SKS Accuracy Test

Ganderite

Ganderite

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Farm south of North Bay
Last week I tested my CQB rifles at 50 yards. I was surprised to see my SKS group around 1.25", so this week I tested it at 100 yards.

I got about the same results I have had in past tests - about 5.0".

sksat100.jpg
 
Ganderite,

I'd say my 100 yd. groups look about like yours. Have you tinkered alot with trying to find an accurate load- or is this the start of the process? I ask because I am wondering if I would see much of an improvement in my grouping.
 
My targets mostly look the same. A four or five inch group at 100 yards is an acceptable group with surplus ammo, and a bit tighter on handloads or good commercial rounds such as PRVI and S&B. If you cant hit a medium size pie plate at 100 yards, your sks rifle might need some work or tweaking.

The problem getting tighter groups is not with the cartridge, but with the design of the rifle. If i want to test accuracy of the round, I use my cz 527 bolt action which shoots sub-MOA with factory ammo. The other problem with the SKS design is that there is too much vision error with the crude factory sights ( as also inherent with Russian rifles such as Mosin). Accuracy is better measured at 50 yards where the front sight is not completely hiding the paper target as it is at 100 yards.
 
I think the early ones were designed to shoot minute-of-Nazi. The later models were designed to hit a slightly larger target, being minute-of-Yankee.
 
With my yugo m59/66a1 iron sights i can hit the metal gong at silverdale 5 out of 5 times at 200 yards, but should definately try it out on paper to see what group i can get.
 
The SKS isn't an accurate rifle, and if you want to shoot 1/2" groups at 100 yards I'd
suggest you buy an accurate new bolt action. The SKS is for playing around with at 50 yards...and short range zombie killing after the zombie apocalypse. :)
 
I know the SKS is not a super accurate rifle by any means. But, with just the stock iron sights I was able to get 3" groups at 100 yds last week. I have a $75 Chinese sks from Marstar and old polish milsurp ammo. I though that was alright for a $75 rifle.
 
With my eyesight, and shooting ability,
I'd be happy to get a 5" group at 100 yds, using a top notch target rifle, with open sights.:)
 
Recently went to Winnipeg wholesale . The gun counter guy was not really helping the sale along by telling me how inaccurate the SKS is, minute of barn , etc. Unfortunately I keep hearing that from lots of folks but the 4 SKS that I own shoot pretty darn good, 3-4 inch groups at 100 yards with just iron sights. In fact just nailed a smaller(5-6 lbs) woodchuck roughly 70 yards this afternoon with a SKS on the first shot. It had a presented profile roughly the size of 2 beer cans next to each other. That is more than accurate enough for woodchuck self defence :)
 
First SKS I bought was Chinese, I was young and dumb and had a mount d&t to the receiver. With Chinese silver box fmj, it would easily hold under 3" at 100.
The rifle was new and pretty tight. I haven't found an ammo and gun combo that will do that today. Haven't tried the polish surplus yet though...
 
I would say the SKS is a very accurate rifle within it's purpose. If you're trying to use it to snipe you might consider using something else that's actually designed for that. If you can hit a dinner plate at 100 yards or more that's good because it was meant for battle. It did not come with a scope.
 
Thanks for posting that Ganderite...

From what I've seen you post before, you're both a good shot, and honest about what you're achieving with your rifles. Now I have a benchmark to beat with my SKS accuracy project I've been working on in stealth mode.

Hint: Already beating 5" at 100 meters by a decent margin, but I'm using a MagWedge rail and a Vomz Pilad 1.4x-6x scope... It's both an "accuracy" project and a practical gun project. Given the range limitations of the platform (200-300 meters, realistically), I'm not interested in a high power scope, but something I can dial right down for snap shooting, but with enough magnification for good shot placement deer hunting at up to 200 meters.

Anyway, good shooting with Iron Sights. On my stock SKS, 5-6" is all I can get out of it on a good day at 100meters. I don't get too many good days though. I can get under 3" with my k31 most days, so I know some of it is limitations of the platform.

One thing I'm getting more of an appreciation for is a good trigger. The SKS has a lousy trigger. If I spend some time with my k31, which has a fantastic trigger, then move to the "grind it till you find it" trigger on the SKS, I'm hitting 8-10" groups. If I spend some time plinking with the SKS before benching some groups, thereby getting used to the trigger, I can bring that back down to 5" again.
 
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