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Once upon a time, 7.62 full metal jacket target ammo was in abundant supply and relatively cheap.
This was a boon to shooters around the country with sporterized SKS rifles and other 7.62×39-chambered guns in the safe.
It was easy to find and relatively cheap, and brands like TulAmmo and Norma were on shelves wherever you looked.
But this cartridge has seen some of the worst of the recent ammo crisis, with average prices for 7.62×39 up almost 300% since 2019.
For you, that means one of two things. You can shoot less, or you can start shooting more of a more affordable and more available caliber.
Keep the SKS in the safe and break out a rifle chambered in one of these alternatives till the dust settles. Even if it never does, they’re more affordable and will help keep prices down.
.223 Remington
This centerfire cartridge doesn’t have anywhere near the ballistic performance of 7.62, but if all you’re looking for is a target round, it’ll get the job done. Plus, .223 Rem FMJ rounds tend to offer better long-range performance (for target practice, that is) than 7.62x39mm (.223 doesn’t droop nearly as much at longer range).
They’re also substantially more affordable and still much, much more widely available than 7.62. Thank all the AR-15 junkies for that.
Prices are still tolerable, between around $12 to $23 dollars for (most) boxes of 20, or somewhere around (roughly) 50 cents to a dollar per round.
.243 Winchester
Here’s a good alternative if you need another cartridge for sporting purposes. While the price of .243 Win has gone up in the past few years, it’s not as bad as the 7.62 full metal jacket.
On average, prices of .243 Win have gone up about 57%, which is still offensive but not nearly as bad as 7.62×39, which has inflated by a factor of 3.
Moreover, .243 Win outperforms 7.62, ballistically, with higher muzzle velocities and energy. Not relevant if you’re just shooting at paper, but if you need a sporting round, this might work.
.308 Winchester
This is one of the most “affordable” ammos on this list, and probably is most closely matched to the performance of 7.62x39mm.
Since 2019, average prices on .308 Win (shortages notwithstanding) have only gone up by roughly 10%. That’s pretty good, all things considered.
The .308 also produces higher muzzle energy and velocity than the 7.62×39, which makes it comparable for competition and superior for sporting applications – without a substantial price hike.
.30-06 Springfield
Leave the 7.62 full metal jacket at the range. If you need a sporting alternative for big game hunting and don’t want to pay through the nose, if you have a .30-06 in the safe, that’s the one to break out.
This venerable cartridge, nearly 120 years old at the time of this posting, produces nearly double the muzzle energy of a 7.62x39mm round. It is a proven cartridge for sporting applications and suitable for effectively any game in North America.
Moreover, it has remained in (relatively) steady supply, and though prices have increased since 2019, they’ve only gone up on average about 40% – that’s a lot, but it isn’t 300%, either.
Where Can You Get Ammo Online? (Including 7.62 Full Metal Jacket, If You Need It)
For the present time, it might be better to leave your 7.62 rifle in the safe and break one out that eats cheaper ammo.
However, if you can’t and you must have 7.62 full metal jacket, visit Bucking Horse Outpost via the previous link. They carry all of the calibers mentioned here and still have some 7.62×39 in stock, from Norma, TulAmmo, and Ammo, Inc., and at fair prices.
