Hunting with an sks
 

Has anyone here used an sks to hunt white tail deer before? I was just curious because I shoot my sks often but am unsure about how good it is to hunt with?

I assume it would work fine but I'm curious if anyone here has tried this previously?

Yes, you can hunt with an SKS.

You can also drive a car with your FEET, but that don't make it a good fucking idea...

When hunting, it is necessary to bring the animal down quickly and with as little suffering as possible. This requires 2 things: Accuracy and stopping power.

The SKS suffers as mediocre at best with accuracy (don't start with me about how good YOUR SKS is, I am making generalities here. I am comparing it to other hunting rifles) and also is found lacking in the stopping power. It uses the Russian round, correct? I will leave it to more seasoned members to dispute the finer points of ballistics.

I won't go fishing with a pointed stick,
I won't walk on broken glass,

And I won't go hunting Whitetail with an SKS. No point.

Good "venting" weapon... You "Ventilate" things and "let off some steam" at the same time.

Warhawk,

The 7.62x39 used by the SKS is very similar to the 30-30 Winchester. As Ben said, accuracy sucks, and it wouldn't be effective past 125 yards or so.

And yes, it has been tried before. But then again, the same could be said for many stupid things...

Like shooting clays with a pellet gun? That turned out to be mostly shooting at them rather than actually shooting them.

A SKS is fine for hunting whitetail deer. You need to know the limits of your range and accuracy. People may find it somewhat unappealing, but many deer have been taking with .22's.

PLEASE, don't be the one emptying a clip just for fun. Be responsible, don't shoot unless the deer presents a clear and safe target. All target shooting needs to be done before actually going hunting. If you do it right, you will need one bullet to get one deer.

Ok, maybe I should clarify a few things.
1. I've been hunting many times before.
2. I've shot my sks many times before and understand the gun quite well.
3. This would be hunting withing about 100 yards ( hunting in semi dense woods)
4. Actually the accuracy doesn't suck. A worn out sks sucks but mine isn't worn out.

Please don't treat this like its the first time I've gone hunting/fired the weapon. I was just curious if anyone here has ever used it to hunt with as a brush gun. I understand the fact that it's capable of it. Just trying to stir a conversation and hear others thoughts. I wasn't trying to piss anyone off.

I shot a mule deer two years ago with my SKS. I used a hunting round rather than the surplus ammo most people associate with the gun. The shot was only about 70 yards and the buck feel in its tracks (one shot, as Boo says, is all that's needed). As long as you can shoot the thing accurately, I don't see a problem with it (it shoots as good as my 30-30). I doubt I'll use it again, but one never knows.;)
I know there are people out there that poo poo the idea, but to each their own.

Good Luck!! Post Pics (no gore though).

You didn't piss me off...

As I said, If you're using it under 125 yards, I don't see a problem with it. Speer makes some 125gr hunting rounds in this calibre - use them.

Why?

Just why?

If you have another weapon that is better suited for the job, I would leave the SKS at home. If you have been hunting before, and have shot your SKS before, then WHY would you take a knife to a gunfight?

To do something different? Knit a fucking scarf.

To test your skills as a hunter? Hunt Antelope instead of Whitetail.

To prove yourself to your circle of friends who laugh every time you pull the SKS off the rack? Go to the range and bet a dollar for every X-ring hit.

We are talking about an animals life here. Kill it quick, and painless. Respect it. Cherish the experience. I think an SKS would only tarnish the moment.

Ben,

It's really not that bad of a choice, the ballistics of the 7.62x39 and the .30-30 are very similar. And who knows how many deer the .30-30 has helped harvest!

But I wanted more proof to back up my claims, and found this article by Kim du Toit:

http://www.kimdutoit.com/ee/index.ph..._527_762x39mm/

As always, bullet placement is key.

He's better off shooting a rifle that he's comfortable with and can make a clean kill. There's no point in shooting a 7mm magnum, and then missing the kill -zone because he flinches so bad...

Maybe I shouldn't have asked, it seems to have stirred up too much controversy. Hell, i'm new here and i just felt like starting a simple discussion about something. wasn't really looking to get slammed on the idea. Just wanted to find something non controversal to talk about that might make an enjoyable conversation.

Controversy??? Where? :)

Basically, the issue is that it isn't the *best* choice for hunting deer. It takes 900ft lbs and proper placement to humanely kill a deer. The 7.62x39 is right around 1500ft lbs.

