USING THE 7.62X39mm FOR BUCK HUNTING?

MacD

Yes this one should have all the cotton candy crowd crowing for tighter regulations cause it looks scary. Sometimes butt ugly is purty in its own way. I may not get it as I went to the gun shop today and he has a early version 6inch barrel Ruger GP100 in 357 magnum. He wants too much but he likes to haggle. It shows a bit of wear so I figure about 40 - 50 % of current retail. While there I bought a solid, heavy leather used police holster that my K22 fits in snuggly. The barrel extents a bit below but I only am using to carry at the range. I also got a double speed loader case with two 357/38 holders also police issue. My 22 WMR holders fit perfect. Cost for both items was $16 and change.

BTW My brother in Wisconsin suggested Red River Bullets for hard cast pills for the 7.62x39. They have them in 150 grain. They should be good for deer. The bullets are .312 to match the actual bore size of most surplus rifles. In Canada the bullet barn makes hard cast .313 at 180 grains but these may be a bit long. The 1-9.45 twist should be able to handle the 150 but heavier I am not so sure.

chambered221

I say use what ever you desire.......just know the limitations you may impose !!!

A FMJ works just fine with a proper head shot...just know you can make that shot and at what distance you can make it.

With that said I do advocate using an appropriate bullet.

PaulS

The 7,62 x 39 has about the same power as a 30-30 so I see no reason you shouldn't be able to take a deer with it.

Bushmaster

And you can take a deer with a .22 (I wouldn't, but). So what's the problem here. Go hunting.

Pumpkinslinger

IMO, with the right bullet the 7.62x39mm should be fine for deer. Midway lists 9 factory loads for "medium game".

Dawgdad

I have seen them taken cleanly with a 125 JSP from an SKS.

Deacon

I have used Wolf 7.62x39 154 gr Bimetal SP 12 times, all successfully.
It Chrono's @ 2113 fps in my WASR 10 AK-47.
All were one shot kills. The majority dropped within 40 yds, the longest run being 85 yds.
This is very acceptable deer performance in my opinion, otherwise I would't continue to use it!

Vince

I think the problem here is the mindset of some that see the 7.62x39 as a calibre that was designed to "hunt" on the field of battle a much thinner skinned quarry than deer. In addition to that, the mandatory projectile for that quarry is a FMJ that needed specific design parameters to meet its intended use and the demands of the battlefield...the same way modern hunting projectiles are designed for a specific quarry and situation.

The actual cartridge case is nothing more than a container to hold the propellant powder albeit with its shape designed for optimum use of a specific speed powder. It is the actual projectile that needs to deliver the desired performance on our hunted quarry, be it PD, rabbit, yote or deer.

As has been said, the 7.62x39 delivers similar performance to the 30.30 which is arguably the most successful deer hunting calibre used to date. Is the 7.62x39 a capable deer hunting calibre...loaded appropriately, most definitely, under certain conditions, ie range, deer species and hunter capabilities. Is it the ideal calibre for deer...not really...but what is the ideal calibre? (Open that can of worms here) Every situation is different, providing different conditions, with each set of conditions suited to a different calibre and projectile.

The one thing that hasn't been considered or discussed yet is the rifle used to hunt with the 7.62x39. Now, there's another "can of worms" to think about. Very Happy

Deacon

I use a WASR AK-47, with a 5 rd. detachable magazine.
No "can of worms"

PaulS

The only gun I have that uses the 7,62x39 is my SKS. I wouldn't hunt with it because it is not, in my opinion, accurate enough to hunt with at any range. I am nearly as accurate with my 357 revolver off-hand as I am with the SKS from a bench. I bought two of them and took the one that shoots the worst apart to make a 357 Maximum carbine out of. It will be a manual action (removing the gas system with the new barrel) with a 20" barrel. It will be nice to have a ten round repeater in 357 Maximum!

Vince

MMMMM....I like that idea Paul...sounds like an awesome rifle mate.

Elvis

norinco make a nice bolt action so too do Chinese Bisley small arms, CZ make an even nicer one, baikal make a good solid break open rifle.
my bro in law has the baikal and I have a bisley bolt. both do the job nicely but I must get on to doing some decent range work with mine as so far we have only connected with hares and nothing bigger. that sounds even weirder reading it back!!!!