An SKS? . . . Which SKS?

[Naphtali]

I have a series of interconnecting questions of SKS 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifles that I'll attempt to put in an order that should make some sense.

1. If there are commercial sporting cartridges that are satisfactory for use on black bear and whitetail up to 150 yards, please identify them.

2. If there are commercial sporting cartridges that are satisfactory for use on elk up to 100 yards, please identify them.

3. There have been many versions of the military SKS manufactured by several countries. As best you can, please identify the specific two or three versions that you would expect to be more functionally reliable in cold weather while having 6 MOA accuracy to 150 yards? While I anticipate "most functionally reliable" will probably include the rifle as being more durable, I am certain any SKS having an endorsement here will outlast me.

4. Although SKS rifle is a semiautomatic, it is a Soviet design. My belief - without testing its validity - is that Soviet designed SKS and AK rifles are more functionally reliable in cold nasty weather than Western military rifles. At least some reliability is sloppy tolerance. Some is simpler mechanism. The downside is probably reduced accuracy. . . . Enough pontificating. As best you can, compare the identified SKS versions with traditional lever action rifles (Winchester [and clones] 1894 and 1892, Marlin 336) for those factors I identified for SKS.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Oooookay......Here we go. This is opinion. I own at least one of all of them except Albanian and N. Korean. I live where the winters can be very cold.

1. and 2.
The 7.62x39mm is, in general and in most loadings, considered roughly equal to but slightly less than the .30-30 Win. in similar loadings. I would not shoot a black bear or an elk at 150 yds. with one, believing it not to be the best of sportsmanship. Having nothing else, I would shoot at a whitetail at that distance, but not given 6 inch accuracy. Assuming a good hit, I think it would prove satisfactory for the whitetail. Your accuracy expectations are low, as I have a close friend who shoots 1" groups at 100 yds. with Winchester factory ball ammo in a new condition Soviet SKS.
3.
I think that the best made version would have to be the original Soviet rifles made in the very late 1940s and early '50s. But, as far as cold weather reliability is concerned I don't believe that there is much to choose from in selecting between the various makes. All of the countries that produced them enjoy frigid winter conditions, and even the lowly Chinese version is highly reliable. I personally find myself usually shooting a Yugo specimen when the SKS urge hits me.
4.
In answering #3., I pretty well covered #4. I repeat that your conclusion about SKS accuracy is not necessarily valid. They are individuals with differing levels of wear and manufacture, and some definitely perform better than others, but I do not believe that a hard and fast conclusion can be drawn, such as all Soviet specimens shoot better than all Romanian specimens. They are highly reliable in cold weather. As for a comparison to lever actions, for a hunting rife I would much prefer a lever action in a caliber/cartridge superior to the 7.62x39mm. Hard to find a lever action in 7.62x39mm unless one makes it a custom project, so assuming the commonly found chamberings for lever actions (not going to list them all, but assume larger than the pistol cartridges) I'd chose the lever action every time. Having watched a number of hunting films and read a number of accounts of hunts in various parts of Russia and the former Soviet Republics, it is very interesting to note that the guides are almost always armed with old SKS rifles; but one must remember that they do not enjoy the number and selection of firearms we have available here.

DG

[Petrol & Powder]

I cannot improve upon what Der Gebirgsjager wrote but I will add to it slightly.

The field of SKS rifles is huge and that label covers a lot of territory. While the rifles are not generally known for their accuracy, some individual rifles will shoot better than others. I agree wear, age and manufacturing tolerances can make it nearly impossible to say that one type of SKS is always better than another. There's just too many variables to make those kinds of gross assumptions.

I will say that the SKS was a popular deer rifle here in Virginia in the early 1990's due to its very low cost at that time. Hunters that were seeking an inexpensive rifle that they could use without concern over damage would often select a SKS. With the correct bullet, the 7.62 x 39 was more than adequate at ranges below 100 yards. In heavy cover and hilly terrain shots over 100 yards are rare.

