help me decide

[oranjoose 0]

hey guys, i want to get a saiga but im not sure if i want it in 7.62, 223, or 308. i am considering recoil, ability to get US made hicap mags, price of good ammo, and ballistics of said calibers. all advice is welcome.

[oranjoose 0]

for instance, i initially was interested in 7.62 but then i started to think that if i got a .223 or 308 it would be a little more accurate at around 200 yards.

 

i think the .223 would be cool, but i dont know where i could get reliable .223 US made mags. i am not converting to pistol grip and i am changing one other thing to get 922r compliance.

 

the .308 is awesome but the us made 20 round mags are around $45 a piece and i assume it has a lot of recoil and twice as loud.

 

so what do you guys think?

[bigj480 203]

I'm also interested, I want to SBR one.

[rangerdavid 6]

I've got a 7.62 x 39. There was a mag special listed on here somewhere that Copes Distributing was selling 5 mags and a pouch for less than 50 bucks..... the 7.62 ammo is much cheaper than 308, and maybe a little less than 223. probably more readily available since the military uses the 223.

 

I also think the 7.62 was the original caliber of the russian AK rifles, someone correct me if I'm wrong. i just like the x39 with the 16 inch barrel, not so much the 20 incher.

 

Either way, Just get one!! You'll love it!! you can always get the other as your next one after you're completely addicted!!

Edited July 13, 2008 by rangerdavid

[bigj480 203]

I've got a 7.62 x 39. There was a mag special listed on here somewhere that Copes Distributing was selling 5 mags and a pouch for less than 50 bucks..... the 7.62 ammo is much cheaper than 308, and maybe a little less than 223. probably more readily available since the military uses the 223.

 

I figured that this was the case and I was leaning towards the 7.62. I already have an AK in that caliber but I haven't shot it, it has a crooked front sight. Are you talking about surplus ammo in the price comparison? Do the 7.62s take standard AK mags? What about ballistics out of a short barrel?

 

I also think the 7.62 was the original caliber of the russian AK rifles, someone correct me if I'm wrong. i just like the x39 with the 16 inch barrel, not so much the 20 incher.

 

You are correct.

 

I hope I didn't hijack your thread, oranjoose. I figured you would have similar questions.

Edited July 13, 2008 by bigj480

[zakmatthews 14]

The .308 ammo will cost you much more than the others. Having said that, I have the .308 16" and I love it.

[oranjoose 0]

The .308 ammo will cost you much more than the others. Having said that, I have the .308 16" and I love it.

 

how is the recoil on it? what does the .308 offer in your opinion that the 7.62 doesnt?

[Paulry 50]

In 4 months I bought 3! but most important I bought the 7.62X39 first! It was a 16" Saiga. Then I bought a 16" .223. For kicks I then bought the 20" .223.

 

I think back to the days of blasting Prairie Dogs with .223 bolt actions and what it would be like with the Saiga 20" that I just bought.

 

This brings up another question, what are the normal factory test fire group sizes? This will be another thread.

 

The point is the Saiga style rifle (AK100 series) is a battle rifle design first and the 16" barrel is the normal configuration.

 

The 7.62X39 is the original cartridge and the least expensive to shoot.

 

Savvy!

[Kwicko 8]

I figured that this was the case and I was leaning towards the 7.62. I already have an AK in that caliber but I haven't shot it, it has a crooked front sight. Are you talking about surplus ammo in the price comparison? Do the 7.62s take standard AK mags? What about ballistics out of a short barrel?

 

The Wolf brand ammo in 7.62x39 is about the cheapest I've found, and around $180-220 per 1000 rounds (depending on where you shop). I've poured over a thousand rounds of it through my Saiga x39, and it's jammed or mis-fed exactly TWICE. I can't really say much about the accuracy of the ammo, but it seems okay for my meager skills.

 

The 7.62 Saiga will NOT take the standard AK mags without some minor modifications. For hi-cap mags, I use Surefire 30-rounders, made in America. They're pricey, though, at $39.95 each, so I've only got a few of them. There are 20- & 25-rounders available for the .308, and 30-rounders for the .223.

