Bushmasters are good guns for what they are, (AR wannabes), but are fairly pricey. Especially when compared to an SKS. And in my opinion the 7.62X39 is a better cartridge for up to medium size game than the .223 is. I spent 20 years in the U.S. Army Infantry and have had various AR15' s (okay, okay....M16' s)in my hands for quite a few years, and I am not knocking them. But it is terribly difficult to find a " better value" for the money than the SKS as a knock about or truck gun. They are dirt cheap, stone like reliable, acceptably accurate, and just plain tough. If you are interested in a rough use carbine, at a bargain price, the SKS can' t be beat. (Who cares if it doesn' t look as cool as the the Bushmaster?)