The 7.62 x 39 is not a great hunting cartridge by any means but with the right projectile and responsible shots, it will get the job done on Whitetail deer.

There were a LOT of variations of SKS rifles and the build quality ranges from OK to terrible. The late production Chinese stuff is probably the worst of the bunch. Some of the Romanian ones were pretty good. The Yugoslavian are well made BUT don't have chrome lined barrels so the condition of the bore can be an issue. If you can find one of the rare East German SKS rifles, they are rather nice, as SKS's go.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=East+German+SKS&view=detail&mid=59B23A9C585CCB8E0F1759B23A9C585CCB8E0F17&FORM=VIRE
The early Russian ones are probably the best of the bunch for a reasonable price.

[Bazoo]

I've owned 4 SKS rifles, all Chinese. There is a difference in quality between rifles made by norinco in the 70s-80s than the cheap SKS's sold for 89.00 in the 90s. The fit and finish of the older ones is better. The easiest way to tell the difference is the better ones have the barrels threaded into the receivers while the cheaper ones have the barrels pinned to the receivers. If you google a picture it's quite appearant.

One of the sks rifles I had was from the 70s and it was very reliable. I fired in the order of 3500-4000 rounds through it and I can't recall it ever jamming. It broke the extractor once and I replaced that, and it doubled on me a couple times so I replaced the sear/magazine latch spring. As for it being simple and rugged.... Rugged yes, simple, not as much. Very simple as far as operation and maintenance but the fire control group is not what id call simple.

I wish I had that rifle back, or any SKS of similar quality. I don't remember how it shot but it was decent enough for coke cans and dirt clods. You'll likely need a sight pusher to adjust windage, I was able to move mine with a brass drift but it wasn't easy.

[Petrol & Powder]

Speaking of cheap Chinese SKS rifles, in the early 1990's I saw a crate of 10 for $890 ! They were $89/each and came with slings, cleaning kits (well, sort of) and all of the Cosmoline you could stand. You could buy the entire wooden crate of 10 rifles for $890 plus tax.

I knew a few guys that hunted with the SKS and they used Romanian and Russian rifles. They were OK rifles for what they were. A bunch of Yugoslavian SKS rifles were imported into the U.S. in the late 1990's or early 2000's (I don't recall the timing). IF you could look at the bore before you purchased one of those, you could get a decent SKS.

The SKS uses a long gas piston and a tilting bolt and it is an extremely reliable weapon. (on par with the AK reliability). Unfortunately a lot of them had less than perfect maintenance.
You can get a Ruger Mini-30 chambered in 7.62 x 39 but frankly for the money, I'd rather have the SKS. It's not a fine rifle by any means but back when you could get really good example for under $200; it was a bargain for what it was.

[WinchesterM1]

I prefer the Yugo SKS over anything I like the gas shut off for a single shot option. I have also noticed that I get about an extra 50-75FPS with the shut off on vs off, I strictly use a Ruger Ranch rifle in 7.62x39 for hunting in east Ky where my shots are MAX 150 yards but I have killed several deer with the 7.62x39 and have them drop using the lee 150 fn over 21.5 grn of IMR-4198 seated LONG!!

242887

This was found after I shot a deer at 150 yards it penetrated about 7-8 inches in the ground behind it

[Tripplebeards]

The $99 rifles sold back in the 90’s are good for letting rounds fly thought it but IMO it would be the last rifle I would ever take in the woods to hunt with. Do yourself a favor and but a Ruger American in 308. Probably cheaper, WAY more accurate, and has tons of more knock down power. My buddy bought one for $399 in 30-06. I’ve seen the 270 chamber for $279 on sale across the Internet in many places. It has more than enough capacity to dispatch an elk or bear and has a century of reputation to prove it. The sks is nothing more than a fun m self defense, spray and pray novelty rifle IMO. Don’t get me wrong, they’re fun to shoot they’re just not a good reliable, accurate long distance hunting rifle with long range knockdown capabilities. I would like to buy an SKS again as well, I just would never hunt with it. It be a good round in the Rufer ranch for close range whitetails but I wouldn’t shoot anything bigger with it. You would at least have an accurate platform for the caliber.

