CZ carbine for hunting?

C

chris in va

New member
Caliber wars aside, would the x39 carbine be a viable hunting platform, and if so would a 3x9 scope or a 1x red dot be a better optic for the limited distances involved?
 
The 7.62x39 cartridge has close to the same ballistics as a 30-30 so for 100 yards or less it is effective on deer, pigs ,and other medium to small game. And both optics are fine for that range.
 
I have used a 7.62x39 for deer successfully a few times, but when people toss words around like "platform" I doubt they will be happy with it.
 
My $0.02:

The cartridge has enough power to work out to about 150 yards on medium game. A 30-30 is good to about 200 yards for your average hunter, but it fires heavier bullets than the 7.62x39, so a bit of range reduction is in order. I think limiting yourself to 100 yard shots is unnecessary unless you're taking a very poor shot angle.

I would put the scope on it. Personal preference, though.

The issue with this chambering is the ammo. The CZ 527 Carbine in 7.62x39 has a 0.311 nominal bore diameter. This means it's fine for shooting the ammo designed for SKS and AK rifles, and the SP bullets available in steel-cased varieties seems to be perfectly adequate for deer. There are widespread reports that the HP varieties of this ammo are too fragile and will fragment inside deer rather than penetrate. Consistent accuracy in this caliber is usually less than many people like unless you're purchasing brass-cased S&B or other ammo specifically marketed to hunters, and this comes at a price premium.

If you reload, make sure you use bullets suited to .311 bores and not the .308 bullets that some manuals recommend.

FWIW, I've never heard of anybody who purchased this rifle that didn't love it.
 
Thanks for the info. I've never hunted before, despite taking a hunter safety course a few years ago.

Like i said, not trying to debate the cartridge, just wanted to get input about which optic would work better for 100 yard ranges. The scope is quite large and looks awkward on this little carbine.
Would a 1x4 work better?

BTW I do reload for it and actually cast a Lee 155gr for plinkers at the range. I think the LGS has some 311's suitable for hunting.
 
I'm a sucker for magnification. That said, I imagine 4x would do just fine for the ranges we're talking about, and wouldn't be as cumbersome. If it were me, I'd try to find a higher power scope that's more compact, but it's probably not necessary.
 
Since you are familiar with the rifle, and handload your own ammo. I would say it is quite suitable for deer at 100 yards. For optics I recomend whichever you can use the best to hit inside of a paper plate at different distances out to the max distance you intend to shoot at.

I would recoemd one shot at each plate, allowing he rifle to cool compleetly before the next shot. It is a good minute of deer test.
 
Yeah, I like the idea of a 4x. Personally, I'm not sure I'd like a red dot for this job. It's all about using what you use well. I have a red dot on my .22 and it's great, but I just feel like at 100 yards, I wouldn't be precise enough for a precision shot.

Like I said, I would personally like at least a 4x magnification.
 
When I was younger I hunted with my SKS all the time. Its a solid caliber inside 125-150yrds. Im a handloader now and I bet you could make a bullet that would give you a little more range. I have also seen .308 diameter bullets work fine in .311 chambers.
 
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