[o1sick7]

Ok. I was at the army surpluss store today. I found some 7.62X39 soft point's they remind me of a remmy corlock. I thought to my self. Why couldn't I use this for my antilope? Or maybe even a deer or 2..... its a 30 cal round. Its a soft point. What do you guys think.

 

[extremehunter007]

with it being a .31 cal, a nice soft point is more than enough to drop a deer...

 

[ronn]

don't you have a 270? why would you need to try and force something else to work?

 

[extremehunter007]

i know im stickin with mine.......she has never let me down!

 

[o1sick7]

I do have a .270 and a whole safe of great hunting rifles. But I was looking for something interesting. Why do some people hunt with mausers? It just seems fun at the time ha ha. I was actually more impressed they made soft points for them. Has anyone ever used this bullet gu combo for anything other than plinking and predators?

 

[ronn]

set the bench mark at 17" thats a real good speed goat use the 270 spot and stalk till you find him. what could be more fun than that? i've got real issues using military rifles/rounds down range type rifles for hunting.

 

[o1sick7]

Ron, I respect that you don't like people shooting mil spec guns and ammo. And I do like the idea set my sights high your the second one to say that so I won't settle for anything less than a 16' speed goat.

 

[WisconsinDeer]

If you can get it to shoot accurately I'd say go for it.

 

[WisconsinDeer]

i've got real issues using military rifles/rounds down range type rifles for hunting.

WHY?? I mean the rifles part, military rounds for hunting would be illegal as they are FMJ.

 

[rdrader2002]

I know that I had to get different rds to hunt for my Mosin-Nagant than I used for 'plinkin'. The 7.62x54R (from what I heard) is the most widely used hunting round in the world. I'm sure to get some comments about that statement. The 7.62x39 round is most famous for being used in the AK-47 that's been used against our military/service members since Vietnam. It's also become a widely used round for hunting anything from varmints (2 or 4 legged, <grin>) to white tail deer. One of the local gun shops recommended the Saiga in 7.62x39 to replace my aging varmint gun (M1 Carbine), but I can't seem to cost justify that purchase - not with a son in college that's a continual drain on the wallet.

As for the knockdown power of the 7.62x54R, I'd sure like to try it out against a military vest with SAPI plates. (small arms protective insert) I've seen what it can do to a good sized buck, so I can only imagine what it would do against human flesh. BTW - the 7.62x54R is what the enemy snipers are using agains our boys in Iraq and Afganistan and I sure hope that they're using FMJ and NOT some of the rounds that I have in the closet.

Just thought I'd give a little history lesson from someone who's spent a day or two "over there".

 

[hunt NH]

i say if you got a .270, why would you want to use a 7.62? not nearly as acurate, and you could just hurt your game cuasing it unnessisary pain, and you loosing your game. you say you want more of a challange, get a 30-30 so you have to get closer to your game than with the .270 but still have an acureate round that was designed for hunting. Or bow hunt. now i know my 6.8 spc thread is going to hant me for these statments, but i had my reasons for that question, and it was not just to make my hunt more interesting.

 

[ronn]

WHY?? I mean the rifles part, military rounds for hunting would be illegal as they are FMJ.

why use a mini van to haul lumber if you have a pickup truck? will it get it there? yup if you take the seats out and leave the door open and....... will it get the job done? yup but there is more potential for issues. would the pick up, being built for such things, be a better choice? yup no doubt. its that way of thinking

 

[BruceBruce1959]

Ok. I was at the army surpluss store today. I found some 7.62X39 soft point's they remind me of a remmy corlock. I thought to my self. Why couldn't I use this for my antilope? Or maybe even a deer or 2..... its a 30 cal round. Its a soft point. What do you guys think.

Hold on fellas you're talking about using a 7.62x39mm
the 7.62x39mm caliber is too small for antelope
the 7.62x39mm "might" be able to kill a whitetail deer but I wouldn't ever use it for them.

Hornady Ballistics for the 7.62x39mm
123gr. A-MAX bullet

Velocity / Energy
muzzle..........100m........200m........300m..........400m.........500m
719/1907.....622/1423...532/1044......453/756....388/553.....340/425

trajectory table
muzzle......100m.....200m.....300m.....400m.....500m
-4............11.......... 0........ -46....... -140.....-299

There's a difference between the 7.62x39mm and the 7.62x54mm,
I wouldn't use the 7.62x39mm for hunting anything larger than coyotes,
but the 7.62x54mm has plenty of velocity & Energy to kill Whitetail deer and antelope.

 

[Southern Man]

20 Years ago I bought an SKS and let my oldest son hunt with it his first year hunting. That's the year I decided if a kid wanted to deer hunt, he could take the recoil of a proper gun for the job. After that he used the .270. I was not impressed with the accuracy or performance. In the hands of an experienced shooter it would prolly be ok, but I'm not recommending it. Stick with the .270 and if you want a challenge, spot & stalk and go for the trophy as was stated before.

 

[WisconsinDeer]

Here's my deer hunting rig....1941 Izhevsk 91/30 Mosin Nagant. Synthetic stock with Simmons 4x32mm ProHunter Handgun scope mounted scout style.

