In the end your gun, your money.
I would never consider buying a fancy, expensive AK platform. For me, that defeats the whole point of an AK. It's like a fancy pick up truck with pretty paint and leather seats. If I wouldn't drop a load of cinder blocks in it, what's the point?
As to caliber. I own both. I nuch prefer the 5.45. It is dirt cheap, avaliable, and vey little recoil.
The 7.62 is too bouncy for me. I find the gun balances poorly for me.
As for the 30 caliber being a better stopper, well, there is a reason the Reds took one look at the 5.56 NATO and dcided to copy it. If the 5.46 wasn't better, why would they have switched? I would not want to be hit by either.
I would not hunt with either one. I have no desire to play GI Joe (or GI Ivan) during hunting season. In a survival situation, either one would work on a deer.
Get a cheap 5.45, put a longer butt stock on there and have fun.
