![Best AK Ammo: 7.62×39 Buyer’s Guide [Field Tested]](https://gundigest.com/wp-content/uploads/ak-ammo-buyers-guide-feature-768x576.jpg "Best AK Ammo: 7.62×39 Buyer’s Guide [Field Tested]")
I hit the range with a spread of different AK ammo to find the best 7.62×39 loads for plinking, hunting and self-defense.
Not that long ago, AKs were cheap, and the 7.62x39mm ammunition they fired made blasting trash in the woods an economically sound pastime. So economical, in fact, that AR-15s chambered for it were once a popular option for those looking to keep range time affordable.
Those days are, unfortunately, well behind us.
Now, AR-15s are far more affordable than the most budget-tier Kalashnikovs, and cheap 5.56 NATO can be found at nearly half the price of 7.62 Soviet.
Does the new, higher cost of 7.62×39 mean you should stop shooting your ComBloc guns? Of course not, you just have to be smarter about what you feed them.
Whether you’re looking to fill magazines for the range, maximize the defensive capabilities of a self-defense SBR or even take a deer this season, here I'm going to go over some of the top AK ammo options on the market.
How I Chose The Best AK Ammo
Armed with a variety of 7.62×39 loads, two rifles and a Caldwell Ballistic Precision G2 chronograph, I headed out to the range to do some testing.
I sent two 5-round groups of each load through the chrono, one group using a standard 16-inch WASR 10 and the other group with a 12.5-inch Romanian SBR.
Chronograph data isn’t everything, but it does help determine which of the ammo types are loaded consistently and if they generate the advertised velocity or not.
All tested loads functioned and cycled flawlessly through both rifles, so reliability isn’t a concern, although only one type of magazine was used throughout (a WBP 20-round polymer mag).
To scientifically test ammunition's accuracy, you need some method of removing the human element from the equation. I didn’t have that, so I merely confirmed practical accuracy with a 6-inch gong at 100 yards. Using iron sights from a bench, each load went five for five hits. It doesn’t show which ammo type was the most precise, but it does show that all the loads tested should be good enough for hunting or defensive purposes at normal ranges. AKs and 7.62×39 are more accurate than they get credit for, but if you’re looking to do long-range precision work, you should be looking at other cartridges.
After taking into account factors like chronograph data, price and the projectile qualities of each type of AK ammo, these are the top loads I’d recommend feeding your Kalashnikov with.
The Best AK Ammo
- Best Range Ammo: Wolf Military Classic
- Best Deer Ammo: Winchester Power-Point
- Best For Hog Hunting: Prvi Partizan PSP
- Best Defensive, 16-inch AK: Winchester Deer Season XP
- Best Defensive, SBR: Hornady BLACK MonoFlex SBR
Ammo Comparison Table: 16-inch Barrel
| LOAD | Min. Vel. | Max. Vel. | Average Vel. | ES | SD |
| Wolf Military Classic 124gr | 2,231 | 2,284 | 2,257 | 53 | 21.3 |
| Winchester Power-Point 123gr | 2,325 | 2,374 | 2,351 | 49 | 17.9 |
| PPU PSP 123gr | 2,138 | 2,357 | 2,280 | 219 | 78.6 |
| Winchester Deer Season XP 123gr | 2,345 | 2,377 | 2,360 | 32 | 12.5 |
| Hornady BLACK SBR 111gr | 2,283 | 2,374 | 2,330 | 91 | 37.6 |
Ammo Comparison Table: 12.5-inch Barrel
| LOAD | Min. Vel. | Max. Vel. | Average Vel. | ES | SD |
| Wolf Military Classic 124gr | 2,094 | 2,196 | 2,139 | 99 | 39.6 |
| Winchester Power-Point 123gr | 2,152 | 2,226 | 2,200 | 74 | 25.3 |
| PPU PSP 123gr | 2,098 | 2,214 | 2,173 | 116 | 39.8 |
| Winchester Deer Season XP 123gr | 2,173 | 2,235 | 2,213 | 62 | 23.2 |
| Hornady BLACK SBR 111gr | 2,206 | 2,291 | 2,226 | 85 | 33.5 |
Best Range Ammo: Wolf Military Classic
Bullet Weight: 124gr
Projectile Style: Full Metal Jacket
Case Material: Steel
Country Of Origin: Russia
| Bbl Length (in.) | Min. Vel. | Max. Vel. | Average Vel. | ES | SD |
| 16 | 2,231 | 2,284 | 2,257 | 53 | 21.3 |
| 12.5 | 2,094 | 2,196 | 2,139 | 99 | 39.6 |
PROS:
- Still some of the cheapest AK ammo available
- The real Russian stuff, get it while you can
CONS:
- Steel case, not reloadable
Despite a ban on Russian ammo importation going into effect in 2021, apparently, the stuff was stockpiled in massive quantities because ammo retailers still seem to have plenty available at the time of writing. The only difference is that it’s not as cheap as it once was, although it is still some of the cheapest. Once reserves dry up, we’ll have to turn to another source, but in the meantime, Russian-made AK ammo remains my go-to.
