Why do people frown at using military rifles for hunting?

I do alot of bush hunting and people have always said get a tikka t3 with 3-9 leupold blah blah blah so i went out and got a SKS and use it with open sights much to everyones disgust. I see it as the perfect short range rifle and cant understand why people insist on scopes and a bolt action. I love the semi for follow up shots because lets face it, everyone makes some bad shots sometimes. It probably only shoots 2MOA but who can shoot better than that from the shoulder standing? Thinking of upgrading to an m14 for the roar, as i'm not a pussy and the weight doesn't worry me :super:
I'm gonna look a tool to some of the poncy hunters out there but i bet i won't miss a deer because of my choice in rifle. Beats carrying my bolt action .308 around. I thought military rifles would make perfect medium range hunting rifles. :sarge:

Comments please

Biggest reason I could think of would be they are noisier to chamber a round. Everything else pretty much relates to the nut behind the butt rather than the type of rifle.

For me personally i just dont like semis in a hunting situation, seen to many near misses for my liking.
THAT SAID I have nothing against semis in well trained hands,its just every time iv seen them in use its by someone incompetent.

Seen plenty of incompetent people with bolt actions too. Police like semis to use so they can near miss their 4 legged targets. Deerstalkers like bolt actions but tend to hit anything that looks like a deer in the bush.

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Originally Posted by compound

Seen plenty of incompetent people with bolt actions too. Police like semis to use so they can near miss their 4 legged targets. Deerstalkers like bolt actions but tend to hit anything that looks like a deer in the bush.

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Some good points you make.

Im not about to debate any of it.BUT you remined me of the police shooting AT a DOG with a full mag of there side arm(10-15 shots some one will tell me) In a built up resedential area and compleatly failing to hit the dog at all!

I dont frown about hunting with Military Rifles, I smile :D

My goal this year is to shoot Tahr with both my 303 and M1 Garand.
Of course I'll be using tracer so I can see the misses :D

I have a wee chub for taking a Mosin and rebarreling into a LR gun for gong banging, but keeping it std looking

A fuckload of Tahr have been shot with a 3O

A mate of the old man's that I have a lot of respect for as a hunter uses a sks, see through mounts for the scope and loves it. My thought's on scopes in the bush is your fucking mad if you have one, but my eye's are going and I can't use iron sight's no more. I have found the red dot is faster than them anyway ;) Bush slut rifle with red dot (might upgrade to one of them ghost ring thing's) and no one can beat you for speed, which is all that matters scrub bashing.

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

For me personally i just dont like semis in a hunting situation, seen to many near misses for my liking.
THAT SAID I have nothing against semis in well trained hands,its just every time iv seen them in use its by someone incompetent.

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I think you just hit the nail on the head there! Couldn't agree more, excluding myself of course :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Spanners

I have a wee chub for taking a Mosin and rebarreling into a LR gun for gong banging, but keeping it std looking

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DO IT. Then see how it goes and Ill do it too....

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Originally Posted by Spanners

I have a wee chub for taking a Mosin and rebarreling into a LR gun for gong banging, but keeping it std looking

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Just for you Spanners :D

Doesn't even seem like you would need to rebarrel it :thumbsup:

1000 yard Mosin - Sniper's Hide Forums

apart from havin to carry loaded, the sks are super bush shooters, cheap, robust, and ugly, so it dont matter if u ding them, and regardless they still kill shit,

I'm looking for one with nice wood an a good barrel..:P

I'm all for it.


Safety catch exists for a reason.

i just brought a mini 14 and intend to red dot the sucker for a bush hack. plus i really wanted one!!!

Nothing wrong with a decent semi for hunting. Look at Philipo and his beloved Browning.
Follow decent safe hunting practises and apart from every deer in the valley hearing you chamber a round and you are set.
Not so good if you reload, chances if you actually saw where your brass went, it was in the biggest patch of Onga onga/gorse/bush lawyer/thistle/blackberry on the entire hillside.

;)

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Originally Posted by dogmatix

Nothing wrong with a decent semi for hunting. Look at Philipo and his beloved Browning.

