Is 7.62x39 ever a better choice than .308?

[crosseyedshooter]

Sometimes I buy shit just because I like guns. Not everything has to be "useful for" or "better than" for me to be interested. If you want a rifle in x39, then buy it. If it catches your interest and having it will bring you joy, then who cares how it measures up to 308 or whatever. Life is short...

Sounds like me and .300BLK.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Isn’t it around 14 inches with a 308 rifle that below that length you might as well just shoot 762X 39 because of the ballistic and powder in efficiencies?

[Ron3]

Okay, the gun I was considering was a stainless Tactical model Mini-30.

Like I said, I have one .308 gun and a 5.56 Mini-14. I spent many years with 7.62 AK's. I'm not so sure I want to get back in to that cartridge. Especially when I have a superior rifle in .308. That's what brought about my question.

When I bought the Mini I only got the 5.56 tactical model because I had the ammo. My remaining 7.62x39 stash is all Russian junk that doesn't work well in Mini-30's.

Well, while researching current Mini's I realized I'd forgotten about the Mini-14 .300.

I don't have any so I'd still have to buy the ammo, but I do reload and have magnum pistol powder the .300 uses. I also have lots of Ruger 5.56 mags so I wouldn't have to buy any more.

Further bonuses is the .300 Mini has a proper shoulder for suppressors / mounts. It's also regulated to run subs with a can and supers without a can. Well, I have a typical .30 back-pressure can already.

Pretty darn tempting. I wish they made it in stainless, though. And with a @12 inch barrel.

Purpose? 200 yd fun gun / 1-50 yd HD gun.

I checked and the accessories I have on the Mini-14 can swap over. (Tech sight, Ultimak rail, light & mount, qd RDS mount & RDS, stocks, & sling)

I understand .300 is even more trajectory and wind challanged than 7.62x39. But feeding and ignition should be more reliable. Far more types of bullets available. And subs are an expensive way to get 9mm fmj performance!

[MadAngler1]

Okay, the gun I was considering was a stainless Tactical model Mini-30.

Like I said, I have one .308 gun and a 5.56 Mini-14. I spent many years with 7.62 AK's. I'm not so sure I want to get back in to that cartridge. Especially when I have a superior rifle in .308. That's what brought about my question.

When I bought the Mini I only got the 5.56 tactical model because I had the ammo. My remaining 7.62x39 stash is all Russian junk that doesn't work well in Mini-30's.

Well, while researching current Mini's I realized I'd forgotten about the Mini-14 .300.

I don't have any so I'd still have to buy the ammo, but I do reload and have magnum pistol powder the .300 uses. I also have lots of Ruger 5.56 mags so I wouldn't have to buy any more.

Further bonuses is the .300 Mini has a proper shoulder for suppressors / mounts. It's also regulated to run subs with a can and supers without a can. Well, I have a typical .30 back-pressure can already.

Pretty darn tempting. I wish they made it in stainless, though. And with a @12 inch barrel.

Purpose? 200 yd fun gun / 1-50 yd HD gun.

I checked and the accessories I have on the Mini-14 can swap over. (Tech sight, Ultimak rail, light & mount, qd RDS mount & RDS, stocks, & sling)

I understand .300 is even more trajectory and wind challanged than 7.62x39. But feeding and ignition should be more reliable. Far more types of bullets available. And subs are an expensive way to get 9mm fmj performance!

I read your first post, but this post has me puzzled. The Mini-14 was my first semi auto centerfire rifle in 1999 when I was 18 years old (because my parents wouldn’t let me have an AR-15 lol). The scope mounting system sucks, and it loses accuracy when the barrel heats up. It’s definitely a quickie ranch rifle to fire a few shots at Coyotes and that’s it. Terrible gun otherwise, subpar factor magazines. The Mini 30 would definitely be my last choice for a 7.62x39 platform for all of the previous reasons and because there are a plethora of superior choices out there for the 7.62x39 platform.

To address the caliber question, what is your intended use? I am not a 300 black out fan, but I see the purpose < 100 yards in, especially with subsonics. Having said, I have a 8.3” SBR gen 1 Galil ACE in 7.62x39 that I run suppressed exclusively and it is one of my favorite guns. Even runs Hornady subs without a hitch using the KNS piston. It’s the reason, along with my PCCs, I refuse to dump money into another caliber and weapons system (300 black out).

So again, why do you want to run 7.62x39 over .308? Hog hunting? Coyotes? Deer? for fun? That would help me answer your question better.

[Ron3]

I read your first post, but this post has me puzzled. The Mini-14 was my first semi auto centerfire rifle in 1999 when I was 18 years old (because my parents wouldn’t let me have an AR-15 lol). The scope mounting system sucks, and it loses accuracy when the barrel heats up. It’s definitely a quickie ranch rifle to fire a few shots at Coyotes and that’s it. Terrible gun otherwise, subpar factor magazines. The Mini 30 would definitely be my last choice for a 7.62x39 platform for all of the previous reasons and because there are a plethora of superior choices out there for the 7.62x39 platform.

To address the caliber question, what is your intended use? I am not a 300 black out fan, but I see the purpose < 100 yards in, especially with subsonics. Having said, I have a 8.3” SBR gen 1 Galil ACE in 7.62x39 that I run suppressed exclusively and it is one of my favorite guns. Even runs Hornady subs without a hitch using the KNS piston. It’s the reason, along with my PCCs, I refuse to dump money into another caliber and weapons system (300 black out).

So again, why do you want to run 7.62x39 over .308? Hog hunting? Coyotes? Deer? for fun? That would help me answer your question better.

I put that in my post. The Mini is fun to shoot/operate.

200 yd fun gun / 1-50 yd HD gun.

I'd have to load my own subs, if I decided to shoot subs, because they're pretty expensive.

.223 is about .45 a shot, 7.62x39 brass .55, .300 blk .60, .308 .85.

This thread has become more should I replace my Mini 14 in 5.56 with a .300 blk Mini-14. I do wish the .300 blk version was made in stainless.

[Ron3]

Isn’t it around 14 inches with a 308 rifle that below that length you might as well just shoot 762X 39 because of the ballistic and powder in efficiencies?

Yes I think you're correct. Might be more like a 14 in 7.62x51 compared to a 20 in 7.62x39 barrel though.