Thread: 7.62x39 on deer

I know theres a few of you out there that have taken deer with the 'ol soviet M43.

Aside from the obvious statements that correct bullet choice and shot placement are important (edit, and maximum range )... What opinions have you formed based on those experiences...not opinions based on conjecture and heresy. I have to say that because opinions can be like sandflies around here sometimes!

150yards maximum.....
under 50 better still.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

150yards maximum.....
under 50 better still.

I knew someone was gonna say it...

Kill well up close,I never stretched the legs on my mini 30 but it would shoot 1.5in group @ 100m with hornady ammo

I opiniioned it killed really well and didnt make hell of a lot of mess.nice short light rifle with next to no recoil suppressed.hell of a lot of fun with subs for plinking and bunnies and more than enough for deer and pigs at close range..our big wallabies really do not like it at all.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

I opiniioned it killed really well and didnt make hell of a lot of mess.nice short light rifle with next to no recoil suppressed.hell of a lot of fun with subs for plinking and bunnies and more than enough for deer and pigs at close range..our big wallabies really do not like it at all.

The short & light rifle, with minimal recoil has got me interested. As long as it quantifies with reasonable deer killing ability, I am looking out for one. The cz 527 catches my eye

The reason the .223 On Deer thread is so good is that it is packed full of evidence. That thread gets attention from overseas, particularly the USA, because the “is the .223 enough?” subject is constantly being debated there too. Rokslide being a good example. Very few .223/deer threads around the world (if any) have so much demonstrable experience as ours, in the form of autopsy photos, recovered bullet photos, ballistic comparisons etc etc. It really is an outstanding example of proving a point through demonstrable experience.

Obviously our conditions, laws and lack of tags / seasons etc mean that we get to shoot a lot more deer than the average yank. There’s a decent population of people on here that have shared excellent experience to clearly demonstrate what that particular round is capable of with the right projectiles.

So this is what I would like this thread to look like, though I’m sure it will be a miniature version simply because of the relative scarcity of 7.62x39 shooters. If you’ve got pictures of deer kills with this cartridge somewhere, resist the temptation to post waffle until you find the pictures and post them instead! Preferably with the rifle, end of description of the load, range etc.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

The reason the .223 On Deer thread is so good is that it is packed full of evidence. That thread gets attention from overseas, particularly the USA, because the “is the .223 enough?” subject is constantly being debated there too. Rokslide being a good example. Very few .223/deer threads around the world (if any) have so much demonstrable experience as ours, in the form of autopsy photos, recovered bullet photos, ballistic comparisons etc etc. It really is an outstanding example of proving a point through demonstrable experience.

Obviously our conditions, laws and lack of tags / seasons etc mean that we get to shoot a lot more deer than the average yank. There’s a decent population of people on here that have shared excellent experience to clearly demonstrate what that particular round is capable of with the right projectiles.

So this is what I would like this thread to look like, though I’m sure it will be a miniature version simply because of the relative scarcity of 7.62x39 shooters. If you’ve got pictures of deer kills with this cartridge somewhere, resist the temptation to post waffle until you find the pictures and post them instead! Preferably with the rifle, end of description of the load, range etc.

Someone lend this man a 7.62x39 rifle!!

Originally Posted by Flyblown

The reason the .223 On Deer thread is so good is that it is packed full of evidence. That thread gets attention from overseas, particularly the USA, because the “is the .223 enough?” subject is constantly being debated there too. Rokslide being a good example. Very few .223/deer threads around the world (if any) have so much demonstrable experience as ours, in the form of autopsy photos, recovered bullet photos, ballistic comparisons etc etc. It really is an outstanding example of proving a point through demonstrable experience.

Obviously our conditions, laws and lack of tags / seasons etc mean that we get to shoot a lot more deer than the average yank. There’s a decent population of people on here that have shared excellent experience to clearly demonstrate what that particular round is capable of with the right projectiles.

So this is what I would like this thread to look like, though I’m sure it will be a miniature version simply because of the relative scarcity of 7.62x39 shooters. If you’ve got pictures of deer kills with this cartridge somewhere, resist the temptation to post waffle until you find the pictures and post them instead! Preferably with the rifle, end of description of the load, range etc.

That is what I am hoping to see!

Ok I don't have photos but...

My rifle is a JW-103 (Norinco 'Bisley Arms' assembled by foot not hand thing, awful fit and finish and had real issues getting the scope on straight because the screw holes aren't straight in the action). It's ugly, barrel looks like the inside of a poo pipe and the original stock bedding was terrible leading to 3" groups - I've bedded it with good old Devcon and it's a solid 1.5" performer now. Taken many goats, smaller deer etc and not had a problem at all. Most have been chest/hilar placement with the odd close range head and shoulder breaker - all 'point blank' hold crosshairs on and bang jobs, ranges up to around 100m as it's a bush gun (nothing flash and it can't any worse from anything I can do to it haha). I haven't recovered any bullets - all pass straight throughs but cannot fault the terminal performance.

Brought a couple of hundy Highland sporting rounds when I got the thing and still working through those, flat base lead tip projectile of 125gr I think? Reloadable cases but I haven't had to start yet. And to be fair, ammo is cheap enough that it's probably not worth it.

Sorry no photos from me

I have a CZ527 in 7.62x39 cut down to 15" and suppressed (my bush gun) that I got into reloading for as I ran out of sst steel cased ammo. I'd definitely recommend the 3 round mag mod as the front edge of the mag is the balance point on my rifle. Makes carrying the rifle so much nicer. https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....ication-78056/ for a look at the 5rnd vs 3rnd mag

It loves the sst projectile and I tried just about every flavor of ammo I could find in my search for something other than PPU. Hornady black is expensive, provided the projectile and grouped accurately but it was out of stock for a long time.

My problem with PPU was I shot a red stag at 120 yards, it hit very high on the front shoulder but the projectile needled straight through both shoulder blades, leaving a tiny hole on exit. The deer went down and I was lucky enough to have a follow up shot ready to go to end it.

I've shot plenty of goats with this rifle from 10 yards to 200 yards and had very good success. 150 would be my max for reds, lighter bodied deer I'd be comfortable stretching its legs

my current load is:
Lapua brass
CFE Black 30gn
123gn SST
fiocchi LR primer
2510 fps

mag length would allow 59mm OAL but I'm crimping the projectile in at 55.3mm OAL

@No. 3
So u got an original ak47 or a Chinese copy?

This calibre killed more people under 150m than any other. 22lr comes close in the states during the mob wars

Originally Posted by Sharki

@No. 3
So u got an original ak47 or a Chinese copy?

This calibre killed more people under 150m than any other. 22lr comes close in the states during the mob wars

Nah neither, it's a bolt action Norinco special (I think this was actually a Chinese design that they only used elements of several other designs in). The designation is JW-103, the JW-105 is the version in .223Rem. The AK-47's are only held in collections now and must be stored disabled with a major part removed, the semi auto versions were confiscated after the Chch terrorist attacks.

the zombie max pills are the same as the SST if you can find them there you go Sharki...fitted with gunworks spartan and the 3 shot shortened magazine...had just shot yearling red at 40ish yards. one of three we got within same clearing over two years,son got big red hind not far away either....took 4-5 pigs with it
now in hands of another forum member

I shot a Sika yearling with an SKS, before phones had decent cameras, so no photos. A clean in and out hole through the lungs, and a neck shot to finish it off. Barnaul 125gr soft point.

Odd, as a few years later, I shot up a Gisborne pine block goat culling. Identical load out of an AK, same distances as the deer more or less, some alot longer, but it tore them to bits.