how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

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how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by AussieMadman » 20 Feb 2023, 9:35 pm

just wondering how popular it is across the country. i've heard some people say it's as rare as rocking horse s**t and others tell me they get cases of it every year. i'm assuming its about as popular as 300B/O, but i could be wrong about that.
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by deye243 » 20 Feb 2023, 11:21 pm

In some parts of this country it's a hell of a lot more popular than the 300 blackout my neck of the woods don't know anybody who's ever had one but there are no pigs here and no goats go to those areas that have those two animals common as dirt.
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by bigpete » 21 Feb 2023, 5:11 am

As far as I'm aware it's not popular at all down here
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by Oldbloke » 21 Feb 2023, 5:43 am

Don't know anyone with one.
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by Barbarian » 21 Feb 2023, 6:17 am

I know a few guys with rifles in them that they use for Pigs but other than that, not really. Since Silencers and Auto-loaders are all but unobtanium for most.
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by JimTom » 21 Feb 2023, 6:30 am

Plenty of 7.62x39 up this way, also quite a few 300 AAC as well. As deye243 has eluded to, plenty of pigs up here.
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by northdude » 21 Feb 2023, 7:11 am

Had 1 for a while and then the 6.5 grendel came along....
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by in2anity » 21 Feb 2023, 9:14 am

Pre Howard, the MRCA at Malabar used to sport semi-autos every Saturday. The numbers were humongous. 200+ registered match participants most Saturdays. As you would expect, bulk milsurp 556 and 762x39 was at the heart of such events, and it was accrued and sold by the clubs and overaching bodies. Sadly, the howard laws caused such attendace to vanish overnight, leaving a large contingent of cheap 556 and 762x39 milsurp ammo behind. That ammo is still for limited sale to club members and is attractively priced, albeit a bit crappy milsurp quality. Nonetheless, bolt actions and bolt-conversions in both 556 and 762x39 are still quite popular, so I see 762x39 often being used on Saturday shoots just like this:

https://youtu.be/em3JidjdBfM

https://youtu.be/WcR9NpIBm2I

My observations around 762x39;

1) the cheap ammo is inherently poorer quality than handloads or pricey so called "match" stuff; garbage in garbage out.
2) if there's a fresh over-land wind source (in our case a Westerly or Sou-Wester), the 762x39 performs poorly at 300m. Over-land winds are notebly more chaotic than a nice sea-breeze, such as a class Nor-Easter (here on he Eastern seaboard).
3) adequate for 200m and under, during timed service rifle events
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by bladeracer » 21 Feb 2023, 4:02 pm

AussieMadman wrote:just wondering how popular it is across the country. i've heard some people say it's as rare as rocking horse s**t and others tell me they get cases of it every year. i'm assuming its about as popular as 300B/O, but i could be wrong about that.


Don't know anybody with one now, lots of people had SKS's back in the day though.
No idea about ammo as I don't buy any centrefire rifle ammo, load your own and forget about chasing up ammo.
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by SCJ429 » 21 Feb 2023, 5:41 pm

I remember the 80s Blade, when everyone had a $150 SKS or a SKK. They made good garden stakes.
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by bigrich » 21 Feb 2023, 8:31 pm

SCJ429 wrote:I remember the 80s Blade, when everyone had a $150 SKS or a SKK. They made good garden stakes.


yeah, those fold out bayonets made them real easy to set in the vegie patch :D
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by on_one_wheel » 22 Feb 2023, 6:29 am

Such fond memories... 15 years old and let loose on the back of a ute with a SKK with pretty much unlimited ammo.
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by northdude » 22 Feb 2023, 7:25 am

Had an sks as well. Considering what it was it was accurate enough for bush hunting and couldnt stop it running. Even threw it in a bog and walked all over it. Pulled it out and it still ran
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by phill55phill » 22 Feb 2023, 7:34 am

Waste of time
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by straightshooter » 22 Feb 2023, 9:08 am

I bought a Zastava mini in the early 90's to take advantage of the cheap Chinese ammo which at the time was about the same per round price as rimfire.
The ammo was claimed to be "non corrosive" but after having not cleaned one night I soon learnt otherwise.
These days it is a handload only proposition and mainly cast 230 grain projectiles at just under 1100 fps MV with no comments from neighbours.
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by bigpete » 22 Feb 2023, 9:43 am

I hear its quite popular as a sambar cartridge in Victoria.....
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by animalpest » 22 Feb 2023, 9:48 am

bigpete wrote:I hear its quite popular as a sambar cartridge in Victoria.....


Only if it causes hydraulic shock :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by bigpete » 22 Feb 2023, 10:01 am

animalpest wrote:
bigpete wrote:I hear its quite popular as a sambar cartridge in Victoria.....


Only if it causes hydraulic shock :lol: :lol: :lol:


Apparently only used by the best of the best,the creme de la creme of kb warriors....
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by Oldbloke » 22 Feb 2023, 10:34 am

bigpete wrote:I hear its quite popular as a sambar cartridge in Victoria.....


