which is a deadlier round?

[permafrost]

I to am a big fan of the 7.62x39. I had an AK and an AR for some time now. Just sold the AK and bought a x39 upper with mags that are supposed to work. Now I have both calibers on the AR platform! The AK was very dependable, but not great accuracy. I'm hoping for better accuracy from the x39 upper. We'll see.

[JLA]

The 7.62X39 is capable of some fantastic accuracy. It just needs a more stable platform than the AK or SKS it was designed for.

[RunningOnMT]

JLA, I've wondered before how much of the 7.62x39's inaccuracy is due to the caliber and how much is due to the platform. But even if it were more accurate on an AR platform, I would still want an AK. The less than precise build that makes the AK so inaccurate is what makes it so reliable. I can see a place for both calibers and both platforms.

[bluesea112]

The Russian 5.45x39 is deadlier than any of them. The ammo is so cheap you can by 2 1/2 times more than 7.62 or 5.56. At 10 cents per round, you will be shooting at the bad guys twice as long as the guy with the ak47 or AR15.
More shots = more deadliers in your bag

disclaimer: (That is a tongue and cheek answer, however, it does only cost 10 cents to make it go bang)

[carver]

Originally Posted by The Duke

Ive always appreciated the 7.62 over the 5.56 round....By design, most AK platforms are made very reliable and not so very accurate, spray and pray weapon...Throw enough lead downrange fast enough and folks keep their heads in the mud...soon or later, someone may get hit after attackers have gotten closer..There are exceptions..Ive a friend who has an early Norinco that will stay around 1 1/2 " at 100; with surp ammo..Id buy or trade him in a heartbeat, but he's not letting that one go.

If I were given the opportunity to build a 7.62x39 and to pick and choose my parts for fit, I think it could be made to shoot very accurately...I suspect the Hornady is much better with a decent rifle to shoot it...

So Ive been 'thunking' about a 7.62 on the AR platform as at the present, the ammo is cheap and plentiful.... But A simple signature on a piece of paper can put an end to imported ammo over night....then the price goes up, making the 5.56 much more attractive pricewise.....The Monark and Wolf crap that I have shot is innaccurate out of any platform....but will run a FA AK like a Mercedes..

I got a feeling I should have an AK, just because I still can...Prob the first one the grabbers will go after if they get a chance...but have a hell of a time getting mine out of the safe or out of my hands..if I had one...

Decisions, decisions...

I took the plung and bought an AK, love it! Already had two SKS's, and plenty of ammo, so why not the AK? No .223's around here. They have their place, but not around here.

[Grizz]

Originally Posted by carver

I took the plung and bought an AK, love it! Already had two SKS's, and plenty of ammo, so why not the AK? No .223's around here. They have their place, but not around here.

Awsome! What kind did you get? New or used? I personally like the Maadi ak 47's

[soundguy]

while i've taken plenty of florida deer ( dog sized eh? ) with a ruger mini 14 in .223.. i think i'f I was already shooting / relaoding 762x39 for sks i'd go with the ak.. etc.

tough gun.

[3/2 STA SS]

5.45X39mm...fast two time the weight of the avg. 5.56mm and there is a reason the Afgan's called it "the poison bullet'' when the Soviets were field testing it in the 80-88 war in Afganistan.

[JLA]

I used to shoot an AK 74 copy. 5.45 fed by Tantal mags. It was a screamin little round. 70 gr bullets at a screamng 3000 fps from a 16 inch barrel.

[Ledslnger]

Originally Posted by Albtraum

I'd hate to be at the other end of any caliber. I'd say go with 5.56/.223 because of the low recoil. Russia doesn't even use 7.62x39 anymore, they've used 5.45x39 (similar to the 223/5.56) since the late 1970's.

+1

5.56 or .223 all the way. AKs are about as accurate as slingshots at 100+ yards. Go with accuracy, 2nd/3rd shot accuracy because of lower recoil, and lots of aftermarket parts. More aftermarket stuff from ARs than AKs if you take that routetoo. Cheaper reloading with the .223/5.56 also.

