Why 5.56 over 7.62?

[shipwreck2]

I have a saiga 7.62 that is in the middle of conversion. By the time it is converted it will be around $1,200-$1,300 total including paying someone to do the conversion. I know I could get a 5.56 rifle for that price range but then I ask myself: why would I want a 5.56 in the first place if I have a 7.62?

My reasoning is as follows:
1. Neither the 5.56 or 7.62 are long range guns so at 100 yards the power goes to the 7.62. You would get a different caliber all together for long range.
2. cost of ammo slight edge to 7.62
3. Maintenance goes to the ak platform 7.62.

I am not trying to start a fight between platforms but as a person that has often looked for a reason to "need" another gun. Why did you take a 5.56 platform over an 7.62 platform?

aside from the saiga/ak I know ruger & sig make a decent 7.62-the sig being too much $.

 

[Tin]

Beg to differ....The 7.62 is a long range gun..7.62 will do anything the 5.56 does and better...keep the 7.62....,TIN.

 

[mc5aw]

Up until 12/2012 I owned a pair of pre-Ilion Bushmaster ARs in 5.56 and a pair of Bulgarian AKs in 7.62. When the panic hit, I watched .223/5.56 ammo spiral upward from ~$300/1,000 round case to $1.00-$1.49 per round at the peak (when it was available). During the same time, Russian 7.62x39 went from ~$249/1,000 round case to a top price of $349/1,000 round case. Economics don't get any more basic than that ... both ARs and their .223/5.56 ammo were sold, and I kept the AKs while adding x39 as $ permitted. I will never own an AR rifle again, nor anything chambered in .223/5.56.

 

[BigBill]

The Russian Izmash Saiga is one of the best, the most accurate sheet metal semi-auto rifles I ever shot on the ak/akm platforms. Next to my Chinese sks which is a different platform.

My Saiga in 308win with its 16" barrel using surplus south African 308 ball ammo at 100 yards will shoot 1 1/2" groups with no scope. My saigas in 223rem I haven't shot for accuracy yet but I expect the same groups maybe tighter. My 308 Saiga was $289 and my 223 Saiga was $259 when they were first offered. Mine are still in there orginal condition. The reliability and dependability is unmatched and the accuracy is awesome.
My state banned the 7,62x39 semi-auto rifles the only one we can own is the sks so I'm limited. The brand new Russian Izmash Saiga is the hottest thing to hit our shores ever since the sks arrived here. Sorry I can own the black evil rifles too.(ar)

The shooters with there saigas with 16" barrels in 308 win scoped are ringing gongs at 450yards. It makes me think at what distance does the 308 with the 16" barrel fall off accuracy wise and how far can the 22" barreled Saiga in 308 win shoot accurately?

I wouldn't put it up against an m14 but for a mass produced brand new Russian Izmash Saiga that's costed under $300 at the time it sounds like a great hunting rifle, target rifle or plinking rifle. You will never wear it out with its chromed lined bore and chamber.

 

[FunkyPertwee]

5.56 is capable of longer range, greater accuracy, it weighs much less so you can carry more, and premium fragmenting and expanding self defense loads are much more available.

However, 7.62x39 rocks at close ranges and Hornady SST is available to load in your home defense and hunting magazines. I've relied on an AK for as my primary long arm in times past and would do so again.

I own, shoot, and love both. I collect for the AK series but if I had to walk out of town during SHTF I'll be taking the M4 for weight savings and range.

 

[JPriest]

I have both and like both. As FunkyPertwee mentioned they have different strengths.

 

[Mushki]

I have two ar's, one in 5.56 and the other in 7.62x39. Both are as accurate as I am. The 5.56 sport a nice scope and is highly accurate out to 600, the longest range in the area off a bench it can ring a gong all day long. My 7.62 sports an eotech and ring the 300 yard gong just as effectively, but with a non-magnified optic I am not able to hit with any regularity further out. I cannot say for sure that the 7.62 is less accurate but I can tell you that the bullet drops much more rapidly as the range increases. While it is nice to have both calipers, if I was forced to choose only one I would keep the 7.62. The 7.62 has proven to be a great deer drive gun over the years. I have never hunted with the 5.56 because I just to not trust the caliper.

 

[BigBill]

I'm thinking the 223 Saiga to hunt varmits and small game. The 223 55gr SP round should handle it.

The Saiga/sks in 7,62x39 can be used for up to coyotes with the 123gr SP bullets and up to deer sized game using the very accurate 154gr bullets.

The Saiga in 308win can be used for deer and bear with up to the 168gr bullets. Any higher bullet weight isn't recommended in any semi-auto rifle.

I was never fond of the expensive black rifles nor the 223 round. But when I seen the new Saiga in 223 for just $259 when the 223 Ammo was $99/1,000rds it's another cheap rifle/caliber to shoot.

Of course I reload now using a progressive press.

I'm in the heart of black bear country with a 223 rifle? I just strap on the 44mag.

 

[RDFabsRep]

I used to love the hell out of my WASR...until I got my first AR. The platform feels archaic in comparison and I can practically take down an AR blindfolded.

In terms of caliber...I love the extra heft of the 7.62 for stopping power, but .223/5.56 wins out in terms of availability and selection. It's a tough call--I don't think there could be a clear winner.

