7.62 x 39 sks

[Big country]

What kind of accuracy should one expect from a scoped SKS? I have a friend that is asking. I told him I would think it should at least do 2 - 3" at 100 yards. Is this a correct statement? And how about reliability?

 

[thorkyl]

I have seen 2 inch groups with mine
Mine does better with the FMJ vs. SP ammo
I would not try to take a deer at more than 75 yards with mine
I just feel its too small a round.

 

[country_boy]

I shot a 4 point buck 100 yrds with my yugo sks. Dropped right where I shot it too. My groups are about the same as thorkyl said.

 

[Big country]

To small a round? Is it smaller than I'm thinking it is? I think it's got more bumf than a 25-06 doesn't it?

 

[country_boy]

The 7.62x39mm cartridge is approximately as powerful as the .30- 30 round, and has a similar ballistic profile. Heres my reload recipe from lymans: The bullet is .310. 30.5 grains of h-335 equals 2085 velocity with a 123 gr. jsp. I think the mini 30 uses .308 bullets.

 

[codygjohnson]

Good under 200 yards IMO, just like 30-30. Keep in mind that I'm a retard who's made some stooooopid long shots on deer just to see if I could. Not a good practice, I've just been really lucky.

 

[M. Sage]

2"-3" at 100 yards as long as the gun isn't worn out...

I have seen 2 inch groups with mine
Mine does better with the FMJ vs. SP ammo
I would not try to take a deer at more than 75 yards with mine
I just feel its too small a round.

It's almost identical to .30-30 ballistically. Any shot you'd take on a deer with a .30-30, an SKS can do it.

 

[drj3828]

I reloaded with Barnes 125gr solid with AA1680 and it was perfect for Deer.

 

[Big country]

Cool thanks for all the info guys.

 

[Texas1911]

Awesome hog caliber too.

I would give the .30-30 and 7.62x39 a good bill of health out to 300 yards on whitetail. It's going to be very shot placement sensitive at that range and most guns aren't tack-drivers, so effectively inside of 200 is good to go.

 

[sjones]

I dropped a deer last yeat at about 125 yds with one shot right through the left shoulder and it also broke his right shoulder but didn't exit.I was using my para and brown bear soft point.He fell and never even twitched.By the time I got to him he was stone cold dead.I wouldn't even try beyond 150 yds. sj

 

[TSU45]

To small a round? Is it smaller than I'm thinking it is? I think it's got more bumf than a 25-06 doesn't it?

Not to small a round, but at no range do is it have more "bumf" than a .25-06. At 200yds the .25-06 delivers almost double the energy.

 

[Big country]

Got charts?

 

[M. Sage]

Got charts?

Turns out that the .25-06 doesn't give you twice the "oomph", but it's pretty close. I'd put more money on the 7.62 for penetration with the heavier bullet, though.

Here's a good site for answering questions like that: AmmoGuide is now... "Interactive"!

If I ever manage to get into reloading, I'll be buying a membership to it. It's a good site to support, it's run by a man named Mike Haas who is very active with NRA in California among other things.

 

[Texas1911]

100 grains is lighter than most hunting loads for a .25-06, the parent weight is 117 grains, and the narrower .25 caliber bullet is going to penetrate further. It has more inertia, and a smaller cross section.

 

[chubbyzook]

Nobody really answered your reliability question, so heres my take on it.
the only real problem ive ever had with the sks's ive owned is the mags. the factory metal mags always had feeding problems for me, but once i switched to the cheaper pmags the problems went away. now the only problems i get are the cheap ass milsur ammo i use have ocassional fail to fires but always the bullets fault.

 

[Big country]

Thanks folks for the info and thanks for the chart M.sage that's just what I needed. I didn't think the 25-06 had twice the bumf but I figured I would wait and see what some charts said and I never got the chance to look them up yesterday. I was a little surprised to see the 30-30 putting up better data tho. LOL!
And thanks for the reliability info chubbyzook.

 

[TSU45]

At 200 yards, a 120gr .25-06 delivers 1644ft/lbs. A 125gr 7.62x39 delivers 882ft/lbs at the same range. That's almost double in my book, but I'm not known to be precise. Here is a chart with quite a few calibers performance at the muzzle and 200yds.

 

[M. Sage]

Ah, at 200 yards. I was looking at the numbers at the muzzle.

7.62x39mm is almost universally loaded with bullets that have a crap BC.

 

[smittyb]

A 300 yd deer shot with a 30-30? WTF? Even with leverevolution that's pushing it.
As far a the SKS, I have a Chinese PLA that will hold a decent group, but I also have a Yugo that you would be very lucky if you measure the group in inches instead of feet.