Hunting Purposes
Most Americans hunt for recreation and sport, chasing after deer, hogs, and other animals. From a purely hypothetical perspective, the AK could accomplish many of those tasks easily. If you have adequate accuracy and energy from a given firearm, it can do the job well.
That’s the rub, though – does your AK have those appropriate characteristics to hunt the animals that you are after? We need to address the cartridges involved, for a start.
AK-47 Cartridges
A huge majority of AK-type rifles are chambered in the 7.62x39 cartridge. The short Soviet cartridge shoots .30-caliber bullets of around 120 grains in weight, at a muzzle velocity of around 2,300 FPS. While those numbers are certainly enough to handle many hunting purposes, they can also be somewhat anemic for others.
Related Review: Long Live the Soviets' Short and Sweet 7.62x39mm
Another popular chambering for the AK rifle is the 5.45x39 cartridge. This one shoots 50-grain bullets around the 3,000 FPS mark, very similar to the popular .223 Remington. This cartridge, too, carries a useful payload for various hunting purposes.
Related Review: 5.45 vs. 5.56 – The Power of The Poison Pill
Both cartridges fill common hunting purposes, whether it be for varmint hunting, predators, or even bigger animals like the deer and hogs mentioned earlier. These same cartridges and ballistic twins of them are frequently used for hunting these same animals in other firearms. So, it theoretically could be done using the AK rifle as well.
Hunting with the AK
The only thing left to discuss is whether the AK-type rifle provides a suitable hunting platform. The obvious answer is yes, it can be used to cleanly kill many game animals. Perhaps the better discussion is: is it the best tool? I would say it depends on the species.
I have used the AK for years to jump-shoot varmints and coyotes, and for that purpose, it has worked well. The size and weight of the rifle make it quick to get on those targets, and the rapid follow-up shots are helpful for multiple targets.
In my experience, AK-type rifles haven’t been particularly accurate, with patterns typically between 1 and 3 MOA. Now, if you are shooting varmints inside 100 yards, that might be just fine. The same goes for deer and hogs, I suppose, but I usually prefer a tighter shooting rifle for that kind of animal.
Each hunter can determine if the accuracy provided by their firearms is suitable to meet their needs. And if not, there are plenty of other good options available. For example, I have a Ruger American chambered in the same 7.62x39 cartridge that seems to shoot much better groups than my AK rifles. That doesn’t come as a surprise as the Ruger seems better built for accuracy, whereas the AK seems to be optimized for volume and durability.
Where I draw the line
If I were going on a deer hunt where I knew shots would be close, I wouldn’t feel out of place with an AK. The same scenario with a larger animal like an elk, on the other hand, would make me nervous. I’m sure you could kill an elk with the 7.62x39, but I think there are easily attained and better tools. Nearly any typical hunting rifle in a traditional chambering would provide adequate energy and accuracy for such a scenario.
If the AK I were hunting with were of the 2-3 MOA type, I think I would also curtail the distance I would shoot. Even if the target were much smaller and easily taken by the 7.62x39, I’d want to ensure I could hit it properly. I’m sure the cartridge could take down a coyote at 200 to 300 yards, but if all you do is hit it in the leg, then it may go unrecovered. So, if I were hunting an area where shots could be that far, I’d rather take the little Ruger American.
Concluding Thoughts
The AK-type rifle is a little different than traditional sporterized surplus rifles, so it might need a different approach for hunting purposes. Certainly, it can be used effectively for hunting, but nowadays it might not always be the best tool for the job. Whether you choose something else or stick with your AK rifle, make sure you spend the time practicing with it so your shot is good when it matters.
