I've only seen 7.62X39 ammo in the full metal jacket style. Do they sell this ammo with hunting bullets? Nosler Partitions? Core-Lokts? Etc.? What are the chances that this guy was hunting deer with FMJ rounds?

Yes, there are a few factory hunting rounds made for 7.62x39mm...Wolf (cheap surplus crap) makes a hollow point bullet that's pretty good for coyotes, and MIGHT work on deer...Remington puts out Corelocts in them last I knew.

Winchester also puts out their Soft point in this round. Federal puts out their Power shok bullet in this round as well. PMC puts out a PSP.

There are also several bullet types available in surplus/foreign stuff that makes its way over here...I think Norinco used to ship soft point ammo over pretty regularly.

Not to mention that the SKS is a .308" bore, so you can reload basically any bullet you want for it...although I've got a feeling this guy doesn't fall into that category.

I have to respectfully state that you are wrong about the bore diameter of the SKS and the 7.62x39mm Soviet cartridge. All SKS' and foreign made military 7.62x39 Soviet rifles (i.e. the AK-47) are .311 caliber, NOT .308cal. The Ruger Mini-30 is .308cal to allow it to accurately use the more popular and plentyful .308cal bullets.

The last I knew, Wolf 7.62x39mm Soviet cartridges are made in Russia and use the Russian standard .310-.311cal bullets.

My Hornady manual states the following, "Foreign firearms have a .311" bore and are most accurate with .310" diameter Hornady Bullets. Ruger's Mini-30 has a .308" bore." (Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, Sixth Edition, pp. 477).

My Speer manual also says the following, "The standard bullet diameter for the 7.62x39 is .311"." (Speer Reloading Manual: Rifle & Pistol, Number 13, pp. 331.)

Mike

It is to my belief that the 7.62x39 is the 30-30 caliber, if im not mistaken. I dont really know a whole lot about that, but some other forum was discussing it, and it rang a bell for me.

No, these are two TOTALLY DIFFERENT cartridges! They are ballistically similar (with the .30-30 edging out the 7.62x39mm Soviet a little, especially with heavier bullets), but that is where the similarities end. The .30-30 is a rimmed .308 caliber bottleneck cartridge dating back to the beginning of the smokeless era that was designed primarily for use in lever action rifles. The 7.62x39mm Soviet was developed in the Soviet Union as a practical assault rifle/carbine cartridge for the SKS carbine and later the AK-47 assault rifle. It is a rimless bottleneck cartridge that shoots the Eastern Bloc standard 7.62mm (.311") bullet.

Mike

ok if 7.62x39mm has a .310 diameter bullet and a ruger mini-30 has a .308 bore diameter. then why is the mini-30 chambered for 7.62x39mm???? wouldnt a .310 daimeter bullet be to tight of a fit for a .308 diameter barrel???

[quote]ok if 7.62x39mm has a .310 diameter bullet and a ruger mini-30 has a .308 bore diameter. then why is the mini-30 chambered for 7.62x39mm???? wouldnt a .310 daimeter bullet be to tight of a fit for a .308 diameter barrel??? [quote]

The Mini-30 has a throat diameter that will allow the chambering of .310 bullets, with a .308 bore.