Most of the above comments dovetail with my experiences with SKS's.
Let me be the first (unless I missed something?) to say: "Get one." But, don't pay $250. Even if you have to drive for it or look hard, just don't pay that kind of money for a $120 rifle; it encourages other people to price theirs likewise. My personal SKS will, if I concentrate, put 5 rounds in 3.5" at 100 yds. That's it. No sporterization, and I bought the thing in the Chinese cosmoline for $75.
I treat this thing almost exactly the same way a dozen of my friends treat their Model '94 Winchesters. It's handy at 20". It's hard to get fine accuaracy, but, as earlier stated, a 10" gong ("the dinger") we have at 100 yds is a snap to hit from any position. I keep it as my truck rifle, and it doesn't wory me a bit when that yeller swamp wood gets scratched by the jack behind the seat. I even loaned it out as a deer rifle last season, making my friend promise to take no shots beyond 100 yds, and to use SP's (which are just as cheap, just as accurate, as the FMJs). The best feature of this rifle is that it's the "Always rifle." You can't pop a varmint of chance with that Sendero that you left in your cabinet at home or in the hard case in your trunk. You baby your rifle, and pretty soon, you just don't have it leaning against your chair, or rattling on the passenger floorboard of your pickup, or getting wet as you walk a fencerow in the rain. I've popped some varments with my Sendero and my M-77 .257, both capable of .75 MOA or better. But I've shot twice as many as the other two combined with that ratty Norinco SKS that throws groups about 6 times wider.
In this day and age, I'd go as high as $160 for an excelent specimen. The Chinese ones shoot just as well as the Russian ones, despite what people will tell you (to justify the expense they paid for thier Ruskies.). The Russian ones just have nicer milling and look better.