SKS Rifles? Thoughts?

[podman]

Cabelas Canada has these SKS rifles for sale from 250-300 bucks. Curious if anyone has one and what they are like. Surplus rounds are $199 for 1120. Thinking about buying for the heck of it. What do you think?

[timsesink]

They're fun for just plinking around, however they feel cheap, are cheap and aren't super reliable. I'd save up a bit and go for a M14 Norinco. However for pure shooting fun and price you can't beat them.

[timsesink]

A guy was selling one on the B and Sell forum fro 300 with a nice TAPCO stick

[trooper]

I used to own a few one made by Norenco and the other made in the soviet union. They're nice to play with but stay away from the scope/ dust covers. the problem with these is when you strip the rifle to clean it, you remove the dust cover and in so doing you ruin the rifle's zero. (I had a leapers scope affixed to mine and I was shooting the occular lense on the scope fell out of position!) I took the scope back to Mil arm in Edmonton and they refused to refund the thing. However they did let me take the scopes value in merchandise out of the store. Another thing about that cartridge, It's now legal to hunt big game in Alberta with a 7.62x 39mm provided you use an expanding spitzer bullet! Don't do it! The spitzer bullet, a 123gn weight, in the hunting load doesn't have the energy to kill a deer. I had a friend shoot a big buck from 60 meters last fall. he placed 5 rounds into the animal and we tracked it for 270 yards it was still alive when I put a .308 into it. I was pretty disgusted with that.

[gunner72]

My buddy's and I bought some a couple years ago and there fun to shoot but ya i don't think that I would use it for hunting alltough I sure would have thought it was able to kill a deer at 60 yards? Wow that sucks! They shoot fairly close to a 30-30.

[podman]

Thanks for the replies. Ya I would not use if for anything other than plinking if I were to buy one.

[Lonnie]

Originally Posted by gunner72

My buddy's and I bought some a couple years ago and there fun to shoot but ya i don't think that I would use it for hunting alltough I sure would have thought it was able to kill a deer at 60 yards? Wow that sucks! They shoot fairly close to a 30-30.

not even close 30-30 has more power. 30-30 is classed as a 200yard gun max. this is becuase of the rainbow trajectory as its 20 inches low at 300 yards but still more than enough to kill a 200 pound deer at 300yard. 7.65 x39 is designed to wound 160 lb. man.

[1Heavyhitr]

Originally Posted by trooper

I used to own a few one made by Norenco and the other made in the soviet union. They're nice to play with but stay away from the scope/ dust covers. the problem with these is when you strip the rifle to clean it, you remove the dust cover and in so doing you ruin the rifle's zero. (I had a leapers scope affixed to mine and I was shooting the occular lense on the scope fell out of position!) I took the scope back to Mil arm in Edmonton and they refused to refund the thing. However they did let me take the scopes value in merchandise out of the store. Another thing about that cartridge, It's now legal to hunt big game in Alberta with a 7.62x 39mm provided you use an expanding spitzer bullet! Don't do it! The spitzer bullet, a 123gn weight, in the hunting load doesn't have the energy to kill a deer. I had a friend shoot a big buck from 60 meters last fall. he placed 5 rounds into the animal and we tracked it for 270 yards it was still alive when I put a .308 into it. I was pretty disgusted with that.

The sks is probably going to be the best $200 you will ever spend. Everybody should own a sks. The only reason their $200 is because they were mass produced and there are millions of them, not because they are built cheap or poor quality. An sks is built like a tank and has to be one of the top SHTF weapons out there. With cheap Surplus ammo available everywhere you will not find a better Priced centerfire rifle that you will have as much fun with for the same cost as an sks. Are they the most accurate guns out there? Hell no they were made to shoot minute of man... Realistically maybe around 4 MOA. If it took someone 5 shots to drop a deer at 60 meters, then they have no business shooting at a deer. A friend of mine fills his tags every year with his sks as long as he keeps the max range to 150 yards or so it's a dead deer. Ballistically it's very similar to the 3030 but the 3030 has the advantage in being able to shoot heavier bullets. You can get 123-125 grain as well as 154 grain soft point hunting bullets in 7.62x39.BTW Don't change the free-floating firing pin to a spring loaded one as long as you keep it clean and lightly lubed you won't have a slam fire

[westwest]

Originally Posted by timsesink

They're fun for just plinking around, however they feel cheap, are cheap and aren't super reliable. I'd save up a bit and go for a M14 Norinco. However for pure shooting fun and price you can't beat them.

"Aren't super reliable" What are you smoking ?

