factory hunting ammo or reloads....be responsible with the effective range of that caliber of 150m max in my opinion.

Do not be discouraged by what others say, if you can shoot it well and it is the best rifle you can afford, go out there practice and use it!

Good luck
 
7.62 x 39 has about the same ballistics as a 30-30. However, if you haven't purchased a rifle yet, just about every other caliber is a better choice than the 7.62 x 39 do to lack of bullet choices. I would want to be within 100 yards and putting all five rounds into that moose.
 
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125 grain .30 cal on moose? Better be a clear shot into the chest and not hit it's front leg first. And there lies the problem. In an ideal world it could work. In practice, it's borderline irresponsible to do so.

In comparison, a 170 gr .30-30 bullet gets far better penetration, but here too shots have to be chosen and not at any angle.

My last moose was shot with .30-06 handloaded 180 grain speer grand slams. One shot went though both shoulders and got caught in the hide on the other side. My buddy, who had a .340 Weatherby mag along at the time, commented on how week the 06 was not to punch throught the hide as well! Jees!
 
i've been lucky enough over the years to knock down the odd moose be it a big bull ,cow or calf and have owned and hunted with most cals. not to upset anyone here my personal choice is the trusty 12 Gauge both 2 3/4 &3'' plain old rifled slugs ...mind you i'm not making 200 yard shots if my moose is out of my range i'll will walk up to it and shoot it after all it is a moose not much challange there ... we here in northern nova scotia have to drive the moose out of our yards only for them to return 10 mins later... that being said an 7.62x39 would work fine here on our moose.
 
Moose with an SKS? If you're a good hunter and shoot well and impose a hard range limit on yourself; yes. 7.62x39 is very similar to 30-30, and you can get 150gr plus rounds for it (and handloads of course). The venerable 30-30 has killed more north american game than any other round, from deer to moose to grizzlies. I worked in a sporting goods store for a few years and I sold more 30-30 rounds to native big game hunters than all other calibers combined. They never felt underpowered, and they brought home tons of big game. I know two guys in the yukon who hunted exlusively with .44 magnum semi-auto rifles; and they brought home moose and grizzlies, and that's with a pistol cartridge. And lets not forget; people hunt moose with bows and arrows as well as black powder muzzle loaders. How do they do it? They know their weapon and hunt respectfully within the limitations of what their weapon can do. And they practice. The last three moose I shot were all under 100 yards and all shot right where I wanted them to be, I didn't shoot them with an SKS but I know I could have. I bought an SKS recently and put a scope on it, put a good stock on it, did a partial bedding job on it, did a trigger job on it and bought some Wolf 154 gr SP ammo and I am going to hunt with it. And I won't be wounding anything either.
 
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The 7.62 round was designed to kill people not animals. Some may say it is comparable to the .30 WCF and it may be but the sks round is simply not enough cartridge for anything over 200lbs.You can argue for weeks over it but the bottom line is there are hundreds of rounds that could do the job more thoroughly, and if you are an ethical hunter you should consider the alternatives.
 
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