SKS For hunting

jt_trouble said:
nothing wrong with hunting moose with an SKS. Sure there are plenty of other rifles capable of doing the job, but the OP wanted to know if an SKS can do it. And to put it simply, yes it is. I've shot a moose with an SKS, I have friends who bag them all the time with an SKS. So they are not just limited to smaller game. Knowing your shot placement is key and keeping it under 150yds is optimum for a good clean kill.

If you can't hit a target the size of an over door (side shot) at 100yds then you shouldn't be taking the shot :D :p
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My wife killed a 7-year old cow moose at 220 paces with an AK-47. 3 shots in the lungs. (that was the good old days, 1999). The moose was just as dead as those I killed with a 375 h&h. Takes a little longer to put them down for the count, though. IMHO, you're better off with an SKS you know, practice with regularly, and are not afraid of than a .778 Whiz-Bang firing a 1700 grain bullet at 12,000 fps, but that will have you flinch 16 feet off target every time you pull the trigger.
 
Papaclaude said:
My wife killed a 7-year old cow moose at 220 paces with an AK-47. 3 shots in the lungs. (that was the good old days, 1999). The moose was just as dead as those I killed with a 375 h&h. Takes a little longer to put them down for the count, though. IMHO, you're better off with an SKS you know, practice with regularly, and are not afraid of than a .778 Whiz-Bang firing a 1700 grain bullet at 12,000 fps, but that will have you flinch 16 feet off target every time you pull the trigger.
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Jeff, heres your reason! The low cost lets you get lots of practice in, its better for everyone. :cool: can never get too much practice ;)
 
jt_trouble said:
nothing wrong with hunting moose with an SKS. Sure there are plenty of other rifles capable of doing the job, but the OP wanted to know if an SKS can do it. And to put it simply, yes it is. I've shot a moose with an SKS, I have friends who bag them all the time with an SKS. So they are not just limited to smaller game. Knowing your shot placement is key and keeping it under 150yds is optimum for a good clean kill.

If you can't hit a target the size of an over door (side shot) at 100yds then you shouldn't be taking the shot :D :p
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I agree there is nothing wrong with hunting moose with an SKS but if you are buying a rifle specificly for moose hunting there are lots of better options.
 
Hunting rifle design has evolved over 100's of years to where it is to today. use the right tool for the job. a SKS is not a hunting rifle. would you chop wood with a carving knife?
 
If you keep your shots to well under 100 yards, the 7.62X39 is a barely adequate round for moose...but if you're wanting to shoot a milsurp rifle, a much better choice is a British or American rifle chambered for .303 or better yet, 30.06. A 30.06 is a 7.62 calibre, but the casing is 63mm long instead of 39, that's quite a difference.
 
JeffJames said:
Again... I have no plan and taking shots over 100yds.

Not to sound like a n00b, But lets ask this question... If you can hunt moose with a bow, Why not an SKS?
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Get the SKS...keeps your shots short and aim well. Get the heaviest ammo and best expanding you can and practice, practice, practice!!! Some will yell at me here but if you can hit it in the head go for it. TOO MANY people on here think you need a .338LM or bigger for a bunny...

Personally I just think they like to own big guns...which is totally cool, I enjoy shooting animals with a well placed shot, reguardless of caliber.
 
pisces-guy said:
So, Legion, since you're a former sniper in Her Majesty's Canadian Armed Forces, and still do a lot of precision shooting, you're probably pretty darned qualified to answer this question for "Rookie Wildcat" and others: Do you think it's ethical and consistently do-able to put bullets at various ranges, in hunting conditions, into that 1.5" brain of a buck? I can do that very consistently on a bench at the gun range, knowing I'm shooting always at 100 yards, but I think anyone claiming they could do that 10 out of 10 times on a buck in the woods after they've been hiking, etc, is a liar...
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Pisces, I never said I'm doing precision shooting. Benchrest shooting has little to do with hunting.

The issue at hand is bullet travel time vs moving target.

From my 30-06 the bullet needs 0.25 seconds to travel 200m. (even more from a SKS round)
Deer (humans too) can move their heads faster than they move their chests.