[Grizzly Adams]

Like most Commie guns, a bit on the crude side and built for smaller people.
The Russkies must be cleaning out their armories, judging by what's available. All the recent ones I've seen are arsenal refurbished, dated early 50s and there seems to be a wide variation in price without any obvious difference. Cabelas lists three, ranging in price from. 259. to 399. I paid less than 200. for mine. Easy to know who owns one. One of the guys in the neighborhood must go through a case of ammo, every weekend.

Grizz

[gunner72]

I noticed I have what looks like a bad scare in the top of my rifling about 2/3 the way down the barrel. Is that kinda thing common in these guns or is it just my luck? I had a buddy pick it up for me in red deer so i never got to really check it out. How good of a group can you guys get them to shoot at say 100 yards? Or maybe even 50 if 100 is to far to be accurate?

[mudbug]

On a good day I could put them in an 2" group using open sights but that was when I was doing lots and lots of shooting and it also depends on the ammo being used. I don't get out as much now and my grouping reminds me of this fact

[trooper]

Originally Posted by gunner72

I noticed I have what looks like a bad scare in the top of my rifling about 2/3 the way down the barrel. Is that kinda thing common in these guns or is it just my luck? I had a buddy pick it up for me in red deer so i never got to really check it out. How good of a group can you guys get them to shoot at say 100 yards? Or maybe even 50 if 100 is to far to be accurate?

I'm guessing that "scar" you see may be the port for the hot gas to bleed off when the bullet passes that point in the barrel.

[westwest]

Originally Posted by gunner72

I noticed I have what looks like a bad scare in the top of my rifling about 2/3 the way down the barrel. Is that kinda thing common in these guns or is it just my luck? I had a buddy pick it up for me in red deer so i never got to really check it out. How good of a group can you guys get them to shoot at say 100 yards? Or maybe even 50 if 100 is to far to be accurate?

o

[fretman57]

Originally Posted by gunner72

I noticed I have what looks like a bad scare in the top of my rifling about 2/3 the way down the barrel. Is that kinda thing common in these guns or is it just my luck? I had a buddy pick it up for me in red deer so i never got to really check it out. How good of a group can you guys get them to shoot at say 100 yards? Or maybe even 50 if 100 is to far to be accurate?

If you notice a scare in your rifling it might be because it is loaded. LOL!

[Gonehuntin']

Originally Posted by timsesink

They're fun for just plinking around, however they feel cheap, are cheap and aren't super reliable. I'd save up a bit and go for a M14 Norinco. However for pure shooting fun and price you can't beat them.

I agree on the price bit, but insofar as feeling cheap, being cheap, I'd have to say they were about on par with those ChiCom M305's. But cheaper to feed. The only problem I've seen was when I tried a buddy's Norinco (read crap) SKS, it would not fire Czech surplus ammo on the first go. You literally had to run it through twice, on the second strike of the firing pin it would set the primer off. Not occasionally, but every round. Worked OK with Norinco ammo. Possibly just a manufacturing defect. The pin looked fine, maybe a weak mainspring. Imagine that though, a Norinco with issues.

I'd rather have a Russian built SKS than a Chinese built M305. Just personal preference. Or a CZ 858 more than either.

On a side note, I read somewhere on Gunnutz that Marstar had found a very large shipment of SKS's from Africa, varying in condition from battlefield pick to still in the cosmoline, and were expected to be in sometime soon, if not already. Should drive the price down and improve selection.

[young gunz]

Originally Posted by timsesink

They're fun for just plinking around, however they feel cheap, are cheap and aren't super reliable. I'd save up a bit and go for a M14 Norinco. However for pure shooting fun and price you can't beat them.

I went to cabelas ready to buy one but when I held one it definitely felt cheap,but heard good things from the mini m14!!!

[winger7mm]

Originally Posted by young gunz

I went to cabelas ready to buy one but when I held one it definitely felt cheap,but heard good things from the mini m14!!!

Sure they feel cheap, 100 bucks and I totally changed mine its a new gun. sure the mini is a great gun but I would rather spend the $950 bucks else where. so far for my sks im into it for $215 for the gun itself, $109 for my tapco stock, $40 for my scope mount, $59 for my bipod, a minimal cost for my scope (the .22 needs a new one) And its a great gun could not be happier with the money iv spent. I cant wait till I can put the squeeze on a deer with it. its to bad that you have changed your mind on one. If you know someone who has an sks, or anything else with a tactical stock on it hold i, shoot it and you will be heading out to buy one of your own the next day. trust me cant go wrong with one of these. And like a guy from my work says "when the zombie apocolypse happens im glad I have 3 of em"

[Unregistered user]

160 gr leverevolution from my mod 94 will outperform 7.62 commie on game. But I bought an SKS recently because I wanted one and I like it.