The Russian SKS is bringing the most money for some reason nowadays.

[GhostHawk]

I agree with WinchesterM1, I love the Yugo SKS.

I have looked at but not yet bought others.

As to ammo.

I have some PPU (Privi Partizan) with jacketed soft points.

But if I was to hunt with mine it would be the Lee .312 185 gr 2r with gas check over 20 grains of IMR 4895. That load has been plenty accurate for me.

[Petrol & Powder]

While I wouldn't go out of my way to intentionally select a SKS as a hunting rifle; I've seen the SKS successfully used for Whitetail deer at reasonable ranges.

Back when you could pick up a decent SKS and hundreds of cartridges for under $200 and have compact rifle that you didn't worry about in the woods - it wasn't a terrible option. It may not have been the best option in those days but it was an option.

I agree that an inexpensive bolt action chambered in a superior cartridge would be a better choice these days.

[Texas by God]

Due to the sights, personally I would limit my hunting range to 100 yards with the SKS using suitable ammo. I would increase that to 200 yds with my scoped AR or bolt action 7.62x39.
The SKS is one of the world’s most reliable guns, period.

[FLINTNFIRE]

I used a chinese pinned barrel all through the early 90's hunting deer here in washington , it was quite accurate with the chinese softpoint ammo one was able to buy at the time , great brush gun for quick shots in heavy cover . I have owned russian , chinese threaded and pinned and still come back to the pinned one I used then . If it is what you want , go for it .

[3leggedturtle]

Get one of the Tula Arsenal machined SKS if you can. Wish I had bought mine back when I sold it to a friend. Any thing you hunt with 30/30 can be hunted with the 7.62x39.

[Bazoo]

The SKS uses a long gas piston and a tilting bolt (similar to the AK-47) and it is an extremely reliable weapon.

The SKS does use a tilting bolt, however the ak47 uses a rotating bolt. The actions of the two are not at all similar except that they both have the gas system above the barrel.

I sure would like another SKS, they are tough little guns. I never had any luck with using banana mags in any of mine, but they all worked flawlessly. One of the ones I had was a paratrooper model with shorter barrel. 'Twas a might louder.

[erdyalx]

Our family has used the 7.62x39 on many deer and elk. For Elk I prefer the 123 Barnes x bullet. For deer, we have used many from all the major manufacturers. But in our case we used the CZ527 in 7.62x39.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[samari46]

Someone on another forum was discussing the fit of the bullet to the barrel. The subject of lousy accuracy came up regarding the SKS. What he did was slug his barrel and then bought and pulled a bunch of bullets from ammo made by different manufacturers. The often quoted groove inside diameter of .310 in some of the better SKS was often anywhere from 2-3 thousandths over .310. Then he started measuring bullet diameters, in one batch of measuring bullets they all measured .308 not much accuracy there. The fatter bullets in acceptable bores did very well. The undersized ones not so well. The really oversized bores wasn't worth the time,effort or ammunition to test. I found this very interesting. But then again, don't we all basically match the bullets diameter to our rifles interior dimensions?. Frank

[trapper9260]

I know where a SKS is for sale for a time. After read this ,I will stay with my 30-30,308 win, 30-06.

[funnyjim014]

First I love the sks. Its very reliable. Very simple to maintain and clean. Ammo is cheaper than anything else. I have several and it's my go to for range time, I choose a newer export China model. I put a aftermarket front sight that is a tiny ball on a post and shrunk my groups in half . Saying that this is not your gun. The 7.62x39 is lacking in what your requirements are. If you're looking for a cheep gun, find a cheep sporterd mouser in 8mm. With decent ammo it should hold groups and have enough power for ya

[tomme boy]

I have owned just about all of them. If you can find a unissued Yugo go that route. They have been the most accurate of all the ones I have owned. The barrels are not chromed like the others. And I think that helps them shoot well.

