I've never really been fond of the 7.62x39 round for deer hunting. I know several who use it successfully, but not my personal choice. That is probably the only reason I haven't bought a mini-30 by now. My personal choice for a semi-auto would probably be a flat-top AR-10 in .308. a bit more pricey, but if it's going to be used for deer and coyotes it's a much better round. They're also available in several other calibers that are much more suitable for what you want.