[So Nova *!%]

Sa vz. 58 Sporter CARBINE 7.62 x 39 mm technical specification:
Caliber 7.62 x 39 mm
Muzzle velocity 670 - 700 m/s (2198 - 2296 f/s)
Number of grooves in barrel 4
Overall length of rifle with stock extended 755 mm
Overall length of rifle with stock folded 545 mm
Barrel length 300 mm
Length of sight line 265 mm
Extent of rear sight from 100 to 800 by 100 m
Width of rifle 59 mm
Height of rifle with magazine 170 mm
Practical rate of fire 40 shots/min.
Maximum range of fire 2,500 m
Lethal effect of projectile 2,500 m
Weight of rifle (without magazine) 2.97 kg
Weight of rifle with loaded magazine 3.65 kg
Weight of empty magazine 0.19 kg
Weight of full magazine 0.68 kg
Trigger pull 2.5 - 2.7 kg (24.5 - 26.5 N)






Um ??? what can I say lethal for what? wet tissue paper?
Anyone want to try moose hunting at 2.5 Km with this?
Are they fun to shoot,h,e,bbl hockey sticks yeah. can you hunt with them, I think they fit the bill for short range work.
I think the Norinco M305 would lend themselves to hunting better than the 58's or the SK's
Just my 2 cents
Oh and to stir it up a little more I will drive almost anywhere in Alberta to buy a beer,latte` Mojito for the rifleman(woman) that can accurately hit a target with the 7.62 X 39 at 2.5Km's

[AR21]

Originally Posted by timsesink

They're fun for just plinking around, however they feel cheap, are cheap and aren't super reliable. I'd save up a bit and go for a M14 Norinco. However for pure shooting fun and price you can't beat them.

This guy evidently knows very little about sks rifles.. Ive owned my chinese model with spike bayonet and a chrome lined barrel (extremely durable) for about 3 yrs now. Yeah it has a crude finish to the receiver and the chinese wood stock isnt the most desireable, but kid you not, that thing will always fire when u need it too. Give it a very good cleaning when you get home with it and your sure to have one hell of a fun cheap plinker that beats all those itty bitty rimfires. Read up on them. They are very interesting rifles.. And while youre at it, read up on the mosin nagant ad svt rifles if you enjoy a little russian history and with that... Im ordering another sks tonight taa taa

[gitrdun]

Originally Posted by podman

Cabelas Canada has these SKS rifles for sale from 250-300 bucks. Curious if anyone has one and what they are like. Surplus rounds are $199 for 1120. Thinking about buying for the heck of it. What do you think?

crap, junk , garbage.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by gitrdun

crap, junk , garbage.

So, who ****ed in your corn flakes today?

Grizz

[gitrdun]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

So, who ****ed in your corn flakes today?

Grizz

Noboby...he specifically asked "what do you think" and I took it exactly for it means and replied exactly what I thaught. What's so complicated about that? Besides, I wanted to use the new modicons...

[madatter]

For a $200 gun its pretty darn good!!
Most people don't buy an SKS to make it into a sniper rifle.
They buy one cause its cheap,the ammo is the cheapest,and it will shoot forever with a little care.....decent cleanings when firing the already mentioned cheap corrosive ammo.
Throw it in the truck and bang it around,grab it blow thru a couple hundred rounds and it does'nt cost anything.Not too many guns out there have this much bang for the buck!
Even if it does wear out or break consider it a disposable guin cause at $200 it don't get any better!
I might buy another but the CZ858 is calling me....just wish it was'nt 3X the price!

[Okotokian]

At the Red Deer gun show last weekend someone was selling a whole bunch of them new (and way oil-soaked) for $175 if I recall correctly. Definitely under $200 anyway. I was sorta tempted. I wouldn't pay a lot for one, but heck, that's cheaper than any .22 around. Cheap ammo. Could be fun. Never gonna be my "go to" hunting rifle, or even my back-up, but....

[Sir Rollo]

Here is an average 100 yard group from my SKS. They were 2405 f/s, extreme spread of 27 f/s. It was pretty windy toosks group001.jpg

[gunner72]

That looks like some nice shootin. The little bit that I have done with mine makes me think I should giver another chance.

[madatter]

Added a few things to the SKS,feels nice to me now!

[densa44]

What's not to like. Excellent and cheap ammo, indestructible, hits what you aim it at. Always works.

As far as that deer story is concerned, I'd like to know where it was hit, not in the neck I'll bet. Lots of shots is no substitute for correct placement of the first shot.

I know a similar story about a moose, 5 shots from a 7 mm mag. and a waist deep tag alder swamp.

Practice with any rifle you intend to hunt with.