[Petrol & Powder]

The SKS does use a tilting bolt, however the ak47 uses a rotating bolt. The actions of the two are not at all similar except that they both have the gas system above the barrel.

I sure would like another SKS, they are tough little guns. I never had any luck with using banana mags in any of mine, but they all worked flawlessly. One of the ones I had was a paratrooper model with shorter barrel. 'Twas a might louder.
Your are absolutely correct and I should have wrote that better. I'll go back and clarify that.

[truckjohn]

The SKS is often remarkably accurate once you find it's preferred ammo, a good solid position, and take your time with the sights and trigger pull. The thing is that most folks just bought whatever ammo was cheapest and bullet hosed it.

That said....

This is not 15 years ago when they were everywhere and cost almost nothing. You can buy a NEW bolt action for less than the cost of a decent (not pristine) SKS. SKS's in really good condition are bringing NEW Marlin 336 money. With that specific consideration - would I pick an SKS for a cheap rough and ready hunting rifle? Nope. Not when you can pick up a Remington 700 in 308 cheaper.

It's the same discussion with Mausers though. 20 years ago they were still cheap and lots of people were rebarreling them for target rifles and sporters.. Now a Mauser costs real money. It's cheaper and easier to start with a Remongton or Savage bolt action and go from there.

If your goal is to pick up an SKS and hunt it given all that - I would do Russian, Romanian, or Chinese and the deciding factor would be condition. Especially barrel condition.

[415m3]

I've had a few, and my favorite is a Yugo M59 (not the M59/66 with grenade spigot). If you do get an SKS, consider having Tom Kivaari work over your trigger group. It makes a huge difference.

http://www.kivaari.com/SKS%20Target%20Match.htm

[Petrol & Powder]

I'm not sure I would spend $60 to improve the trigger on a SKS. Sort of defeats the purpose of buying an inexpensive rifle to start with.

I could probably achieve the same results myself and for nearly zero money.

[pietro]

.

If I really wanted a reliable & accurate auto-loader in .7.62x39, ILO of buying a poor man's .30-30 (SKS), I would just buy a Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle & be done with it.

(YMMV)

As a bonus, the Ruger will accept a scope as-issued, w/o changing parts.


https://www.gunsamerica.com/UserImages/3321/933081087/wm_2793920.jpg

[tomme boy]

The problem with doing a trigger job yourself on an SKS is it may go full auto. Really easy to do on these if you do not know what you are doing.

[Texas by God]

You can build a good AR15 in 7.62x39 for what I've seen SKS's go for. I've got about $400 in mine - runs 100% so far with cheap Tula and handily out shoots any SKS or Mini-30 that I've shot.
On the full auto thing, the firing pin must be dry at all times. Oil can congeal and stick the firing pin in slam fire mode. The Russian guns have a firing pin spring that was deemed unnecessary in later copies.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Tripplebeards]

You can build a good AR15 in 7.62x39 for what I've seen SKS's go for. I've got about $400 in mine - runs 100% so far with cheap Tula and handily out shoots any SKS or Mini-30 that I've shot.
On the full auto thing, the firing pin must be dry at all times. Oil can congeal and stick the firing pin in slam fire mode. The Russian guns have a firing pin spring that was deemed unnecessary in later copies.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

That’s the ticket!

My buddy who smiths got stuck with an AR stoner upper that was never picked up and paid for. He says it shoots lights out and is accurate as heck.

[Bigslug]

1 & 2. Federal Fusion, maybe. If loading your own, probably the Barnes 123 grainer.

3. Functional in cold is probably as much a matter of knowing how to take care of your gear than anything else. Apply the wrong lube, and things will get gummy.

3A. Accuracy. . . Well. . .4 MOA should not be a problem for most of them, but you are dealing with a "Worker's Paradise" weapon system. Some days the commissar would be there to motivate the factory staff by shooting the guy who arrived for his shift last; some days the milling machine may have been "lubed" with vodka more than anything else.