[carver]

Originally Posted by Grizz

Awsome! What kind did you get? New or used? I personally like the Maadi ak 47's

One of the new Romanian guns. I bought it at Cheaper Than Dirt Outdoor Adventures in FT Worth, TX. Probably paid a little too much for it, but it shoots good!

[soundguy]

Originally Posted by Ledslnger

+1

5.56 or .223 all the way. AKs are about as accurate as slingshots at 100+ yards. Go with accuracy, 2nd/3rd shot accuracy because of lower recoil, and lots of aftermarket parts. More aftermarket stuff from ARs than AKs if you take that routetoo. Cheaper reloading with the .223/5.56 also.

depending on what sks he has.. he may already have accuracy.

i have a couple russkie sks that i got more than 20 ys ago... the one i actually shoot is a decent gun. shooting it's built in iron sights, no optics, I shoot at 150yds and hit 10" triangualr targets if i have a monopod or railing to lean up against. bench rest or table or something.

not sure how some of the other sks shoot.. like romies.. norinco.. etc...

soundguy

[Grizz]

Originally Posted by Ledslnger

+1

AKs are about as accurate as slingshots at 100+ yards.

not all of them, I have a Maadi RPM (20" barrel version) that I can consistently shoot 5/10 hits on a torso size target from 500 yards away using iron sights. At 100 yards it's about 1 - 1.5 MOA.

[soundguy]

i agree. while I have seen some guns that are just plain 'foul ball throwers' most guns, IMO.. have most of their accuracy issues owed to the person pulling the trigger.

[permafrost]

Originally Posted by soundguy

i agree. while I have seen some guns that are just plain 'foul ball throwers' most guns, IMO.. have most of their accuracy issues owed to the person pulling the trigger.

I agree. Even though I sold my Saiga converted AK, it was capable of 2-3" accuracy at 100 yds. A man would be just as dead. Not shabby, but I wanted more.

[JLA]

Originally Posted by carver

One of the new Romanian guns. I bought it at Cheaper Than Dirt Outdoor Adventures in FT Worth, TX. Probably paid a little too much for it, but it shoots good!

You sneeked into my end of the woods and didnt even stop to shoot a few rounds at the range??

[RJay]

Which is the deadlier round? Don't know, one way to find out, have two of your friends ( same height, same weight ) stand 50 yardss away, Shoot both of them in the heart at the same instance, Which ever one hits the ground first, well, that must be the deadliest round.

[shorter260513]

did a little testing myself just yesterday 5.56 / 7.62 vs. a box of moldy canteloupe at 100 yds both left some pretty sweet exit wounds the M&P more accurate than the sks but I have to say the 7.62 seemed to hollow em out quite a bit more

[CJ_56]

Wow zombies live on this board! This thread started 4 1/2 years ago! I guess some questions just never have an answer that satisfies.

But hey I can play zombie games too. The OP never answered the key question which is "deadly for what"? If you want to shoot coyotes at 500 yards definitely get a .223. If you want to shoot people at inside of 50 yards either will do but one platform is clearly cheaper and (here it comes flamers ) more reliable. And yes it's the 7.62 x 39 that's more reliable IMO but that may not be true at all with a 7.62 x 39 AR. People who probably know are saying they don't work very well.

I've seen lots and lots of AR's get finicky at the range. A well maintained SKS or AK (as in you've cleaned it more than once since you owned it) will almost always function. My ancient SKS has worked incredibly reliably over the years. I've had it 20 years and up until about 6 weeks ago I had never had a problem with anything except bad ammo and even that was very, very rare. Now I've got ammo that has popped the primers on me several times ruining a perfectly good firing pin and who knows what else. I put another firing pin in it and it works great again with my old faithful ammo. I plan on having a Murray fix done to the bolt to prevent future problems but I haven't done so yet. Still in 20 years I bet I haven't had more than 25 rounds give me a problem and I've shot thousands and thousands of rounds through that rifle.