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Does not compute

:D

I generally prefer a bolt action when hunting with others, lest your party members get pissy about people having loaded guns. I've gone bush with an SKS, M305/M14 and an AR15 - hey it's what they were made for. The safety catch on my AR is easier to flick off than the one on my Sako. The "noisy to load thing" is a moot point with me cuz I roll all my rifles loaded with the safety on when actually hunting. Safer than a "half bolt" I reckon. Actually I think the half bolt is one of the dumbest fudd ideas to ever come out. I'm also not worried about the "image" thing people talk about. If you feel offended by the style of rifle someone is carrying, get another hobby. I find the people that bitch about them the most are old cunts who have probably used Lee Enfield's at some point. A bit hypocritical IMO.

I'm with you on the 'one up the spout' and the safety on but I am also one of the 'old cunts' you mention having used a Lee Enfield and dumped a few animals with it. Not only that, I have at different times over the years taken to the bush an M1, AK47 and some Swedish army 6.5 thing. The M1 was bloody useless, great at wounding but never put one down. Watched my hunting mate spray a full 30 shot mag out of the AK47 at a hind dissapearing into a narrow gut at 50 metres, scared the shit out of me and the deer. Never seen a deer while carrying that Swedish 6.5 thing, so never got to see what it could do, but very usefull for hanging the billy over the fire.
The problem I have with the safety being used is the number of people who always want to test it. I have over the years had three discharges go off in close proximity to me as others have 'tested' their safety, one was an old Lee Enfield that it's owner was trying to make safe by releasing the back of the bolt while pulling the trigger...oops, slips...blew the top out of a punga 5 metres out. Another was the boys all tooled up for a bit of spot-lighting in the North Arm and my mate tested his safety in the hut...it wasn't on...a round through the hut roof and fuck! does a 300 mag make the ears ring. The third was a case of a dickhead using left hand to play with safety while right finger on trigger...that was a 'onecer' as he never got invited again.

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Originally Posted by gimp

I'm all for it.


Safety catch exists for a reason.

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Never trust a safety catch
Treat every firearm as loaded :wtfsmilie: I love military weopons:cool:

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Originally Posted by Spook

I'm with you on the 'one up the spout' and the safety on but I am also one of the 'old cunts' you mention having used a Lee Enfield and dumped a few animals with it. Not only that, I have at different times over the years taken to the bush an M1, AK47 and some Swedish army 6.5 thing. The M1 was bloody useless, great at wounding but never put one down. Watched my hunting mate spray a full 30 shot mag out of the AK47 at a hind dissapearing into a narrow gut at 50 metres, scared the shit out of me and the deer. Never seen a deer while carrying that Swedish 6.5 thing, so never got to see what it could do, but very usefull for hanging the billy over the fire.
The problem I have with the safety being used is the number of people who always want to test it. I have over the years had three discharges go off in close proximity to me as others have 'tested' their safety, one was an old Lee Enfield that it's owner was trying to make safe by releasing the back of the bolt while pulling the trigger...oops, slips...blew the top out of a punga 5 metres out. Another was the boys all tooled up for a bit of spot-lighting in the North Arm and my mate tested his safety in the hut...it wasn't on...a round through the hut roof and fuck! does a 300 mag make the ears ring. The third was a case of a dickhead using left hand to play with safety while right finger on trigger...that was a 'onecer' as he never got invited again.

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Fair enough and no offence intended toward you. One would obviously test their safety catch in a controlled environment before using it, testing it out with a loaded rifle in a hut, is evidence of total fuckin stupidity. The numerous bullet holes in the Makahu saddle hut are a disturbing reminder of how dumb some people are.

It's ironic that Savage1 is a cop whose job it is to enforce the ridiculous rules and regulations around MSSA's, inadvertantly (I'm sure) furthering the myth that they are more dangerous than standard bolt guns, yet asks why people frown when he uses them for hunting :)

Personally I dont care what you want to hunt with :)

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Originally Posted by Spook

The problem I have with the safety being used is the number of people who always want to test it. I have over the years had three discharges go off in close proximity to me as others have 'tested' their safety, one was an old Lee Enfield that it's owner was trying to make safe by releasing the back of the bolt while pulling the trigger...oops, slips...blew the top out of a punga 5 metres out. Another was the boys all tooled up for a bit of spot-lighting in the North Arm and my mate tested his safety in the hut...it wasn't on...a round through the hut roof and fuck! does a 300 mag make the ears ring. The third was a case of a dickhead using left hand to play with safety while right finger on trigger...that was a 'onecer' as he never got invited again.

