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