[General_lee]

I have a question for you guys.

I was wondering how effective the 7.62x39 round would be against various dangerous wild animals such as panthers or other big cats, wild hogs and bears?

I'm not planning on hunting with 7.62x39, I was just wondering if it would be a practical wilderness self defense round for camping, exploring in the woods, etc..

[orangello]

It is my understanding that the on-the-cheap deer hunters who use the SKS prefer soft point ammo for hunting. Golden Bear Ammunition 7.62x39mm Russian 125 Grain Soft Point Box of 20 - MidwayUSA

[jpattersonnh]

Ballistics are similar to a .30-30, but w/ a lighter bullet. Within 150 yards it would be fine for Deer or medium pigs, but you just might piss a larger animal off.

[JonM]

i wouldnt use it on a bear but softpoints should work just fine on mountain lions and such.

the ballistic flight path is similar to a 30-30 but the terminal impact effect is substantially less than a 30-30. the diff tween a 30-30 and 7.62x39 is about what a 357mag is to a 38spl.

there arent many decent bullets for hunting with a 7.62x39 unless you reload. i would pick a different round

i would go with a lever action 45-70 for backpacking if i couldnt take my 458 socom.

[wmille01]

The 7.62x39 was made for killing men about 120-250 pd man at medium range. It's an ok deer round but I would carry something bigger. I have Winchester model 94 in 30-30 and thats my trail gun, kill anything in kentucky short of my mother in law but that why I'm getting an elephant rifle (not really). Actually the bullet from my 30-30 and my mosin are the same diameter give or take a hundredth of an inch. I sometimes carry my Taurus Circuit judge but it really depends on my mood and who I'm with.

[General_lee]

This is mainly a hypothetical question because I don't go out in the woods that often.
Note, I'm not in bear country. I have heard we have small "Sugar bears" down here, but no grizzlies or anything of that sort. We do have mountain lions and hogs though.

Ok let me put this in a different way.
Let's say you're out in the wild and THE ONLY GUN YOU HAVE is an AK and 30 rounds of ammo. You stumble upon a bear that doesn't look too happy. You empty the entire mag into the bear. Many of the rounds hit more vital areas while some don't. Will the bear drop, or is the 7.62x39 more like a bee sting to him?

[orangello]

Originally Posted by General_lee

Let's say you're out in the wild and THE ONLY GUN YOU HAVE is an AK and 30 rounds of ammo. You stumble upon a bear that doesn't look too happy. You empty the entire mag into the bear. Many of the rounds hit more vital areas while some don't.

I like the way you think!

[Overkill0084]

What kind of bear? Why is he unhappy?

You put enough lead in anything, it will eventually get the message. While not ideal, the 7.62x39 beats a sharp stick.

[General_lee]

Originally Posted by Overkill0084

What kind of bear? Why is he unhappy?

You put enough lead in anything, it will eventually get the message. While not ideal, the 7.62x39 beats a sharp stick.

Um... let's say a brown bear that's unhappy because you interrupted him while he was taking a number 2


See that's exactly what I'm asking, I know it's not the ideal round, what I'm asking is would it work if that's all you had at the time.

[General_lee]

Originally Posted by orangello

I like the way you think!

Hehehe thanks