Usually drops them on spot. In the rare instance they run it leave a blood trail that can be seen from space from the ISS. :allegedly:
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by Oldbloke » 22 Feb 2023, 10:36 am

animalpest wrote:
bigpete wrote:I hear its quite popular as a sambar cartridge in Victoria.....


Only if it causes flesh shock :lol: :lol: :lol:


Just had to correct you there mate. :drinks:
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by straightshooter » 22 Feb 2023, 11:46 am

Dear tag team duo.
I think the batin' belongs on the Sambar thread.
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by bigrich » 22 Feb 2023, 12:23 pm

bigpete wrote:
animalpest wrote:
bigpete wrote:I hear its quite popular as a sambar cartridge in Victoria.....


Only if it causes hydraulic shock :lol: :lol: :lol:


Apparently only used by the best of the best,the creme de la creme of kb warriors....


:lol: :lol: :lol: You guys..... :thumbsup: :drinks:
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by Diamond Jim » 22 Feb 2023, 2:11 pm

I don't know anyone who uses the cartridge.
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by bigrich » 22 Feb 2023, 3:27 pm

i,ve only come across one guy who had one , a zastava. wasn't a bad rifle , the cartridge in that compact little gun suited it . due to the performance of steel cased norinco ammo , he moved it on . if there was a wide variety of sporting ammo and projectiles for it , it'd be a good scrub gun i guess . except on sambar :P
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by bigpete » 22 Feb 2023, 4:16 pm

bigrich wrote:i,ve only come across one guy who had one , a zastava. wasn't a bad rifle , the cartridge in that compact little gun suited it . due to the performance of steel cased norinco ammo , he moved it on . if there was a wide variety of sporting ammo and projectiles for it , it'd be a good scrub gun i guess . except on sambar :P


To be fair,I've often tossed around the idea of buying one of those little cz carbines chambered in it. Would be perfectly adequate for most of my hunting
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by JimTom » 22 Feb 2023, 6:06 pm

bigpete wrote:
bigrich wrote:i,ve only come across one guy who had one , a zastava. wasn't a bad rifle , the cartridge in that compact little gun suited it . due to the performance of steel cased norinco ammo , he moved it on . if there was a wide variety of sporting ammo and projectiles for it , it'd be a good scrub gun i guess . except on sambar :P


To be fair,I've often tossed around the idea of buying one of those little cz carbines chambered in it. Would be perfectly adequate for most of my hunting


The CZ 527 in 7.62x39 is an absolute cracker mate.
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by Oldbloke » 22 Feb 2023, 6:11 pm

JimTom wrote:
bigpete wrote:
bigrich wrote:i,ve only come across one guy who had one , a zastava. wasn't a bad rifle , the cartridge in that compact little gun suited it . due to the performance of steel cased norinco ammo , he moved it on . if there was a wide variety of sporting ammo and projectiles for it , it'd be a good scrub gun i guess . except on sambar :P


To be fair,I've often tossed around the idea of buying one of those little cz carbines chambered in it. Would be perfectly adequate for most of my hunting


The CZ 527 in 7.62x39 is an absolute cracker mate.


Yeh. I want to take one to Africa for BIG game. :D
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by bigrich » 22 Feb 2023, 7:23 pm

bigpete wrote:
bigrich wrote:i,ve only come across one guy who had one , a zastava. wasn't a bad rifle , the cartridge in that compact little gun suited it . due to the performance of steel cased norinco ammo , he moved it on . if there was a wide variety of sporting ammo and projectiles for it , it'd be a good scrub gun i guess . except on sambar :P


To be fair,I've often tossed around the idea of buying one of those little cz carbines chambered in it. Would be perfectly adequate for most of my hunting


If I had the money I’d rebarrel to a .308 tube and either neck size cases down, or I reckon pacific tool and gauge probably have suitable dies. Then you got a heap of good projectiles to choose from
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by Oldbloke » 22 Feb 2023, 8:12 pm

bigrich wrote:
bigpete wrote:
bigrich wrote:i,ve only come across one guy who had one , a zastava. wasn't a bad rifle , the cartridge in that compact little gun suited it . due to the performance of steel cased norinco ammo , he moved it on . if there was a wide variety of sporting ammo and projectiles for it , it'd be a good scrub gun i guess . except on sambar :P


To be fair,I've often tossed around the idea of buying one of those little cz carbines chambered in it. Would be perfectly adequate for most of my hunting


If I had the money I’d rebarrel to a .308 tube and either neck size cases down, or I reckon pacific tool and gauge probably have suitable dies. Then you got a heap of good projectiles to choose from


Or just buy a 308 and load it down a tad with AR2206H
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Re: how popular is 7.62x39 in your neck of the woods?

Post by mickb » 07 Mar 2023, 7:17 pm

Where I came from it was extremely popular but this was pre 1996. I think half the homes in town had an SKK or SKS in the wardrobe and they were favourite pig medicine.
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