I considered doing this last year, prior to purchasing a 30-06.
But I didn't want to look like a terrorist. I purchased the MAK90 13 years ago. Never shot it. It came with several 35 round clips and one 75 round drum. If I were able to find a scope for it, and a smaller clip, i'd have given it a try. But a 35 round clip is the smallest I've been able to find for this rifle. Also unable to find 7.62x39 ammo, in anything other than full metal jacket. I wonder if an expanding projectile is made for this rifle. And how effective it would be on big game at a range of at least 100 yards. Just currious if any of the forum readers have used assault rifles for hunting purposes.

 

You should check local laws on the number of rounds you can carry in a large rifle.

I'm pretty sure that we have a limit where I live. I'm fairly certain that it's 3 rounds when elk or deer hunting.

I wouldn't hunt with an assault rifle. But, thats just my personal opinion.

I prefer the .300 Win Mag for elk. 30-06 is alright for shots under 200 yrds, but anything more than that is really pushing your luck IMO. The 30-06 is a GREAT whitetail deer rifle, where you sit in a tree and wait for the animal to walk past you or within 80yrds.

 

You don't want to hunt with an assult rifle. No accuracy. Also 10 round clips are maximum. I would buy a new rifle. Now I don't know where you are living or hunting. But this is what I have. I have a 300 Springfield, bolt action with the long barrel, and scope. I live in open country. My closest shot since 1996 has been right at 250 yards. I have several heads mounted that have been taken at 400 yards plus. The 300 or 306 reaches out and touches them. Great for elk. But, if you are an avid elk hunter and what to know what really shoots far let me know. Good Luck

 

Chris - I have a Remington 742 in 30-06 that I bought in the early 60s. I have taken deer, caribou, moose and elk with that rifle. Several of those animals were shot at well over 200 yds. IMO the 30-06 is more than adequate for every lower forty game animal.
As fort he original post - I'm not sure what constitutes an "assault" rifle, but I'm pretty sure that along with a large magazine a full auto capability should be required. Too often the term "assault rifle" is used by anti gun activists to describe military style semi autos.

 

Like others said, there's a mag size limit. It varies, some places I know its 5, check first because you'll get in a buttload of trouble for exceeding it.

A MAK90 is basically a Chinese AK47, its a nice weapon but not a great hunting arm. 7.62 is a military round, FMJ is likely all you'll find. The round will put down a deer with no problem but its a bit light for my taste. The civilian version of 7.62 mm is .308.

 

not sure if ak mags will fit or not but 5 and 10 round double stack mags are available for the ak you can do a search online under k-var for a place to buy them online if you cant find any localy.
wolf brand ammo makes some soft point ammunition in 7.62 by 39, remington makes soft point ammo also in that caliber.
probably not a good choice to use on anything bigger than a deer, but you should shoot it some first to get familiar with the rifle go to the range and shoot off a few hundred rounds.

 

I happen to have a couple of 5 round mags for my AK's and have actually shot a deer with my Mak 90. Soft points and hollowpoints aren't hard to find, mail order is the easiest way to get them. The main problem is acuracy is only so-so.
My AR-15's, on the other hand, are Extremely accurate, and I use them on varmints quite often.

 

I'm not saying that you can't shoot a 30-06 over 200 yrds. I'm just saying that I personally wouldn't do it. Especially with an elk. I'm sure lots of poeple have shot the 30-06 over 300yrds. with success.

But, if your going to go out and purchase a high power rifle--I'd get something besides a 30-06. There's a lot better, flatter, more powerfull rounds out there today. Why spend the same money, or almost the same money when you can get something that delivers more energy and shoots flatter?

I don't see too many guys shooting 180gr or 200gr bullets out of a 30-06. Most of the guys I see shooting the 30-06 are using 140-160gr bullets. Anything larger than that, and the ballistics look like a falling rock.

I like a little more punch. I shoot 220gr bullets from my 300 Win Mag, and let me tell you--at 200-300 yrds that will usually drop an elk right where he stands. No runing off over the next ridge. No running up and across the meadow for another 500yrds. BOOM!! DEAD!! I hate tracking wounded animals at 12,000' elevation. I want some punch to just drop them where they stand. It always seams like the truck is behind me and if they run--they usually run AWAY from the truck. It's hard enough to scout and hunt an elk. I don't need the aggravation of watching him run another 1/2 mile away from the truck in 4' of snow. I just want him down and dead.

For whitetails, I drop down to a 165gr bullet and I'd take a 500yrd shot if I had too. But, you don't usuaully shoot more than 80-100yrds where I hunt. The 165gr bullets drop them and don't do too much damage to surrounding meat.

A friend shoots a 30-378 and that will flat, knock the legs right out from under an 800lb bull elk. No wiggling, no running, no tracking. BOOM!! Let's go gut and skin him. He's down.

I wouldn't even use a 30-06 for elk. But, thats just my opinion. Whitetails? 80yrds? You bet.

 

[QUOTE=Wayne Mitchell]Chris - I have a Remington 742 in 30-06 that I bought in the early 60s. I have taken deer, caribou, moose and elk with that rifle. Several of those animals were shot at well over 200 yds. IMO the 30-06 is more than adequate for every lower forty game animal.
QUOTE]


You have your opinion, and I have mine. I prefer a bit more punch for larger game.

I'm sure your an excellent marksman. I fancy myself a pretty fair shot too. But, I hate tracking wounded animals at 12,000' in the middle of the frozen Rockies. I prefer to just hammer them in the boiler with a 220gr 300 Mag and drop them in their tracks.

Lord knows, if they run off--they always run in the OPPOSITE direction from the truck. I've yet to see an elk shot that ran off and ended up CLOSER to the truck than before you shot him.

