To make a long story short I sold my Rem 700 in .308 a month ago. I originally intended to put the money towards a lefty Savage in the same caliber. Well the family needed the dough and down the road went my Savage money. I can't bitch, the families healthy and I still have my other guns. The best candidate that I have for deer hunting is my SKS paratrooper carbine. It's a handi little rifle who's size make it an incredible brush gun. I am feeling a little apprehensive as I've never hunted deer with less than a .308. So, if THR team would be so kind as to let me hear some success and even failure stories of deer hunting with the SKS i'd really appreciate it. Sincerely, Damian
SKS deer stories please.
- Thread starter Dambugg
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Speedo66
Member
The word is they have almost the same ballistics as a 30-30, so the ammo is fine.
My state regs prohibit the ability to have more than 5 shells in a semi-auto for hunting, so that may be an issue depending on where you are.
Practice with the ammo you'll hunt with and keep your shots within the limitations of the ammo and sights, and you should be good to go.
My state regs prohibit the ability to have more than 5 shells in a semi-auto for hunting, so that may be an issue depending on where you are.
Practice with the ammo you'll hunt with and keep your shots within the limitations of the ammo and sights, and you should be good to go.
WatongaJim
Member
I bought some hollow point ammo in case I decided to use my SKS for hunting, but so far I've stuck with other available rifles. I agree with the previous post, in that my research indicates that the SKS should be good in the 100-150 yard range, which is similar to the 30-30.
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trickyasafox
Member
gun should be good to go if you do your part. Winchester makes some softpoint ammo. I would stay away from wolf/brownbear/silverbear HP for hunting- I've never had them open up.
TehK1w1
Member
I also suggest avoiding HP ammo for hunting-it never seems to open up(although it does seem a little more accurate).
MCgunner
Member
Some negative feedback to balance things out....
I used to handload a now unavailable 135 grain Sierra Pro Hunter spitzer to about 2100 fps for deer hunting. I have a Paratrooper that is just a range fun gun and a rifle I dressed up for hunting with a camo Choate stock. I cut the bayonet lug off the thing, kept grabbing on things when I was still hunting heavy cover. I put a scope on it, too.
I've shot one deer with that load, a small doe. I hit it head on at 80 yards in the neck. Bullet went into the body cavity just above the heart, and out the ribs near the diaphragm on the right side. Great shot placement, right where I wanted it. Deer jumped 3 feet in the air and ran out of sight. Just as I got up to go check, the bottom dropped out, HUGE thunderstorm for about 15 minutes. Wiped out any blood. Bummer. I looked and looked, no blood, so decided to go back to camp and recruit some help to search. I got back to my dirt bike, looked to my right, and the danged deer was laying about 15 yards from the back knobby. It had run nearly 200 yards with a dead fatal hit. Well, it happens. The shot was good, the exit wound was huge, the left lung was untouched, but the right lung was destroyed. Had I not had a thunderstorm hit, I'm sure the blood trail would have been obvious. The thing shot about 3-3.5" at 100 yards, not enough accuracy for me to risk a head shot. Had I been shooting my deadly accurate .257 Roberts, I'd have took the top of her head off.
I have a .308 Remington M7 I sort of favor now days. I took the scope off the SKS and use it for a truck gun now. It's really better suited for that than hunting considering accuracy or lack there of. I really prefer MOA or preferably sub MOA accuracy in a rifle. I know that's considered excessive by most, but hey, I'm picky. My 3/4 moa rifles would have made that head or neck shot easy. I wasn't willing to try it with that SKS.
I used to handload a now unavailable 135 grain Sierra Pro Hunter spitzer to about 2100 fps for deer hunting. I have a Paratrooper that is just a range fun gun and a rifle I dressed up for hunting with a camo Choate stock. I cut the bayonet lug off the thing, kept grabbing on things when I was still hunting heavy cover. I put a scope on it, too. I've shot one deer with that load, a small doe. I hit it head on at 80 yards in the neck. Bullet went into the body cavity just above the heart, and out the ribs near the diaphragm on the right side. Great shot placement, right where I wanted it. Deer jumped 3 feet in the air and ran out of sight. Just as I got up to go check, the bottom dropped out, HUGE thunderstorm for about 15 minutes. Wiped out any blood. Bummer. I looked and looked, no blood, so decided to go back to camp and recruit some help to search. I got back to my dirt bike, looked to my right, and the danged deer was laying about 15 yards from the back knobby.
