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SKS long range ?????

37K views 59 replies 20 participants last post by  tobkis 
#1 ·
I heard once that an SKS wasnt worth a crap . then i heard that they are only good to 200 yards. then i bought 2 and wanted to see for myself.

i think who ever said that to me didnt know what they were saying, it was an old man a a gun shop here in east texas that said that. so what are your longest shots taken with iron sights?:thumb:
 
#5 ·
I agree with Smokey. Mine easily does 'minute of man' at 300 yards with iron sights. I think that one has to keep in mind that SKS's run the gamut from carried a lot and shot a little to worn slap out.

I've stood right beside other guys on the range with SKS's that couldn't hit the side of a barn from inside the barn - and it wasn't because they were terrible marksmen.
 
#6 ·
At 500 yards the 7.62x39 hits dirt short of the target unless you are holding waaaaay over. SKS is a fine rifle - I have taken white tail, coyote, and hogs with mine - but I would not trust the ballistics of the cartridge to cleanly kill anything deer size beyond 150 yards. I doubt I'd shoot a big hog beyond 75 yards. The cartridge just doesn't have enough penetration.
 
#9 ·
Well let's settle this. From Winchester: Muzzle drop at 500 yards is over 8 FEET and energy down to just 327 foot pounds. That means that the bullet has lost about 80% of its energy.

Winchester line of Super-X Centerfire Rifle ammunition :

Caliber: 7.62x39mm Russian
Bullet Weight: 123 Grains
Bullet Type: Soft Point
Game Selector Guide: Deer, Varmint
CPX Guide Number: 2 (light, thin-skinned game)

Test Barrel Length: 20"

Velocity (Feet Per Second):
- Muzzle: 2365
- 100yds: 2033
- 200yds: 1731
- 300yds: 1465
- 400yds: 1248
- 500yds: 1093

Energy (Foot Pounds):
- Muzzle: 1527
- 100yds: 1129
- 200yds: 818
- 300yds: 586
- 400yds: 425
- 500yds: 327

Trajectory, Short Range:
- 50yds: 0.5
- 100yds: 0
- 150yds: -2.6
- 200yds: -7.6
- 250yds: -15.4
- 300yds: -26.7

Trajectory, Long Range:
- 100yds: 3.8
- 150yds: 3.1
- 200yds: 0
- 250yds: -6.0
- 300yds: -15.4
- 400yds: -46.3
- 500yds: -98.4
 
#20 ·
i would like to point out that american factory loads are considered weak and underpowered in comparison to foreign and milsurp loads for the x39. not intending to flame here, but i believe that more stats from different countries, makers, and bullet types should be put into the forum for a better decision. ill see what i can find with some google-fu.
 
#32 ·
I wouldn't shoot a deer with that load either. Now I am not in favor of shooting dangerous game (and a man who is out there after me with a badge, a gun, and, most dangerous, a radio is d**n dangerous to my future health and well-being) with anything I wouldn't shoot a deer with. OTOH, a plate that size can be used to trigger any number of interesting things....

And you can bet that if they decide to come play games, they will enlist (read that draft) the local law enforcement boys to spearhead the charge....
 
#12 ·
I'm not saying that it CAN'T be done. There are reliable reports of elephants being killed with a 22 long rifle. I'm saying that it is a poor choice of tools for that job. I've hunted from Alaska to Africa and I don't know a single hunter who would choose an SKS at 400+ yards OR a 9mm as the tool of choice for deer hunting. Yes, it CAN be done in a survival situation, but it is a very poor choice of tool for the job.


I'll reiterate that the SKS is a fine rifle. I hunt with them, but it is my opinion that it is unethical to shoot at unwounded game with that cartridge at those distances and any shooter with the skill to make that shot should have enough knowledge of ballistics to know that.
 
#22 ·
That's why you shouldn't hunt deer with them too.

In my state 500 ft lbs at the muzzle is minimum. 327 just doesn't make a clean kill most of the time with the military rounds. Now change the bullet and you'd be a bit better off but not much. As for the US commercial load being weak? Not sure where that came from but the stats provided show it's right up there with the maximum velocities.

My answer is it can be done but it'd be unethical to hunt at that range. I'd top out at 300 or so yards. that 20" bbl really puts some extra velocity on the bullet over the 16" AK.
 
