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Saiga for Christmas


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OK, i want a new rifle for christmas, so i look at the Saiga .223 and 7.62x39 but here come my problem, i can't make my mind... i know i have to pick a caliber i just don't know which one to pick. i won't do any mayor modification to it other than the stock, and a red-dot, and i'll use it to target shooting at 100 yard, but from time to time i may go hunting Wild Boar or Feral Pig, nothing bigger than that.

 

i would like to hear any comments about the accuracy of those two calibers (.223 and 7.62x39) at no more than 200/300 yards...

 

thanks for your help.

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I have both the 223 and 762 and have only fired as far as 100 yds with iron sights at clay pigeons on the berm. Both were about the same, can hit with pretty fair regularity if I do my part. At 50 yards from the bench with irons, the 223 was a little more accurate, but that could be due to comparing american eagle or similar ammo vs the wolf or golden tiger ammo in the 762. I would say that both are very close, the 223 has negligable recoil and the 762 has just a tad more. Both ran completely reliable and I like both. Pick whichever one suits you better caliber wise...remember that the russian ammo is still a little cheaper in 762 than in 223. I don't think you can go wrong with either and Classicarms.us has good deals on them.

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I had a Saiga in 7.62 by 39 and it had a really awful trigger, gritty, long pull. I tried polishing and lubricating but there was no improvement. I recently bought a .223 Saiga. I would say the trigger pull on this rifle is mediocre but better than the x39. As you know, the .223 is a lighter, faster round than the x39. You get a little bit less recoil and perhaps a flatter trajectory. I would say that the x39 would be better suited for bigger game at shorter distances. So far as I know, ammo cost is about the same. X39 used to be about the cheapest full power ammo out there but shrinking supplies have pushed prices way up. Since X39 is the standard AK calibre, and AKs with pistol grips are readily available, along with cheap mags, you might judge that the .223 Saiga to be more desirable.

 

Going outside the limits of your question, I strongly recommend the WASR-2 in 5.45, available for less than $300 from Aim Surplus and other companies. A few months ago when I got my WASR-2, ammo was plentiful and cheap. My rifle came with an absolutely perfect TAPCO trigger. Mags are inexpensive. I cannot comment on accuracy with any of these rifles, especially since I only shoot Wolf and milsurp ammo.

 

Monomonk

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i would like to hear any comments about the accuracy of those two calibers (.223 and 7.62x39) at no more than 200/300 yards...

 

thanks for your help.

You might also want to consider the price & availability of 5.56 vs 7.62x39 ammo in your area (and your personal budget). I like 7.62 AKs just fine, but ended up selling the ones I built because it made more sense to convert a 5.56 Saiga (to go with my .223 Savage & my wife's 5.56 ArmaLite, and all of the .223 & 5.56 ammo I had previously bought on sale ;>). IMHO, you're way better off having a decent rifle that you shoot often, because you like it & the ammo's cheap, than a super-duper-delux rifle that you never shoot because the ammo's too dang expensive.

 

Bottom line (IMHO), the person behind the trigger makes more of a difference than the hardware - so buy something that you like, and can afford to shoot often - and then SHOOT IT! Shoot it standing, from the bench, rice-paddy-prone, sitting, prone, any way that works - shoot the heck out of it! Before too long, you'll impress the heck out of your shooting buddies, just because you & your rifle will be hitting the targets, regular as clockwork, and they won't be, because their rifles spend most days at home in the safe or closet...

 

Just my opinion, FWIW, YMMV, feel free to fold, spindle & mutilate, etc., etc...

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Mags are inexpensive... Monomonk

The cost & availability of mags are definitely other considerations! (For example, I bought my 5.56 Saiga mags before I bought the rifle, because they were on sale! ;>) But ammo is an on-going expense, so keep that in mind, too (and when ammo's on sale, buy at least twice as much as you think you'll need - and more is always better ;>)...

 

Just my opinion, FWIW, YMMV, etc., etc...

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OK, i want a new rifle for christmas, so i look at the Saiga .223 and 7.62x39 but here come my problem, i can't make my mind... i know i have to pick a caliber i just don't know which one to pick. i won't do any mayor modification to it other than the stock, and a red-dot, and i'll use it to target shooting at 100 yard, but from time to time i may go hunting Wild Boar or Feral Pig, nothing bigger than that.

 

i would like to hear any comments about the accuracy of those two calibers (.223 and 7.62x39) at no more than 200/300 yards...

