100 yards with the SKS

[dh1633pm]

Took my SKS out today. Chinese commercial one. My friend brought his Russian. We both were hitting the gong at 100 yards. Works for me. Was thinking of getting tech sights. https://www.tech-sights.com/sks-products/

 

[Gus Chiggins]

I got a Chinese and a Russian SKS two years ago, haven't shot them much but Daniel did better than I have, and I am pretty good at iron sight shooting. Most AK-47 I have shot do better than the the SKS I have but most SKS are surplus refurbished , but I haven't tried to accurize the SKS like some have.

223/556 is a very accurate cartridge. 7.62x39 is a inherently inaccurate cartridge no matter what others say who defend it excluding hand loaders and 5.45x39 is a lot more accurate than 7.62x39. AK and SKS where never design to be precision rifles.

best result I have had from Russian.
View attachment 1042086

and three results from testing ammo in my Chinese Norinco

View attachment 1042087 View attachment 1042088 View attachment 1042089

Looks pretty good to me.

 

[lionking]

"No matter what other say who defend it."

Hmm... you may want to revise that statement a bit... like maybe just delete it altogether. A statement like comes from a pure lack of knowing... lacking broad experience with the cartridge. Depending on which of the many brands and loads you're using, it's capable of sub MOA. Aww, but what do I know? My experience with x39 only spans 35 years in many different firearms chambered for it.

Compared to most other military rifle cartridges yeah I think it is inaccurate overall. As I said excluding hand loads but if it needs to be hand loaded to do as good as many factory made cartridges and calibers do. 7.62x39mm coupled with the AK and SKS as a easy to make and easy to use has earned a place in fame for what it was intended to do be a hard hitting cartridge at intermediate distance for Russian military doctrine and it has done so well.

I like the cartridge as a defense cartridge and a AK and SKS can be owned with confidence in that realm, that and the fun factor for range time, and cost of shooting. But I own a CZ 527 and compared to many other factory loaded ammo in different cartridges, I think 7.62x39mm has limitations unless you want to take time to tweek and hand load.

Depending what kind of shooting you like to do and what guns, accuracy out of run of the mill AK and SKS might not be a cup of tea, but for like some said if you can hit a 8 inch gong at 100 yards rather consistent well fun enough for me.

Here is best group I have got out of my CZ 527 I know hand loads might do better, but now I am thinking next range trip or so I might try it again, not shouldered next time but with a rear rest also just to see.

 

[nofendertom]

Shooting an SKS at 100yds and hitting the 8in and 6in gongs is fun for me.

 

[Beck]

Compared to most other military rifle cartridges yeah I think it is inaccurate overall. As I said excluding hand loads but if it needs to be hand loaded to do as good as many factory made cartridges and calibers do. 7.62x39mm coupled with the AK and SKS as a easy to make and easy to use has earned a place in fame for what it was intended to do be a hard hitting cartridge at intermediate distance for Russian military doctrine and it has done so well.

I like the cartridge as a defense cartridge and a AK and SKS can be owned with confidence in that realm, that and the fun factor for range time, and cost of shooting. But I own a CZ 527 and compared to many other factory loaded ammo in different cartridges, I think 7.62x39mm has limitations unless you want to take time to tweek and hand load.

Depending what kind of shooting you like to do and what guns, accuracy out of run of the mill AK and SKS might not be a cup of tea, but for like some said if you can hit a 8 inch gong at 100 yards rather consistent well fun enough for me.

Here is best group I have got out of my CZ 527 I know hand loads might do better, but now I am thinking next range trip or so I might try it again, not shouldered next time but with a rear rest also just to see.
View attachment 1042238

The 7.62x39 is one of the best cartridges ever designed, but like any cartridge the quality varies by manufacturer.

The 7.62x39 cartridge itself is as good as any other in factory loads. It's been unfairly maligned due to many of the less than stellar firearms its been chambered for... inexpensive stock AK, SKS, etc. Getting the cartridge confused with those firearms is an all too common error.

My CZ-USA 527 American (22" barrel) is consistently 1 MOA with several factory rounds, brass case and steel case. My CZ is the first 1 MOA rifle I've ever owned in any caliber. There are many 1 MOA and sub MOA firearms chambered in 7.62x39, from bolt guns like the Ruger American Ranch, to AR-47s, to top of the line AK types like the IWI Israeli Galil Ace.

Both my Mini-30 and CZ 527 like Golden Tiger. The Mini-30 is sub 2 MOA even on a on a bad day with many factory loads, except Fiocchi and of course Chinese made.

Federal American Eagle is another good one, and was the first 7.62x39 brand I ever fired from my then new Mini-30 in 1989.

But it doesn't matter what my firearms do or yours can do. The heavy research into the 7.62x39 cartridge really took off in the early 1980s as Ruger was beginning to develop a Mini-14 for the round. We have mountains of documentation since then, many more brands and types of 7.62x39, and I've lost count of the firearms chambered for it.

The 7.62x39 cartridge of today is not the x39 of 1943, and it hasn't been for the last few decades.

Looks like it's about time I start that 7.62x39 information thread I've been meaning to get around to. I'm not going to hijack this thread to do it. It'll only get lost anyway. I see mostly misinformation about the round on gun forms. I get tempted to join every forum I see the usual myths being perpetuated so I can school the Interweb and correct the incorrections, but I don't have time.

 

[Catpop]

Haven’t shot my SKS since I bought it in the 80s. Looks like it’s time for it to make a range trip!
Thanks for reminding me!

 

[Hokkmike]

Had one -then felt compelled move up to the AK. They are fun. In the end, blasting holes in and around a target wasn't as much fun for me as using a bolt action to actually make groups. Also, magazines of 5, 20, and 30 rounds eats up ammo too quickly and expensively for my budget. But the SKS, AK, or AR may sadly become relevant the way things are going today. ENJOY yours !!! No one is required to think like me to be right......