we were at the range the other day and my friend was shooting his sks. it has a decent rifle scope on and the gun would shoot all over at 100 yards. these were controlled and well placed shots. i think it's russian made. i know most ak/sks when shot multiple times in a row the barrel gets heated up and starts throwing rounds randomly, enough heat will warp the barrel. it is a used gun and he did get a good deal on it but how can you tell if the barrel is warped? and yes the scope was tightened and retightened before we went.
sks warped barrel?
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atblis
Member
How bad are we talking? Between shooter error, wind, crappy ammo, questionable scope mount, etc. etc. 6" at 100 yards would probably be pretty good.
i've never heard that about the SKS, but it has been a common complaint about many Ruger Mini-14s
two questions about common factors affecting accuracy with the SKS:
1. which ammo were you using? make, age, storage?
2. how was the scope mounted? i hope not atop the rear cover, it isn't stable enough for scope mounting
"i know most ak/sks when shot multiple times in a row the barrel gets heated up and starts throwing rounds randomly, enough heat will warp the barrel."
I think you have a scope issue, if the barrel was warped slightly, it seems the bullets POI would be off in a consistent direction at least. When a scope is just slightly loose, it will make your shots appear to be all over the place. I agree with the post above, if it is the receiver cover mounts they are not great for a scope, if they are fitted very tight they will work OK for a red dot, but not much else.
bill larry
Member
How is the scope mounted?
Most people slap a scope on an SKS by using a receiver cover mount. This is a poor system because it will move on you. Gas tube mounted scopes are also a bad idea.
The only real good ways are a scout type mount that replaces the rear sight leaf, or the best way is a drilled and tapped side mount that will not move.
Most people slap a scope on an SKS by using a receiver cover mount. This is a poor system because it will move on you. Gas tube mounted scopes are also a bad idea.
The only real good ways are a scout type mount that replaces the rear sight leaf, or the best way is a drilled and tapped side mount that will not move.
Mauserguy
Member
Just shoot it with iron sights the way it was intened and you won't have these problems.
Mauserguy
Mauserguy
panrobercik
Member
Most rifles will produce bigger groups when the barrel is hot. The weapon should be cooled down to the point where you can touch and hold the barrel for at least 10 seconds with a bare hand before resuming shooting.
.38 Special
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I think you may have believed the stories of cheap third world "assault rifles" shooting into minute of angle, and were then surprised to discover that cheap third world "assault rifles" aren't generally very accurate.
iHateRodents
Member
I've had pretty crappy results out of a very accurate AR-15 using a Bushnell Banner... they are crap. None of mine held zero well. Just saying.
ohgrady
Member
I picked up an SKS which had a scope mounted on the receiver cover.
The mount was just like this one and didn't have any set scews:
http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php/p/sks-top-mount-scope-base-/products_id/443
At 25 yards, I was getting "groups the size of an orange or so. I couldn't figure out why and then I realized the receiver cover rocked sideways and back and forth. On my next trip I took off the scope and used the iron sights - then the group was a little larger than a quarter.
The mount was just like this one and didn't have any set scews:
http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php/p/sks-top-mount-scope-base-/products_id/443
At 25 yards, I was getting "groups the size of an orange or so. I couldn't figure out why and then I realized the receiver cover rocked sideways and back and forth. On my next trip I took off the scope and used the iron sights - then the group was a little larger than a quarter.
AKElroy
Member
I had a 4x on a norinco using the same B-Square mount, and it would not hold zero. It is not the mount; the B-Square levers down really tight. I put on a cheap red dot, and it still sucks. Part of the problem is how high the optic mounts relative the available cheek weld. The other problem may be the aftermarket stock. If it is not properly fitted, it can give all kinds of grief as it heats up. I agree with an earlier post; leave it stock & use the sights it came with.
jpwilly
Member
All things considered your doing pretty good. Let's see: Plastic stock (I'm certain it's not bedded or even worthy of it) Non drill and tap scope mount (yes they do wobble!), mil spec trigger, and a mass produced chineese rifle.
While I have enjoyed an SKS or two in my day and have butchered one up just like yours it's best to leave them alone and appreciate what they are / were.
While I have enjoyed an SKS or two in my day and have butchered one up just like yours it's best to leave them alone and appreciate what they are / were.
hogshead
Member
Sks, dust cover scope mount, let me guess wolf ammo, plastic stock does not a tack driver make!
If you add a side mount for the scope your groups will shrink considerably. Just remember the SKS is a battle rifle. It isn't a target rifle. It isn't even a hunting rifle. It's made to shoot people. Yes it will heat up quickly because it has a medium size cartridge and it doesn't have anything to allow the heat to escape. Most men in battles rarely fire more than a few rounds. And the Russians figured if you shot your rifle 10 times chances are you would be dead soon and a hot barrel wouldn't matter. They weren't counting on you surviving for long so a hot barrel wasn't going to be a big problem for you.
A VERY GOOD SKS will shoot about 3-4 MOA, the B-square mount is better than the receiver cover mounts but still not optimal by any stretch. By the way, be careful using US ammo, it has softer primers and is prone to causing slam fires with the SKS's free floating firing pin. You may want to look into getting a spring loaded firing pin by Murray's Guns if you use US ammo often. I still think you have a scope issue with groupings as poor as you have described. Either the scope is broke or the rings are loose.
Ohio Gun Guy
Member
I have personally tried 3 times with different mounts to scope a good shooting sks (Over 15 years +/-). Each time I got the results you reported. Short of a tap and mounted scope mount, I dont thing it can work on an sks.
eatont9999
Member
I would add to the scope and stock comments above. Bring it back to milspec and use the irons to sight in a target at 50 and 100 yards. Try to shoot only a few rounds at a time and make sure the barrel is cool. That should give you your answer.
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