SKS 762x39 for deer hunting?
 

Would like to know if anyone has or knows anyone that uses a SKS 762x39 for deer hunting. I am thinking of adding a scope to the one I have and using it for whitetail. Am I wasting my money? If it is good for whitetail what ammo should I use?

RE: SKS 762x39 for deer hunting?
 

you' ve already wasted your money...unless killing people is what you had in mind.

there' s a lot of deer rifles out there....and yours is not one of them.

RE: SKS 762x39 for deer hunting?
 

The 7.62x39 will kill deer, definitely. First, check magazine restrictions in your area, you may need to get a new magazine that only holds 3-5 rounds. Then, you have to find some good ammo for that, which won' t be hard, but make sure you don' t just go to the store and get regular target loads with full jackets on them. A stout expanding bullet is a must. Also, with this type of rifle and round, I would limit yourself to a 100 yard shot on whitetails, nothing against automatics or your shooting ability, just the inherent inaccuracy and limited downrange power of the round should keep you under 100-125 yards. Other than that, good luck man. Remember though, CHECK LOCAL HUNTING MAGAZINE RESTRICTIONS.

RE: SKS 762x39 for deer hunting?
 

It would work, but use soft point bullets and keep the ranges under 100 yards. Adding a scope isn' t going to make it more accurate, surplus plinking ammo is very cheap, so get lots of practice with the iron sights.

Now that is an unnecessary if not completely ignorant statement if I' ve ever heard one. I would guess that because its a semi-auto, its for killing people, and the fact that it only has as much energy as a .30-30, its inadequate to kill deer with?

RE: SKS 762x39 for deer hunting?
 

A friend of mine used to use a SKS for deer hunting back in Wisconsin. Of course I would always make jokes to him about being a want-to-be-rambo, but as far as I know, he never lost a deer with it. Proper placement and limiting your range like said above is advised.

RE: SKS 762x39 for deer hunting?
 

Lest we get started in a lot of " name calling" I' d like to add my two cents worth about something!

First, any firearm will kill people if used inappropriately, carelessly, (or even that matter in self defense....APPROPRIATELY!).

Second, the 2nd Admendment most specifically has NOTHING to do with sporting arms...and was intended to keep power in the " hands of the people" ....NOT government.

Third, and SKS used with appropriate ammunition, sighted properly, and used within its effective range WILL KILL DEER like any other rifles that are used as above.

Fourth, I took an oath to protect and defend the CONSTITUTION against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic.....and spent better than 20 years of my life living up to that oath.

Fifth, just because I retired from the U.S. Army, does NOT mean that I quit honoring that oath!

Now, before I P**S alot of people off.....I know that this forum is predominantly used by sportsmen/women. And that is fine. After all shooting and hunting are both a part of this nation' s heritage...and just about the best ways I know of relaxing. But I take afront to the notion that because a firearm has a " martial past" , or is a semiautomatic, or because it was previously associated with Eastern Block nations......some how it is a " PEOPLE KILLER" . And without qualification....that statement is NOT indicative of something negative. Let me pose this question to any who would disagree. If you were to use your favorite Remington 870, S&W Model 13, Ruger .44 Blackhawk, Marlin 1894, or _________(you fill in the blank), to successfully defend your life and the lives of your family members....would that then mean that YOUR PEOPLE KILLER was a BAD tool??? Would it then somehow become EVIL?

Firearms are tools! And like any tool they need to be used responsibly. And when they are not...they have the potential to " do wrong" . But let' s not paint with such a wide brush! A house divided falls! RESPONSIBLE gun ownership is the correct solution to the problem....NOT pointing fingers at someone else' s gun (as if it magically will jump up and start murdering innocent people) because of its design....and make the illogical jump to an erroneous conclusion!

And I' ll say it again.....just in the event someone missed it the first time. The 2nd Amendment was specifically about defense, (personal, societal, and as a whole population), NOT about SPORT!

P.S. As was already pointed out by another post. Use a good soft point, insure the rifle is sighted in, and limit your shots to probably no more than 150 yards or so and your SKS will be fine! (Check local laws governing use of semiautos and magazine capacity.)

RE: SKS 762x39 for deer hunting?
 

my sks has accounted for 2 deer , and did so very well. I took the bayonet off, added a syn stock, and put on a 4x compact scope. I handload 150 gr sp' s for it, but the 123gr sp' s by rem, win, should work ok to. black hills ammo is loading a 150 gr sp if you can find it. wolf ammo is also loading a 150 gr sp, but i did some tests with them and the bullet did not preform well, eratic expansion, no expansion, or core seperation. Both deer were one shot kills with pass through. I plan on using again, even though I have many deer rifles to choose from. That remark(cheap shot) by vapodog was a load of BS!

RE: SKS 762x39 for deer hunting?
 

Come on Vapodog that statement is shear stupidity. A rifle is a TOOL. It is how one uses that tool that is important.

Useing your logic one could classify the Springfiel 01A1, 30-40 Krag, any number of Mausers that have been sporterized, M14, etc etc.

Heck OUR Marine snippers use a Remington 700 for their " work" . We might as well label the Remington 700 a " people killer" . Why stop their the .308.30/06, .223, .45/70, 30-40 krag are ex military rounds lets just do away with them.

One could make the argument for the Browning B.A.R. (Browning Automatic Rifle) Though it wears a prettier stock and metal and is only a some-what evil semi-auto it is derived from its WWII sibling.

True the SKS is not on anyones list of " classic" deer rifles and the 7.62x39 is not on the " classic" rounds list......But you might have to wonder why Ruger is chambering it in their bolt action and their #1 as well as CZ in their 527 bolt action carbine. I forget to mention the Ruger mini--thirty--but that could be one of your evil people killers. Also there are bullets available for the purpose of deer hunting.

Vapodog, I think you made your comments in haste. Theres no need in giving the antis more rounds to fire back at us, by dividing us.

RE: SKS 762x39 for deer hunting?
 

using appropriate ammo and appriate limitations on range its will perform well for you. assuming its accurate enough.

RE: SKS 762x39 for deer hunting?
 

The SKS is at its best used as a knock-about truck gun or a plinker. The qualities that make it a reliable combat rifle do not necessarily make it a good deer rifle. It is just about bullet proof but it is heavy, clumsy, and often times not very accurate. If minute of pieplate is acceptable to you then the SKS is your gun. The 7.62X39mm cartridge is slightly more anemic than the 30-30 Win. I am not a fan of either but I would rather see them used on deer than any of the 22 caliber cartridges. Out of an SKS your shots should be limited to about 100 yards or so unless you have one of the rare, fairly accurate rifles. Out of a good bolt you might stretch to 150 yards. Anything after that you are losing steam in a hurry. If you want to use an SKS and are willing to abide by its limitations then more power to you and good luck.