AKs for deer hunting, part deux

[FunkyD]

I have looked through the Alabama hunting regs and cannot find any rules limiting magazine capacity.

Gist of it is, I had to accelerate my AK purchase thanks to the November dumb-off. My next purchase was probably going to be a Rem 7600 30-06, but as it is, I will have to attempt my first deer hunt with either rifled slugs out of my 870 (26" barrel) or the AK.

Which would be more effective, and if I use the AK, will I get anything other than puzzled looks with the 30-round banana?

[yeahYeah]

if you use the AK, the deer will be pro-tenderized and you won't have to do as much cutting!

a 30 round mag should drop bambi..

[RogueXD]

I there is no restrictions, should be a problem other than weight. I would probably get a 5 rnd. Just to lighten the load.

[ichy_trigger]

I would probably go with the 870 using high quality slugs and a rifled barrel.

[billbrasky]

well do you guys have white tails or mule deer down there?

I never have hunted a mule deer so not sure how they react, i doubt very much you can get off two shots on a white tail. Manually load one road at a time in the ak, no mag needed.


I hunt with a sks in thick brush where accuracy isnt the most important, since visibility is about 100 yards, thats around the limits of my SKS for one shot kills.

I say just load one round at a time. In michigan you used to be limited to a 5 round mag for deer hunting. Not that firing off 5 rounds would be anything but a waste in all but the most rare once in a lifetime circumstances. It would have to be a litteral log jam of deer, where you could let off a whole mess of rounds and not even try to aim, and kill 3-4.

You cant hit a running white tail, they zig and zag, and jump 20 ft in a single leap.

[jeepinbanditrider]

Alabama has deer about the size of our White Tail out here in North Central Texas. x39 easily has enough oomph to make good clean kills on White Tail deer. Infact my first deer was taken with an SKS. One shot drop.

[einheit 13]

Of course the 7.62x39 has enough oomph....I killed 2 in W Va with my AKS-74, all within 50 yards though. The first was a single shot to the side of the head on a 6pt and the second was a shot on the run (the deer, not me) and I took 3 shots, hitting him twice. Once under the shoulder and the second just ahead of the hind. the second shot went through without striking bone. He bled out pretty quick and laid down roughly 200yds from where I shot him. This was 2 years ago, and the only reason I tried with the 5,45x39.5 is how close we can get to them. i usually switch back and forth between an SKS, SHe52, M39,and an M38.

I did freak a game warden out when he came to the cabin and saw one of my AKSUs (7.62) on the table with a Cobra sight, an empty 75rd drum locked in and bayonet on the gun. He smirked and asked what the bayonet was for and i said 'for bear!' He chuckled, then my buddy Emery (who own the cabin and the 20,000 acres we hunt on) let him in on the fact that i had just fininshed putting his kit together for him...

[m2jordan]

Your ak will be fine. Just be aware of the range limitations. I would stay under 150 yds. As for round count, you don't need to put all thirty rounds in the mag. When my wife uses here sks she only puts i a couple of rounds in the mag. She shot her first deer with it. one shot, 25yds, middle of the brisket. Mule deer in Wyoming.

[jwise]

Originally Posted by m2jordan

Your ak will be fine. Just be aware of the range limitations. I would stay under 150 yds. As for round count, you don't need to put all thirty rounds in the mag. When my wife uses here sks she only puts i a couple of rounds in the mag. She shot her first deer with it. one shot, 25yds, middle of the brisket. Mule deer in Wyoming.

I dropped a buck with one round of 5.56 to the chest at 200 yards. 7.62x39 will do even better.

[FunkyD]

I should've clarified. I wasn't going to go with 30 rounds. All I currently have is 30-roung mags. I am planning on ordering a 10-rounder shortly.

I'm not the greatest shot but I'm better than that

Where we are going to hunt, a 100-yard shot would probably be long. Thanks for all the advice.