my father is letting me use his SKS this year for deer hunting(cant afford my own deer rifle til next year)and was wondering if I should go soft tip or hollow point? caliber is 7.63 X 39. or do you think it would be better to use my 20g. shotgun?

Soft point.

Being an former SKS owner im going to recomend against using it. If you have access to a shotgun such as you mentioned USE IT. A 20Gauge Shotgun with the proper slug will put a deer down faster than anSKS will. SKS really dont make a good deer rifle but works great on varmints.

Soft point should work well. My cousin has taken all his deer (30+) with his SKS and is using a soft point bullet, I don't remember the brand. You can also use the 20ga you mention too. Both will kill deer, just shoot what you have confident in.

Where I'm from you'll get a ticket for hunting with a stock SKS, can't have more than a 5 round capacity, counting the round in the chamber (4+1).

First thing, check local laws

I am too, going to use my sks for hunting this year, but I am loading 5 round in it. I am using hollow points, only thing I had left to shoot with. but I would use softpoints. name brands will cost you $14. wolfs (if you have time to get them) $6 for 20 or $150 for 500.

Try to keep your shots under 100 yds, 50 if you can.

I completely agree with this guy.....
While the SKS might chamber a round that could kill a deer, shot placement becomes ever crucial... I use the SKS on coyotes, now thats good shootin..

If you are going to use an sks use softpoint ammo not hollow points by wolf. Dont even use soft points by wolf. By a name brand ammo like winchester or remington. The 7.62X39mm is about the same ballistics as the 30-30 so it will kill a deer but wolf soft points are made cheaper and the lead is too hard or something. My friend used my AK with the 5 shot mag with wolf ammo and shot 2 deer 2 yrs in arow with wolf ammo. Both deer ran over a 100 yards with very little blood from the wolf softpoints. One deer was wounded and never found with a shot through the lungs. He finally bought his own AK and winchester softpoints and dropped the next 2 he shot in about 30yds.

from the responses I am taking that there just isnt enough bullet/expansion using an sks?