Ever Killed Whitetail With 7.62X39

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45B@cav

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My wife has shoulder problems and just can't shoot her .308 bolt gun anymore (she's 5'1" 103lbs) and she loves to Deer hunt. She recently took one of my AR15's in .223 out and shot all day obviously with no pain. She shot a friends AR10 in .308 and said it aggravated her shoulder to much. She asked if I could build her a AR that didn't way over 7lbs and shot a .30cal bullet but in a .223 size lower. I know people have used SKS rifles in 7.62X39 but I have never heard how effective it was on the Deer like did it put it down hard or did you have to track for 10 mile to find it. I know how important shot placement is so assuming thats not an issue. Do you think 7.62X39 154gr soft point would be a good deer cartridge at no more than 200yrds?
 
It should be a great deer round for your wife to use. Trajectory is better than the 30-30 to 200yds, and the 150gr SP load is still more than 1100 ftlbs at 200yds, which is more than the 30-30.
As you probably know, 7.62x39 uppers are available for the AR.



NCsmitty
 
Yeah I know they are available but I would rather build it. It's a hobby of mine and it would mean more to my wife if I custom built it for her.
 
I've got shoulder problems myself. I can tell you for sure that the x39 will drop a deer (got mine at 119yds), but the 6.8spc will do it with a lot less felt recoil (this is my current set up).

If you do a search you can find a thread by "krockus" (krochus)on using a 7.62x39 AR to hunt with. Mine was a SKS not an AR.

My current set up is a Stag 6.8spc 16" barrel with a Millet scope. I've shot 4 deer with it, not one has gone more than 50yds, most (3) have only gone 30 or so feet.

Good luck in your choice and get that shoulder fixed if she can.
 
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wtbuckPAhabitat.jpg

I've not hunted with an SKS but my Dad took many Michigan whitetails with his Russian carbine. He hunted with his WWII buddies from shacks hidden in the thick woods. I doubt he shot from further than 50 yards. Dad liked the lethal performance upon these heavy bodied northern deer.

Dad hunted with Winchester SUPER X soft tip ammo.

TR
 
If you do a search you can find a thread by "krockus" on using a 7.62x39 AR to hunt with. Mine was a SKS not an AR.
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This was my first thought as well. It is krochus though.
 
I've killed about ten deer with my Russian SKS and the cheap Wolf hollow point ammo: All were shot at distances of 75 yards or less. Never had to shoot a deer twice.
 
Yeah, it is a fine deer round. CZ makes a bolt carbine for it. Mighty nice gun. Someday, when I get some cash, I am going to snag it.
 
Like it or not 7.62x39 is much closer to 30-30 than 30-30 is to any other widely available round. As far as dead critters are concerned they're EXACTLY the same.
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What about the 257 Roberts?? :D:evil:

I agree....but still they are not the same....they are "practically" the same if we are talking about deer, yes.....against a big black bear they are not, I would much rather have a 170 gr. partition 30-30 than a 7,62x39.....
 
Amongst 30 cal rounds Against big black bear 170g partitions from a 30/30 would be my SECOND TO LAST choice followed by x39


But that's neither here nor there since this thread IS about whitetail and not bears
 
Amongst 30 cal rounds Against big black bear 170g partitions from a 30/30 would be my SECOND TO LAST choice followed by x39


But that's neither here nor there since this thread IS about whitetail and not bears
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My point was that the two rounds are not equivalent as some people think...that's all.


However even at current times the 30 WCF is considered good black bear medicine....so second to last it may be a bit harsh IMHO...
 
I think I'd try the 6.8 for the AR Platform. People say it is great for deer.

That, or switch her to a BAR in .243 Winchester.
 
The ballistics on the 30-30 and 7.62x39 are similar. I don't know why anyone is nitpicking. The rounds shot are different, in that they are different guns, but it is like splitting hairs over the .45 colt and .45 acp. They are very close.
 
The ballistics on the 30-30 and 7.62x39 are similar. I don't know why anyone is nitpicking. The rounds shot are different, in that they are different guns, but it is like splitting hairs over the .45 colt and .45 acp. They are very close.
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If you claim that the 30-30 and the 7,62x39 are similar then the same argument can be made that a 30-06 and a 300 WM are similar....

200-250 fps of difference (150 gr. both out of 24" barrels, according to Hodgdon) is not trivial.....does the deer feel the difference? Obviosuly not but that does not means they are equivalent.
 
It should work at reasonable distances for whitetails. Wouldn't be my first choice. I have never shot a deer at 200 yds; everything has been closer. You can't see 200 yds where I hunt except in a few places along logging roads.
 
I am a big fan of the CZ 527 myself, still experimenting with cast loads, but I agree, it is very light and handy, especially if you go iron sights.

003.jpg

I do have a scope on mine, a bit big for the rifle, but I am having fun with it!

527withbushnell2.jpg
 
Saturno said:
If you claim that the 30-30 and the 7,62x39 are similar then the same argument can be made that a 30-06 and a 300 WM are similar....

200-250 fps of difference (150 gr. both out of 24" barrels, according to Hodgdon) is not trivial.....does the deer feel the difference? Obviosuly not but that does not means they are equivalent.
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They are similar, save for the bullet type and design. It is a yard stick. I can't believe I have to explain this to anyone. It is called a COMPARISON for a reason. They are similar in the game they can take, in the caliber they shoot, in the size projectile they launch and in the speed at which they launch it... Many people have experience with the 30-30 in the field, but not with the 7.62x39... THUS, when someone says that they are similar, they can begin to understand how the round will perform, so on and so forth.
 
They are similar, save for the bullet type and design. It is a yard stick. I can't believe I have to explain this to anyone. It is called a COMPARISON for a reason. They are similar in the game they can take, in the caliber they shoot, in the size projectile they launch and in the speed at which they launch it... Many people have experience with the 30-30 in the field, but not with the 7.62x39... THUS, when someone says that they are similar, they can begin to understand how the round will perform, so on and so forth.
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"similar" it's different than this :

The 7.62X39 is practically the same as a 30-30.
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I agree with yoru points...except the fact that the 30-30 is more appropriate for Black Bear than the x39
Yes for deer they are "similar".
 
The 7.62X39 is practically the same as a 30-30.
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Key word highlighted in red. IE For all practical purposes 7.62x39 does the same thing as 30-30win. And before you start fantasizing about big bears with anemic 170g 30-30 ammo is not in the realm of practicality for most of us. Especially considering this thread is about DEER

I've killed deer and coyotes with both....they kill just the same. Which leads me to wonder what have YOU killed with either cartridge?


Honestly what is the deal with you taking any comparison to 30-30 as an affront and insult to your manhood. I know you want to believe the mighty 30WCF has more in common with 30-378wby than the lowly 7.62x39russian but I'm sorry it just doesn't. In fact the difference in 30-30 and 7.62x39 is less than the minuscule and meaningless difference in 308 and 30-06

200-250 fps of difference (150 gr. both out of 24" barrels, according to Hodgdon) is not trivial.....does the deer feel the difference? Obviosuly not but that does not means they are equivalent.
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Where are these mythical 24" 30-30's manufacturers like to use to come up with velocity figures? I've never seen one longer than 20" in the wild.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=3549209&postcount=1
 
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