4. Soviet weapons were designed to function in all conditions the hands of untrained, disinterested conscripts. If "untrained, disinterested conscript" is what you aspire to as an operator, they're a good choice. There are arguably better weapon systems that will perform admirably in harsh conditions if you simply raise the quality of one key component - the nut behind the trigger.

4A. I would choose a Winchester 94 or a Marlin 336/1895 (My preference - Marlin) for the simple reason of available ammo types. The SKS is designed for a mid-range military application and its ammo doesn't venture too far outside that original premise. The American lever guns can be had in chamberings far less marginal for the critters you intend to hunt. More lead travelling faster, or A LOT MORE LEAD travelling only a little slower.

[Petrol & Powder]

I think it all comes back to: The SKS is probably not the best choice but it will fill the role of a hunting arm, with limitations, if needed.

So in a nutshell, It wouldn't be my first choice.

There are far better rifles and cartridge available for the job and some of them are very reasonably priced. In today's world I wouldn't go out and acquire an SKS just to hunt with. However, If I already had one and needed to press it into service, I think it would be an option.

When we start talking about building AR-15 platforms or buying Mini-14's in 7.62 x 39, my first thought is that will certainly work but you don't need a semi-auto to hunt with. There's nothing wrong with hunting with a semi-auto but if you're starting from scratch to acquire a hunting gun, why not just select a better cartridge and a cheaper platform?

I know two guys that hunted with SKS rifles because: they already had them & they didn't have a lot of money. They both had good results but neither one went out of their way to acquire a SKS just to hunt with.

[RU shooter]

I think it all comes back to: The SKS is probably not the best choice but it will fill the role of a hunting arm, with limitations, if needed.

So in a nutshell, It wouldn't be my first choice.

There are far better rifles and cartridge available for the job and some of them are very reasonably priced. In today's world I wouldn't go out and acquire an SKS just to hunt with. However, If I already had one and needed to press it into service, I think it would be an option.

When we start talking about building AR-15 platforms or buying Mini-14's in 7.62 x 39, my first thought is that will certainly work but you don't need a semi-auto to hunt with. There's nothing wrong with hunting with a semi-auto but if you're starting from scratch to acquire a hunting gun, why not just select a better cartridge and a cheaper platform?

I know two guys that hunted with SKS rifles because: they already had them & they didn't have a lot of money. They both had good results but neither one went out of their way to acquire a SKS just to hunt with.
^^^^^^ all of what he said ! The SKS ain't the cheap rifle it used to be there are quite a few rifles that are a lot less expensive and In better hunting calibers and a lot more accurate to be had. Sure it will kill stuff but why limit your self

[3006guns]

Regarding the Yugo SKS's........I posted this topic a couple of years ago, because I like to admit my mistakes.....might save someone else some grief.

I read of a load here on the forum, consisting of a 150 grain boolit and 4759 powder. I THINK that was the designation, but whatever it was I confused it with 4756. At any rate, I had an 8 lb. caddy of that powder (so I thought) and loaded 10 rounds to try at the range. That rifle jammed with each shot and the bolt was difficult to open manually. I finally stopped after five rounds, came home and read the post again. Yup, I used the wrong powder, a much faster burning powder suitable for pistol use only. And I fired it multiple times before I decided something "wasn't quite right"??

What's the point of the above? That Yugoslavian took the abuse without a whimper. I could find NO signs of excessive pressure damage anywhere inside the gun. Since that load was probably approaching a proof round, it should have let go in my face......but didn't. In other words it's a well built, tough little rifle.

By the way, that grenade launcher on the end can be removed by punching out the very hidden cross pin and unscrewing it. It can be replaced at a later date if you want to sell it. Removing the launcher and flip up grenade sights will shed almost a pound of weight, which is good since the Yugos are heavier than the Chinese guns. Just better material and denser wood in my opinion.

