Thread: Max ethical range on a 7.62x39 bolt-action for deer

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Maybe all you guys need to take your rifles out and shoot some animals instead of just shooting your mouths all the time?

I'd love too. Trouble is though, it's just to bloody cold. The barrel on my 270 contracts and causes the bullets to stick half way down.

My old man has spent the better part of his life pulling triggers for a living, often whilst hanging out the side of a chopper and his weapon of choice has always been the mini 30, most guys using a centrefire from a machine are running ar15s in 223 and he tells me even the pilots comment on the huge reduction in the number of go-arounds and hovering required when a capable shooter is using a x39 from the machine instead of a 223. I was actually speaking to @Kiwi Greg about this a couple weeks back and i reckon santa might have to drop off an AR in x39 to dad this year

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

My old man has spent the better part of his life pulling triggers for a living, often whilst hanging out the side of a chopper and his weapon of choice has always been the mini 30, most guys using a centrefire from a machine are running ar15s in 223 and he tells me even the pilots comment on the huge reduction in the number of go-arounds and hovering required when a capable shooter is using a x39 from the machine instead of a 223. I was actually speaking to @Kiwi Greg about this a couple weeks back and i reckon santa might have to drop off an AR in x39 to dad this year

@Ryan_Songhurst x2
The only deer I've Shot (seen for that matter) since I moved back from OZ was out of my good friends chopper with a mini 30.
fat barrel laminate if that makes a difference but as far as they were concerned if you hit them they went down. Very happy with it.
My shooting was how you say marginal at best and stuffed up a couple before I got one. When I suggested I may have winged one they told me if I had hit them we would've known about it.
The lost deer were all me not the rifle/calibre

On the subject of x39 rounds, I have an SKS, and a few hundred rounds of Norinco FMJ,and Barnaul and Tula HP, and SP. I'd prefer to use the SP out hunting but have found that when the SKS chambers an SP round, it shaves off a slice of lead going into the chamber, there's really no ramp to speak of.

Result: Crap accuracy. From memory approx 3-4 inches @ 75m. If possible, I'd rather use the HP as it seems to group lots better, but am unsure of how well it would perform on a deer. I fear it would behave like an FMJ. Anybody used HP?

Originally Posted by Max Headroom

On the subject of x39 rounds, I have an SKS, and a few hundred rounds of Norinco FMJ,and Barnaul and Tula HP, and SP. I'd prefer to use the SP out hunting but have found that when the SKS chambers an SP round, it shaves off a slice of lead going into the chamber, there's really no ramp to speak of.

Result: Crap accuracy. From memory approx 3-4 inches @ 75m. If possible, I'd rather use the HP as it seems to group lots better, but am unsure of how well it would perform on a deer. I fear it would behave like an FMJ. Anybody used HP?

From what I have seen of the hollow points, they work far more like a SP than a FMJ. While I have not recovered a projectile to see the mushroom, thy seem to monster the targets....

Originally Posted by Max Headroom

On the subject of x39 rounds, I have an SKS, and a few hundred rounds of Norinco FMJ,and Barnaul and Tula HP, and SP. I'd prefer to use the SP out hunting but have found that when the SKS chambers an SP round, it shaves off a slice of lead going into the chamber, there's really no ramp to speak of.

Result: Crap accuracy. From memory approx 3-4 inches @ 75m. If possible, I'd rather use the HP as it seems to group lots better, but am unsure of how well it would perform on a deer. I fear it would behave like an FMJ. Anybody used HP?

I shot 2 last year in the bush with mine using the hollow points they worked pretty good at 30M

Realistic range, shot-placement and appropriate projectile, will generally always work. Yesterday, I shot a yearling jersey bull, at 30m, with a .22 hi-velocity. It was all I had on hand, and the bull was out of control.(jumped a fence,attacked cars , pets and people) One shot between the eyes, and it dropped where it stood. If it had been a Deer, it would have been equally dead. I highly doubt it would have worked at a 100 ,but who knows. I would absolutely expect an accurate x39 to work at double that though. Dangerous game aside, I find the best hunting gun/caliber, is the one that I know inside and out, that I am totally competent with, and have confidence in .. how can it not work.

Thank you all. Plenty to chew on. I'm at about 1.5 inch group at 100m using barnaul 123gr SP. I figured my max range should be about 150 at a push but just wanted some feedback.

Originally Posted by mjmatsen

Thank you all. Plenty to chew on. I'm at about 1.5 inch group at 100m using barnaul 123gr SP. I figured my max range should be about 150 at a push but just wanted some feedback.

At your intended ranges you are good to go.

My AR15 6.8 SCP has that sort of accuracy, extremely disappointing compared to all my other uppers

But man it is fit for purpose, goat control & bush hunting everything inside 200 is in big trouble, one shot kills are the norm as opposed to mates with 223s...

I was pretty surprised with the accuracy. I picked a Bisley Bushranger up for cheap with a suppressor on it, which, noise wise sounds like an unsuppressed 22 firing mini-mags. So a 1.5" 3 shot group standing, I was pretty happy with it. Just has a 4x32 scope on it, don't think I need anything more than that, do you?

I was mainly curious because I was shooting a 200mm AR500 plate and it was getting smacked pretty part at 100

Originally Posted by mjmatsen

I was mainly curious because I was shooting a 200mm AR500 plate and it was getting smacked pretty part at 100

I have noticed that with my 22 250 and the sks, the plate seems to move much more with the 7.62x39 inspite of the two rounds having nearly the same energy in foot pounds. When i use the 4570 the plate nearly does a 360 so foot pounds is obviously not the be all and end all for energy transfer.

yip 4x heaps enough for a 150 yard rifle......thats what sits on mine.

4x on my Bushranger too. Seems to do the trick

at 60 yards my subs are 4" lower than supers.....makes it interesting to sight in....wondering if its the whole rear locking action thing at play here ???? settled on subs 1" high at 60 and the supers will be 5" high...not ideal but livable...contemplating having subs 1" low and being done with it....anyone else shot groups with different loads from norinco/bisley???