7.62 X 39 MM Compared to .30/30

[Terry G]

My Son shot his first Whitetail with an Chinese SKS "Paratrooper" Carbine. One shot at about 70 yards and the fairly large Doe was down and out. A good Friend of mine shot his four pointer this year with his Yugoslavian SKS. Again, one shot was all it took. Some compare the SKS round to the .30/30, saying all things being equal the rounds are roughly the same. I always thought the .30/30 to be the superior round for Whitetail, being 170 Grains as opposed to 122. What do you think? The area we're in is mostly wooded with shot's from 40 to 100 yards being the most common.

 

[westernrover]

At those ranges, it doesn't take much. The bullet design will be the most critical difference. FMJ from the most common x39 ammo is not suitable for hunting deer whereas the most common 30-30 ammo is probably deer ammo.

Of the two, the 30-30 has the most potential for handloading. If it were to be loaded to pressures that only modern firearms are suitable for and with bullets unsuitable for tubular magazines, the 30-30 could be a terrific hunting cartridge out to 350 yards or more.

The x39 has about 25% less case capacity, but we've seen outstanding results with a little modification as in 6.5 Grendel, 6 ARC, 6 PPC etc. The .312 bullets are probably the biggest shortcoming for handloading the x39. Some people use a .308 barrel to address this, but compared to 30-30, it will always come up short in capacity. The capacity is plenty for deer with a lighter, smaller bore PPC though.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I own and shoot both. But for play. I would think the 30/30 with 150 grain bullet would be better. I hunt with 30.06.

 

[dh1633pm]

This horse has been beaten many times. But it’s not quite dead yet. Love my 7.62x39 rifles, CZ527, Mini 30, and SKS. It hunts white tails with ease. Also have a 30-30. I think the 30-30 does better with heavier bullets. At 123 versus 125, it’s about the same. Congrats on the deer.

 

[Buzznrose]

7.62*39 is fine with proper hunting bullet and reasonable distance.

 

[Risky buisness]

Always makes me wonder, people will try this comparison, perhaps based solely on velocities, discounting grn weight of the 2 calibers. Ok, a 7.62 with a ( typical ) 123 grn runs 2200- 2350.

1. A factory 30Wcf places a 150 at around the same rpm, increase the 7.62s bullet weight to a 150, 1900- 2050 fps. But load up a 130 Speer flat nose in your 30-30 and 2650 2700 fps is not unusual. So with no ill intent towards the 7.62 intended the comparison isnt particularly valid. Both are very usefull medium power rounds, but not really on the same page.

 

[wesmonster]

PPU makes a round nose soft point 7.62x39 round, looks exactly like a 30-30 bullet. A bit shorter OAL than a 7.62x39 fmj or semi soft point but I've not had any feed issues in any of my AKs.
Tula also makes a 154 gr. load but not a soft point. Tula's also not the most consistently loaded. My WASR likes it and groups it well, not so much in my AK63DS.
I don't shoot much 30-30 these days, but my Winchester mod. 94 always groups 150 gr. better.

 

[R.W.Dale]

This has been covered ad nauseam but one factor everyone misses is 30-30 is essentially 200 to ,250 feet per second slower in those 20" lever actions everyone uses as opposed to 24" published velocities on the ammo box. Whereas 7.62x39 typically meets it's rated velocity. This cooked in discrepancy greatly levels the playing field between two cartridges

For all intents and purposes the two rounds are completely interchangeable on whitetail. My longest ever shot on game was with a 7.62x39 AR-15 on a doe at 278 yards. She dead still.

 

[Hugger-4641]

This has been covered ad nauseam but one factor everyone misses is 30-30 is essentially 200 to ,250 feet per second slower in those 20" lever actions everyone uses as opposed to 24" published velocities on the ammo box. Whereas 7.62x39 typically meets it's rated velocity. This cooked in discrepancy greatly levels the playing field between two cartridges

For all intents and purposes the two rounds are completely interchangeable on whitetail. My longest ever shot on game was with a 7.62x39 AR-15 on a doe at 278 yards. She dead still.

The FTX has changed this a little. I chronographed the factory Lever Evolution 160ftx at 2350fps in my 94ae. Factory SuperX 170rn chronographed 2250fps.

 

[Enfielder]

PPU makes a round nose soft point 7.62x39 round, looks exactly like a 30-30 bullet. A bit shorter OAL than a 7.62x39 fmj or semi soft point but I've not had any feed issues in any of my AKs.
Tula also makes a 154 gr. load but not a soft point. Tula's also not the most consistently loaded. My WASR likes it and groups it well, not so much in my AK63DS.
I don't shoot much 30-30 these days, but my Winchester mod. 94 always groups 150 gr. better.

I picked one of these up as back up for my Federal fusion 7.62 for my gf’s rifle. I was shooting 35 Remington. Darn if the PPU isn’t a shrunken 35 rem with a little bit of case angle.

 

[someguy2800]

Each one can do something the other can’t, but there is a huge amount of overlap where they are equally as useful.

 

[Swampman]

Assuming decent hunting bullets and good shot placement, it's very unlikely that a deer or hog is going to complain about being killed by an obviously inferior round.

 

[tmd16556]

The biggest differences are in platform than bullet capability. Like a lever action or break action, the 30-30 is better. Prefer a gas operated self-loader? The x39 is better.

I have both and if someone invited me to a deer or pig hunt with 100 yard shots expected tomorrow, I’d take the 30-30. Mostly because I like the balance and sight on my Win 94 better than the SKS. That and I don’t have any soft point x39 ammo on hand or dies to load the ones I use for the x54.

