7.62x39' for deer

Outdoors » Deer Hunting

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - 7.62x39' for deer

Posted: 9/14/2017 11:02:49 PM EDT

Anyone using a 7.62x39 for deer?

What ammo brand and bullet are you using ?

Posted: 9/15/2017 3:08:30 AM EDT

[#1]

For a close in woods round, it works similar to 30-30 for the 100 to 150 yard max.

I've had good luck with the Federal 123 JSP. Just don't kid yourself that 7.62x39 = 7.62x51

Posted: 9/15/2017 8:12:12 AM EDT

[#2]

I don't remember the ammo, but in the 90s and early 2000s the SKS was popular in my deer camps, and they took a lot of deer.

In AR, a 30-30 is perfect, so is the SKS. Most of my shots are <150 yards.

I'm sure ammo availability is much better now.

Posted: 9/15/2017 4:22:22 PM EDT

[#3]

Remington's Power shok have been reliably killing Ozarks whitetails for me. In the early days of cheap SKSs all we had were Russian/Czech hollow points and FMJ; they sucked donkey balls and were borderline unethical to use.

Posted: 9/15/2017 11:09:13 PM EDT

[#4]

Quote History

Quoted:
Remington's Power shok have been reliably killing Ozarks whitetails for me. In the early days of cheap SKSs all we had were Russian/Czech hollow points and FMJ; they sucked donkey balls and were borderline unethical to use.

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I've killed quite a few little ozark deer with the green/yellow Remington's. This year in going to use SST's in my 7.62x39 and federal fusions in my 6.8.

I know one thing, fusions in the 6.8 rock

Posted: 9/15/2017 11:19:50 PM EDT

[#5]

I've shot about 8 good sized hogs with 7.62x39. I have used Tula 124gr SP, and it worked- often with a follow up shot. For mch faster kills, the Hornady SST works great.

Posted: 9/17/2017 9:24:25 AM EDT

[#6]

I use Remington core lok. It's uses a 0.308 diameter bullet, not the Russian 0.312 or whatever it is. It works very well in my old Colt 16" AR, allowing it to shoot consistent ~1" cold-barrel groups. There's also virtually no lot-to-lot variance. I won't even try other cartridges as I could hardly improve what I get.

Whether a good thing or bad, I've yet to shoot through any deer at any range. The closest about 50 yds. The farthest 280 (measured) yds. ~80 pound does to ~200 pound buck.

Posted: 9/18/2017 8:25:28 PM EDT

[#7]

Do NOT use commie import 123 'soft point' or hollow point. The jackets are merely the usual FMJ, which is often copper washed steel, with the tip removed. The resulting jacket is often way too hard to expand reliably at any 7.62x39 speed. They look like soft points. The box says soft points. But they don't expand as reliably as any of the soft points from Win, Rem or Fed. A box of any of those three, in 123-125 soft point will work fine.

Posted: 9/19/2017 4:56:06 PM EDT

[#8]

I shot a deer with a commie import 7.62x39 this past season at about 50 yds. Used a Wolf Military Classic HP.

Upon dressing the deer, I did find that the jacket had fragmented into several pieces. Regardless, shot placement was good and the deer ran about 40 yds. and dropped.

It can certainly be done with Russian ammo, but I suppose good ol' Murican ammo might give you a little larger factor of safety.

Posted: 9/29/2017 2:25:57 AM EDT

[#9]

My daughter used a Ruger Mini-30 with 123gr SST's by Hornady 5 years ago to drop a 150" buck, she was 8 then. I spoiled her her, the second buck she ever killed is bigger than any buck I have seen where we hunt. I should have shot it but I told her it is your day shooot the biggest one we see.

Posted: 9/29/2017 3:59:18 AM EDT

[#10]

About 17 years ago my son killed his first deer with an AK47 at about 100 yards. Nice clean kill, IIRC, it was a Federal hunting load.

Posted: 10/6/2017 8:30:11 PM EDT

[#11]

Ive got a howa bolt action and am gonna try the prvi pointed soft points this year.

Posted: 10/7/2017 10:56:08 PM EDT

[#12]

Don’t use S&B soft points. My buddy shot a big buck with several of them a few years ago and they were recovered with little to no expansion. The shots were between 25 and 75 yards.

Posted: 10/7/2017 11:05:27 PM EDT

[#13]

I like the Hornady Zombie Max or SST ballistic tip ammo

Posted: 10/8/2017 12:28:40 AM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:
I like the Hornady Zombie Max or SST ballistic tip ammo

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SST is different a VMAX and Zombie are the same Varmit rounnd.

SST is better for deer.

Posted: 10/10/2017 11:18:47 AM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
Don’t use S&B soft points. My buddy shot a big buck with several of them a few years ago and they were recovered with little to no expansion. The shots were between 25 and 75 yards.

View Quote

I run Herters (Cabela's brand) brass case which is made by S&B and have had no issues with the 123gr SP's.
Shot bucks under 50 yards and they don't go far.

Posted: 10/10/2017 7:36:33 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:

I run Herters (Cabela's brand) brass case which is made by S&B and have had no issues with the 123gr SP's.
Shot bucks under 50 yards and they don't go far.

View Quote

It is possible that this was a fluke with this certain lot of ammo but I saw the bullets. We recovered two, one the tip just barely started to open up the other showed zero deformation, the neck shot that finally put the deer down wasn’t recovered.

Posted: 10/14/2017 8:45:29 PM EDT

[#17]

I am surprised nobody mentioned the Federal Fusion in 7.62x39mm...

Posted: 10/16/2017 9:30:13 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
I am surprised nobody mentioned the Federal Fusion in 7.62x39mm...

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I came here to post that. CZ 527 carbine and Federal Fusion. Deadly deer medicine to 150 yards so far.

Posted: 10/17/2017 9:13:21 PM EDT

[#19]

I haven't tried it, but if I do, I have some Hornday steel match loaded in 7.62x39, which has an 123 grain SST bullet.

Posted: 10/17/2017 9:25:33 PM EDT

[#20]

I've killed a pig and an 8 point with Hornady SST out of my PSA AR47. Great round

My favorite round by far is Tula 154gr. Seems to work much better on pigs. I shot a pig that was an easy 300 pounds 3-4 times with SST at 25 yards and it didn't seem to phase him. Blood trail piddled out after 50 yards. Haven't lost a pig with 154gr.

SST is great on Arkansas deer but anything bigger/meaner I'd go 154gr

I haven't seen any 7.62x39 beat these results

https://youtu.be/-UWA2-ZvXFI

Posted: 11/1/2017 12:02:25 PM EDT

[#21]

Ordered some Fed Fusion due to this thread! Thanks

Posted: 11/4/2017 12:00:19 AM EDT

[#22]

Federal Fusion, 30yds, DRT.

Attached File

Posted: 11/4/2017 12:21:23 AM EDT

[#23]

federal fusion rounds seem to be a cost effective and ethical choice.

Posted: 11/6/2017 1:40:21 AM EDT

[#24]

Federal Fusion or Hornady SST would be my top choices.

Posted: 11/11/2017 9:51:51 PM EDT

[#25]

I got some of the Fusion about a year back. My rifle doesn't seem to like it. Sighting in today that stuff was all over the place compared to Wolf 123gr HP and Golden Tiger 124 FMJ which I started out with to get it close. Wolf and GT were consistent and accurate, overlapping holes. I'll need to try some other some other soft point.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - 7.62x39' for deer

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