SKS vs M14 vs CZ858 - opinions and comparisons wanted

3demon

3demon

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Hi everyone,

First post. Did a search but please excuse and point in the right direction if I've missed some obvious posts.

I'm new to sport shooting and am looking to get my hands on any of these 3 guns. Looking for something fun, decently reliable, and reasonably priced. Mod-ability would be nice to consider so I could upgrade and work with the guns in the future to improve them if I choose.

The SKS seems to be the least expensive of the lot, and there tend to be a few around. I was looking at a good condition Norinko model with a detachable mag.

I also found an M14 rifle that has a modified stock. Its significantly more expensive.

Finally, I'm doing research on the CZ858 but I have not found one for sale as of yet.


My questions are:
what are these like to shoot? Which would be suitable for a beginner but scalable enough to still be useful as I gain experience?
Overall, which of them is recommended in your opinion and why?

Thanks!
 
m14 is also non-restrictive and in a more suitable(IMO) hunting calibre.

One of each, over time, is the obvious choice and my personal plan.
 
If you don't plan on using it for hunting I suggest you go with the cz858, it's a bit more expensive than the sks but you get what you pay for.
 
between the cz and the sks I would go cz all the way it's lighter, as accurate, and shoulders much better. The m14 however is a much more powerful rifle, so to compare them it would really depend on what you are loking to use it for. For an all around shooter I would go with the cz as it's more mobile and easier to put more ammo through, as the ammo is much cheaper, the cz also makes a great deer rifle. For long range target shooting or larger game hunting the m14 would be my choice. SHTF I would rather have the 58 by my side as I prefer the mobility and feel of the rifle over the m14. If you go with the 58 I would suggest an updated carrier to eliminate the chance of the "gremlin" appearing.
 
obiwanbonjovi said:
If you go with the 58 I would suggest an updated carrier to eliminate the chance of the "gremlin" appearing.
Click to expand...

where to get one of these updated carriers?? does anyone know if the new batch of 58's still have the infamous gremlin??


it all depends on what you are looking for sks is suposingly fun(ive never had one) to shoot and ammo is cheap (you can hunt with it too) the m14 is kinda heavy and more powerfull (ive had one) and the 58 seems to be a real blast to have (im looking at getting one from the new batch)
 
If your just starting, i recommend the sks. there cheap, ammo's cheap, highly customizable, you can use it for hunting and their a fun gun. 308 will get expensive if your are not reloading, and the cz858 is three times the price of an sks.
 
fantastic, thanks everyone for the input so far!

I'm looking to see where I can find a CZ

are there lots of customizable parts for the SKS? I've heard SKSMAN in the states is a good option. Can you bring parts (like stocks etc) over the border if you pick them up in WA, or are there restrictions on them due to them being 'firearms parts'
 
Start with an SKS and a couple crates of ammo.

I would go with a fixed mag. More reliable than a detach mag and stripper clips are just as fast for reloading.
 
Wolverine Supplies is the main Canadian distributor/importer for CZ-858 rifles (both restricted and non-restricted versions) Marstar carries the VZ-58 line...both rifles are almost identical, with minor differences. Check out the site sponsors at the top of the pages. Other sponsors like Ellwood Epps, Frontier Taxidermy, etc...also carry them.

Russian SKS are currently widely available in refurb and new-unissued configurations.

Both rifles use the 7.62X39mm cartridge. Cases of 1120 rounds of Czech surplus is currently widely available for around $200.00 give or take.

The SKS is a fun rifle to shoot, but not very accurate. Most will only shoot 4-6 inch groups at 100m. Some are better, others worse. While is may be used for big game hunting, it really isn't well suited for that task.

The CZ is much more accurate and 2" groups at 100M are doable. The non-restricted rifle again, may be used for hunting, but it really isn't well suited to the task either.

The Norinco M-14S or M-305 is an entirely different beast. It fires the .308Win/7.62mm NATO round, making it significantly more powerful. It can reach out to 1000m with good optics. They can be amazingly accurate and they can be customized pretty easily. The CZ and SKS also have a growing selection of after-market accessories and stocks. However, the M-14 can easily serve as a hunting rifle and they have accounted for many deer, caribou and moose across the country. (The SKS has been used by guys for deer, but strictly close range)

The only drawback to the M-14 is the cost of ammo, which is significantly more than the cost of SKS/CZ ammo.

So, if you're looking to shoot tiny groups and/or hunt. Pick the M-14.

Looking for a robust, fun rifle to plink with, either the SKS or CZ will serve admirably. If you'd prefer more accuracy, get the CZ. The CZ is also lighter than the SKS and has better ergonomics. However, you can buy three SKS for the price of one CZ-858. Everything is trade offs!:)
 
Enough information has been presented to draw your own conclusion.

Including the fact that a good SKS can give decent accuracy, which is of course relative. To put things in perspective, in the recent SKS Gong Shoot at POCO (June 23, 2009), the winner of the shootout was a scoped Russian SKS that scored 4 hits out of 5 shots in 30 seconds. Gong size was 10 x 10 inches and hung at 200 meters.

Second went to a Yugo SKS shooter who scored 11 out of 20 and third went to a Russkie shooter who hit 10/20. Both latter shooters had irons.

According to the official calling the hits/misses, the winner's scoped Russian had a tight group in the upper right hand corner of the gong.

My own personal best so far, from an SKS, is an 8 inch 5-shot group at 200 meters, using iron sights on a Russkie.

I've heard the 858 is a 2 MOA shooter, so that would translate to 4 inches at 200 meters. Actually, I think shooter skill and vision is the largest variable at 200 meters, given the same sighting system. It cost about 3.5 times the SKS.

My Springfield Armory M1A was also a 2 MOA shooter at 200 M. It cost about 7 times.

IMO, the design of the SKS is simpler than the other two.

If money was no object, I would own all three. But since I'm the type of shooter who wants several examples of each type of firearm, I decided that given the SKS's acceptable accuracy, simple design and inexpensive price, to concentrate on the SKS-type and develop enough shooting skill with it.
 
My russian SKS is now for sale cause I got my CZ and love it more than the SKS but I will still not part with my M14, 308 is an awesome hunting and shooting caliber for most large animals. If you want to plink then CZ is nicer looking and I do prefer to shoot it over my SKS but the M14 is a bit heavier but accuracy mid and long range is far superior.
 
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