7.62 x 39 for fun?

[mwood]

I have a respectable background in Bench Rest shooting,
and am toying with the idea of a AK type round to play with. (Not for Target) I am not a hunter, but would like to know the potential of hunting with this round at shorter distances? Is it acurate enough for hunting?
Don't think I would get an AK, but I might get a VZ58,
or a Mini-30. Would it be worth a re-barrel job for either for accuracy?

 

[people]

It can be a good deer round if you work within its limitations.

 

[Laurie]

Michael,

I had a Cz527 'carbine' in 7.62X39mm for a few years and it was reasonably accurate (certainly deerhunting accurate) with Lapua factory 123gn FMJs and handloads with the same bullet - 1"-1.5" 5-shot groups at 100yd. The CZ is made to proper 7.62X39mm Russian specs though so the bore and groove dimensions will be optimised for 0.310" dia bullets not 308s which the Mini-30 is specced for. I shot it at targets at up to 600 yards just for fun to see what it would do - up to 500 yards was passable, 600 pushed it too far with a shotgun-like 'group' all over the black. The markers also said the bullets were tumbling on hitting the target at that range.

I never tried 30-cal bullets myself, but another British Cz527 owner I corresponded with had quite good accuracy with 155gn Sierra Palma MKs so I guess it'll do fine with good quality .308" expanding bullets.

There was a lengthy article in the Gun Digest annual sometime back in the 90s about using the Mini-30 on smaller deer with full loads information supplied. The author went into bullet types closely with the manufacturers, and was told that it is essential to use bullets designed for the smaller handgun hunting cartridges such as the 125 and 135gn models intended for numbers such as the .30 Herrett, in order to guarantee proper bullet expansion at 7.62X39mm velocities.

I can't comment directly myself as I don't shoot things on legs and anyway you have to really push the cartridge to meet the various UK Deer Acts requirements such as 1,700 ft/lbs mimium ME in England and Wales. So hardly anybody, if anybody at all, uses it for deerstalking over here.

Laurie,
York, England

 

[SureShot86]

I have used an SKS for years. It hasn't let me down. Shot placement is the key with the 7.62x39.

 

[jr600yd]

The 7.62X39 is a favorite with the "Hog" hunters down here in FL. I see many AK's & SKS type rifles in the fielsd.

Jim

 

[davemastrianna]

FN now makes a 7.62x39 in a bolt gun. FN Tactical Sport Rifle. This round handloaded correctly is accurate. Nosler 125 BT or Sieera 125 pro hunter shootes sub .75 with H4198.

 

[mwood]

thanks everyone....just bought a mini 30
I recently read that one reason that the 7.62 x 39 is thought to not be so accurate is that the factory amo is loaded for low pressure chambers like the AK47. Since I hand load, I will be able to load "normal loads" and from what I have read get respectable accuracy. No, It won't compete with my Stiller Diamondback 6br for accuracy, but I am sure it can kill a 200 LB. animal under 100 yards