It's a case of "magnum-itis" as I like to call it. By today's standards, that 1500ft lbs is pretty anemic. Nevermind that the previous generations of hunters used ballistically similar rounds without any problems.

Besides, isn't this what we're here for? It'd be pretty boring if we all agreed with each other... :)

Y'all cayn't keel a deer wit' nuthin' less than a .338 lapua. Anythin' smaller ain't gunna 'splode the deer's heart right proper!

How does the weapon feed with the soft point rounds?
Is there a higher chance of a jam with a round's point that has deformed due to the magazine or slide action?

Just asking, but I'd expect these would be important considerations to compare it to a bolt action and my assumption that semi/fully automatic actions are made with military FMJ's in mind.

If there's a chance of inaccuracy or jam on any follow up shot it's worth looking at.

I've got one setup for white-tail hunting, aftermarket stock (the old one was a little too short) and removed the bayonet, found it to be a great bush gun good for up to 150 meters, light weight, good knockdown with the right ammo, realable, cheap (I don't think I could get a better rifle for less that the $140 that I put into it), I'd say go for it.

Yeah, no problem on getting us discussing things. That's what we are here for! Don't appologize for starting something, as long as it is in the spirit of the forum. I appreciate that you have posted here instead of general discussion!

I use a 30-06 pump (tip off sights for the bush) with 185 grain leads. My dad handloads the shells with me, and we take our time to make the hunting rounds. My dad is a bit of a gun-nut, and he has LOTS of different rifles.

I appreciate the fact that the SKS is an economical rifle. I sometimes forget that people don't have fathers who are gun-nuts who give/buy/trade weapons for us.

My dad has an SKS. It shoots like shit. As I said before, it is fun to vent things, but that is about it.

LOL, yes, my dad modified a benchrest .338 win mag for hunting. Fucking thing weighed about 30 pounds. It kicked soooo hard that I started to get scared of it. If I remember correctly (probably not) I think we were launching 230 grains out at about 4500fps.

There are so many .30-.30's around this part of the country that have taken their share of game. Those old-timers know how to lead the target and follow through. The argument that the 30-30 has taken down game is not a bad one, but we could take it one step further.

"The model T Ford is a great vehicle. It was driven by the majority of the population 80 years ago, and people never had problems with them. It would be fine for a cross country drive."

Ummm. Yeah, okay, but how about getting into something new, with better technology? The same thing with the SKS. How about getting into something new, with better accuracy and stopping power?

What about bow hunting? It's antiquated technology and all that (compared to rifles), but gaining in popularity every year.
Taking a model T out for a drive is still a fun thing to do once in a while.

Bow hunting would be fun. I just need a new bow because my old one has too short of a draw for me. The cool thing about bow hunting is that you have to wait for just the right moment and the deer has to be decently close. Which is always cool because I can see the animal up close in the wild.

As far as the quick kill, I've dropped 5 whitetails so far with the sks with no problem; the round is about like a 30-30 maybe a little flatter shooting. As with all hunting the main thing is shot placement first, the weapon second. I have a bolt action 308 with is great for open areas but I still like the sks for bush/short range work, several friends have bought the sks as a plinking rifle, and I have noticed that the accuracy varies a lot out of the box, I guess that I got lucky with mine as its a pretty good shooter.

I haven't gone hunting with it but a fellow in our usually hunting party used one for a few years in a row. He never got anything though and I know he fired it a couple times. So if that's any indicator of it's effectiveness or accuracy then it's not a good choice. You CAN do it but there's much better guns out there for relatively the same price.

never had any problem with my old .25-06, never missed a deer I didn't wait out. The key is to relax and don't overesimate your shot or get to exited. I see no reason why an SKS would have any problem with a whitetail

There are far more effective weapons for taking whitetail.

Yeah, but whenever that guy shows up talking about hunting deer with a MG-34, y'all call him names and stuff...

a 7.62 x 39 (excluding all FMJ loads, soft point only, if nosler makes a ballistic tip in .311" roll your own with that) is plenty for whitetail. I've seen them fall many a time to that cartridge, and my brother won't shoot anything other than .30-30, for deer AND bears.

SKS's are really popular around here due to you can buy one for only $50-$60 and ammo is dirt cheap also. And yes they are used sucessfully for hunting deer around in wisconsin. Usually most of the hmong population uses them around here cause of them being inexpensive compared to a shotgun.