I'm not necessarily married to the idea of purchasing an auto loading rifle. I'm interested in the SKS primarily due to its low cost and the fact that I find them to be comfortable to shoot. I will be graduating from college soon, so my funds are quite limited. Once the bayonett is removed and the magazine is changed so that its capacity is 5 rather than 10, I don't see how the SKS is different from any other auto loading rifle. Granted, the SKS was originally intended for use in war, but so were many of the Mauser and British Enfield rifles that are common in the deer woods. As far as accuracy is concerned, the SKS that I used was accurate up to 100 yards. I hunt in a thickly wooded part of Vermont where I can't usually see past 50 yards, let alone shoot a deer. I'm not trying to start an argument or anything, just explain my reasoning.