In the quarter of a second a deer can move its head completely out of the bullet path or only partially. If you've watched deer in the wild, they do it a lot.

Given the small hit area, it is very likely the shooter will just wound the animal. NOT ETHICAL! (hunting-wise)
Now add the "buck fever" and the possible fatigue from hiking to the hunting place. And the lack of a good rifle rest. Factor in the wind and tree branches or brush. And the shooting stance. A live 1.5" is pretty darn difficult to hit in the bush.

That's my point.
 
Thanks Legion, I think that's a pretty straight answer! So folks, if a former sniper who's still shooting thinks head shots on deer are unethical and will most likely result in an injured animal, what do you think you should do with your lesser abilities? That's right, shoot the deer in the lower-centre chest if it's facing you, and right behind the shoulder if it's broadside. The game animal deserves an ethical, clean shot that will make it suffer the least. Ethics is what separates real hunters and sportsmen from trigger happy idiots. That's my point.
 
plinker 777 said:
Question: Where do you shoot? Answer: Center of mass!:p........short of quail .22 hunting {quail are as dumb as fence posts} I've never heard of head shot hunting. It's ridiculous
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Really? Sitting solid, rifle on a rest, game unaware of your presence and you think that a head shot at less than 200yds with a rifle that groups at 5/8" is less ethical than running up a ridge, seeing a deer/elk/whatever bounding away 300yds on a quarter and throwing a shot at it?
My personal opinion is that shooting at a moving target is unethical and ridiculous. If you do your job, you should be able to get the game standing still. I have never shot at moving game.
 
rookie wildcat said:
Really? Sitting solid, rifle on a rest, game unaware of your presence and you think that a head shot at less than 200yds with a rifle that groups at 5/8" is less ethical than running up a ridge, seeing a deer/elk/whatever bounding away 300yds on a quarter and throwing a shot at it?
My personal opinion is that shooting at a moving target is unethical and ridiculous. If you do your job, you should be able to get the game standing still. I have never shot at moving game.
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Who said anything about moving game? Just because birds have wings doesn't mean their always flying.....Sometimes social animals will actually stop running/flying for their lives,calm down, and you know...socialize. To actually witness this phenomenon you'll have to stop running around the bush like a di(k and actually HUNT the game.
 
plinker 777 said:
Who said anything about moving game? Just because birds have wings doesn't mean their always flying.....Sometimes social animals will actually stop running/flying for their lives,calm down, and you know...socialize. To actually witness this phenomenon you'll have to stop running around the bush like a di(k and actually HUNT the game.
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That would be these guys.

pisces-guy said:
ust before I crest the ridge I pull out my Harris Bipod, and even if I'm breathing heavy I've always made an ethical, accurate shot that took the animal down fast!
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legi0n;5570095 But then again said:
they also stand still while your wife aims for the head[/B].
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plinker 777 said:
To actually witness this phenomenon you'll have to stop running around the bush like a di(k and actually HUNT the game.
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Also, Plinker, if you study deer, they feed for about 15 seconds with their head down. Unless startled, just before they raise their head, their tail twitches. My 150gr bullet leaving the muzzle of my .30-06 at 2900fps will cover 200yds in under 1/4 second. My wife's .243 throws a 100gn bullet at 3100fps and makes the same distance in .19 seconds. If you can't make the shot in 15 seconds you need to pack it in.
Getting close to a game animal without spooking it requires a fair bit of skill. I have been out a couple of times in the past 30-odd years. I have chased deer and busted them out of their beds until they get tired of that and stand still ready to charge. Then you get the shots you want. I much prefer to stalk the game or ambush it while it does not know you are around. I hunt with a steady pod to ensure that my shots are as steady as possible and I try to set it up so that my game is as still as possible.

plinker 777 said:
Just because birds have wings doesn't mean their always flying.....Sometimes social animals will actually stop running/flying for their lives,calm down, and you know...socialize.
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That's what allows me to take the best of a herd of 6 deer, or 2-3 moose, etc. Patterning, scouting, planning, knowing where the game will go, how they will react, etc is what makes a hunt successful.
 
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