I personally haven't had a single one walk more than about 10-15yrds after hammering them with my 300 Mag

 

in some states you can not hunt with a 22 cal bullet, so that eliminates the .223 or AR for this purpose.....if you go to a hunt club or management area some hunters get a weird look when people show up with an assault rifle to hunt with, sorry but some people have ruined it and makes us all look bad, on some of the other gun forums guys have shot everything with assault rifles, I have taken deer with my AK and SKS and I got a hog 2 yrs ago with my CETME....I know its OT but I know a few guys that have a C & R fettish and have hunted with almost all of the older guns, ( K 31, mausers, mosins, you name it )

 

Aint that the truth. I have been fortunate a few times that the deer fell near the service road and I just drove to it. But usually they go direct opposite and down a long hill.

 

There's a lot of kharma with whitetails. I once shot one at full gallop (not me - the deer) from 50 yards, through both lungs and the heart, and the dead deer kept on running about 70 yards, up hill. It finaly stopped, staggered, fell, and slid about 20yards down into a creek. I had to stand in the water to dress it, and then drag it back uphill before I could even start going to the road. (Yep, it woulda probly kilt a lesser man.)

A couple years later, shooting from a stand, I was presented with an opportunity to aim for the "goozle". Since it was my only shot, I took it. The well-penetrated creature jumped in surprise, and then ran (about 40 or 50 yards) towards me, before surrendering at the base of my tree. I figured it was somehow related to the first deer, and was trying to make amends, so as not to besmirch the family name.

 

The 7.62x39 in your MAK 90 is not the .308 (a version of the US military 7.62x51) It's a lower powered Russian military round of about the energy of a .30-30.

The AK-47 types in general are very reliable, but not particularly accurate with most of the imported ammunition available for them. But the hollow point rounds are OK for small to medium deer at normal woodland hunting ranges, out to 150 yards, and its accuracy is adequate for that use. 5 round magazines are available, cheap.

Only disadvantage is that the MAK 90 is a bit heavier than equivalent hunting rifles, like 30-30 lever action carbines, and its safety makes a loud "clack" when disengaged.

 

Good post.

As far as the earlier post regarding the "inaccuracy" of assault rifles, that's way off base. An AR15 can easily shoot better than the average hunter (or hunting rifle) can. Of course, it's still not particularly suited to hunting. (caliber, mag limits, possibility that semis are not permitted, etc)

I was looking for an elk rifle a few years ago, and I settled on a .338 winmag. It's not lacking power for the job, although it's not a good round in a 7# rifle if you're recoil-sensitive.

 

It really depends on where you are hunting and the distance of the shot you will have to take. I have hunted in the south(Tennessee and Georgia) with an SKS with great results. The 7.62x39 has been compared to the 30/30 Winchester, which has taken more deer than just about any rifle out there.

 

A 7.62 x 39mm will take a deer at the yardage you mentioned. Several manufacturers make soft point ammo in that caliber, check here: Midway USA

As to magazines, check your local regs. If you can not find smaller mags maybe you can modify the ones you have so that they only hold what is allowed by your state game and fish. Here in ND the gun can hold up to 10 rounds.


JPD217

 

I also had a similar question.

I own a Ak-47 and it is a nice rifle. It is not terribly accurate (at least not with the ammo I have). However, I know that I could easily kill a dear with it about 100yds off. It shoots more accurate than my shotgun and I also have the 5 round mags for it. As far as I know it is completely legal to use for hunting deer in Wisconsin as long as I have expanding(hollow point) or soft-point type bullets, which I have a 5 round magazine, and the gun itself is legally own-able (proper length, no bayonet, etc...) which it is and most importantly NOT fully-automatic, which it isn't.

The problem isn't the gun. I rarely get a chance to see a deer more than a 100 yards in the swamp of a forest I hunt in. So, the gun itself will do just fine. As well, it is accurate enough to hit a deer in the vitals from that distance.

The issue is that I don't want to look like a !&*@ing gun crazed SOB while I'm trying to hunt a deer. People get this negative stigma about AK-47s and battle/assault type rifles in general, even if they are legal and fit for civilian use. People still think that it is dangerous, bad or SCARY. I would like to reiterate that, it isn't the rifle to worry about but the person using it. Personally, I wish no ill will to anything. If I hunt a deer, I plan to kill immediately without suffering, one shot or no shot.

My AK with a five round mag is no more dangerous than any other rifle that can hold 5 rounds and shoot semi-automatic. Although, it looks much, much more dangerous (here within lies the problem).

I just don't know if I would use it hunting in fear that someone would pass judgment on myself. Even though, I would be doing everything according to the rules and wouldn't consider myself anymore dangerous than the next hunter.

I would still like to use my AK-47 for hunting. What do I do?

 

Decide whether you are hunting to please others or yourself and act accordingly

I have never given much thought as to how others feel about my choice of firearms as long as I'm comfortable with it and the law has no problems with them

 

Would be a horrible weapon for hunting. AK's are very inaccurate at greater distances.

 

This topic is really interesting, look how much problem other hunters here have with the AK. It is a very polarized gun. If you have the personality to take that hostility that you are going to find among the majority of the people you run into while hunting with that gun and turn it into an educational experience, then hunt with it. If you don't, then keep it for target shooting.

I'll toss in my two cents on other hunting rounds as well. I like the .308, a good well developed round. It's a NATO standard, so you can find anywhere. And it's powerful enough to take any of the lower 48 animals you want.

 

I don't have any problem with anyone using a MAK90 for hunting. I would use mine if I didn't have anything else. My main thought is......

Life is too short to hunt with an ugly rifle!

Nashcat

 

I personally wouldnt have any problem seeing someone using an ak for deer hunting and I dont think most hunters would, dont really see it being any different than using an old m1 or any other military rifle or semi auto versions of them.