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This isn't a problem with a safety on a rifle, it's a problem with people being mouthbreathing morons


Treat every firearm as loaded
Don't point a firearm at anything you don't want to shoot (NZers are terrible at this one, just go to any range and you'll get just about every gun there pointed at you.)
Don't touch the trigger until you're ready to shoot (NZers are also terrrible at this)

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Originally Posted by Beavis

Fair enough and no offence intended toward you. One would obviously test their safety catch in a controlled environment before using it, testing it out with a loaded rifle in a hut, is evidence of total fuckin stupidity. The numerous bullet holes in the Makahu saddle hut are a disturbing reminder of how dumb some people are.

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No offence taken. I never test the safety on my rifle once loaded, I put my trust in the person who manufactured my rifle to have done their job.

Wouldnt it be best to test it first (unloaded pointing in a safe direction) there is the odd rifle out there that has been tinkered with and dosent work

I did say "once loaded".

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Originally Posted by Spook

I did say "once loaded".

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Ah yes so you did!:relief:

dont use safety load when ready full stop.

I always have 4 in the mag, chamber empty, I have been known to bail over a few times, I'd hate to trip, and shoot a mate.

Why do people find it so hard to keep their fingers off the trigger? I use the safety, keep my finger off the trigger & keep control of muzzle direction. I guess 20 years of pistol shooting has instilled those things in me but really it isn't hard. More than once I've tripped & taken a tumble while running in an IPSC stage & kept everything safe, recovered & carried on. Whether I'm shooting targets or live things it dosn't matter, same rules apply.

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Originally Posted by Spiker

Why do people find it so hard to keep their fingers off the trigger? I use the safety, keep my finger off the trigger & keep control of muzzle direction. I guess 20 years of pistol shooting has instilled those things in me but really it isn't hard. More than once I've tripped & taken a tumble while running in an IPSC stage & kept everything safe, recovered & carried on. Whether I'm shooting targets or live things it dosn't matter, same rules apply.

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Exactly

Personally I think you should just make your first shot count, be it from a semi, bolt of bow.

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Originally Posted by Wildman

Personally I think you should just make your first shot count, be it from a semi, bolt of bow.

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The first one is the only one that counts, all the rest are just lead in the air...and hope.

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Originally Posted by Wildman

Personally I think you should just make your first shot count, be it from a semi, bolt of bow.

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Agree, but what does that have to do with people having terrible safety habits?


Semi for mobs of goats and so forth!

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Originally Posted by Spiker

Why do people find it so hard to keep their fingers off the trigger? I use the safety, keep my finger off the trigger & keep control of muzzle direction. I guess 20 years of pistol shooting has instilled those things in me but really it isn't hard. More than once I've tripped & taken a tumble while running in an IPSC stage & kept everything safe, recovered & carried on. Whether I'm shooting targets or live things it dosn't matter, same rules apply.

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Well sad Spiker, the no1 safety (in my opinion) is the brain holding the firearm, followed by the finger off the trigger and safe muzzle direction, followed by the manufactures safety applied. If the brain holding the gun is not engaged then trouble is likely. Have experinced that personally with a very near miss by a disengaged brain pointing a firearm around and then pressing the trigger. Sends shivers down my spine these days thinking about it.

I like both semi's and bolt rifles and dont think it matters what one hunts with as long as the right calibre for the game is chosen and safety is followed. Ive seen some nuts with both semi,s and bolties. Personal choice and personal responsibility.

Cheers.

Opps meant "Well said Spiker"......

Cheers.

Thinking about the actual title of the thread "Why do people frown at using military rifles for hunting?"

I think a lot of it maybe because of the way they are portrayed in the movies IE 60 odd rounds being sprayed down range and nothing falling over, unless its something that wasn't aimed at.
Certainly wouldn't help especially with the old school .
.

I'm going to take an un-sporterised Jungle Carbine hunting.

There is something about the no5 that just say's "YES"! I have seen a few still being used for hunting in Aussie.

Cheers.

Last time I went for a hunt in the Omaru a mate of a mate came along with a No.5 in mostly stock condition except for having a scope mounted. I'm kind of glad he didn't attempt to fire it. The chamber and barrel were clogged with rust and half the ammo he had was old CAC FMJ rounds which were becoming badly corroded. I frown at using military rifles in possibly dangerous condition for hunting. I'll have to take my 91/30 for a walk one day though. Still to bag a deer with the Rock River too.