SKS for deer

[Big Antlers]

Anyone had any experience on an SKS for deer in (1) woods and (2) in the open for 100 yards or more? Would appreciate the benefit of your thoughts as am thinking about trying one next year

[quackrstackr]

I had a buddy that hunted with one for a couple of years... I was not impressed with it's terminal performance. Do the deer a favor if you insist on using one and find a round with a quality bullet. I personally wouldn't hunt with anything smaller than a .243 and then only with a quality projectile.

As far as the gun is concerned, a lot depends on whether it is one of the cheap mass produced Chinese guns or one of the more expensive machined Russian guns. You get what you pay for in these normally.

Straight powder.......

[AlaskaMauserFan]

A friend of mine up here used an SKS on two hunts, both before I knew him. He still talks about it: it was marginal on the deer, but he managed to hit it twice in rapid succession, luckily he didn't have to track it. He figured it was on account of the FMJ military stuff he was using, so his next hunt was with reloads.
Don't know what he was thinking, but he tried it on moose, and he wound up blipping off half a clip over the course of several hours of tracking. Far from a humane kill. After that, he sold it as fast as he could, and went to a 270 Weatherby.
I wouldn't want to use one unless it was a survival thing, personally. A 243 or 257 Roberts is probably a far better choice-and if semi-autos are your thing, there's lots of good choices, the 308 Winchester is a superb round, and the recoil is not excessive, especially with a semi-auto.
Be leary of some of the sloppily made Chinese models, I've heard horror stories of the things going full-auto, safeties not working, etc., etc.

[mossyhorns]

Can't imagine why anyone would want to.

[moosehead rollins]

I Love it...I have shot 4 with mine and a buddy used it and got a doe. All of the kills put the deer to the ground. I have killed 2 bucks and 2 does. All were heart shots. Put them to the ground instantly...no tracking,no running. I use Winchester ammo only in mine. I would limit it to 100 yards though. The last buck I shot was at 120yds...that was pushing it. As far as cheap, Mine is a chin. made. I can verify a 3in five shot group @ 115yds, open sights, bench rest using Winchester ammo. I know guys with Rem's Win's etc. that cant hold a group like that w/a scope. Its a great gun. IMO

[moosehead rollins]

FMJ's no matter what the caliber, will not work as well as a soft pt on deer. Its not the gun, its the ammo. You are right about the full auto thing. Mine did it at the range once...It was the coolest thing...I spent the rest of the day trying to get it to do it again to no avail.

[ksp965]

I bought a SKS when the Government was outlawing the 20 shot clip, just to have one. Actually, it has been a fun gun to have and to shoot. I wouldn't use it for serious work, but it has been reliable, fun and cheap to buy and shoot.

[Larry Carter]

I always get a kick out SKS discussions. Often they bounce between "greatest thing going" to" sorry shit" . Ballistically it is a 30/30 with a better shaped bullet. If the 30/30 is cool to 150 yards why isn't the 7.62x39?

[Multidigits]

Mooseheads right, nothing wrong with a cheap gun, just don't use any full metal jacket ammo. 7.62 is .30 caliber, so that's plenty big enough. Use a good sofy point or billistic tip bullet and it'll work just fine. You will be limited to a 10 shot clip.

[schuyler olt]

FMJs are illegal to use hunting in Kentucky![:0]