Hunting with 7.62x39?

**GW870** · April 19, 2011, 15:03

Who has hunted deer (whitetail) with the 7.62x39?
If you had a successful hunt, which ammo were you using
and how did it perform?
I know there is lots of plinking/blasting surplus ammo to play
and practice with, but who makes decent serious deer hunting
ammo? This'll be out of a bolt gun - irons.
All first-hand experience gratefully accepted.

GW

**LAFAL** · April 19, 2011, 15:23

I have a 1909 Argie Mauser I had built up as a 7.62x39mm. It's a tack driver.
Only thing I've shot with it was a crow across my sister's pond with a handloaded 125gr TNT .30 caliber (barrel is .308). Strewed crow up the side of the levee.
My brother shot an Axis deer several years ago with his SKS and a Winchester soft point factory load. The guides at the exotic game ranch were snickering at him about using it until he dropped the spike with a heart/lung shot- open sights at 110 yds. He recovered and kept the bullet. It mushroomed well and the core stayed with the jacket. It was just under the skin at opposite shoulder.

MakNorinco · April 19, 2011, 15:47

white tail deer
cz 527 in x39
handloads with vmax bullets

Works very well

JohnnyV1966 · April 19, 2011, 15:58

Been there, done that!

I've killed one Whitetail with an AK at 120 yards. I used a handloaded bullet, specifically a Hornady 123 grain Spire Point over 26.6 of Reloader-7, with Winchester Primer and IMI Brass. The Deer dropped like a rock after being struck broadside mid-line just behind the shoulder. The Bullet smashed through the deers rib, shredding both lungs leaving several bullet fragments on the opposite side of the chest wall with one small piece lodging inside of the spine and chest wall. An extremely clean kill.

Another person I sometimes hunt with has killed two whitetail deer with an AK using the same loading. One deer was killed at 50 yards, as it was quartering away. smashing a lung and string the spine. A second deer was killed at approximately 100 yards striking the deer in the head and leaving no exit wound. The former dropped dead, like a rock , the latter twisted the deer as if it was doing a horizontal cartwheel also falling dead.

I've seen deer hit with a 30-30 and I think the AK seems to do a much better job of killing deer.

**Texgunner** · April 19, 2011, 16:04

I killed a 7-point whitetail with a Maadi AKM equipped with a Kobra sight. I used Barnaul soft point 7.62x39 to do the deed. The shot was about 50 yards, no more.

**GW870** · April 20, 2011, 10:54

Thanks, guys. This is the sort of stuff I needed to know.
I should have specified 'factory ammo' though - my son
doesn't reload. He and my grandson will be using the
little CZ carbine.

GW

Heat · April 20, 2011, 11:34

30-30, 7.62x39--pretty much equal

**308bolt** · April 20, 2011, 13:55

Quote:

Originally posted by GW870
Thanks, guys. This is the sort of stuff I needed to know.
I should have specified 'factory ammo' though - my son
doesn't reload. He and my grandson will be using the
little CZ carbine.

GW

Wolf makes a 154gr. Soft point.
I've found it to be more accurate than any 122gr. I've fired.

**GW870** · April 20, 2011, 19:12

Interesting, 308bolt. Heavy bullets.
Anyone here ever use it on a deer sized hunt?
'bolt, how much POA change from standard ammo?

GW

zeke · April 20, 2011, 19:53

First deer taken after moving to Wi was with a sks and Fed factory 123 gr "hi-shock" soft point. Tried several other factory loads and Fed was most accurate.
Later chronoed several factory hunting rounds, but can't find the results.

Fairly lucky shot, broke the back bone at 70 yards. Tried several other longer shots, but the deer just stood there and looked at me funny. After determining the real trajectory (drops like a rock) and the actual distance the deer was at, undoubtly shooting low. The shooters skill level was also low.

**308bolt** · April 20, 2011, 20:51

Quote:

Originally posted by GW870
Interesting, 308bolt. Heavy bullets.
Anyone here ever use it on a deer sized hunt?
'bolt, how much POA change from standard ammo?

GW

I don't really recall how much change there was in the POA.
It's been a while.
I just remember there was a significantly smaller group at 100yds.
I finally scoped my Australian Arms Enfield and I am going to try them in that next.

ssgrock3 · April 30, 2011, 18:29

has anyone tried the hollow point russian ammo that is so common?

**308bolt** · April 30, 2011, 20:57

Seems about the same as their FMJ to me.
A bit more destructive on a tree stump but that's about it.

