SKS or M14 which is better for hunting

[Bushmaster]

[QUOTE][Of course you could simply purchase a rifle that was actually designed to be a hunting rifle./QUOTE]

I totally agree with this statement by elkhunter.

[CR5]

Originally Posted by rosh7674

would love to but my old lady wont allow me to have three guns

Ever hear the saying "forgiveness is easier to get than permission"?

Try to get her interested in shooting and let her shoot the low recoil, easy to handle, and cheap to shoot SKS and get yourself an M14.
Used SKS's have little to no resale due to the low price for a new one. Just keep it and enjoy it for what it is and accept it's limitations for hunting.
I personally would not even think about shooting at a deer with my SKS at over 100 yards.

I put a scope on my M14 this year and took a running doe at around 150 yards this year. Got a little lucky I think and ended up with a perfect neck shot that dropped it instantly. My hunting buddy was laughing the whole time because it was the third shot that tagged the deer and it took less than 10 seconds to take all three shots.
For under $500 I don't think there is a better deal out there for a non-restricted semi-auto rifle. They are fun to shoot, quite accurate, and easy to strip and clean.
They are nowhere near as cheap to shoot as the SKS but there are some good deals out there on bulk purchases, I picked up 200 rounds of Remington softpoints for $17/box last month and I've been buying 147 grain FMJ for $16/box.
There are also plenty of bolt guns out there that are around $500 that would make excellent deer rifles if you want to keep the cost of ammo down.

Good luck which ever way you go but I highly recommend the M14, I love mine and can't help myself whenever I find deals on ammo and I now have well over 1000 rounds of FMJ and over 500 rounds of hunting bullets for it and I keep buying 5/20 mags whenever I find them for a good price. Great rifle with unlimited possibilities for aftermarket parts and there are a few gunsmiths around that can make them even more accurate.

[trooper]

I have a friend who, last season, put 5 rounds of 7.62x39 spitzer in a whitetail buck at 30 yards and still the animal ran 300 meters before it lay down. We tracked the buck through heavy bush, following the blood spoor. When we located the aminal, it was attempting to get up when I put it down with my .308. As far as I'm concerned, the round with it's 125 gn spitzer is too underpowered for big game hunting.

[Turtlewolf]

Originally Posted by trooper

I have a friend who, last season, put 5 rounds of 7.62x39 spitzer in a whitetail buck at 30 yards and still the animal ran 300 meters before it lay down. We tracked the buck through heavy bush, following the blood spoor. When we located the aminal, it was attempting to get up when I put it down with my .308. As far as I'm concerned, the round with it's 125 gn spitzer is too underpowered for big game hunting.

Comments like this make me sometimes question the shooting skills of some people, not neccesarily your friend Trooper, as the 7.62x39mm is not a shoulder breaking .308 Norma magnum. Some of the imported softpoint may have questionable hold together as well but if you use it within the limits of the cartridge (say as a .243 Winchester that won't work at 250 yards) it will kill deer. Yes the .243 will kill at extended ranges if you are a good marksman/woman and everything works in your favor.
But neither leave any real margin for error and that margin is the reason that many of us hunt with heavier cartridges.
Turtlewolf

[rosh7674]

I did kill a buck (140-180 lb) this year with my sks at 150 yard. It was a lucky shot but I know sks is capable of killing a deer at 150 yard. I took my sks to phoneix gun range the other day and notice that gun is shooting all over the place. Once I get the scope I will zero it in at 40m and than I will take it to a 100-200 yard range and shoot it by estimating the distance and how high or low should I shoot to stay 1-2" range without re-zeroing the scope. I think if I do that for while than I will be able to shoot properly and take deer at 150 -200 yards easy.

What do you guys think? is that proper approach.

Since I am a left hand shooter it is very hard to buy bolt action riffle within $500-600 range.