Russian SKS for hunting

SHELL SHUCKER said:
I've hunted with the SKS (4 of 'em.) and found them to be nicely accurate inside 100 yds. I kept the issue stocks on my ones and shaped the front sights to a pin type. The bayonet was the first item tossed & I cut off its' mounting lug and blended it to the barrel band contour. I kept the issue mag assembies on mine as
they have a good profile for workin' the bush.

If I were to get another one, I would set it up with an ATI Fiberforce stock and a compact scope like this one.;)
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I had one almost exactly like it! I bedded the action, fabricated a scope mount that bolted to the side of the receiver, mounted a compact scope, took off the bayonet and lug (like you did) and contoured it to the barrel. I could put 5 rnds. into 1-1/4" consistently at 100 yds. with my handloads. It was a very comfortable stock for me and I mounted quick detach swivels, one on the forestock and I used the one designed for tube mags on the bar at the back. It worked great and I nailed nice buck with it.
 
SuperCub said:
Sooooooo, what happens when you see a moose at 250 or 300yds and your holding a x39?
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The ethical hunter would say not take the shot.....I’m thinking a head shot with any caliber should drop any big game depending on distance .....buuuut the x39s knock down range is probably maxed at 300 but I’m unsure that’s why I’m asking your expert opinions.
I was smacking a 6” plate at 200 yards this weekend so I think 250 head shot on a moose could be done ....with surplus steel core it should knock the brains out a big game.....thoughts?
 
I have lost count of how many moose I have taken over the last fifty years. Have cut many antlers off of the skulls, and roasted a few heads for potlatches and other get-togethers. Without any question, can tell you that a moose brain is much smaller than a six inch plate.

If you could hit a tennis ball every time at 200, you might be able to kill a moose cleanly every time.

Ted
 
Are you saying a x39 round to the skull area most likely not put the beast down....would it live if you’ve blown it’s eyes out or the top it’s skull or blow though it’s ears or neck/jaw area? I don’t intend to take a risky shot from 200 or more....I’m just curious as to what’s possible based on your guys experience.
 
Kingjenky said:
Are you saying a x39 round to the skull area most likely not put the beast down....would it live if you’ve blown it’s eyes out or the top it’s skull or blow though it’s ears or neck/jaw area? I don’t intend to take a risky shot from 200 or more....I’m just curious as to what’s possible based on your guys experience.
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No it would die, but the question would be where and when. A blown off jaw is not instantly fatal nor are any hits not on the brain or severing the spine, neck shots not a whole better particularly past 100 yards, I have seen a lot of game get up and get away on guys standing there mouth agape wondering how it got back up. If you're planning to sling milsurp steel core rounds at game stick to paper and metal targets.
What Ted is trying to say politely is you're 6" steel target at 200 is not even close to the size of the vital parts of a moose head.
A 150 grain soft point to the heart and/or lungs at under 200 yards(and inside 150 even more so) would be better.
 
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Kingjenky said:
I was smacking a 6” plate at 200 yards this weekend so I think 250 head shot on a moose could be done
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A "head shot" at that range would be totally irresponsible. A miss by a few inches either way would be a miss or a hit on another part of the head like the upper neck or jaw.

Kingjenky said:
....with surplus steel core it should knock the brains out a big game.....thoughts?
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I think anyone who would consider using "surplus steel core" ammo for hunting needs to better understand how a bullet works and big game hunting in general.



How many moose and/or deer have you shot in the past?
 
SuperCub said:
A "head shot" at that range would be totally irresponsible. A miss by a few inches either way would be a miss or a hit on another part of the head like the upper neck or jaw.


I think anyone who would consider using "surplus steel core" ammo for hunting needs to better understand how a bullet works and big game hunting in general.



How many moose and/or deer have you shot in the past?
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One..... Poor bugger happened to be standing behind a 6" pie plate.....
 