April 19, 2011, 15:03	#1
GW870 Veteran Member Gold Contributor FALaholic #: 8076 Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: east Arkansas Posts: 1,358	Hunting with 7.62x39? Who has hunted deer (whitetail) with the 7.62x39? If you had a successful hunt, which ammo were you using and how did it perform? I know there is lots of plinking/blasting surplus ammo to play and practice with, but who makes decent serious deer hunting ammo? This'll be out of a bolt gun - irons. All first-hand experience gratefully accepted. GW

April 19, 2011, 15:23	#2
LAFAL Veteran Member Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 85 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Pineville, LA Posts: 1,848	I have a 1909 Argie Mauser I had built up as a 7.62x39mm. It's a tack driver. Only thing I've shot with it was a crow across my sister's pond with a handloaded 125gr TNT .30 caliber (barrel is .308). Strewed crow up the side of the levee. My brother shot an Axis deer several years ago with his SKS and a Winchester soft point factory load. The guides at the exotic game ranch were snickering at him about using it until he dropped the spike with a heart/lung shot- open sights at 110 yds. He recovered and kept the bullet. It mushroomed well and the core stayed with the jacket. It was just under the skin at opposite shoulder. __________________ -to AR is human. to FAL is divine!

April 19, 2011, 15:47	#3
MakNorinco Registered FALaholic #: 29380 Join Date: May 2007 Location: INDIANA Posts: 902	white tail deer cz 527 in x39 handloads with vmax bullets Works very well __________________ Originally posted by Ssarge Yeah, that really pissed me off when the German's bombed Pearl Harbor!

April 19, 2011, 16:04	#5
Texgunner long-time Texas taxpayer Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 4653 Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: central Texas-Milam county Posts: 2,508	I killed a 7-point whitetail with a Maadi AKM equipped with a Kobra sight. I used Barnaul soft point 7.62x39 to do the deed. The shot was about 50 yards, no more. __________________ "I'm Snake River Rufus Crile, a long way from home. I'm blood kin to a Gila monster, can drink my weight in wolf poison. Massacre, bloodshed, famine and drought all put meat on my bones. Hardship and slaughter, my daily bread. I can whip a full grown longhorn cow with my hands tied, make violent love to mountain lions. My trigger fingers are itchy; I'm set to go, red hot" from "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean"

April 30, 2011, 18:29	#12
ssgrock3 Registered FALaholic #: 9726 Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 125	has anyone tried the hollow point russian ammo that is so common? __________________ ssgrock3

April 19, 2011, 15:58	#4
JohnnyV1966 Registered FALaholic #: 19420 Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,490	Been there, done that! I've killed one Whitetail with an AK at 120 yards. I used a handloaded bullet, specifically a Hornady 123 grain Spire Point over 26.6 of Reloader-7, with Winchester Primer and IMI Brass. The Deer dropped like a rock after being struck broadside mid-line just behind the shoulder. The Bullet smashed through the deers rib, shredding both lungs leaving several bullet fragments on the opposite side of the chest wall with one small piece lodging inside of the spine and chest wall. An extremely clean kill. Another person I sometimes hunt with has killed two whitetail deer with an AK using the same loading. One deer was killed at 50 yards, as it was quartering away. smashing a lung and string the spine. A second deer was killed at approximately 100 yards striking the deer in the head and leaving no exit wound. The former dropped dead, like a rock , the latter twisted the deer as if it was doing a horizontal cartwheel also falling dead. I've seen deer hit with a 30-30 and I think the AK seems to do a much better job of killing deer.

April 20, 2011, 10:54	#6
GW870 Veteran Member Gold Contributor FALaholic #: 8076 Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: east Arkansas Posts: 1,358	Thanks, guys. This is the sort of stuff I needed to know. I should have specified 'factory ammo' though - my son doesn't reload. He and my grandson will be using the little CZ carbine. GW

April 20, 2011, 11:34	#7
Heat Registered Contributor FALaholic #: 31713 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: N Idaho Posts: 2,583	30-30, 7.62x39--pretty much equal

April 20, 2011, 19:12	#9
GW870 Veteran Member Gold Contributor FALaholic #: 8076 Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: east Arkansas Posts: 1,358	Interesting, 308bolt. Heavy bullets. Anyone here ever use it on a deer sized hunt? 'bolt, how much POA change from standard ammo? GW

April 20, 2011, 19:53	#10
zeke Registered FALaholic #: 10472 Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 83	First deer taken after moving to Wi was with a sks and Fed factory 123 gr "hi-shock" soft point. Tried several other factory loads and Fed was most accurate. Later chronoed several factory hunting rounds, but can't find the results. Fairly lucky shot, broke the back bone at 70 yards. Tried several other longer shots, but the deer just stood there and looked at me funny. After determining the real trajectory (drops like a rock) and the actual distance the deer was at, undoubtly shooting low. The shooters skill level was also low.

April 30, 2011, 20:57	#13
308bolt Heathen Silver Contributor FALaholic #: 19255 Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 19,928	Seems about the same as their FMJ to me. A bit more destructive on a tree stump but that's about it. __________________ "The bandwagons rumble past. I sit here on the curb," ~ John Hartford ~ "Nil desperandum, -- Never Despair. That is a motto for you and me. All are not dead; and where there is a spark of patriotic fire, we will rekindle it." ~ Samuel Adams ~

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