I could buy an AR for home defense if I wanted but so far I haven't. I do have a .223 varmint gun that works great IMO. It is very, very accurate especially compared to the SKS. But my SKS isn't all that bad when it comes to accuracy. I can shoot maybe 2-3 MOA at 100 yards with Russian bulk ammo. That's plenty good enough for HD unless you find yourself dropped off in the middle of Afghanistan. I don't think there's a direction I can even shoot 100 yards from my house without hitting a tree or a hill.

So, as always, the answer to the OP's question is... "it depends". I sorta doubt he's going to read that in time to make up his mind which AR to build.

[soundguy]

Originally Posted by CJ_56

Wow zombies live on this board! This thread started 4 1/2 years ago! I guess some questions just never have an answer that satisfies.

yep.. classic zombie thread. comes back when you least expect it.

[soundguy]

Originally Posted by permafrost

I agree. Even though I sold my Saiga converted AK, it was capable of 2-3" accuracy at 100 yds. A man would be just as dead. Not shabby, but I wanted more.

yep.. i took my sks, my wasr10 and some other weird thing I got at a gun show cheap.. it's some sort of um gas operated gun.. but takes a mag unlike an ak mag. it has a notch on it.. mags i got are aluminum skinned. wanna say it was vz something.. anyway.. all 3 in 7.62x39 did some shooting on plain typing pper targets one day. i figured that anything on an 8.5x11 square would be a body shot and 'acceptable' in case of EOC or doomsday/ invasion fighting.. etc...

all guns hit paper at 100 yds.. the sks was the best. the vz thing patterned all over.. but then it has a wire stock and is not a comfortable gun.. it was cheap and stamped out.. looks 'cheaper' than the wasr10 if you can imagine that. i think i paid? 180$ for it.. so I ain't complaining. it's a bullet hose and for short range tactical work.. i'd rather have it than pistol due to stopping power. wasr with wood stock was not much worse than the sks.. sks was doing 1.5 - 2" groups.. and wasr opend to 2.5 and an odd 3" the other one was /on paper..

[FlashBang]

My WASR holds its own against my AR's, as for which is a deadlier round... the round that hits you is the deadlier round. The misses are less deadly. lol

[RJay]

good grief, I didn't even look at the date of the original post, and I wasted a sarcastic reply for nothing

[soundguy]

Originally Posted by FlashBang

My WASR holds its own against my AR's, as for which is a deadlier round... the round that hits you is the deadlier round. The misses are less deadly. lol

my only ar type gun, if you can call it that. is a keltec SU16 not a great example of a tactical rifle.. but makes a good carbine with under folding butstock that you can still have an ar style banana mag thru.. it does have a weird fold out bipod that is actually the foregrip that splits and folds to a somewhat flimsy but stable bipod.

again.. a real ar tactical guy would probably laugh at it.. but I like keltec and gave it a try.. i have a p32 and p3at as well.. love em all.

and the su16 ain't inacurate.. is light weight.. easy to break down.. and prints good as any other cheper rifle on paper if the guy pulling the trigger is doing his part.

in reality.. any gun can be shot to hit a target accurately as long as it groups consistently, since you can adjust for it..

soundguy

[CJ_56]

a real ar tactical guy would probably laugh at it

I don't see why. It looks capable enough to me. From what I've read the only real problem is access to the chamber for cleaning and clearing jams etc.. I guarantee I've seen much worse. There's some real junk out there floating around. I'm talking stuff I would be afraid to even shoot and it's always cheap assault type rifles that come that way. Keltec is a brand with some integrity unlike some of the no name stuff I've seen around. Start with the SA80 and go down. I don't even remember the names of most of the junk rifles I've seen. I have enough trouble remembering what's good.