Ruger Mini-30 with 7.62x39 for hunting?

[.cheese.]

What is the Mini-30 for mainly, and how is it for hunting chambered for the 7.62x39 cartridge?

 

[kentucky_smith]

If you want a mini for hunting, get one in 6.8; if you want a 7.62x39, get an AK or SKS.

 

[R.W.Dale]

, and how is it for hunting chambered for the 7.62x39 cartridge?

7.62x39 will do ANYTHING you can do with a 30-30, So think semi auto Marlin 336

 

[Titan6]

That might be a little bit of a stretch to say you can hunt anything a .30-30 would be useful on. The .30-30 comes in heavier bullet weights and can come in faster moving rounds than the shorty 7.62. That said you certainly could hunt anything in Florida. I do not think that you have black bears there but that is about where I would draw the line on South East game, just below black bear.

 

[R.W.Dale]

in faster moving rounds than the shorty 7.62.

In 20 inch rifles the new high tech $20 per box 160grn leverrevoultion ammo is about 120 fps faster than the $4 per box 154 grn Wolf. No game animal on the planet will notice the difference.

In my opinion 170grn 30-30 loads are just obsolete throwbacks from the century before last.

http://www.brassfetcher.com/160grHornady3030.html

http://www.brassfetcher.com/7.62x39mm Wolf 154gr Soft Point.html

I do not think that you have black bears there

We have black bears round here, and I wouldn't hesitate to use my CZ527 carbine on one, Or for that matter my 35 Remington 336 or my Win 94

Heck we have an archery season for them, compared to a bow a 7.62x39 is pretty serious firepower

 

[scurtis_34471]

Any opinions on the Ruger Mini-30? I've heard some pretty mixed reviews.

 

[chris in va]

That CZ carbine is a sweet gun for sure. I love mine. Somewhere floating around is a x39 test in gelatin that definitely proves it's effectiveness.

 

[Rugerdog]

Its hard to find good hicap mags for them it seems like. I liked the one I had.- Art

 

[wayne in boca]

I've never hunted with my Mini 30(use it for a truck gun),but I certainly think it's capable of bagging deer and hog sized game.It's accurate enough to hit vital areas up to 150 yards at least,and has ballistics similar to a .30-30.With proper ammo,I see no reason it wouldn't make an ideal woods carbine.

 

[Mr White]

762x39 is good for deer out to about 200 yd.

800fp energy is considered to be the minimun for taking medium sized game. Remington factory ammo in 762x39 will have 882fp at 200 yds from a 24" barrel. It should have 800 or damn close to it from the 18" barrel of a mini 30.

It isn't the BEST deer rifle, but it'll work. Just limit your shots to 200 yds of shorter, probably with the emphasis on shorter.

 

[24kshooter]

Mini 30 is reliable, can take a scope and is more accurate than an AK. You need to buy Wolf trigger springs for some military primer ingition.

 

[wilson]

I have one and i would hunt with it if i hunted. You can only use five rounds for hunting anyway.

 

[Ohio Rifleman]

Here's a ballistics gelatin test for 154gr Wolf Soft Point. I'm not sure what this means for hunting, since I don't hunt, but here it is anyway.

http://www.brassfetcher.com/7.62x39mm Wolf 154gr Soft Point.html

And here's another test in x39 with Federal Classic Hi-Shok 123gr Soft Point:

http://www.brassfetcher.com/762x39mm123grFederalHiShok.html

Hope that helps answer your question!

 

[aka108]

7.62X39 is about minimum for some small southern deer but not good for the big Western mule deer. I'd go for a bolt action. My experience with the Mini 30 was totally negative. Least accurate rifle I ever owned and was overjoyed the day I sold. Even told the buyer about it but he just had to have it. Hope he's happy.

 

[rocketfish]

There's black bears in Florida. Pretty sure you can't legally hunt them though.

 

[sthomper]

if the 7.62x39 is lethal for good sized deer, then i expect the mini 30 is adequate for deer hunting.

i have been hiking and had large deer pop 20 yards in front of me...perhaps less.

i dont know what specific factors make a rifle less accurate than another...barrel hardenss, or rifling, or barrel length, overall balance??

is 16 or 18 inch barrel typically short for a hunting rifle?? if so then another option may be better.

i didn think the mini 30 was specifically desinged for deer hunting. killing or wounding farm predators or various duty operations such as prison guards of armed security where less than 100 yard shooting would likely be the scenario.

 

[Zanad]

if the mini-30 WASNT designed for hunting, then its beyond me. My oppinion is that it was created for two purposes. 1. a reloaders toy becasue the gun was designed to fire brass cased boxer primed domesticly made ammo.(I myself dont follow the domesticlly made part). and my other point. sure, the mini-30 has great potential for being a fighting gun, but at last check, my my '89 mini-30 came with a 5 round mag.

 

[GunTech]

Unless the deer in your area are wearing body armor, 7.62x39 is more than adequate for small to medium deer if you understand the limitations of the round. As noted, it is close to a 30-30 firing lighter bullets. The 30-30 will have more energy further in, but the better BC of 7.62 bullets lets the latter pull ahead at moderate ranges.

I agree with the poster that it is a 200 yard round, as much due to the fact that most mini-30s are three MOA rifles as the limitations of the cartridge.

A bigger cartridge is not a substitute for shot placement.

 

[HOWARD J]

I have taken half a dozen deer with my Mini-30 using 125 gr. PMC SP.
50-75 yards.3-6 Leupold scope
It makes a fine Michigan brush gun /////////////////////

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

my mini 30 in 7.62 x 39 with a red dot rides in my truck when I chek cows...got way too many pigs and love to catch a bunch out in the open....you dont need a tackdriver to lay a few out....