I have been looking into a Yugo M59/66A1 SKS. Just running cheap surplus stuff, how much accuracy could I expect at 100yds? 200yds? 250yds?
Blake
Better than 4 MOA.
I have experienced between 2 and 3 MOA.
I've seen people get pretty consistent hits at 600 yards with SKSes at Jericho, so certainly good enough for Appleseed work.
why not just go with an AR, in the end the ammo is always the main expense not the rifle so for reasonable accuracy it is logical to start with a better tool, if you are looking for a greater challenge shoot weak side, that is a great skill to have
The SKS rifle is certainly capable of better than 4 MOA accuracy. Most rifles, in good condition, will get anywhere from 2-3 MOA. The limiting factor is, by and large, the ammunition.
Most 7.62x39 on the market today (Wolf, Tula, Brown Bear etc.) are 'made for export' and quality control leaves a LOT to be desired. My own testing found that bullet weights can vary by as much as 1-3 grains within the same box. Powder weights similarly vary by as much as 2 grains. Worse, the bullet diameters vary from .308 to .310". The bore on the SKS/AK rifles is .310" nominal. USA manufactured ammo features a .308" diameter bullet, which, as you may guess, does not do very well in the SKS or AK.
The best ammunition that I have found has been the Yugoslavian surplus ammo, followed by Golden Tiger, which is closely followed by Silver Bear.
I have hand-loaded ammunition which achieved 1.5 MOA from a Yugo SKS. I used a .311" 150gr FMJ, and loaded it on top of 20.4gr of AA1680. Velocity was right around 2200 FPS. Never did test it beyond 200 yards, but with a 3" group (prone, w/ sling) at 200, I was happy.
The SKS has a few quirks that make it difficult to shoot a Rifleman score, all of which can be worked around:
- Does not readily accept a USGI sling, though one can be rigged to work
- Sight radius does not lend itself to precision shooting
- Front sight is ridiculously wide
- Trigger on most rifles is simply atrocious
Judging by experience shooting thousands of rounds thru an SKS at competition out to 500 yards at the old Riverside Gun Club, at what is now called the RWVA Home Range, my experience with SKS rifles of that vintage was that they were highly accurate for "rifleman style" shooting.
IIRC, we used the SKS issue sling as a hasty sling; the sight radius was fine for "rifleman" shooting, if not for "precision" shooting; the width of the front sight never bothersome (at least to me); and the triggers on rifles of the day were generally pretty decent.
I have witnessed "fanning the popup" at 500 yards by an SKS-shooting rifleman.
(Sorry, I have to speak up in defense of what, at least back in the early '90s, was a good "rifleman's rifle".)
At home I have 3 sks rifles ,,,yes I have "better" rifles but when looking at cost of rifle and cost of ammo the sks stacks up pretty good , For a Rifleman it will do the job.
Wade
when the ammo was cheap the SKS was a good way to go, but you cannot pick up reload-able brass like you can with .223 and the projectile for 7.62 x 39 will cost as much as the 3 components of .223 + the AR is so easy to work on
It ain't the arrow, it's the Indian...
;)
Quote from: George63 on April 25, 2011, 01:32:01 PM
when the ammo was cheap the SKS was a good way to go, but you cannot pick up reload-able brass like you can with .223 and the projectile for 7.62 x 39 will cost as much as the 3 components of .223 + the AR is so easy to work on
No offence, but I don't exactly have $1,000 for an AR.
If the 10/22 is the rimfire liberty rifle, the SKS is the centerfire one. $200-250 less than half the price of a garand, and on fifth that of an M1A. At $200 for 1200 rounds of yugo ammo, it is one heck of a deal. Toss on tech sights and you are on your way to KD all day.
It is an impressive rifle for what it is, and once I could get over the whole commie thing, I was really impressed with it. My only regret is the 10 round top fed system, but if we can all worship the 8 round garand feed, then this is no big deal.
It is cheap, accurate, effective, and for 4 moa and 500 yards, a very workable solution for someone on a budget.
I call that 2 extra rounds.... I love my M1's but the SKS was the first "MBR" I ever bought if you can call it that. It will do the job and to echo itsansks, the variability of ammo will likely be the the biggest concern.
Blake,
See SKS Based LTR under Bank of Rifle Knowledge
LS
Quote from: Longshot on April 25, 2011, 11:22:11 PM
Blake,
See SKS Based LTR under Bank of Rifle Knowledge
LS
http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=3305.0
Thanks LS!
