Russian Rifles Used To Hunt Small Game?

[CA Raider]

Does anyone know what rifle calibers Russians use for hunting small game? Do they have their own equivalent of 22LR and 22WMR ammo? It doesn't seem like they could be using 7.62 x 39 ammo .... they would be blowing rabbits into small pieces.

thanks for any info.

CA R

 

[ColtPythonElite]

.22lr is used around the world. Their are plenty of European .22 gun and ammo makers.

 

[303tom]

What he said......^^^^^^^^^^

 

[SDC]

The most common now are the 22 LR and 22 WMR, but they've also used a couple of others in the past. From the 1960s on, they started using 5.6x39 for "varmint-class" (wolf/fox/etc.)hunting, and back in the 50s, they even had a now-obsolete 6.5x38 cartridge based on a necked-down 7.62 Nagant Revolver cartridge for some of their drillings.

 

[Legion489]

The Russians make Olympic .22 cal rifles and handguns, as well as make various grades of .22 LR ammo, plus sell (here at least) quite a few .22 rifles and lots of shoguns, plus combo guns, etc. I don't doubt they are available in Russia as well.

 

[tahunua001]

5.6x39

I've never heard of this round. are you sure you aren't confusing 5.56x45 and 5.45x39?

 

[SDC]

No, 5.6x39mm is a round also known as 5.6 Running Deer, because it was also used in the Olympic Running Deer competition, before it was dropped in the early 1960s; it's basically the 7.62x39 necked down to take a 22-calibre bullet, and it remains a popular varmint-class centrefire cartridge there today. Most of the break-open guns that are chambered for this round are also delivered with sub-calibre adaptors allowing them to fire the 22 LR cartridge. Here's a photo comparing the 7.62x39, 5.45x39, and 5.6x39.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Tula cranks out millions of 22's a day, just like Federal. They aren't all for export.

TOZ branded rifles in .22 are kind of rare here but the most common .22 rifle in Russia.