 

[shipwreck2]

Great comments. I appreciate the input. I am glad that for me anyway I have no reason to go 5.56; now 300 win mag or 45/70.....I think that's a need

 

[Texas Star]

The reason for a .223/5.56mm is just to carry more ammo, unless you want a small varmint gun suitable for animals as large as coyotes. It is marginal on deer, although legal in some states.

Realistically, my son used both 5.56mm in M-4 carbines and 7.62mm NATO in a H-K G-3 in Iraq. He killed men with both, but sometimes had to fire additional shots with the M-4. At anything much over 150 yards, he felt the M-4 lacked stopping power. This was especially true if an enemy was behind cover, like an empty oil drum.

I do not know how far out the 7.62X39mm works well. But 7.62X54R is as effective or more so than 7.62X51mm NATO. One has to specify which 7.62mm is being discussed.

Generally speaking, I'd prefer to shoot men with something more potent than 5.56mm. Ditto for deer, let alone larger game.

 

[BigBill]

Now as far as accuracy the Russian engineers at the Izmash factory where the AK 47 was developed when they designed the new Saiga sporting rifles they wanted them to be the most accurate of all the AK / AKM' s. They did it with success "but" in the process they found out the two American calibers of 223rem and 308win are a tad more accurate over there Russian calibers. They believe it's the design of our brass case.

But if we go back in the history of the bullet development we designed the 308win brass from the very accurate and powerful 300 savage. The 30-06 was copied from the 7mm mauser for its accuracy and flat shooting. We just didn't pull these ideas out of a hat. These were redesigned from very accurate rounds. The 7mm x 57mm mauser round is one of the most accurate, the latest shooting rounds there is. Using a ballastics caculator with a 125 yard zero the bullets path will vary from the muzzle to 125 yards from 1/2" to 3/4" if not less.

I believe the Russians have used the 7.62x54R round since the late 1890's and I'm not sure if it's still being used in there sniper rifles and machine guns today. I think it's the longest serving caliber in military history.

For some reason the 20" barreled sks seems to be very accurate using the 7.62x39 Russian wolf 154GR SP bullets. The norm for the standard military ammo is around 1 1/2" groups at 100 yards constantly with the 122gr fmj bullets. The 154gr SP wolf ammo seems to group less than half that at 100 yards. The 154gr bullets in the sks seems to hit the sweet spot. For new over the counter ammO with this kind of accuracy why reload?

The Russian Izmash Saiga AK / AKM Platform "AK receiver design" has been battle field proven flawless in operation for many decades in any climate and weather.

 

[BigBill]

It confuses some people when calibers are mentioned by not using its full name.

223 remington / 5.56 NATO

5.45 x 39 Russian

7.62x39 Russian

7.62 x 51 NATO

308 Winchester.

7.62 x 54R Russian.

I hope this helps.

 

[Arik]

I've got a whole bunch of AKs. Love them. Not a fan of the Saiga though. Sorry. Too much time and money to convert. When they were $150 maybe but not today. Today I can get a pre ban Norinco or Kanassar Hungarian for the the $1200. Even Arsenal is cheaper.

That being said. It's 2 different things, the 556 and 7.62x39. 556 is more accurate further out. It is. That is if that matters to you.....the little holes in the paper. I shoot using red dots and try to stay as far as possible away from bench rest.

A lot comes down to people don't get the same accuracy on bench and don't know how to properly field an AK.

 

[BigBill]

Anything that's manufactured by Norinco I find it top notch. Even my steel forged norinco 1911 is awesome.
Just my luck all the other ak's I looked at were the bottom of the barrel quality wise. Some were really butchered when they were imported. I think the Russian and norinco's were the best.
But when I seen the brand new saigas I couldn't go wrong.

 

[Arik]

Not quite. Bulgarian are nice, so are Yugoslav. And clearly you've never seen a Hungarian SA85

Define bottom of the barrel quality. Finish doesn't count

 

[andyo5]

I am not trying to start a fight

Oh yeah? I'm gonna come right over there and punch you in the nose! : ^)

Actually, I recently sold my beloved SKS to buy an M4. Reason? I could not find a good way to mount an optic on my SKS. Same is true for the AK47. Unless you are willing to drill the receiver, which will limit your ability to sell it later. And the law severely restricts what you can do to one of these rifles. I just decided that if I wanted a dependable battle rifle with good industry support and almost unlimited options available, I needed an AR or an M4 instead of an SKS or AK based platform.

 

[Arik]

Oh yeah? I'm gonna come right over there and punch you in the nose! : ^)

Actually, I recently sold my beloved SKS to buy an M4. Reason? I could not find a good way to mount an optic on my SKS. Same is true for the AK47. Unless you are willing to drill the receiver, which will limit your ability to sell it later. And the law severely restricts what you can do to one of these rifles. I just decided that if I wanted a dependable battle rifle with good industry support and almost unlimited options available, I needed an AR or an M4 instead of an SKS or AK based platform.

There is no way to scope a sks. Yugoslavs did it by adding a rail to the side of the receiver.

AKs already come with a side scope rail, most of them anyway. It's been on 99% of AKs since the 70s. It's doesn't hurt the value in fact most people prefer the rail.

There is no law that restricts what you can do to these rifles.

 

[Backlighting]

Beg to differ....The 7.62 is a long range gun..7.62 will do anything the 5.56 does and better...keep the 7.62....,TIN.

Yes!....& I like the M1A

 

[BigBill]

I scoped an sks using a mosin nagant style scopemount it's rock solid. The Hugo s used a version of the same mount in one of there sniper sks.