After shooting mine with wolf for two days at my first AS; I was able to nail 2-3 moa groups at home...
Getting 'em on target was another story. Never could get a consistant turkey neck/cheekweld.
You should have seen the 'surplus' ammo used by some SKS shooters out at Rolla, last RBC....
So corroded, I wouldn't have fed it to an AK, but it was doin' the trick and hitting even at 600...
I don't have an SKS (never have, never will, too many other rifles to shoot as it is).
If I was looking to buy one the question I'd ask on this forum is -
How many riflemen here have shot rifleman scores on the AQT, at 25 meters and full distance?
I'm sure it can be done (most everything can if you want it bad enough and try hard/long enough). I've seen several people bring an SKS to Appleseeds and to RBCS and so far I haven't seen folks get their rifleman scores with one. Close, yeah, but not above 210 at 25 meters.
If someone has done it, or seen it done speak up and let us know if its more common than I've experienced.
Not to say the SKS won't do what it was designed to do, but it was never designed to be a "rifleman's rifle". The cartridge, the rifle design and the manufacturing methods/materials for both did not take into account the same things the US military rifles have been designed/built to do for over 100 years.
Isn't the Yugo ammo corrosive? If so be sure to do a thorough clean up after shooting it. I use a black powder solvent called "Black Off" on my rifle (AR15) when I shoot it with combloc surplus ammo. Then clean and lube as I would any other rifle fired with non-corrosive ammo. The last time I went to Ramseur for a field shoot the rifle was fired Saturday and when I pulled it out of the case Sunday morning it already had orange fungus (rust) growing on metal surfaces from the flash suppressor to the bolt carrier. Many folks recommend starting the cleaning process at the range - I will in the future.
Good luck with yours. If you stick with it you may be one of the first.
I have a Soviet translation by a U.S. Army Major that stated the SKS, when fired by an expert shooter should group 4 shots within a 15 cm circle at 100 meters. If one of the 4 shots is way out it should be disregarded. If it doesn't group within 15 cm the second time it should be returned to the arms depot for repair. FYI.
As Fred stated above, The SKS is just fine for Rifleman work, and yes I have seen people shoot rifleman with them. The biggest issue with them is not the rifle it is as ItsanSKS stated, the ammo. I too have had the best luck with Golden Tiger
Quote from: George63 on April 25, 2011, 01:32:01 PM
when the ammo was cheap the SKS was a good way to go, but you cannot pick up reload-able brass like you can with .223 and the projectile for 7.62 x 39 will cost as much as the 3 components of .223 + the AR is so easy to work on
Good ammo is still only 16-23 cents per round what does it cost to reload .223?? plus labor??? You could be dry firing instead of reloading. As for easy to work on.. it's hard to beat an SKS.
It is a shame that we have moved away from what the Appleseed Project began as. "A Rifleman can take any Rack Grade Rifle with Surplus Ammo, zero it, and shoot 4MOA Period"
Yet today we tell folks that it can't be done with their rifle you need this rifle ++) ++) ++)
Blake's question has technically been answered already..... 2-3 MOA is possible and 4 MOA is not out of the question at all. But excuse me while I address the tread drift (ie, You can't do it with Y, you need rifle X to be a Rifleman)
Are certain Rifles easier to obtain Rifleman over others.. yes. Are certain Rifles more challenging to obtain Rifleman... Obvious. Is this what we are here for??? NO, and Instructors and SB's should know better.
What would it cost to become a Rifleman, if you did not own a rifle or a single box of ammo??? Well with today's R.O.C. Program, all Appleseed fees would total $72.19 plus $20 for the RWVA Membership/R.O.C so $92.19 total Appleseed Fees.
The Rifles + Sling=
AR $850 (atleast, more for a reliable one)
SKS $280
-----------------
$570 difference
Decent Ammo (not match)
AR $.33-.40 per round, 1000rd case of PMC Gold 55gr, $330
SKS $.16- .23 per round, 1260 rd case of Yugo surplus $210 (per 1000 = $167)
----------------------------------------------
$163 per thousand difference
National Average of Appleseeds to achieve Rifleman = 3
Pre-Reg Fee + AR15 & Sling + Ammo for 3 Appleseeds
92.19 + 850 + 495 = $1437.19
Those numbers leave us $1065 for SKS Ammo, and seeing as the R.O.C. allows as many Appleseeds as needed to achieve Rifleman, how many Appleseeds can we go to with that much spare cash?? Well that covers 6656 rounds of ammo for the SKS, divide by 500 rounds per Appleseed... rounded down just to keep things simple...