The chrono data showed it was relatively consistent and generated expected velocities, and that’s all you really need from standard range FMJ ammo. The only potential downside to some is that it’s steel-cased, so it can’t be reloaded, but who reloads AK ammo anyway? If you do, the rest of this list has plenty of brass-cased options to choose from.
| Ammo To Go | 1,000 Rounds – $585 |  |
Best Deer Ammo: Winchester Power-Point
Bullet Weight: 123gr
Projectile Style: Traditional Soft-Point
Case Material: Brass
Country Of Origin: U.S.A.
| Bbl Length (in.) | Min. Vel. | Max. Vel. | Average Vel. | ES | SD |
| 16 | 2,325 | 2,374 | 2,351 | 49 | 17.9 |
| 12.5 | 2,152 | 2,226 | 2,200 | 74 | 25.3 |
PROS:
- Classic Winchester soft-point load for deer
- Consistently loaded with good average velocity
CONS:
- A bit pricey
The classic American deer rifle is a lever-action in .30-30 Winchester, but the rifles and ammo can be pricey. There was a time when an SKS loaded with 7.62×39 could provide very similar effective performance for a lot less money. While prices have gone up across the board, 7.62×39 remains the cheaper cartridge and is still just as good at taking medium-sized game.
Winchester Power-Point in 7.62×39 is loaded with a traditional soft-point 123-grain projectile that offers great knock-down power and penetration. My chronograph testing shows that it has about 100 fps more velocity than the Wolf FMJ on average, too, so it should expand nicely on impact.
| Ammo To Go | 20 Rounds – $29 | |
Best For Hog Hunting: Prvi Partizan PSP
Bullet Weight: 123gr
Projectile Style: Pointed Soft-Point
Case Material: Brass
Country Of Origin: Serbia
| Bbl Length (in.) | Min. Vel. | Max. Vel. | Average Vel. | ES | SD |
| 16 | 2,138 | 2,357 | 2,280 | 219 | 78.6 |
| 12.5 | 2,098 | 2,214 | 2,173 | 116 | 39.8 |
PROS:
- Affordable for soft point
- Good balance between terminal performance and price
CONS:
- Not loaded very consistently
Admittedly, PPU’s soft-point 7.62×39 isn’t quite as nice as the above load of Winchester, but that’s also reflected in its price. Culling hogs requires a lot more ammo than taking a deer or two, and that calls for less expensive ammo.