It had run nearly 200 yards with a dead fatal hit. Well, it happens. The shot was good, the exit wound was huge, the left lung was untouched, but the right lung was destroyed. Had I not had a thunderstorm hit, I'm sure the blood trail would have been obvious. The thing shot about 3-3.5" at 100 yards, not enough accuracy for me to risk a head shot. Had I been shooting my deadly accurate .257 Roberts, I'd have took the top of her head off. I have a .308 Remington M7 I sort of favor now days. I took the scope off the SKS and use it for a truck gun now. It's really better suited for that than hunting considering accuracy or lack there of. I really prefer MOA or preferably sub MOA accuracy in a rifle. I know that's considered excessive by most, but hey, I'm picky. My 3/4 moa rifles would have made that head or neck shot easy. I wasn't willing to try it with that SKS.
rklessdriver
Member
There are a couple of different 7.62X39 projectiles made in the Russian brands out there as well that work great for hunting Deer and Pigs.
Brown Bear 123gr SP. Haven't seen any for sale locally in a while.
Wolf 154gr SP. Works really good but kinda hard to find lately.
For Hollow Points there are indeed some that don't work but there is one that does. Make sure you use the HP ammo that uses the 8m3 projectile and it will expand fine. I've used it on hogs and it has never failed to expand and fragment. It is mfgr'd by Ulyanovsk and re-boxed by a few companies. Just google "8m3 projectile" and you'll get a nice list of what to buy.
The 7.62X39 has harvested a few pigs over the years for me out of a std old Norinco /636\ using the above ammo. I've been impressed with how fast the animals I've shot went down. As with anything shot placement is the key and everything I've shot w/ mine has been under 100yrds. For fairly close range shooting the SKS will get the job done.
Will
Brown Bear 123gr SP. Haven't seen any for sale locally in a while.
Wolf 154gr SP. Works really good but kinda hard to find lately.
For Hollow Points there are indeed some that don't work but there is one that does. Make sure you use the HP ammo that uses the 8m3 projectile and it will expand fine. I've used it on hogs and it has never failed to expand and fragment. It is mfgr'd by Ulyanovsk and re-boxed by a few companies. Just google "8m3 projectile" and you'll get a nice list of what to buy.
The 7.62X39 has harvested a few pigs over the years for me out of a std old Norinco /636\ using the above ammo. I've been impressed with how fast the animals I've shot went down. As with anything shot placement is the key and everything I've shot w/ mine has been under 100yrds. For fairly close range shooting the SKS will get the job done.
Will
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janobles14
Member
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i will second the bear soft point ammo. i let my nephew use my sks when i take him hunting due to the fact that he shoots it so well. he is always loaded up with winchester or bear softies. two does (one very nice size) and one forkhorn have gone a combined total of 50 yds. the sks can absolutely do the job.
R.W.Dale
Member
While not with a sks I have a report in my sig using 7.62x39 on deer
First of all I really apreciate all the input. A while back I bought a case of silver bear soft point. That would be the cartridge I would use come next Oct. The saving grace of this sort of rifle is, in my area, (I hunt the Applegate unit) there is a lot thick foliage leaving most of my shots under 75 yards. Hopefully I can scratch together the loot for my Savage by late summer so I have enought time to set the gun up and get used to it. There is a bright side to this however. I have lots of time and ammo to get good with my sks, and if I don't use it for deer season I will be a better shooter for spending some time with it.
MCgunner
Member
Probably more accurate. My beef isn't with the cartridge. Just think of the cartridge as a .30-30 Auto. But, the accuracy of your average SKS is less than stellar. However, I could group 6" at 200 yards with mine and if given a broadside, 150 yard shots should be no problem. I just prefer better accuracy when the shot selection might be a little less than optimum. So long as you're shooting broadside shoulder/lung shots, the SKS will do the job.
BTW, in my rifle, I've found the Wolf 154 grain a little more accurate, like about 2.5" at 100 yards. That's a good thing.
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