13 SKS Appleseeds for the price of 3 AR Appleseeds....
I know I know... that's just crazy talk, who would go to 13 Appleseeds to hear over 4X the History and Heritage and see 4X the instruction from potentially 4X the Instructors providing 4X the tips and tricks and instruction, and meet 4X the great folks on the firing line.... That is crazy talk, because the SKS shooter, worst case scenario would probably have it done by the 5th, maybe the 6th shoot which leaves this frugal shooter enough dough to buy a Rack Grade M1 from the CMP, and still be under the cost for the AR Rifleman!
But wait there's more......
That SKS Rifleman who now proudly owns a CMP Garand, can borrow the AR Rifleman's Rifle, and after shooting a 210 with the SKS, shoot a 240 with the AR that is not theirs (of course after that one shot zero).. probably a 230 with his new to him M1 Garand as well.
But that AR Rifleman on the other hand is out of ammo, but he can borrow the SKS Rifleman's Rifle after scoring 210 with their own AR, and shoot a 160 with the SKS.... and maybe a 180 with his new friends Garand.
What is our goal Appleseed Instructors and SB's??? Tell folks that it can't be done? Or make Rifleman regardless of the Rifle? Who is the better Rifleman? the Fella that score 210 with an "out of the cosmoline" SKS or an AR with optimal sights and a decent trigger??
Which Shooter will hear more of the History and Heritage? Isn't that more important than seeing how fast one can score Rifleman??? :cool2:
For $50 more than a 10/22 (or a $100 less the way some feel the 10/22 HAS TO BE), the SKS is a great centerfire capable of getting the job done not only on an AQT, but putting Bambi on the plate as well!! So don't hesitate buying an SKS to Appleseed with, and if you already own one, what are you waiting for? And of course check out the thread LS and Techres mentioned... http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=3305.0 (http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=3305.0)
See you on the trail....
QuoteIt is a shame that we have moved away from what the Appleseed Project began as. "A Rifleman can take any Rack Grade Rifle with Surplus Ammo, zero it, and shoot 4MOA Period"
O0
An EXCELLENT point...way too many people are hung up on "hardware", instead of "software"..I've been guilty of that myself!
BTW...I have an SKS, and with the right mags it's a very dependable, predictable rifle.
Great. I'm glad somebody has seen somebody do it. I'm not promoting match grade AR15's. I'm saying the SKS is not (cartridge, sights, etc.) something people find easy to shoot a rifleman score with.
In the 1890's the best riflemen of the day could shoot a 10 shot group of 12 inches at 1000 yds. However, the rifles were single shot rifles and the mid range trajectory of many of those black powder cartridges was 55 (fifty five) feet. How'd you like to shoot one of those at the pop ups?
I've seen guys who earned their rifleman patches with their M1 Garands, M1A's and 10/22's just aggravate the snot out of themselves trying to do it with a SKS at a rifleman's boot camp.
Sure a guy who gets lucky enough to find a good shooting SKS and good ammo deserves congratulations for working hard enough to shoot a rifleman's score with it. Has he learned more than if the score was shot with an M1, M1A or 10/22? Did he pick up an IiT had sooner, get his red hat sooner? Get on the trail sooner?
All rifles are fun to shoot, some are more fun and more capable. I understand the thrill of "scaring" someone with a high dollar rifle when you've got a 'beater' rifle. I get a kick out of the kids with the 10/22 out shooting the adults with the AR15's, M1's, etc.
I also don't blow smoke you know where when someone asks a question. Just ask anyone at work.
Not blowing smoke at all OD,
The rifle can do it, we need to quit telling people that they need something special to get the job done.. It is total BS. I have seen a Mosin Nagant do it, and I have seen SKS's do it. YOUR JOB as an Instructor/Shootboss is to see that they do it..... With their Rifle, not a $1000 dollar 10/22 "loaner" or $1500 AR!
The entire course of fire is based on a bolt action 30-06, quit making excuses for your shooters, and teach them to shoot.
