7.62x39 W T Deer Loads

S

soup

Active member
HiFolks,
I have a 20" SS T/C Encore w/a Muzzle Tamer in cal 7.62x39. The bore is .308. I would like to know if anyone has in the past, or does use this cartridge for deer hunting out to a MAX. distance of 125 yards with a 125 gr spitzer bullet.My hunting will be in NE PA & to tell you the truth I've never had a shot over about 80 yards although I know guys that have. If anyone can help me outI'd appreciate it.
Thanks,
SOUP
 
The 7.62 is fired at the Camp Perry International matches from M1's at distances of 1,000 yards. If you can spot a deer at 1,000 yards you win a cupie doll /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif 1,000 is a long long long shot for us hunters in the east, and I dont think that I would be able to line up a shot on a live target at that distance. SO-- my intuition would say that a 7.62 would be quite sufficient for deer. I dont fire a 7.62, so I cant give you my experience, just my knowledge on the round.
 
Soup's taliking about the 7.62X39, the round fired in the AK-47, SKS, etc. It in factory loadings has ballistics very similar to the 30/30 Win. so yes, at 125 or even 200 yds, you're fine for deer.
 
The little .30 Russian gets a fair amount of play around here in the brush from backwoods boys and their SKS rifles. Personally, I'd much prefer a .30-30 to the 7.62x39. NO!, I don't think the ballistics are all that close between these two. But that's not what you asked. These guys using the SKS seem to do well enough with the commercial hunting loads from Federal, Winchester, and Remington. I've talked with a couple of these fellows at deer check stations and they seem to love thier rifles and nobody has told me they've had trouble killing deer. I'm sure in the situation you described with whatever commercial hunting load, or handload that approaches the same, with good shot placement you won't have any problems whatsoever. I have a 16" upper for my Colt Match Target Lightweight AR-15 in this caliber and for what it's worth I've chronographed some Remington 123 grain commercial hunting ammo at around 2,100+ fps from this short barrel.

TomBulls,
The 7.62x39 Russian is not the same round fired from either the M1 Garand (.30-06) or the M14 (.308). The .30 Russian falls far short of either of the two martial arms of the U.S. And, it wasn't designed to compete with these two as it's a short - medium range "assualt" cartridge. The .308 and .30-06 are true battle rifle cartridges, head and shoulders above the Russian. With that said, the Russian does what it does pretty well - unfortunately.
 
Gc is right. The .308 is the 7.62X51mm NATO (not exactly but within SAAMI specs). The 51 vs 39mm case gives MUCH more range and down range energy.

The 7.62X39 will take medium game out to 100yds or so, no problem, but of course any lessoning of penetration/energy requires better shot placement (as GC also said).
 
If one would consider 70-90 fps and a hundred or so foot pounds of energy to be a big differenc, then I guess they're not ballistically similiar. But don't see enough difference to sway ones opion of it's effectiveness on deer size game.
2000 edition of Ammo & Ballistics sites these numbers:

AT 100 yds ..............Velocity & Kinetic energy
7.62- PMC 125gr, ..............2046 & 1161
30/30 Fed 125 gr ...............2090 & 1210

Huge difference huh?
Check this load out...
7.62 150 gr Black Hills SP ....1977 & 1302
same load at 200 yds .........1769 & 1042
More than enough energy for deer at 200 yds.

Now where the big difference is is in longer range, some of the 30/30 180 grain loads are still packing over 1,000 lbs of energy at 300 yds
 
I have that edition. I doubt many .30-30 users rely on the 125 grain bullet for thier deer hunting. Look immediately under the 125 grain .30-30 loading to the Winchester Power Point Plus 150 grain loading. 2,095 fps @ 100 yards and 1,462 fpe. Now we're stretching things out a bit aren't we? When Hornaday introduces the new Light Magnum round this fall that adds 200 fps again to the 150 grain .30-30 it'll tread closely on the heels of the .300 Savage. No comparison. If you truly want to look for the best in each round...

Of course we all know what Mark Twain said about statistics... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
Your right GC, That'll be a heck of a load in the 30/30. I pointed out the 125 grain loads 'cause that's mostly what's available in factory stuff for the 7.62
 
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