Briman,
Well put. Any rifle, of any type (where legal) that is used by a shooter that has practiced and can put a killing shot to his quarry, should be considered an acceptable hunting weapon by any real hunter. To cast aspersions on a gun or a hunter based on the cost of the weapon is discriminatory at best. I understand the responsibility to make sure the firearm functions safely and is capable of delivering adequate accuracy.....but most guns...including good SKS's .... are capable of more accuracy than most shooters. I have 5 SKS's ...have never hunted with one. I prefer bolt actions for hunting. But I have no qualms about an SKS in my hunting camp.
It's no different than a Winchester Model 07, 10, 100, Browning BAR, Remington Model 8a, 81a, 74, 740, 7400, Model Four, Ruger 44, Mini 14,....or any of the semi-auto shotguns on the market.
Just one man's feelings.