 

For the rest, it comes down to a matter of personal preference, mostly. If it was me, personally, and I already had an AK in 7.62x39, I'd go for the 7.62 Saiga. But that's just because I like being able to use the same ammo in more than one gun, and something just feels... RIGHT... about the 7.62x39. Big enough to get you into our out of trouble, small enough to be cheap and plentiful, and the recoil is next to nothing. I can put 120 rounds through my Saiga with less soreness in my shoulder than I get out of 10 rounds through my Mosin Nagant 7.62x54R.

 

Just a few thoughts on the matter...

 

Of course, me liking multiple rifles with the same caliber, and being just about to pick up a .308 FN/FAL, I may be hearing the siren-song of a .308 Saiga soon! That's not a bad thing, though, right?

 

Mike

[rangerdavid 6]

many of the Saiga's will have a canted front sight. do a search on there to see the fix. A new shipment of Saiga's just come in, so many dealers have them now, and I havn't heard if they have canted sights too, or not. Also, it will not accept standard AK mags without a slight mod, that is, adding a bullet guide to the trunion. they're pretty cheap too, only $25 dollars for the kit from Dinzag. That way, you can use all the regular AK mags you want.

 

I also try to keep the same caliber in as many weapons as possible. That makes buying and stocking up on ammo much simpler. The 308 is, IMHO, much better for long range shooting, but I just don't use my AKs very often at all over 100 yards.

[Kwicko 8]

I also try to keep the same caliber in as many weapons as possible. That makes buying and stocking up on ammo much simpler. The 308 is, IMHO, much better for long range shooting, but I just don't use my AKs very often at all over 100 yards.

 

And I was afraid I'd be labeled "cheap" for wanting to only have to stock up on a few kinds of ammo! Glad to hear I'm not the only one. It makes it MUCH easier to convince the wife that I really need a thousand rounds if I'm pushing it through two or more guns - and it's a lot easier to make sure I have enough ammo for each weapon.

[rangerdavid 6]

I also try to keep the same caliber in as many weapons as possible. That makes buying and stocking up on ammo much simpler. The 308 is, IMHO, much better for long range shooting, but I just don't use my AKs very often at all over 100 yards.

 

And I was afraid I'd be labeled "cheap" for wanting to only have to stock up on a few kinds of ammo! Glad to hear I'm not the only one. It makes it MUCH easier to convince the wife that I really need a thousand rounds if I'm pushing it through two or more guns - and it's a lot easier to make sure I have enough ammo for each weapon.

 

 

+1

 

exactly! A gun without ammo is only a ball bat.....

[G O B 3,516]

I have more callibers than I origionally set out to aquire, but multiple weapons in each calliber (I want at least 1 bolt and 1 semi) and ammo to feed them makes them more usefull. It is hard to justify buying odd ammo to feed a single gun, unless it is something very special. Like a .25 I don't need more than one of those.

[bigj480 203]

Thanks for the replies. It really sounds like the mod required for using standard AK mags is worth it. I'm pretty sure I will eventually get a rifle in .308 but it probably wont be an AK style gun. So I think I'll stick with 7.62 for my AKs, I don't intend on using them for long range shots and my Saiga is going to be an SBR anyway. I've been holding off on getting a long range rifle because ammo is just far too pricey. Anyway, thanks for the suggestions guys.

[sicktooth 8]

why not fit all of them into your budget? thats what i did, i just picked the ones i wanted first and could AFFORD at the time. now i have a 7.62 a .308 and a S12

[bigj480 203]

why not fit all of them into your budget? thats what i did, i just picked the ones i wanted first and could AFFORD at the time. now i have a 7.62 a .308 and a S12

 

I've got 2 S12s coming and the next will be a SBR 7.62, I think I'll use a different platform for .308. However, I have been known to buy guns on a whim. As you say, money is the only limiting factor, if not I would get them all. I would like to only stock a few calibers but I don't think I can limit myself, plus having the option to shoot different calibers is actually a good thing.