As for the 7.62 x 39 being suitable for game.........well, yeah, but deer sized or smaller game only......and then you're taking the chance of only wounding the animal. Against a bear or elk? No way. It's a very good round for its intended purpose, but that's about all. We had a member whose online name was "Junior1942". I believe he passed away, but before that he bestowed a cast load on the forum for the SKS. It consisted of a 170 grain boolit, backed up by 21-23 grains of 4895. I tried it and was immediately hooked. It's powerful, accurate, mild recoil and ejects the brass in a neat pile. He called it his "hog load" for where he lived in Louisiana. Try it!

[nekshot]

I have a very early Chinese sks that has milled parts and threaded barrel. I exchanged barrel with a new yugo nonchrome barrel. It shoots a little better but with heavy cast it really shoots good. I do prefer my bolt x39 and my ar x39 for accuracy.

[yeahbub]

I've had experience with Russian, Chinese and Yugo SKS's, and the best accuracy was with a pressed/pinned-barrel older Chinese version. After mounting a scope, getting 1-1.5 MOA groups with Barnaul Brown Bear/Silver Bear/Golden Bear HP and FMJ non-corrosive commercial grade steel case ammo was no problem. Wolf ammo did poorly in it. Safe and reliable but pie plate sized groups at 100 yards. YMMV. The quadruped recipients of the lowly 123gr HP's never went any farther than those brought down with more impressive rounds. That being said, shot placement is always the first order of business and this was in overgrown farm country where shots over 100 yards are rare.

Having handloaded for the 7.62x39, I found that the thin-jacketed soft-core bullets intended for the .30-30 Win were 1 MOA accurate with full charges, obturating up to full groove diameter and exhibiting expansion on 100 yard soft targets. I haven't used cast to any great degree, but others report good results. Paper patch also do very well and softer alloys can be driven harder with a paper jacket than is possible with bare lead. No doubt, results with PC boolits will be similar to that gotten with similar calibers/velocities/pressures. To keep from losing good brass in SKS's on which you can't turn off the gas system, remove the piston and use the stem to stuff half a paper towel into the gas tube until it's behind the vent holes. This forms a plug which prevents carbon fouling getting into the rest of the gas system and keeps things cleaner. You now have a straight-pull bolt action. Remove the plug by pushing it out of the gas tube from the breech end with the piston stem, reassemble, and you're back to semi-auto.

The factory sights are functional, but there are much better out there, notably Tech Sights AR-type aperture rear with windage/elevation, which also greatly increases the sight radius.

It's true you could pick up a Marlin 336 or similar for the same money, but it's your preference. Either will outlast their owners if reasonable care is taken of them.

[Texas by God]

My late brother killed several hogs and a couple of coyotes and one deer with this Norinco. It has a strange action cover with scope mount bosses so I retrofitted a Win 94 side mount. I don't care for it but he used it effectively. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190606/80c2a6ac08d43cc33f9c8e2d64a2fe27.jpg

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[truckjohn]

Yeah - if you want to collect and shoot the SKS - do so. It's a fine rifle. I like mine and have owned several. But gosh - they are expensive now.

If you want to shoot 7.62x39 in a rifle that was designed with modern conveniences like lighter, better ergonomics, detachable mags, and reliable scope mounting - there are several better choices that have been mentioned here. The CZ527 and the AR47 platforms are better choices in my mind.

All that said - the SKS sure is fun.

[Tripplebeards]

They were fun for $99 but for the current prices they’re going for there are a lot better options imo. I never bought one when they sold for $99 around 90’ because there were still better options at the time. Still, the are cool and I want one.

[Petrol & Powder]

They were fun for $99 but for the current prices they’re going for there are a lot better options imo. I never bought one when they sold for $99 around 90’ because there were still better options at the time. Still, the are cool and I want one.

/\ YEP /\
They were fun when they were $90 and they were fun and even useful when a good eastern block SKS was $150 but at today's prices there are better choices for far less money.