#23 ·
You've got to remember that most people judge a cartridge by it's maximum point blank range. Apparently there are a lot of shooters who have no clue about windage and elevation. The SKS is certainly no target gun, but if you can compensate for windage and elevation, you can put rounds on target at a respectable distance.

It might not have a lot of oomph left when it gets there, but it has enough.
 
#25 ·
I have no problems hitting a 5 gallon bucket at 250 yards with mine. I could afford more expensive rifles, but feel the SKS will be fine for what I need it for.

If you think a SKS is a good rifle, then put a lyman 66 sight on it. I am thinking of entering it in a military rifle competition. The ones that are mainly M1A, garands, and Springfield led. This local one only has a 200 yard range, so the SKS is on a pretty level field with it.

I have a basically new yugoslavian that is capable of 2" or better groups at 100 yard with the peep sight. I let a real good shot borrow it for a few rounds, he was pushing towards 1". The only issue I may have is barrel heating. The stock mounting design is not the greatest for accuracy when hot.
 
#26 ·
My SKSs are great rifles. They are minute of man accurate. They would not be my first choice for deer hunting and long range shooting. Although they can do both within reasonable expectations.

Kudos to lightning for 500m bench rest 2' groups. That's great shooting with the SKS sites.

I don't normally hunt with any rifle that can't hit a paper plate consistently at 200m off hand. There is too much risk of wounding game. I hate tracking down wounded game.

At their present prices, I would not choose it as my main hunting rifle.

At their present prices, I would not choose it as a SHTF rifle.

*unless you can find a cheap bubba rifle to build off of.

There are may other choices at that price range that are better tools for the job.
 
#27 ·
There are a lot of different ammunition manufacturers that produce the 7.62x39 round,and with all of those you going to get a lot of different velocity's and the only one that i have come across so far that seems to be a hotter round is Russian,had to hold under with that on at 500. if i had a longer range that is the round that i would try to shoot out even further say to maybe 700 or 800 yards. I feel it is important to know what your gun likes and how all the ammunition that you may have,acts in your firearm.
 
#31 ·
sorry i didnt mean to sound like a ****.after i thought about it i figured out a better way to state my point.a gun is never unethical it is up to the person behind the weapon to know his equipment and its limitations as well as his own skill level before he takes the shot.
 
#38 ·
Priv Partizan Commercial all loaded to same specs.
123 gr. SPRN,FMJ & PSP MV 2461 fps. ME 1654 ft. lbs.

Tula Cartridge Works/Wolf same company
122 gr. FMJ & HP MV 2396 ME 1555 ft. lbs.

154 gr. SP MV 2104 fps. ME 1514 ft. lbs.

Barnaul /Bear line
http://www.ab.ru/~stanok/eng/index.htm


Ulyanovsk Machine Tool Plant
122 gr. FMJ same specs as Tula/Wolf

Golden Tiger
124 gr. FMJ MV 2396 fps. ME 1581 ft. lbs.

Yugo M67 Surplus
123 gr. FMJ MV 2400 fps. ME 1572 ft. lbs.

Remington Express
125 gr. MV 2365 fps. ME 1552 ft. lbs.
@100 yds. MV 2062 fps. ME 1180 ft. lbs.
@200 yds. MV 1783 fps. ME 882 ft. lbs.
@300 Yds. MV 1533 fps. ME 652 ft. lbs.

Winchester
http://www.winchester.com/Products/rifle-ammunition/super-x/soft-point/Pages/X76239.aspx

http://www.winchester.com/Products/...jacket/Pages/default.aspx?c=7.62x39mm+Russian

123 gr. FMJ MV 2355 fps. ME 1515 ft. lbs.
123 gr. SP MV 2365 fps. ME 1528 ft. lbs.

Federal
http://www.federalpremium.com/products/compare/rifle_compare.aspx

Sellier & Bellot/CZ
123 gr. FMJ MV 2421 fps. ME 1601 ft. lbs.
123 gr. SP MV 2438 fps. ME 1623 ft. lbs.

