7.62x39 deer loads

[Ronbo]

Hi all. New to this site. I'm planning taking my 7.62x39 Scout hunting this deer season in NYS. My rifle shoots Brown Bear SP and Hornady SST ammo equally well using a 2x Leupold Scout scope. Anyone have any experience using either of these two rounds on a deer sized critter? Thanks.

[thomae]

I would think that either of those would be lethal if placed correctly.
Do you handload?

[Ronbo]

No hand loading. I was going to use the Savage as a back up to one of my other deer rifles, but I would really like to take a deer with it this year. Most shots where we hunt are under 100yds.

[thomae]

Welcome to the site...read a lot and you will learn tons.
I have the 7.62x39 scout as well. Took a small deer last year with handloads. At those ranges you should have no problem. Keep us advised on how you do. Pictures of you and your dead deer are always appreciated.
Cheers.

[LabRat2k3]

The 7.62x39 is in the same class as the 30-30 power wise, and it has killed as many deer as any other round out there I would guess. You should be fine.

[Ronbo]

Thanks for the replies. I've read about the similarity between the 7.62x39 and the 30-30 on many forums. I guess I should have been a little more specific. I was looking for some info on actual bullet performance, expansion, weight retention, etc. Maybe an entrance/exit wound picture.

[thomae]

I was using handloaded .308 diameter 150 grain Combined Technology Partition Golds at about 2300 FPS which allows me to maintain 1000 foot pounds of energy out to about 225 - 250 yards. Plenty of range for PA whitetail conditions. No photos, but the deer died.

I really don't think you will have any problems, although I know nothing about how well brown bear expands or does not expand. Regardless, if you hit the deer in the "boiler room" you should put it down.

[r3dn3ck]

My uncle hunted with an SKS for many years before he passed and took vast numbers of deer with it. I was there for a good number of them. Wound profile isn't especially dramatic but is very effective when you put it in the boiler room. Neck shots were instantly fatal like you'd figure. Bullets mushroomed well enough with light fragmentation from shoulder hits and violent fragmentation on neck shots (which were very close range shots, so duh there'll be more frag). He used soft points but I never knew what brand or weight. Blacktail deer aren't big so exits are the rule with most any centerfire rifle. Exits weren't especially dramatic. Not one deer ever survived being hit with it for long enough to worry about. Normally if he hit it it just dropped and maybe kicked it's feet around for a minute before passing on to better things. Uncle Rick was a fine hand with that gun. He was as lethal with it as I am with a 7RM and I know of 2 300lb bears that he took with it. The power is there, don't worry about that. He took shots on average at 40yrds. From shooting it myself at paper I can say that 7.62x39 is a bit of a punkin'-slinger after 200yrds.

[MrMajestic]

Thomae, Ever try the 125 grain Nosler BT? I'm going to give it a go this year, Cervid cooperating.

[thomae]

No, never tried them. They will probably work fine, lighter bullet, higher velocity. I used the Partition gold 150s because I bought a bazillion of them from Midwayusa when CT discontinued them; I still have a few of them around. My load seemed to work well enough, and I wasn't looking for benchrest accuracy. When I got to good enough, I stopped my load development. I'll probably go back and play around once I finish building and developing loads for my other "new" rifles.

Let us know how it turns out.

(I also want to develop some subsonic rounds for fun.)

[MrMajestic]

I am pushing them over 2500 fps with Vihtavuori N120 with great accuracy and am expecting good terminal ballistics. I will post if I get a recipient! The 208 gr. A-Max should work with the subs as it does in the Blackout. I would expect the 10tw to stabilize it.