7.62x39 for deer hunting

**Showme-PT** · October 25th, 2011, 08:46 AM

The age of any given thread doesnt mean its not being read by current or new forum users/contributors. Now, as for Military weapons not being true hunting rifles...what do you think our forfathers used to put meat on the table as far back as the Revolutionary War? And literally every war or military action up to and including Iraq/Afganistan??? Maybe not so much the latter war(s) but you see my point? My first "DEER RIFLE" was a WWII relic brought back by my father from BLOODY TARAWA back in 1943 or 44. It was an JAP ARISAKA mod.99 TYPE 2 (two piece) in 7.7mm w/a four digit serial number!. It was nearly as long as I was tall back in the late 50s. The only place I could get factory ammo after the stash that came home with the gun was expended was through NORMA in Sweden. Although that low serial numbered JAP 7.7mm was not as powerful as the M-1 my Father also brought home it never ever failed to drop any of the 25+ Missouri/Kansas Whitetails it was fired at over the years. Its now retired to wallhanger status but I would not be reluctant to take it down and fill my tag(s) if I was inclined to do so. The fact that my current deer rifle is a wooden stocked SS Ruger Mini-30 in the afore discussed 7.62x39 caliber only supports the fact that it has been military weapons that have been the forunners of nearly all if not entirely all modern "DEER" rifles. I entirely believe that the sole reason I relagated that old Arisaka to wall-hanger status is that my RUGER Mini-30 7.62x39 is infinately easier to lug out thru the woods compared to that long and cumbersome JAP 7.7 Modle 99 Arisaka. It was a great deer-stand gun in the later years. Not to mention that the last time I had custom loads made up for the 7.7mm it was @$2.50 a round! That alone was enough to retire it to the gunrack...I also use a Marlin 1895 Lever-gun in 45.70 (another military derived caliber used up until around 1898 when the 30-40 Krag appeared), an obligatory Marlin mod. 339C in 30.30 and a Remington mod. 770 in .270 cal. Thank goodness for military weapons.

**Hardbawl** · October 26th, 2011, 02:25 PM

The CZ 527 is truely a delightful weapon. Unlike its American cousins, the action has been reduced to fit the .223, 7.62x39 sized cartridges. This makes it shorter and lighter even with a standard weight barrel.

My CZ 527 has been cristened the "Little Russian" by my grandkids. They feel when they shoot it that they are shooting a big gun and they can hit with it. A 123 grain Hornady SP and 26 or 27 grains of Reloader 7 will give you about 2400 FPS and group into 1" at 100 yards. The cheap Russian imported ammo will group into 1.5-1.75". That is good enough for the kids to shoot at steel gongs at 50 to 200 yards.

The Little Russian all dressed up with a Leupold 2.5-8 scope and a Montana sling & full magazine weighs just under 7 pounds. It is balanced nicely, works smoothly and is just fun to shoot. Sure there are better deer killers out there. The 243 will kill deer 30% deader. But it makes more noise, it kicks harder, weighs more, and costs more to shoot.

Another plus: the 3000 fps cartridges that are popular really foul up a barrel. What a delight it is to clean a rifle that only shoots 2400 fps.

The Little Russian puts the fun back in shooting.

Load 'em hot... Hardbawl

**mp517prct** · October 26th, 2011, 03:28 PM

While I am a huge fan of CZ products, I also have to point out that Remington used to import and sell the Model 799, a "mini-mauser" and one of the cartridge it was chambered in was 7.62x39. The rifle, manufactured by Zastava, in Serbia was specifically designed as a hunting. Too bad its no longer in production, I used to recommend it to parents and grandparents who were looking for a deer rifle for a youth hunter when I worked at a sporting goods store. Any military cartridge designed to kill a 180lb. soldier will do just fine against a whitetail in Pennsylvania.

I don't understand why deer rifle cartridges keep getting bigger and faster, when the deer are the same size they were 100 years ago...

BTW... I used a sporterized Smith-Corona M1903A3 with its original 5-43 dated .30-06 barrel, and I've never wounded a deer, all have been one shot kills

**Texas Red** · October 26th, 2011, 08:51 PM

We now have 3 of the bolt action 7.62x39s at the hunting camp. 2 are Ruger Model 77 Mark II and 1 CZ 527. They have accounted for 6 one shot kills, and no wounded deer. Use 150 grain Speer bullets moving about 2150 +/-at the muzzle. Also took one feral hog with one shot last December. No shots over 80 yards so far. Nice caliber because it does the job without destroying too much venison. This caliber in a classic hunting rifle is definately enough for deer hunting at moderate range if you can hit where you aim. A smaller caliber helps a shooter do that. Too much gun can also foster flinching. 5 shot groups in all three range from 1.25 to 2.0 inches at 100 yards off sandbags. The CZ 527 shoots the smallest group. You asked for real life performance feedback and there it is.

**PAOhio** · December 8th, 2011, 11:29 AM

I'm going out for deer with my AIA M10A2. I have no doubt is is 'enough gun' out to 150 yards, just like a .30-30. If I didn't think it would make a humane kill, I wouldn't take it out. The teak stock isn't going to be fun to haul around, but walk to tree stand or walk to blind and wait should be no problem.