Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 7.62X39MM for Eastern Whitetails?

The new Remington Mauser 799 will be available in 7.62X39, just wondering if anyone has used the 7.62X39 on a deer hunt. Ballistics are supposed to be similar to a 30/30. I guess a bullet in the 120-125gr range would be the best to use.

The 7.62 x39 and a 125 grain Nosler Ballistic oughta work great on Whitetail as long as the range wasn't too far.

HBB

I'd rather push 150-170gr. bullet at those speeds into a deer than a 120 gr bullet.

I assume it would be effective, but I'd rather have that ole 30-30 instead.

I have used the 7.62x39 on 7 Georgia whitetail deer. 6 out of seven traveled a very short distance but only two had exit wounds. I know that people use it and it will work but I would rather have a liitle more. I agree with George.

kandpand

hey
Reload it with 150 gr partition or ballistic or even a softptbt. you can push it to 2300fps with 4895. it will do the job!

BB

I had a Ruger 77, stainless carbine version and the rifle shot like a house of fire. I shot 1 small deer with and now sold it last year. While it worked, I would take a Marlin in 30-30 sooner. The damage done to the deer wasn't to impressive, but it ran about 20 yards and died. On bigger deer I'd be skeptical.

I've little doubt the cartridge would work on deer sized game reliably with proper loads. Having been on the receiving end of countless thousands of rounds of the 7.62X39 however, I have surmised that it is unreliable against helicopters. That is probably vexing to the shooter as most choppers shoot back. I am rather thankful in retrospect, to Mr. Kalashnikov & Co. Damn fine round in a terrific gun. (somebody help me up when I quit laughing...please) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

It is inferior to the .30-30 in any case.

I have shot and killed many Texas whitetails and not a small number of hogs with my Ruger MKII 7.62X39. I use the 123 gr Hornady over 23 grains of H335.

No it is not a much as a 30-30. Will it take deer inside 175-200 yards tops. Yes it will. Never lost one most were a short dash if not FDD.

It is not a long range cartridge. It is not for trying to shoot end to end of a deer. Pick your shots and it is quite adequate for deer.

I have killed too many not to think otherwise.

BCR

Thomas;

For the price that Remington is charging for the 799, you can get a far better round in a far better rifle.

The 798/799 is exactly the same rough-as-a-corn-cob finished Mauser action that Charles Daly was importing last year. Same rifle, different importer (Remington vs. CD), and higher price, with no appreciable increase in quality.

The .30-30 is ballistically superior to the 7.62 in every way that counts, and the factory loads are more than adequate for deer.

If you have to have a bolt action, though, a Remington 7 or 700 can be had new for just a bit more than the 798/799, and used probably a hair cheaper. Get one of those in .243, .260, 7-08, or .308, and you'll have a far better rifle, and a far better hunting round, than the 7.62x39 and the 798/799 could ever hope to be.

Gotta agree with ya on that one VA... If ya wanna a round in the same category as the 7.62 might wanna consider the new 6.8 and I'd stick to the M700 setup. I think it'll be a heck of a lot better combination all the way across the board. May take a little while for the pipeline to fill up with ammo, but my money says there will be no shortage of ammo for that one pretty soon, and there will be plenty of premium boolit options. The 700 is a known platform.

I have one, a ruger 77, and it is a great little deer rifle, out to say 125 yards. I shoot rem 125 gr core-lokt bullets with good results. lane simpson did an artile on this round years ago and found it to be acceptable for deer, my experience is similar. a great youth deer round, second only to the 250-3000.

boggy creek, is that 123 gr hornady bullet 311 diameter? I called ruger and they told me the spec on the 77 mark II is 308. no real diff but you can use just about any 30 cal bullet to fit.

Yeah, a distant second place... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Sorry Bob, couldn't pass on that one. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> ...1/4 bore slut that I be...

You guys know by now that I'm deeply prejudiced against the round, but in fairness I am not unmindful of a simple fact about CF's and big game. Most any cartridge will, with proper forethought and use, prove adequate for hunting big game in North America. Even rimfires for that matter. The 7.62x39 is no different but it do offer some complexities, more real than say, the great action length debate over Bob. The cartridge has been saddled by mediocre to sorry platforms(in regards accuracy), a divergent groove diameter which may or may not influence performance depending on your mileage, and limits bullet choice due to that fact and small case capacity. Yes, Ruger has made a small number of rifles that seem to generate positive results, and CZ as well...even if they go the .311 route. Seems like a lot of what ifs and maybes, and a few what coulda beens. Of course if you like to futz around with oddball projects it's probably a great thing. Just about any cartridge/rifle combo on the market these days is a better option, but that's just my biased opinion. Do what ya gotta do...

If you do use the 7.62x39, make sure to use a bullet that will actually get through the deer and leave an exit wound (like one of the bonded bullets), or else you'll have trouble trying to find the (nonexistant) blood trail.

The 123 sp Hornady is .310. My 7.62X39 shoots that bullet better than it does the .308 bullets.

The 125 130 gr .308 bullets aren't as accurate in my rifle.

BCR

I don't think I will ever really use the 7.62X39, but just wondered what some opinions were. Being color blind I really need a good blood trail, if I'm buy myself trying to trail a deer. How far south are you SGDawg, I'm hunting in Hancock County near Sparta, GA.

I have shot a couple of deer with the 7.62x39 from an SKS and a Ruger 77, but I'm not very impressed with it. I sure wouldn't spend serious $$ on a 7.62x39 when, for the same $$ (or maybe even less $$) you could buy any number of different rifles, in any number of different cartridges, that will do a better job.

Jeff