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I didn't mean to start a "my gun vs. your gun" thing about the .30C and the SKS. That's why I mentioned the SKS as a "truck gun" or "trunk gun"; it's a VERY good choice for that, IMO.
The reason I own the carbines are those I listed before (got a great deal on them, primarily), plus the fact that they're so small. My kids can carry and shoot the carbines easier than the SKS. The M1 carbines are literally smaller than my 10-22, yet offer 15 semi-auto rounds of .44-magnum-level power, with basically no recoil. With my kids the age they are, that's a plus. Didn't mean that as a slam against the SKS.
I've owned SKS's in the past, and liked them quite a bit. Their caliber is unquestionably "better" than the .30C; that's a given. It's almost identical to a .30-30, basically; slightly lighter bullet, but slightly faster to make up for it. Even now, I own a MAK-90, which shoots the same ammo; wouldn't hesitate to trust it for either defense or deer. Softpoint SKS ammo is also MUCH cheaper than SP .30C ammo, while the ball isn't so disparate. Generally pay around $9.50-$10.99 for 50 rounds of ball; that's $3.80 - $4.39 for 20, so it's not "that" bad for ball ammo. Good ammo, tho, is another story; the .30C is much higher than you can get sp SKS stuff for. As little as I shoot these guns, I keep about 700-800 ball ammo and 200-300 SP/HP on hand. If I shot them a lot, I'd either start reloading for them or switch to the SKS platform.
The reason I own the carbines are those I listed before (got a great deal on them, primarily), plus the fact that they're so small. My kids can carry and shoot the carbines easier than the SKS. The M1 carbines are literally smaller than my 10-22, yet offer 15 semi-auto rounds of .44-magnum-level power, with basically no recoil. With my kids the age they are, that's a plus. Didn't mean that as a slam against the SKS.
I've owned SKS's in the past, and liked them quite a bit. Their caliber is unquestionably "better" than the .30C; that's a given. It's almost identical to a .30-30, basically; slightly lighter bullet, but slightly faster to make up for it. Even now, I own a MAK-90, which shoots the same ammo; wouldn't hesitate to trust it for either defense or deer. Softpoint SKS ammo is also MUCH cheaper than SP .30C ammo, while the ball isn't so disparate. Generally pay around $9.50-$10.99 for 50 rounds of ball; that's $3.80 - $4.39 for 20, so it's not "that" bad for ball ammo. Good ammo, tho, is another story; the .30C is much higher than you can get sp SKS stuff for. As little as I shoot these guns, I keep about 700-800 ball ammo and 200-300 SP/HP on hand. If I shot them a lot, I'd either start reloading for them or switch to the SKS platform.