Here's my bear hunting rig for when I get my kill permit in a couple years.....1944 Izhevsk M38 Mosin Nagant.

I don't need a new bolt action rifle with a 3-9 power scope chambered in a "hunting caliber" to get done what needs to be done. Bruce I'm not sure why you said you wouldn't use a 7.62x54R for anything larger than a coyote. Its power is between .308 and 30-06 so it has enough KE. I will begin hand loading for it soon but the factory loads will kill a deer fine as I have found out last year. I get about 2.5" groups at 100 yards with the 91/30 using 1980 military surplus ammo so imagine what it would do with hand loaded ammo....If I got the rifle's barrel recrowned it would shoot even better. So it's plenty accurate.

 

[ronn]

Here's my deer hunting rig....1941 Izhevsk 91/30 Mosin Nagant. Synthetic stock with Simmons 4x32mm ProHunter Handgun scope mounted scout style.

Here's my bear hunting rig for when I get my kill permit in a couple years.....1944 Izhevsk M38 Mosin Nagant.

I don't need a new bolt action rifle with a 3-9 power scope chambered in a "hunting caliber" to get done what needs to be done. Bruce I'm not sure why you said you wouldn't use a 7.62x54R for anything larger than a coyote. Its power is between .308 and 30-06 so it has enough KE. I will begin hand loading for it soon but the factory loads will kill a deer fine as I have found out last year. I get about 2.5" groups at 100 yards with the 91/30 using 1980 military surplus ammo so imagine what it would do with hand loaded ammo....If I got the rifle's barrel recrowned it would shoot even better. So it's plenty accurate.

if what you have is a minivan, you need to do what you have to. if you got it use it, if it'll do the job. nobody said you had to go buy squat.

as for the 7.62X54 isn't that smaller, less powder, than the 308 win? i'd be interested in seeing a ballistics comparison if you got one.

oh and 2.5" at a hundred is terrible i my opinion. hand loads would probably be the best remedy

 

[WisconsinDeer]

as for the 7.62X54 isn't that smaller, less powder, than the 308 win? i'd be interested in seeing a ballistics comparison if you got one.

oh and 2.5" at a hundred is terrible i my opinion. hand loads would probably be the best remedy

Your average .308 gets like 2800 fps with a 150 grain bullet...a 7.62x54R gets about 2850-2900 fps with a 150 grain bullet. Remember this cartridge is over 100 years old..

2.5" at 100 yards is bad compared to today's modern rifles. Bear in mind that the 2.5" was with a 4x32 scope handgun scope, a loooong 8lb trigger, non free floated barrel (it's been free floated since I shot it last),1980's military surplus ammo, and this rifle doesn't have a very good crown. Of course I could take out my .243 with a 4-16 power scope that will get MOA groups at 100 yards...but what fun would that be. You hunt with what makes you happy and I will hunt with what makes me happy.

 

[ronn]

Your average .308 gets like 2800 fps with a 150 grain bullet...a 7.62x54R gets about 2850-2900 fps with a 150 grain bullet. Remember this cartridge is over 100 years old..

2.5" at 100 yards is bad compared to today's modern rifles. Bear in mind that the 2.5" was with a 4x32 scope handgun scope, a loooong 8lb trigger,1980's military surplus ammo, and this rifle doesn't have a very good crown. Of course I could take out my .243 with a 4-16 power scope that will get MOA groups at 100 yards...but what fun would that be. You hunt with what makes you happy and I will hunt with what makes me happy.

sounds like enough umph to me. yea that hunt with what you want thing is true. but we own it to the animal, to the thing that is hunting, to be as proficent as we can. there is no fun in a gun that doesn't group tight enough and stands a greater chance of wounding animals with a bad shot. not a lot different than going out witout sighting a gun in first.

 

[BruceBruce1959]

Bruce I'm not sure why you said you wouldn't use a 7.62x54R for anything larger than a coyote. Its power is between .308 and 30-06 so it has enough KE. I will begin hand loading for it soon but the factory loads will kill a deer fine as I have found out last year. I get about 2.5" groups at 100 yards with the 91/30 using 1980 military surplus ammo so imagine what it would do with hand loaded ammo....If I got the rifle's barrel recrowned it would shoot even better. So it's plenty accurate.

I'm sorry Wisconsindeer you are right the 7.62x54mm has plenty of Velocity and energy to use for Whitetail deer, even antelope...
I edited my post to reflect the same, I must have had my mind on something else while I was doing that post.

 

[WisconsinDeer]

yea that hunt with what you want thing is true. but we own it to the animal, to the thing that is hunting, to be as proficent as we can. there is no fun in a gun that doesn't group tight enough and stands a greater chance of wounding animals with a bad shot. not a lot different than going out witout sighting a gun in first.

I feel just as comfortable, if not more comfortable with my 91/30 than I do with my open sight Remington 870 with a rifled slug barrel, or my open sight Winchester 94 30-30 that I will be taking out for the early doe season in October.