Thread: Newfound respect for the SKS

Last weekend 4 of us went north of Wairoa for a bit of a goat cleanout. I took my 223 (Savage trophy)and a hundy rounds of ammo, the others are all AR kind of guys.
On unpacking clever me had left the magazine at home, which would be a severe crimp on my share of the action.
After they all stopped laughing, Brendan pulled out an SKS he had bought along "maybe to try" on the second day and handed it to me. My opinion of these has never been very high, as the triggers have a mile of slack before bang, and I've never shot well with one.
This one was tricked out a bit with a plastic stock and a sparc red dot. With no real option I took it and we set up a target at 100 yds for me to get acquainted. First string of 5 shots was 7 inches but the first two shots I was getting used to the trigger, the second string of 7 was just under 4 both strings shot sitting. I was impressed!
Day one we worked as two teams of 2 all in radio contact and accounted for 115 between us. Most of my shots were at between 70 and 150 yds, and that 7.62x39 certainly puts them down, only needed follow ups on 3 out of 19. Brendan who I partnered with was shooting out further but double tapping most of his even in close.
That night we had a debrief, and a few things came out. Brendan and Steve were using 55 gr Hornaday training and found that follow up shots were often needed with bodies showing that the projectiles seemed to behave as fmjs. Ross was using Barnaul 62 gr sps and apart from getting one jam due to a mashed nose reckoned they were better, little innie big outie, but the winner in terms of effectiveness everyone reckoned was the 7.62x39.
Following morning Brendan took his SKS and got 25 before he ran out of ammo the rest of us also doing quite well.
On the way back home Brendan talked about getting a 762 upper for his AK, and I'm thinking very getting an SKS or at least something in that calibre.
Got home to no power, rain coming sideways and bits of tree all over the place, cleaning it up today and still thinking bout that SKS

Poaching all me bloody goats aye! Sorry @Gibo dont think we can have a bomb up now this guy got them all

Originally Posted by Toby

Poaching all me bloody goats aye! Sorry @Gibo dont think we can have a bomb up now this guy got them all

I'll just have to settle for Buddy while in Dvirk aye @Dundee

Originally Posted by Gibo

I'll just have to settle for Buddy while in Dvirk aye @Dundee

Those NEA 7.62x39 ar's go alright anyone that has one?


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Yeah, the SKS does the business alright......ive heard NATO are considering moving up from 5.56 cal as the 'rag heads' are not dropping fast enough!!!!!!!....replaced my SKS with a 'chinky' AK47 clone....7.62x39 is the 'tits'.......

Interesting that the Hornady 55gn SPs were pencilling through.
I've only ever used the same projectiles in handloads and they drop the stinkies like a bag of spuds.
My current .223 rifles (Sako and AR) hate the Barnaul stuff, which is a pity, as losing steel cases when hunting is what I'd prefer, not reloadable brass.

Originally Posted by Toby

Poaching all me bloody goats aye! Sorry @Gibo dont think we can have a bomb up now this guy got them all

Lots left on the neighbors block, lots on the road, lots every bloody where, the guys place we were on joked about going to town with a trailer taking them to AFFCO and paying for the groceries petrol and a few pies

Originally Posted by Scouser

Yeah, the SKS does the business alright......ive heard NATO are considering moving up from 5.56 cal as the 'rag heads' are not dropping fast enough!!!!!!!....replaced my SKS with a 'chinky' AK47 clone....7.62x39 is the 'tits'.......

Could be why they (NZ army?) are issuing some LMT? AR10s as designated marksmen rifles. They are up against tribesmen shooting Lee Enfields which are pretty good at 500~600yds.

Mind you lots of comments on the 556 not being "man enough" for decades, but its still with us.

Originally Posted by steven

Could be why they (NZ army?) are issuing some LMT? AR10s as designated marksmen rifles. They are up against tribesmen shooting Lee Enfields which are pretty good at 500~600yds.

Mind you lots of comments on the 556 not being "man enough" for decades, but its still with us.

Agree, Yanks have gone to '300Blackout' for their special forces, 5.56 was not killing the enemy quickly enough, they were firing back before dying!!!!!

Originally Posted by Scouser

Agree, Yanks have gone to '300Blackout' for their special forces, 5.56 was not killing the enemy quickly enough, they were firing back before dying!!!!!

I dont think its a range thing for the special forces but a subsonic almost silent thing, pop off a guard so no one hears kind of thing. Though the ballistics for the 300blackout is better than the 7.62x39russian I believe?

There is at least one recorded instance of a platoon being tied down by Enfield fire from 500yds+ and they could not respond to it. Funny how the AR15 was poo pooed for Vietnam yet it was ideal and the M14 was not, and here we are again at the opposite end of the range card where a 308 is most useful.

Originally Posted by Scouser

Agree, Yanks have gone to '300Blackout' for their special forces,

Um, no.

And back on topic yeah sks's are pretty mean, I remember seeing some comments on here about they wouldn't shoot a deer at 100m with a 7.62x39. Had me chuckling

Every branch in the US military is "Special Forces"😂

Depends on role and how a weapon is employed.
9mm is suffice for a lot of roles.

I cannot see any Western units changing to 7.62x39 when there are way better choices to be had.

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Originally Posted by Scouser

Yeah, the SKS does the business alright......ive heard NATO are considering moving up from 5.56 cal as the 'rag heads' are not dropping fast enough!!!!!!!....replaced my SKS with a 'chinky' AK47 clone....7.62x39 is the 'tits'.......

After Vietnam the Russians rapidly tooled up to produce their own bullet and weapons around the specs of the Nato 5.56.