 

thanks for your help.

 

 

I wouldn't put a dot sight at ranges of 100 yards or more, if you want accuracy. The dot covers too much of the target.

 

The .223 round will have trouble stopping wild pig. I'm told 7.62x39 will do the job, but you should consider the .308 Saiga instead. It's flatter shooting and can easily take down game.

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just get two saigas for 500....a 223 and a x39???

 

 

what are you people feeding this guy? BUY AS MANY AS YOU CAN!!!!!! (and start with a 12 gauge)

 

I bet he don't have a Momma that wants to get him 2 Saigas for Chirstmas...So...I say get the x39

as a present...you can't go wrong....It will KILL Boar out to 125 yds. (if he can shoot) He can get the .223 next (or the .308 once he learns what he has) x39 is a bit more of a kick to shoot than .223, and the .308 is a bunch more of a kick to shoot! (ammo ???) I still say start w/ the x39. Of course, ammo will end up costing more than the gun, no matter which one he gets (you need at least 1000 rds,

or more in the end as we all know) (~ $200/1000 rds. for x39) The 7.62x39 is my choice to start with

- then expand on each side as you can.

 

Added: I'd also reco. the Mossberg Maverick 88 12ga. Security Version as a second option on shotgun....I Love Saigas, but for Less than $200, it's a Home Security Gun that will Rock Someone's World if they F*** with You. I Sleep with mine w/ added PG buttstock. - 00 Buck x 6. Forget it...

Edited by BullShark012
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just get two saigas for 500....a 223 and a x39???

 

 

what are you people feeding this guy? BUY AS MANY AS YOU CAN!!!!!! (and start with a 12 gauge)

 

I bet he don't have a Momma that wants to get him 2 Saigas for Chirstmas...

 

 

hahaha... my mom won't buy me a BB-Gun, she just don't like guns at all, but that's not the problem.

 

Thanks for all the comments,

 

the saiga won't me my first rifle, i also own a SKS, Remington 700 SPS 30-06, Mosing-Nagant 91/30 and M44, but...i just love the look of the saiga, i'm going to get an AK-47 a few weeks and i will go with the saiga 223 to shoot the hell out of it, since i have the SKS in 7.62x39 and the AK-47 comming up, i think is better to have an original AK with the original round and the saiga version in .223 just to have fun, i wanted to know the killing power of the .223 because i don't want to be out there having fun and run across some pig without taking a shot, like vjor said, shot placement is very important and i think am ok with that.

 

Thank you all again for all your help.

 

Sarduy.

Edited by Sarduy
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OK, i want a new rifle for christmas, so i look at the Saiga .223 and 7.62x39 but here come my problem, i can't make my mind... i know i have to pick a caliber i just don't know which one to pick. i won't do any mayor modification to it other than the stock, and a red-dot, and i'll use it to target shooting at 100 yard, but from time to time i may go hunting Wild Boar or Feral Pig, nothing bigger than that.

 

i would like to hear any comments about the accuracy of those two calibers (.223 and 7.62x39) at no more than 200/300 yards...

 

thanks for your help.

 

Get the 7.62x39 rifle, It has slightly more recoil than the 223 rifle. You can defintely shoot it all day and not complain about the recoil. It has the about the same ballistics of the 30/30 and will do the job on Hog or deer. When the SKS were cheap, many were using them for hunting hogs and deer. Now that the price of SKS are approaching the price of the Saiga rifle, IMO, go with the Saiga 7.62x39 rifle. I would never grab my .223 rifle to hunt hogs or deer! The 223 is just too small, unless you only want to shoot small varmit or paper. The .308 is much more recoil, good for Bear or Elk, but most have no desire to shoot bears.

Edited by jbremount
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I've got one of each, 223, x39, 308.... I've not shot the 308 yet, but i love the idea of that power in a compact package. x39 is great for deer up close - i could do just fine with that in WI. when i hunt out west though, shots are often 200+ yards, and my 30-06 has been my go to out there. The S-308 will get an at bat next time though.

 

I started with the .223....At the time the ammo was cheap...like $2/box of 20.....now....i'm lucky to find it under $5 a box....though i hit the jackpot locally a couple weeks ago and stocked up about 30 boxes at $3.80 each.....i know, you could have done much better a few years ago, but right now that was a deal.

 

They are all good guns, and good values, you will not go wrong whatever you choose.

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