PPU’s PSP 123-grain soft-point load is the perfect balance between performance and price. It offers much better effect on target than standard cheap FMJ, but it’s also sold in 1000-round bricks for about half the per-round price of Winchester Power-Point. If you’re looking to load up several banana mags to help control the wild hog population, I think PPU’s soft-points are the ideal option.
| Ammo To Go | 1,000 Rounds – $750 | |
Best Full-Size Defensive Round: Winchester Deer Season XP
Bullet Weight: 123gr
Projectile Style: Polymer-Tipped Extreme Point
Case Material: Brass
Country Of Origin: U.S.A.
| Bbl Length (in.) | Min. Vel. | Max. Vel. | Average Vel. | ES | SD |
| 16 | 2,345 | 2,377 | 2,360 | 32 | 12.5 |
| 12.5 | 2,173 | 2,235 | 2,213 | 62 | 23.2 |
PROS:
- Loaded very consistenly
- XP projectile should provide excellent effect on target
CONS:
- A bit pricey
Another Winchester load optimized for deer, ostensibly, is Deer Season XP. For the 16-inch WASR, however, chronograph testing revealed that it had the highest average velocity with very consistent results.
The Extreme Point (XP) projectile was designed to remain ballistically efficient while providing near instant, devastating expansion on impact. The rest of the jacketed bullet was designed to deliver excellent penetration through hide and muscle, but that same performance should have no issue translating to stopping a human attacker.
| Ammo To Go | 20 Rounds – $33 | |
Best SBR Defensive Round: Hornady BLACK MonoFlex SBR
Bullet Weight: 111gr
Projectile Style: MonoFlex Expanding Flex Tip
Case Material: Brass
Country Of Origin: U.S.A.
| Bbl Length (in.) | Min. Vel. | Max. Vel. | Average Vel. | ES | SD |
| 16 | 2,283 | 2,374 | 2,330 | 91 | 37.6 |
| 12.5 | 2,206 | 2,291 | 2,226 | 85 | 33.5 |
PROS:
- Optimized for short barrels
- MonoFlex projectile ideal for stopping human threats
CONS:
- Expensive
No surprise, the Hornady BLACK load optimized for defensive use with short-barreled rifles proved to have the best performance when tested in the SBR. It’s the only load on the list that doesn’t have a standard 123- or 124-grain bullet weight, and the data reveals that the 111-grain MonoFlex bullet still has excellent velocity out of a shorter barrel.
Just as important is the projectile itself, and the Hornady MonoFlex is designed to penetrate deep, expand maximally and lose a minimal amount of weight in the process. When it comes to stopping attackers with a short-barreled AK, accept no substitute.
| Ammo To Go | 20 Rounds – $35 | |
7.62×39 FAQ
In terms of having enough stopping power to incapacitate an attacker, no, 7.62×39 is definitely not too much for home defense. If your living arrangement means you have to worry about overpenetration through walls, however, it might not be the best round for you. Either way, the use of good hollow point ammunition is a good idea, both for better effect on target and for reduced penetration through barriers.
As the Cold War came to an end in the early 1990s, a lot of things changed for the American gun market. Not only were many once-Warsaw Pact nations transitioning to NATO equipment and calibers, resulting in a flood of surplus ammo and guns on the market, but new avenues for commercial trade opened with freshly capitalist Russia. One result of this was very cheap and available 7.62×39 ammo. Russia remained the main source of affordable 7.62×39 (and other calibers) until Russian-made ammo was banned from importation in 2021. This ban, combined with withering stocks of surplus ammo globally, has resulted in the price of 7.62×39 to skyrocket above what it once was. At the time of writing, the cheapest 7.62×39 is marginally more expensive than the cheapest .223 Remington.
In terms of ballistics, the most common American cartridge with similar performance to 7.62×39 is .30-30 Winchester. They're both roughly .30-caliber, have similar maximum chamber pressures, and, when loaded with bullets of similar weights, produce muzzle velocities in the same ballpark (.30-30 winning out slightly with higher fps and more energy). The most apparent distinction between the two cartridges is that .30-30 Win. was designed for use in lever-actions while 7.62×39 was designed for self-loading firearms.
More AK Stuff:
- PSA AK-74 Review Review: American-Made Russian Thunder
- Soviet Gun, NATO Ammo: The 5.56 AK Buyer’s Guide
- The AK Red Dot Mount Buyer's Guide
- AKM: The Acme Of AKs
- SKS Vs AK-47: If You Could Only Have One
- Going Modern With B5 Systems AK Furniture
- Krispy Kalash: Timney AK Drop-In Trigger Review
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