I think he's referring to poachers where 3-5 guys with AKs open up full auto. Many elephants have been killed like that, though I seriously doubt that more have succumbed to a barrage of AK fire than to any other. I think we can agree that's not the way to do it, regardless of which animal is the target. When sport hunting, there should be a reasonable expectation of a one shot kill, the mantra, "if you can't shoot good, shoot lots" doesn't really apply. Had the rifle in question been a Ruger or a CZ bolt gun, and the 7.62X39s were loaded with 130 gr TSXs or 150 gr lead core bullets over hot loads, .30/30 performance is realized and I wouldn't be as critical as I am towards an SKS loaded with factory ammo.
I killed my first black bear with a .303 loaded with 180 soft points. The bear was on a rock outcrop above me when I shot him, from about 70 yards, my preference is still hunting, rather than from a stand over bait. I got up there as quick as I could, circling well behind him. I found him a short time later, lying on his side in a small depression in the rock; I was surprised how difficult he was to see, and if I hadn't been alert, I could have walked past him. I was expecting to see a prominent, eye catching ball of black hair, but in that depression as he was, his body was level with the surrounding ground, and for all intents and purposes he looked like a small patch of dark colored dirt as you sometimes see in the rock in that country. I approached him from the rear, and to be safe, I put another slug into him; at the shot and his back leg immediately, stiffened, then dropped. I was 16. Not only was it my first bear, it was my first big game animal, and looking back on it, I'm glad it was not with a marginal cartridge. Had I used less gun, and the same shot was presented, it might well have resulted in a wounded bear getting away, and would have forever altered my impression of big game hunting, and my ability to do it.
To me, general purpose hunting cartridges (which I define as those cartridges that are suitable for hunting any big game up to 1000 pounds in weight, under any circumstances) start with the 6.5s and 130 gr bullets, and tops out with the big case .416s. If you can't shoot it from any position including prone, then for you the cartridge is a niche cartridge, rather than a general purpose cartridge. But when I say that on CGN, it seems to annoy the 6mm and quarter bore enthusiasts, some of whom are my friends. One pal of mine claims his .25/06 kills moose as well with it's 100 gr TSX as his 7X57 does with a 140 loaded to 2900, so I can keep my hard kickers, although he has since upgraded (my word not his) to a .280 Remington. Clearly my opinion is not the only one, but in this case we're talking about a novice hunter who is contemplating the use of a rifle/cartridge combination, that is clearly inferior to a high velocity small bore, on a game animal that can be taken at short to moderate range, usually in or close to heavy cover. Bears come in a wide range of weights, the same adult bear can very 150 pounds between spring and fall, and you don't know before hand if the bear you encounter will weigh 150 pounds or 600. I think those experienced hunters who have suggested that the SKS will work in a pinch, are making that suggestion based on years of hunting experience rather than from the point of view of a novice, and that suggestion does him no service.
