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Also written 7.62×39mm, 7.62 x 39, or 762x39.
Common uses: Tactical, Hunting
7.62x39 is a centerfire rifle cartridge. SAAMI’s 7.62 x 39 cartridge drawing specifies a .311-inch (7.90 mm) bullet diameter with a −.002-inch (−0.05 mm) tolerance. The “7.62” in its name is nominal, not the cartridge’s exact bullet diameter. Source: SAAMI Z299.4-2025 centerfire-rifle standard.
| Type | rifle (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 123gr Winchester Super-X Power-Point |
| Muzzle velocity | 2365 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 1528 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.265 |
| Case length | 38.7 mm |
| Overall length | 56 mm |
| SAAMI max pressure | 45000 PSI |
| Common twist rate | 1:9.4" |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2365 | 1527 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 2054 | 1152 | 0 |
| 200 | 1770 | 856 | -6.8 |
| 300 | 1516 | 628 | -24.8 |
| 400 | 1301 | 462 | -58.1 |
| 500 | 1137 | 353 | -111.9 |
At 1,000 yards, 7.62x39 (123gr at 2365 fps, 100 yd zero, standard conditions) has a modeled come-up of about 85.8 MOA / 25.0 MIL, retaining 801 fps (subsonic).
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | State | Drop (in) | Elev (MOA) | Elev (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 1516 | Supersonic | -24.8 | 7.9 | 2.30 |
| 400 | 1301 | Transonic | -58.1 | 13.9 | 4.03 |
| 500 | 1137 | Transonic | -111.9 | 21.4 | 6.22 |
| 600 | 1027 | Subsonic | -192.7 | 30.7 | 8.92 |
| 700 | 952 | Subsonic | -306.3 | 41.8 | 12.15 |
| 800 | 893 | Subsonic | -458.3 | 54.7 | 15.91 |
| 900 | 844 | Subsonic | -653.9 | 69.4 | 20.18 |
| 1000 | 801 | Subsonic | -898.6 | 85.8 | 24.96 |
Extended predictions beyond 500 yards are modeled from the same G1 engine — useful for initial DOPE, but outside the 500-yard manufacturer-table validation audit. Confirm with observed DOPE, especially near transonic.
A retained-energy reference only — not a shoot/don't-shoot distance. Real effective range depends on your accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction, and conditions. The ~1,000 ft-lb (deer-sized) and ~1,500 ft-lb (elk-sized) figures are commonly cited rules of thumb, not standards.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own rifle.
The 7.62x39mm is best known as the cartridge of the AK-47 and SKS, and its reputation rests on reliability, low cost, and worldwide availability rather than precision. It fires a moderately heavy bullet at modest velocity, producing manageable recoil and dependable performance out to a few hundred yards, but its rainbow-like trajectory and relatively low ballistic coefficient limit its effective range compared with flatter-shooting modern rounds. In North America it has found a second life as a short- to medium-range hunting cartridge for deer and hog, where soft-point loads perform well inside roughly 150 yards. It is prized by budget-conscious and high-volume shooters for the abundance of inexpensive surplus and imported steel-cased ammunition, though the trade-off is generally coarser accuracy and less consistency than premium centerfire options. Overall it is a rugged, forgiving, general-purpose cartridge whose ubiquity and affordability outweigh its ballistic modesty.
Developed in the Soviet Union during and after World War II, the 7.62x39mm (designated M43) was standardized in its final short-cased 39mm form in 1947 as an intermediate cartridge to bridge the gap between pistol-caliber submachine guns and full-power battle rifles. Its development grew out of wartime Soviet experience with intermediate-power ammunition, including the German 7.92x33mm Kurz. It became the chambering of the SKS carbine and the AK-47, and through the global proliferation of those rifles it grew into one of the most widely produced and distributed military cartridges in the world.
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