7.62x39mm for Mule Deer and Elk?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - 7.62x39mm for Mule Deer and Elk?

Posted: 3/14/2009 9:34:34 AM EDT

7.62x39mm SP/HP for Mule Deer and Elk?

Wouldn't be trophy hunting, just meat hunting. I just can't really afford another rifle. Is it poor form and inhumane?

Posted: 3/14/2009 9:41:24 AM EDT

[#1]

Definately NOT........you'll wound more animals than you'll kill.

Posted: 3/14/2009 9:48:22 AM EDT

[#2]

I wouldn't try it.

Posted: 3/14/2009 10:10:41 AM EDT

[#3]

Well, that is kinda the answer I expected... guess I just needed to hear it.

Posted: 3/14/2009 10:34:41 AM EDT

[#4]

I would have to say you need more power than 7.62x39 has to offer. You want to kill, not wound.

Posted: 3/14/2009 12:43:12 PM EDT

[#5]

SP's for deer and have the discipline to know how far you can shoot it. Not enough power for elk in my opinon, though I'm sure there have been alot of elk taken with 30-30's(fairly comparible to a 7.62x39) over the years.

Posted: 3/14/2009 1:12:13 PM EDT

[#6]

Elk.............YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING

I went to AK last September for moose.........Took my Win70 in 30-06, I still felt "Out-gunned"

Posted: 3/14/2009 2:03:25 PM EDT

[#7]

I've killed several deer with a .223 and 60 grain bullets.I was VERY careful to pick my shots and and never killed one over 60/70 yards away with some as close as 20 yards. I loaned a.223 rifle to a neighbor lady who had a shoulder injury and couldn't tolerate much recoil––she killed a fat doe at about 150 yards with one shot through both lungs.(missed ribs in AND out)this with a 60 gr Nosler
What I'm saying is that,IMO,the 7.62X39 is adequate for deer if you're very patient and can place your shots in the heart/lung area.Definitely use soft point bullets....
Elk???? Probably not a good idea..but as someone else said there have been thousands of elk killed with the .30-30 and even smaller cartridges.
best
Dana

Posted: 3/14/2009 2:14:30 PM EDT

[#8]

I wouldn't think twice about using a 7.62 Sov on deer. Seen it work well. On a deer it will go through the shoulder. I doubt it will do as well on an Elk shoulder.

Posted: 3/14/2009 4:43:32 PM EDT

[#9]

Mule deer: yes

Elk: probably not

You can kill elk but you've got to hit it right. If you have to ask, you probably shouldn't.

Posted: 3/19/2009 12:18:29 PM EDT

[#10]

Muleys or Blacktail, fine, under 100 yards.
Elk, not w/ a 123gr bullet. They are real thick.
I have questioned my 7mm Rem Mag w/ 175gr partitions for Elk over 400 yards. I'm looking to change to 160gr Solids.

Posted: 3/19/2009 12:51:44 PM EDT

[#11]

7mm solids are kind of small. I would need to be using a much bigger bullet to feel comfortable with solids.

ETA: If you want good, straight penetration from a solid it has to be round or flat nosed, and that would make distance shooting very difficult.

Posted: 3/20/2009 5:31:18 AM EDT

[#12]

a .30 cal of any type will take out a deer/elk with enough lead (165gr. or more)

Posted: 3/21/2009 2:51:57 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
7mm solids are kind of small. I would need to be using a much bigger bullet to feel comfortable with solids.

ETA: If you want good, straight penetration from a solid it has to be round or flat nosed, and that would make distance shooting very difficult.

Your kidding! 7mm 175 partitions from a 7mm Rem Mag at 300 yards are at 2150 velocity and 1800fp of energy. Round and flat nose are 200- rounds. Wow! I would take a 500 yard shot w/ a 160gr solid PT. Wow! What a stupid comment!!! You should stay shooting paper w/ a .223 at 100 yards.

Posted: 3/21/2009 4:08:39 PM EDT

[#14]

Read it again. 7mm SOLIDS are small. You need a bigger solid than expanding bullet to do the same thing. I've shot stuff that had a small bullet pencil through it and it isn't nearly as effective as an expanding bullet.

You ever shoot anything living at 500 yards?

Posted: 3/24/2009 6:09:10 PM EDT

[#15]

I have taken a number of deer with the 762x39mm and used Wolf HP the whole time. I didn't like soft point because the tips would deform in loading from mag into chamber. Thats gotta affect accuracy. Shot placement is critical and all of mine have been in heart lung area. I used my Romy G AK this past season to take two whitetail does. I wouldn't hesitate to take shots up to 150 yards. The HP doesn't blow up and knocks them down real good.

