Posted: 11/3/2007 5:48:13 PM EDT
I am not going to be able to get to the range to check my deer rifle, now I've got the same ammo that I used last year, so its probably close. But its scoped and isn't gonna do well for the area I'm hunting, the problem is my only guns that are sighted in with hollow point ammo is my ak's, you guys think I should run this for deer slay'n  Polytech |
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As far as the ballistics, its not that different than 30-30. I have used 7.2x39 for many times for deer. I prefer softpoints myself, but HP should behave just as well. I couldn't tell you how many people I know that shoot 7.62x39 for deer season. I think at least half the shooters I grew up around used an old SKS every year. It was my first introduction to a surplus rifle. If you are hitting the 200yd plates @ CMMG, your set. Its gonna be a while till I can go shooting, so kill a couple at least... |
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i wouldn't hesitate to hunt with an AK. IF you know it well enough, and it shoots ok. i took many a deer with a chinese MAK90. all under 100 yards. and never had one run more than 20 yards or so. i've taken more deer with an AK than i have with any other gun. in fact, the biggest deer i've shot was with that MAK90 at 75 yards on the run. no brag....just fact...... 
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| Yes, there are mag restrictions. I think it's 5 or 10 round. I'm gonna use a 10 round in my AR to deer hunt with. I personally wouldn't feel bad for using an AK. I'd use anything that functions well and I have confidence to do the job as long as I do my part. I've never used one on deer, but they do quite a number on coyotes. |
Is that caliber even legal for deer hunting? I thought I read there were certain restrictions....maybe it was just a "best practices" kind of thing. |
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The rifle is legal and will work fine as long as you can put the bullet where it needs to be. I use my AR15 which has even less "power" and have killed a few deer. BTW, to get an idea about what people have used and does work go to the outdoors setcion and click on the deer hunting topics area. I have a few AR15 kill picts and so do a few other folk. And yes, you had better post picts when you do get your deer.  Uh, ten round or less CAPACITY magazine. Don't bring a 30 rounder to the fields with you. I use a 10rd mag on my AR. |
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Geez, of course its an acceptable caliber, my little brother killed his first deer with a shorty SKS when he was pretty young. Same thing for my little cousin. My Dad actually killed his first big buck with one after he brought it back from Vietnam, back then it was hard to even get ammo for them. If the comment above was about the AR, I've got lots of examples of deer taken with a 223, but then again I don't think a higher powered rifle is a substitute for a good shot, so if you can't hunt a deer with a 223 don't hunt one with a 30-06 either. |
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As others have said, ballistically the 7,62x39mm round is roughly equivalent to the venerable thutty-thutty lever gun. My only concern would be the ethics of your ammo. From everything I've read, all of the imported "HP" ammo (Wolf, Barnaul, Golden Tiger, Silver Bear, etc) is nothing more than their FMJ bullet with the tip cut off and it supposedly performs exactly the same. If it were me, I would have no qualms using a 7,62x39mm round, as long as it had a proper made-for-hunting bullet in it. And I'm not even sure how appropriate the 154gn SP rounds are for hunting. Somehow I doubt the Russian factories spent a lot of R&D time with ballistic gelatin and wet phone books to arrive at the desired optimum bullet expansion/penetration. I would never consider FMJ ammo to be ethically acceptable for hunting edible North American game. "Pests", and African dangerous game, sure.  But I could be wrong.
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Well I've got the 10 round mag taken care of, I was however going to use some russian hollow points, cause well that's what I've got. I've dug some of them out of some old soft firewood that I shoot at down at the farm, they get some expansion/ deforemation. Anybody use russian ammo on a deer? I wasn't really worried about it until you guys brought it up
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And you might even be amazed at the improved accuracy of the weapon when using good US-made commercial ammo. However, I think you mentioned a lack of time to get to the range and verify POA vs POI. Personally, I just wouldn't hunt with an unknown weapon. In fact, I don't even like to shoot them, even just plinking, if I haven't thoroughly function tested the weapon with the intended ammo and sighted it in properly as well. But that's just me and I can be rather weird.
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Oh yea you should use that. As everyone has said use a 10 rounder and your good. Also the russian hollows should be ok, at least in regards to ammo restrictions. Missouri Dear Regulations 2007 (from above URL) Methods Allowed -centerfire pistol, revolver or rifle using expanding-type bullets Methods prohibited -self-loading firearms with acapactiy of more than 11 cartridges in magazine and chamber combined -full hard metal case projectiles |
I know where I'm shooting with the russian hollowpoints, but if that's not gonna get the job done then I'll have to try and get some time off work and get to the range. What's the consensus? Will they get the job done? |
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If you do your part the Rusky HP will work fine, there are tons of guys around here that use the ole' SKS, and they get the cheapest ammo around, which usually ends up being Rusky HP or SP. Most of them usually get a deer. So I don't think you'll have any problems. |