 

[BJung]

The SKS-150SP is said to come close to the 30/30 according to some forums I read. I am testing loads for my Chinese SKS using 150gr Hornady SP with the hope that my nephews will take them hunting someday. If you want images of my ladder tests so far, let me know.

 

[N555]

My 94ae will shoot about a 2 inch by 3 inch group at 150 yards. I never shot an sks but I hear if you got one that shoots 4moa it's pretty normal.

 

[BJung]

My 94ae will shoot about a 2 inch by 3 inch group at 150 yards. I never shot a sks but I hear if you got one that shoots 4moa it's pretty normal.

Yes, I agree. The 30/30 can shoot better than a sks at first. But I'm expecting to remedy that with custom loads. Even then, I would keep shots with a sks under 100 yards and closer to 75 yards for hunting situations.

 

[N555]

I have heard they can suffer a wandering zero.

 

[wesmonster]

I picked one of these up as back up for my Federal fusion 7.62 for my gf’s rifle. I was shooting 35 Remington. Darn if the PPU isn’t a shrunken 35 rem with a little bit of case angle.

Agreed, my first lever action was a Marlin 336 in .35 Rem, quite a bit heavier than my Dad's mod. 94 but the .35 Rem was a very heavy hitter in 180 and 200 gr. Great rifle made back when no one questioned Marlin's build quality but I recently read the last place making .35 Rem stopped a few years ago. 30-30 still has the advantage of being a very prolific cartridge but if you don't like lever guns or you have a top ejecting Winchester that won't take a scope then a good 7.62x39 load is more than adequate.

Forgot to add that I've not run either the PPU RNSP or Tula 154 gr. thru my SKS but if you have the fixed 10 round mag feeding shouldn't be an issue. Hornady also makes 7.62x39 in Black (poly tipped HP) and Match HP so there are better options than the imported semi soft and semi hollow points which have pretty poor expansion.

 

[Casefull]

The case capacity negates any realistic comparison. You can get a 3030 up to 308 velocities with a123g bullet that a 7.62 39 uses.
It’s also worth mentioning that white tails are not that hard to kill unless a hunter cannot hit what he aims at.

 

[rizbunk77]

When I compare 30-30 and 7.62X39, I generally find the 30-30 cartridge to be longer and hard to fit in an SKS or AK. The 7.62X39 fits easily in an SKS, however, and so when I feel like shooting a comblock semi auto, or one of its inherently flawed american cousins, I reach for X39. However when I feel like shooting a lever action, 30-30 gets the nod. I feel that both of them go bang pretty much the same, and they both put about the same size hole in a paper target, or pop can. And both get left at home when I am chasing 180 class mule deer and whitetails in open country.

 

[jmr40]

I'd say for deer they are close enough to call it a tie. But if hunting bear or any game bigger than deer I'd much rather have a 170 gr 30 caliber bullet.

I've had a couple of SKS rifles and they would be way down on my list of rifles to hunt with due to accuracy concerns. But the 7.62X39 in one of the Ruger Ranch bolt guns would be a great choice.

 

[adcoch1]

I have been lucky to get a very accurate SKS when I was younger, and hunted with it a lot. It took several deer easily, and the x39 is great on deer at reasonable distance. The 30-30 also works great in the rifles you can find it in. But unless it is very custom loaded ammo for a specific gun, the x39 is just good enough while the 30-30 is easily capable for deer, and bigger game. I love the x39, but it just won't throw a 170 grn bullet anywhere near as fast as 30-30 does.

 

[CapnMac]

Factory box to factory box, they are "similar." Only similar.
Which does not necessarily affect utility.
For feral pigs for instance, 7.62x39 is a wonderful round, FMJ or JHP, on piggies. 30-30 can be a bit, well, "overkill" is an inapt word on several levels here, but "leans" the right way.
Given how many pigs a person might encounter in a troop, will tend to suggest for a self-loading round like the x39.

River bottom white tail will certainly fall to x39 well enough, especially in the sub 100m ranges encountered. But, it's hard to argue against the "brush busting" reputation of the 30-30. And, you are more like to only need the one round at a time.

YMMV; you do you.

SKS, especially a Type 56 can be handy for pig shoots, as it comes with a handy ground stake so you don't need to leave it laying in the much. A Ruger Mini/Ranch 30 has fewer magazine issues, and is generally easier to mount optics on. Ruger is a touch cheaper at present prices right now. Again, YMMV

 

[BJung]

Forgot to add that I've not run either the PPU RNSP or Tula 154 gr. thru my SKS but if you have the fixed 10 round mag feeding shouldn't be an issue. Hornady also makes 7.62x39 in Black (poly tipped HP) and Match HP so there are better options than the imported semi soft and semi hollow points which have pretty poor expansion.

I've shot 123 gr Tulammo through my sks. It grouped much nicer after I pulled the components apart, shot a ladder test, and reassembled the components with the correct amount of powder. The Hornady .311 SP shoots fine. Barnes works.

 

[d2wing]

My Son shot his first Whitetail with an Chinese SKS "Paratrooper" Carbine. One shot at about 70 yards and the fairly large Doe was down and out. A good Friend of mine shot his four pointer this year with his Yugoslavian SKS. Again, one shot was all it took. Some compare the SKS round to the .30/30, saying all things being equal the rounds are roughly the same. I always thought the .30/30 to be the superior round for Whitetail, being 170 Grains as opposed to 122. What do you think? The area we're in is mostly wooded with shot's from 40 to 100 yards being the most common.

Yes a 30-30 is more powerful and has more energy. The trajectories are close to the same but the power is not. Some claim that they can handload the 7.62x39 to 30-30 levels. You can look at a published ballistic chart and see the difference. I have hunted with both. I kept my 30-30 Winchester.