Never shot an elk before so couldn't tell you on that.

Posted: 3/24/2009 10:05:03 PM EDT

[#16]

Try the 7.62x54R instead. Being similar to a .30-06, it should do the job with the right ammo.

Posted: 3/26/2009 5:02:19 PM EDT

[#17]

I have had a clean one shot kill on elk with the 6.8, 243 and 308 rounds. If you are retarded and shoot at stuff 500+ plus yards away, no I would not use the 7.62x39 if you are hunting timber and take your time it should be plenty. I would load the best Sp bullet I could find and probably find something like a cz bolt gun to shoot it in. As for deer the 7.62 kills them very dead I limit my self to under 125 yard shots though. To the poster above with the 7mm if you are shooting at 500+ yards you are a fool or a truly dedicated marksman. If you are wanting solids you better get a "real" bullet though. Solids are far more effective when they have a large frontal mass and travel at lower velocitys. Although ivory hunters somtimes used a 6.5 most solids become far more effective when used out of .375 bores and bigger. I have shot solids in 308 7mm and 458 and 416 diameters as well as a few thru my 35 whelen. Solids really only shine when they are big n slow.

Posted: 4/7/2009 9:33:43 PM EDT

[#18]

You bet. Head shot FTW.

Posted: 4/10/2009 9:56:49 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
SP's for deer and have the discipline to know how far you can shoot it. Not enough power for elk in my opinon, though I'm sure there have been alot of elk taken with 30-30's(fairly comparible to a 7.62x39) over the years.

I don't know, skill and patience with a Model 70 served my grandfather well in Canada and Alaska for years. He had several medium and 1 huge Moose and a nice sized grizzly to show for his efforts. Of course that was before the super magnums and guides that thought that 300 yards was a legitimate shot.

Posted: 4/10/2009 10:10:53 PM EDT

[#20]

I wouldn't go after elk with AK ammo, but deer, up to 100 yards, you should be good to go as long as you have it sighted in and can hit a kill shot.

Posted: 4/17/2009 12:16:41 PM EDT

[#21]

Keep your shots 200 yrds and closer.

It will do fine on both animals.

Use good soft points.

Caught moose and caribou with very good results with that round.

Lots of moose and other big game have been taken with the old 30-30.

Posted: 4/17/2009 12:37:27 PM EDT

[#22]

I would use a Barnes TSX, but thats me.

Posted: 5/26/2009 1:47:27 PM EDT

[#23]

7.62x39 is a good brush cartridge for white tail, but it just don't have the knock down for anything bigger.

Posted: 5/27/2009 1:37:16 PM EDT

[#24]

The 7.62x39 limits your shots a great deal when hunting deer. It works fine at distances up to 150 yds IF you have an accurate rifle that will shoot well.
Don't get me wrong, I've shot a hell of a lot more 7.62x39 in the last few years than any round or rifle I own. But it isn't as good a hunting round as a 308 or 30/06.
If you see a 7x7 elk at 250 yds, the 30/06 has a hell of a lot better chance than taking it down than a short Russian.
Don't blow that rare and expensive chance to drop a nice bull because you are way undergunned.

Posted: 6/6/2009 10:15:52 AM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
Keep your shots 200 yrds and closer.

It will do fine on both animals.

Use good soft points.

Caught moose and caribou with very good results with that round.

Lots of moose and other big game have been taken with the old 30-30.

+1 his screen name and description says "Voice of Experience."
I'd go with an SKS over an AK for the added 100-125fps. velocity.

Posted: 6/17/2009 4:53:34 AM EDT

[#26]

The 7.62x39 WILL kill elk, if it doesn't hit any bone. The cartridge just doesn't have the balls to plow through an elk's shoulder. The .30-30 ain't a shoulder breaker either on elk. That is where the weakness where those calibers fall short as big time elk killers. They will do the job, but you better be able to place your shots. I'm not even sure how well the 7.62x39 would do against an elk's ribs. The bullets are just not designed to handle that kind of job. Are you using an AK? If you are, I would not be using that thing on elk unless it is a very accurate one. If you are aiming right behind the shoulder going for a double lung shot, and the bullet hits the shoulder, it will blow up, and you will have a wounded elk who will not die from your shot, but whose wound could get infected, and will be in a shit ton of pain because of your caliber choice.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - 7.62x39mm for Mule Deer and Elk?

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