Calculator for converting Metric ammo specifications to US English specs.
http://billstclair.com/energy.html
 
#41 ·
Am I an SKS gunsmith,well not really but I do work on my own and family's firearms,to much liability otherwise. As far as the GT ammo goes it's probably the best of the Russian ammo that I have used it makes up about 50% of my SHTF stash the rest is Bear lacquer coated SP and HP. I mainly shoot reloads most of the time.

Here are a few.

http://www.thedealershowroom.com/page/page/1442109.htm

https://www.libertytreecollectors.com/productcart/pc/viewcategories.asp?idCategory=33

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/Models.aspx?catid=394

http://www.sarcoinc.com/sks.html

https://www.apexgunparts.com/index.php/cPath/40

http://www.murraysguns.com/sksown.htm

http://www.sksman.com/

http://www.aimsurplus.com/catalog.aspx?groupid=72
 
#44 ·
Which one did you get I have the M44 round receiver & the 91/30 with Hex receiver if they shoot well with surplus they will really shine with reloads. If yu shoot the factory sights that great if not you have a couple options.

I have a set of these on my M44 http://www.mojosights.com/mosin_nagant.html and I had a machines friend do the front sight mod http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/mosinfrontsight/index.asp I made some custom sight pins for the front sight for light and heavy bullet loads so I don't have to play with the evaluation when I change loads other than a click up or down to fine tune shot placement.

My brother has the S & K scope mount on his 91/30 the are slightly different for each model rifle the ring mounts are the way to go. He uses a 3 x 7 x 32 long eye relieve scope the setup provides excellent accuracy. The S & K mount is rock solid and the only one I would ever use. http://www.surplusrifle.com/reviews/skm44scopemount/index.asp
 
#46 ·
My SKS is one of two go to guns I have, but really only in a pinch. It is a good shooter I have good control and it is reliable.
I would not hunt with it though, for many reasons, one is weight it weighs as much as my savage 30/06 if not more, the 7.62X39 mm is not a good choice for humanely killing an animal at range.
I know I am going to get flamed, but if you are going to hunt use a hunting rifle of the appropiate size for the animal you are hunting.
 
#47 ·
jimnan88 not going to flame you it's your choice as to what weapon you feel most comfortable using for your particular situation. Not all of us can shoot 100's of yds. when hunting in fact in my neck of the woods 100 yds. is about Max. range,I generally shoot 50 to 75 yds.

The SKS is perfectly suited for small to Med. size game from rabbits to deer and hogs within reasonable ranges,the 123 gr. SP has more than enough ft. lbs. of energy and MV out to 200 yds. to kill deer cleanly and reliably I've seen to many dropped dead in there tracks with it,of course I want be shooting that far I have no need to.

I take it you have never hunted with cast rifle or pistol bullets before,the weight are equivalent to the jacket bullet counter parts sometimes heavier but velocity is usually much slower it's the bullet design that does the work,the deer still drop like a rock and are just as dead. As always high velocity and super bullets are not always necessary or will they make up for bad bullet placement.

People can sometime over gun themselves on there game,here is a good read on what makes an affective hunting bullet. http://www.eabco.com/swiftbulletco02.htm
 
#48 ·
Actually I like the bolt rifles and carbines that shoot 44 mag and the like for short range hunting.
I have a good shooting SKS and I like it, I can shoot bowling pins at a 100 yards one after the other with the standard sights. I am just making the point that it would not be my choice as either a brush gun or a long range gun for hunting unless it was my only choice. If I had to bugout it would be my go to gun, it or my SU-16.
As far as regular hunting I would pick one of my rifles for that particular job.
The SKS is heavy 2 extra pounds over a pistol round carbine or SU-16, and the same weight as the 30/06. So why would I pick it?
In a fight that is different, because it has some heft it is more controllable than a lighter rifle, stripper clip or magazine fed, bayonet, and a butt stock that is good sturdy for butt stroking, and smashing. It is a good military rifle.
I have a 30/06 not nessecarily out of some great love for the 30/06 cartrige but out of convinience, I would much rather go smaller on deer like a 270.
We have big hogs here I have one friend that is more couragious he walks up almost point blank and uses a 44 mag carbine, but most other guys including myself want more distance with a 500 lb wild hog, some guys are even using 40 cal rifles like 416 rigbys on hogs.
So there are many factors that is why there are many rifles and choices.
 
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