Tigerclaw_x
Member
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2007
- Messages
- 113
Hey, folks. Yesterday went to the range with three of my rifles. Two of them were put through the paces. Both were shot using TULA AMMO FMJ, from UNSUPPORTED standing position, without sling at 25 meters. ANd the contestants are:
1. NORINCO HUNTER. Origins: CHINA. I bought this rifle on how it looks. It has an SKS style stock but takes AK mags. I happen to like SKS/M14 style stock MORE than I like pistol handle stock. They just feel better in my hands. It also spots shotgun like trigger.
2. Century arms Vz58. Folding stock. I bought this because I heard on how good of a platform it is. And how is it supposed to be better than AK.
Both rifles were fired one after another, in series of 10 shots. After 10 shots was fired from one rifle, it was placed at a table while another rifle was loaded and fired. This permitted some cooling time for the barrels. Both rifles were fired with iron sights only.
A) Handling and Ergonomics. Vz58 is MUCH lighter than Hunter. Both are equally pointable. Vz58 pistol handle is too short for my hands, even without gloves, living half of my pinky hanging off the pistol handle. Norinco hunter was more comfortable. Vz58 has a BHO, Norinco Hunter does not. Neither rifles have scopes and rails. Vz 58 has a more comfortable location for a charging handle. WINNER VZ58
B) Recoil. Norinco hunter has MUCH less felt recoil. Vz58 not only has a better recoil, its metal folding stock hits me right on the cheekbone with each shot. NOT comfortable at all. WINNER NORINCO HUNTER.
C) Reliability. Both rifles fired 150 rounds of Tula Ammo. NO FAILURE OF ANY KIND (AR15 manufacturers - TAKE NOTICE and try to achieve the same result). Both rifles had VERY strong ejection. The casings would fly at 2 O clock, bounce of the wall, to the ceiling, than bounce off the ceiling to the opposite wall. This is especially true of Norinco hunter. Norinco Hunter has that "shotgun" trigger that breaks very cleanly.
D) Accuracy. Norinco Hunter developed a side to side stock wobble after 30 rounds. (Made in China, eh?) Even after that. Norinco Hunter CONSISTENTLY delivered 3 inch groups of 10 shots. VZ58 groups were just under 4 inches and they all landed at 2 o'clock on the target. Vz 58 was hitting me on the face with folding stock each time. My right cheekbone still aches. I will buy a pad for that VZ58. WINNER: NORINCO HUNTER.
E) COST. I purchased Norinco Hunter back in 2006 for $400 with 3 chinese mags. It was before Saiga's were imported. I just fired it first time. I purchased Vz58 last year. $500 with 5 mags included. Winner - A TIE.
Conclusion. Please, understand that this is coming from the person who is not into "tactikool" guns with 50 rails and 4 pistol handles. Who wants only ONE rail (for illuminated low power scope). And considers the Bayonet the second most important attachment after that scope.
I STRONGLY recommend NORINCO hunter. It was not only more accurate, it didn't hit me in the face with each shot. While it does not have the "Evil" look, probably it will make holes in you just same way as most tactikooled AK.
With less recoil, more accurate and naturally pointable, it has the all too familiar to me feel of "SKS" or a shotgun. I am NOT saying that Vz58 is a bad weapon. However, it proved to have lower accuracy and it hit me in the face 150 times. The lower weight and BHO feature did NOT make up for that.
1. NORINCO HUNTER. Origins: CHINA. I bought this rifle on how it looks. It has an SKS style stock but takes AK mags. I happen to like SKS/M14 style stock MORE than I like pistol handle stock. They just feel better in my hands. It also spots shotgun like trigger.
2. Century arms Vz58. Folding stock. I bought this because I heard on how good of a platform it is. And how is it supposed to be better than AK.
Both rifles were fired one after another, in series of 10 shots. After 10 shots was fired from one rifle, it was placed at a table while another rifle was loaded and fired. This permitted some cooling time for the barrels. Both rifles were fired with iron sights only.
A) Handling and Ergonomics. Vz58 is MUCH lighter than Hunter. Both are equally pointable. Vz58 pistol handle is too short for my hands, even without gloves, living half of my pinky hanging off the pistol handle. Norinco hunter was more comfortable. Vz58 has a BHO, Norinco Hunter does not. Neither rifles have scopes and rails. Vz 58 has a more comfortable location for a charging handle. WINNER VZ58
B) Recoil. Norinco hunter has MUCH less felt recoil. Vz58 not only has a better recoil, its metal folding stock hits me right on the cheekbone with each shot. NOT comfortable at all. WINNER NORINCO HUNTER.
C) Reliability. Both rifles fired 150 rounds of Tula Ammo. NO FAILURE OF ANY KIND (AR15 manufacturers - TAKE NOTICE and try to achieve the same result). Both rifles had VERY strong ejection. The casings would fly at 2 O clock, bounce of the wall, to the ceiling, than bounce off the ceiling to the opposite wall. This is especially true of Norinco hunter. Norinco Hunter has that "shotgun" trigger that breaks very cleanly.
D) Accuracy. Norinco Hunter developed a side to side stock wobble after 30 rounds. (Made in China, eh?) Even after that. Norinco Hunter CONSISTENTLY delivered 3 inch groups of 10 shots. VZ58 groups were just under 4 inches and they all landed at 2 o'clock on the target. Vz 58 was hitting me on the face with folding stock each time. My right cheekbone still aches. I will buy a pad for that VZ58. WINNER: NORINCO HUNTER.
E) COST. I purchased Norinco Hunter back in 2006 for $400 with 3 chinese mags. It was before Saiga's were imported. I just fired it first time. I purchased Vz58 last year. $500 with 5 mags included. Winner - A TIE.
Conclusion. Please, understand that this is coming from the person who is not into "tactikool" guns with 50 rails and 4 pistol handles. Who wants only ONE rail (for illuminated low power scope). And considers the Bayonet the second most important attachment after that scope.
I STRONGLY recommend NORINCO hunter. It was not only more accurate, it didn't hit me in the face with each shot. While it does not have the "Evil" look, probably it will make holes in you just same way as most tactikooled AK.
With less recoil, more accurate and naturally pointable, it has the all too familiar to me feel of "SKS" or a shotgun. I am NOT saying that Vz58 is a bad weapon. However, it proved to have lower accuracy and it hit me in the face 150 times. The lower weight and BHO feature did NOT make up for that.