I haven’t taken any game in my life yet......when I do it’ll be with 762x39 or 458socom. I’m just asking for some suggestions on what’s possible with x39.
I know steel core would not fragment and likely not have an issue going through skull with 200y but blow clean through the heart/lungs leaving a small hole and the animal to run longer farther before going down. I have some hornady sst which are I think would mushroom causing larger cavities and not pass through dropping it sooner.
I’m not opposed to other calibers just don’t think a higher power is worth it as I’m in deep Bush and rarely see game past 200. The way things are these days I won’t be purchasing more guns and would like to figure out the limits of what I can do with what I have cause I won’t be buying beef from the store once I emptied my freezer.
Thanks for the advice
 
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Jim870 said:
No it would die, but the question would be where and when. A blown off jaw is not instantly fatal nor are any hits not on the brain or severing the spine, neck shots not a whole better particularly past 100 yards, I have seen a lot of game get up and get away on guys standing there mouth agape wondering how it got back up. If you're planning to sling milsurp steel core rounds at game stick to paper and metal targets.
What Ted is trying to say politely is you're 6" steel target at 200 is not even close to the size of the vital parts of a moose head.
A 150 grain soft point to the heart and/or lungs at under 200 yards(and inside 150 even more so) would be better.
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The cow moose my wife shot, she hit 3 times in the lungs. It laid down right there to die, but I had neglected to tell her to wait and give the moose time to bleed out if she shot one. It got up when she got close and ended up running about 500 yards (the only moose we ever chased, come to think of it). The real bonus is the moose made it to a logging road and died there.

I may be out to lunch here, but I've always found moose easier to kill than deer. Deer are so charged up on adrenalin, that they high tail it when hit, whereas moose generally dont do that. I have shot a few smallish black bears with the X39, and they did not go far.

In hindsight, hunting moose with the AK was probably not a very wise move, but it was one of those on the spot decisions - my wife had just gotten her license, wanted to come with us that morning, and the AK was the gun she was most familiar with, so... She is also a crackshot (and a crackpot, but that's a whole other story) with every gun she's ever used. She has nerves of steel.
 
I may be out to lunch here, but I've always found moose easier to kill than deer. Deer are so charged up on adrenalin, that they high tail it when hit, whereas moose generally dont do that. I have shot a few smallish black bears with the X39, and they did not go far.
I don't know about the OP's area, but hunting with steel core milsurp ammo is a big no-no here in Ontario. I used to bring a few rounds of FMJ ammo with me when I hunted with my .303 or .308, not as a primary hunting round but for a coup de grace shot to the head if needed or for signalling in the bush. To Papaclaude, I've only once had an opportunity to go moose hunting (unsuccessfully) so I can't speak to how easily or not moose go down when well hit. I have taken a lot of deer, and I'd debate with you regarding the deer reaction to being shot. Personally, I've only twice needed a second shot to dispatch my game. I stand hunt only, so we're not pushing and we basically ambush the deer when they're ambling along. As a result, we have the opportunity to take the time to pick our shot and since we're all pretty picky about accuracy, place the bullet where it belongs, mostly heart/lung shots. In my experience, they'll jump a bit and maybe do a few bounds, but stop, and then wander off to lie down. Only once over all my years have I had to track a wounded deer as a result of a bad shot. I never take head shots! I've seen too many animals with part of their jaw blown off or part of the skull missing and left to die in pain.
 
Sks can produce fine enough accuracy ( 3-4 MOA) to hunt however Because of the design, it might fire when dropped so I would
Probably never carry it in the wood loaded.
 
Kingjenky said:
The ethical hunter would say not take the shot.....I’m thinking a head shot with any caliber should drop any big game depending on distance .....buuuut the x39s knock down range is probably maxed at 300 but I’m unsure that’s why I’m asking your expert opinions.
I was smacking a 6” plate at 200 yards this weekend so I think 250 head shot on a moose could be done ....with surplus steel core it should knock the brains out a big game.....thoughts?
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There is a reason that expanding bullets are a legal requirement for big game hunting in the provinces that I hunt in. As for 250 yard head shots on big game with an SKS, that would be nothing short of stupidity.
 
I use my SKS to hunt.

I stalk my prey then stab them with the bayonet. This method works best as you wont have to clean your rifle after. Corrosive ammo can be the ####s.
 
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