hello

im looking into purchasing either an ak-47 or an sks as a range/plinking gun, but also have it see some hunting time. everyone i have asked or have looked up on the topic says hunting with an ak-47 isn't right and i should get a real hunting gun. but to be quite honest, im a college student, and up here in maine, there is no law saying i cant hunt with an ak-47 or sks, just cant have a clip larger than 5 rounds. i know comparing the two are apples and oranges, but they are both cheap guns to buy up here in the northeast, so either way ill be happy.

happy to make the first post here on the forum and hope to be along side you all with owning a nice russian firearm

I would choose an AK over an SKS for your first 7.62 x 39 rifle. They can both do exactly the same things, but the AK can also take easily detachable 30 rd magazines.

If you are serious about a Russian AK you'll be looking for a Saiga conversion. Unless you want to spend a lot of money for someone to convert it for you. Personally I'd look into other alternatives from other countries. Do your research and find out what works for you, not necessarily what works for the internet hive mind...

ok great! im not wanting to spend more than 400-500 for either of my first rifles. currently i own a glock 19 9mm, and am excited to get my first  rifle for sure!

Welcome to the site.


















 

thanks for welcoming me 50 :)


im sure some of you have other guns for hunting, but with my budget, i still would like to have a gun thats cheap to shoot and also fun, but also can snag a reasonably sized deer for next season of hunting. ill eventually own both guns, just a matter of time :)

Like others have mentioned, go with an AK. They are fun to shoot and make a decent hunting rifle with the right ammo. I took a doe a few years ago with my WASR. With your budget, you a have a few options. WASR 10/63s are pretty decent and would make a good first AK but a MAK90 is also a good option. Also a Saiga is another one to look at and you can always convert it later if you want. Just a warning. Your first AK will eventually lead to this.

i LOVE that collection...its badass haha


friend of mine told me to get a wasr 10/63, cheap, up in maine, local shop has one that is in great condition for 350, the furniture could use a little sprucing up, but the receiver looks like it was well taken care off at least. next week ill be picking up the gun, and a whole piss load of ammo haha.

I would choose an SKS.  It's an easier gun to use hunting (getting prone, etc.) and it's more accurate.  I hunt white tail with my Yugo SKS.  
My AK is accurate enough, but I don't think I'd ever hunt with it.  

Both are useful tools to have though.

Another vote for SKS.  If you are going to use it specifically for hunting that is.

AK is a better general utility rifle.  You can use it for hunting, but you better be shooting close.  KVar has some 5 round magazines if you need them for the AK.  

Although you can also get a unconverted saiga, that will probably be more accurate than the SKS depending on the caliber you pick, and use it for hunting, then convert it later if you want. Just another option for you.

ok. whatever gun i get, i plan on doing a hell of a lot of plinking with it. the sks may be the way to go if i plan on hunting a lot, but i plan to see quite a bit of range time with the gun. still unsure :)

If you can only choose one, go with the AK. You will appreciate the coolness factor

I have been trying to bag a deer with my Yugo M70B1 for the last couple of seasons but have had no luck. I am confident I could do a hundred yard shot with the iron sights. I make that claim because I have practiced quite a bit. You will need to get  a sight adjustment tool and learn how the sights work before taking it afield.

Also, get some properly constructed soft-point bullets.  Don't use the FMJ stuff. Federal makes some Power-Shoks, and Prvi has a interesting bullet that shot well out of my Yugo:

http://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=8507&dir=18|830|852

I am not trying to be a know-it-all, but I am a hunter first and an AK enthusiast second, and a clean, efficient kill is more important than which gun you are using.

Good luck.

Get both.

well, actually haha, i plan on getting both eventually. but an ak or sks is pretty cheap but not cheap enough to buy both at once with my budget! :) either gun i get i know i will like, ive shot both and put a shit load of rounds through both. what i dont understand is why hunters dont like people hunting with ak's...a guy at the gun shop im getting it at asked what i wanted an ak for, i said "plinkin and hunting" he said "plinking is fine but if i saw you hunting with that thing ide shoot you myself" and continued to give that smug laugh that every d-bag has when they think they are funny. ak's are accurate, at least the one i shot this passed thursday, it was bone stock and wasnt the prettiest looking thing, but was accurate if we didnt have  a bumpfire spree with it and the sks was still pretty nice to me, a little more accurate, but just didnt have the "run through the target range and shoot a shit load of zombie targets" kind of fun that the ak had with the 75 round drum haha. idk if you can mod the sks to have a drum, probably not, either way, shooting the guns was fun!


at this point im leaning more towards the ak, but the sks is still at a close second. plus, i kind of want to get the ak just to prove the hunters wrong that hunting with an ak is totally possible and could totally bag a deer with it.

You can hunt deer with an AK, but there's less room for error than with a full power rifle. Make sure you get quality domestic soft point ammo and focus on shot placement.

Op,

I have owned both the SKS and AK. I have taken a heavily modified SKS (Kivaari trigger job, 4x28 scope receiver mount) and later tech sights) hunting. I have killed one deer with my SKS.

For plinking or TEOTWAWKI, either would be fine. If you had to pick between the two for hunting, I would go SKS.
It is more accurate.

Another option that is inexpensive, but a better hunting rifle would be a Mosin Nagant. The M44 is what I had, and it blew my mind how accurate that gun was. It is cheaper than the SKS.

Good idea on the MN, my brother up in bangor says a local milsurp shop has them for 99 bucks. probably should consider that also, but right now ill focus on either the ak or the sks. i think the ak will be the better of the choices due to not only the "fun"factor, but the simplicity of it is great, plus the amount of people that have owned ak's for years and have had very little issues with them, a good aftermarket following as well.

To me that says 1st a range gun and 2nd hunting gun.  No contest, an AK.  Much more fun and with sufficient accuracy and power for hunting at x39 ranges.

yeah for sure. i find im being thrown towards the ak more than the sks, i love both guns, so either one i get ill be pretty happy for