USING THE 7.62X39mm FOR BUCK HUNTING?

d_hoffman

I've hunted with a 7.62x39 and killed 2 deer with it the same day. The first one was @ approximatly 130 yards, heart shot he ran about 80 yards with a good blood trail. The second was only 15 yards and ran, if you want to call it that, about 50 yards. Both were a one shot kill. If you check out the ballistics on it you'll find it pretty much equal to a 30-30 which has been a popular caliber for deer for about a hundred years or so. There is ammo available for hunting which is I believe is a 147gr soft point core-lokt. As far as being a good round for deer or comparable sized game, depends on the shooter and shot placement.

4rum · Member Joined: Jan 06, 2007 Posts: 211

d_hoffman wrote:

I've hunted with a 7.62x39 and killed 2 deer with it the same day. The first one was @ approximatly 130 yards, heart shot he ran about 80 yards with a good blood trail. The second was only 15 yards and ran, if you want to call it that, about 50 yards. Both were a one shot kill. If you check out the ballistics on it you'll find it pretty much equal to a 30-30 which has been a popular caliber for deer for about a hundred years or so. There is ammo available for hunting which is I believe is a 147gr soft point core-lokt. As far as being a good round for deer or comparable sized game, depends on the shooter and shot placement.

[b]I agree with that assessment... I think I even said so in my very first post to this thread.

The question is pretty general, so here's a sort of general answer.

Close yardage, good bullet, perfect bullet placement... yes 7.62 X 39 will kill a deer.

If you can stalk, bait or wait for that perfect shot, are loaded with a premium grade ammunition with an appropriate bullet style, and are absolutely confident that you can make the shot to a vital or crucial body part on the deer (heart, spine, brain) go for it.

It is, however, my opinion, that I owe an animal that I'm going to kill, as clean a kill as I can make.

It's my opinion that the 7.62 X 39 is underpowered for most hunting situations.

Vince

d_hoffman wrote:

The second was only 15 yards and ran, if you want to call it that, about 50 yards.

Mate....if I shot a deer at 15 yards and he took even one step....other than the one he takes when he falls on his face......then I would be looking seriously at my rifle, calibre, load and shooting ability.

I have to agree very strongly with 4rum:

It is, however, my opinion, that I owe an animal that I'm going to kill, as clean a kill as I can make.

Cheers, Vince

WILDCATT · Last edited by WILDCATT on Sun Feb 25, 2007 11:23 am; edited 1 time in total

I am amazed at some of the post on power of cartriges.military cart ARE made to kill.fmj was the result of the hage? convention to prevent using dum dum ammo so there would not be masive wounds.cartridges pre 1900 were not all that powerful.many a hunter killed deer wih 25/20-32/20-38/40 and 44/40.yes they had more powerful cart.but the vast majority were pistol sized.till win /marlin came out with guns that could handle such cart as 30/30-38/55.and of course the other big black powder cart.
my son droped a buck last season with sks in its tracks.may have used soft point i will ask.I wondered why hunters did not shoot game in the head and was told because the body is larger target.my eyesight has prohibited me from hunting in last 6 yrs.

WILDCATT · Posted: Sun Feb 25, 2007 11:14 am Post subject: double post

this was double post

Bushmaster

WILDCATT...You are absolutely correct in your list of cartridges used in the late 1800s and early 1900s. One must remember that they hunted differently then. They actually snuck up on the game by knowing sign and tracking and shot at close ranges. As rifles and cartridges improved over the years the ranges increased (And hunting skills declined). Then we started using scopes. Now we get out to several hundred yards and make kills. Well at least some of us do. I haven't shot a deer too much over 100 yards. My last elk was around 75 yards. Although I own a .30-06 (scoped) my favorite rifle [still] is the Winchester mod 94 in .30 WCF (.30-30) which requires me to "hunt" my quarry. Oh yeah. I hunt mostly the mountain forests which reduces you visibility...Rifle cartridges that are equal to, less or just a bit better then the .30-30 should be utilized in that fashion, short range (0-200 yards) and I really don't feel that the .30-30 should be used beyond 150 yards and I don't care if you do mount a scope on that .30-30 it doesn't make the rifle any more powerful or longer range. Just means your eyesight is getting bad...Like mine and I still refuse to change or modify this ol' "Jack handle". (Ser # 1,608,XXX)

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5946

WILDCATT,

Welcome to the forums Howdy

Glad your son likes hunting! Smile

Sorry to hear about your eyesight though.

Dimitri

WILDCATT

MILITARY CARTRIDGES SURE ARE MADE TO KILL.WHERE YOUR GETTING THE WOUND STORY IS THE BAN ON DUM-DUM BULLETS.ALSO THE REMARKS THAT IT TAKES 2 TO 4 MEN TO CARRY WOUNDED OFF THE BATTLE FIELD.THINK 30/06 303 BRIT ECT.WOUNING WAS NOT THE INTENT. I POSTED HERE BEFORE BUT IT DISSAPERED. I JUST CHECKED WITH MY SON AS HE SHOT A DEER IN DEC.I DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE RD WAS FMJ SURPLUS IN SKS.DROPPED THE DEER IN ITS TRACKS AND PAST OUT.OLD TIMERS USED 25/20 AND UP BUT THEY PLACED THEIR SHOTS.AT 100 YDS MOST CART WILL KILL.HOW ABOUT 357 MAG FOR HUNTING.COME ON GUYS THINK.

tracker

Well guys,I've been away but I'm back. My thoughts on military cartridges is that currently every member of NATO is issuing their soldiers some version of the .223. I watched a video of a guy in Iraq trying to set up a rocket launcher and an American soldier killed the guy. Took him 5 shots, the guy kept getting back up, but yeah, 5 shots. I know a guy that uses a .223 to hunt whitetails and I think it's idiotic.

I still stalk my animals too by the way, Bushy. Wish I had the skill level them oldtimers had.

Hey 1895, thanks for the note!

1895ss

Welcome back tracker. I heard once that it was legal to hunt deer in Manitoba with a 22 caliber center fire, is that still the case? If so I think, as far as I know, that's the only province you can/could. I could be mistaken though. Smile

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5946

1895,

In Ontario you can hunt deer, moose and black bear with ANY centerfire round. Smile

Even the tiny 17 Remington is legal here for the 3. Shocked

Dimitri

1895ss

Thanks Dimitri, I didn't know that. Here in Saskatchewan you have to use a center fire that is .23 caliber or bigger. Really in my opinion the .22 center fire is to small for deer etc. Smile

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5946

I can just see someone now downsize the neck of a round and shoot a .100 sized bullet for big game here. Bang Head

Dimitri

1895ss

Ya you're probably right. Some people will try anything..... Smile

d_hoffman

1895ss wrote:

Wake up !!!!!! Just because the 7.62X39mm was a military round doesn't make it a good hunting round ........!!

Like it was pointed out before, it's equal to the 30-30. Maybe it was developed for the military but there is plenty of ammo that is made for hunting. I personally have 2 clean kills with one being at 130 yards.

Vince wrote;
"Mate....if I shot a deer at 15 yards and he took even one step....other than the one he takes when he falls on his face......then I would be looking seriously at my rifle, calibre, load and shooting ability."

Just as I was pulling the trigger on it, it whirled around to run. He ran up to me just as I was getting into my blind. I have, however, watched a guy shoot a deer 3 times with an '06 at about 50 to 60 yards and it ran off. He did find it and all 3 rounds were through the boiler room. So just because a deer runs off after shooting it with a 7.62x39, no matter the reasonable range, doesn't mean it wasn't powerful enough. He was just scared S#@Tless realizing he almost ran me over. HAHAHA...