Quote from: Garand69 on April 26, 2011, 08:35:45 PM
The entire course of fire is based on a bolt action 30-06, quit making excuses for your shooters, and teach them to shoot.
Git-R-Done! :---
American bolt action rifles firing a cartridge steeped in battle and honor where both the rifle and cartridge were designed to allow hits on human targets to the limit of a rifleman's eye sight and beyond.
Rifles designed and built to be reliable and accurate. Not designed to throw out a high volume of fire in the general area of where you're getting ready to try to over run people unable to shoot back because bullets are digging up the dirt all around them.
$1000 10/22's. Darn, I guess my $125 used 10/22 just don't measure up. Crashkid2K probably doesn't think so since he used it one time to "break the ice" and put him over the top on the 25 meter AQTs.
Don't get all bent out of shape over what rifle is or isn't better. I just hate to see people encouraging someone to stick it out when they might be able to get it done quicker with a better rifle. Like I said, maybe he's got a good one. Maybe he'll shoot a rifleman score with it pretty quickly. If so that's great. My experience in watching some guys who are now redhats and SI's is that they spent quite a bit of time trying to shoot a rifleman score with an SKS after they'd already done it with two or three other rifles. So they weren't inexperienced, they weren't new shooters, they weren't trying to learn the fundamentals, they just found out that the SKS they had did not perform like their USGI rack grade rifles.
My Chinese SKS cost $79 in 1985. It'll make nice cloverleafs at 25m, is dependable as anything in my safe, has a decent trigger. Yes, the stock sights make it challenging, but tech-sights (or a scope for it) are great investments for an inexpensive platform. BTW, it ain't for sale. Get your own...
-sg
Give the stock SKS a shot. If you get through a thousand rounds without hitting 210, spend $50 on a set of tech sights.
One of the best things about an SKS is that they're easy to sell. If it doesn't work for you, take it to a gun show - you won't even get out of the parking lot before someone tries to buy it from you. Take it to a shoot and you'll have it sold before the weekend is out. Whether you keep it or not, you'll know all about the SKS, which is handy knowledge. The rifle is not a waste of your time or money.
I've shot a 25-meter rifleman score with a 10/22 and my M1A, both with Irons. I'd love to try it with a tech-sight equipped SKS.
I've seen Dinky Dao tear stuff up at 300 yards with a bone stock SKS.
BD
Yeah, the tech sights are a good idea. Also, contact/PM Son of Martha and ask about the modification he made to the sling attachment points on an SKS to allow the use of a GI web sling (looked easy to do and it worked).
Seems like at one time, when the SKS's were first getting popular, you could get a modification done to your rifle to allow the use of AK47 magazines (20 and 30 round). Don't know if its legal in your state or not or if anyone is selling the parts/doing the work.
Quote from: Old Dog on April 27, 2011, 06:23:48 AM
Yeah, the tech sights are a good idea. Also, contact/PM Son of Martha and ask about the modification he made to the sling attachment points on an SKS to allow the use of a GI web sling (looked easy to do and it worked).
Seems like at one time, when the SKS's were first getting popular, you could get a modification done to your rifle to allow the use of AK47 magazines (20 and 30 round). Don't know if its legal in your state or not or if anyone is selling the parts/doing the work.
We've got an AWB, so detachable mags would would limit you to one "evil" feature (pistol grip, collapsible stock, bayonet lug, flash hider, grenade launcher) - since your stock Yugo has more than one of those, you'd need to do some additional modification. I wouldn't worry about the mag too much though, the clips for those work very easily. Bone stock it's a fine rifle, and an excellent starting point.
I picked up an old SKS practically for free a couple years ago. My son wanted a CF to shoot at KD Appleseeds, so I made it a LTR project. It started out with a really bad trigger, so we got that tuned up, added tech-sights, Tapco stock and magazines, and put a GI sling on it.
With Silver Bear ammo he was making consistent hits out to 400 yds. It really will shoot now.
Prior to the improvements, it was difficult to get 8MOA out of it. I've got another SKS, and it shoots pretty well, but some of these commie guns are really not put together too well, and it shows downrange.
My 2 cents or IMHO for the younger ones, good solid rifle that works. Accuracy is sub 4 MOA, "quick digression" My cushion in Arkansas has chosen His SKS as his "go to" rifle for hunting. Fast lightweight and more than acceptable accuracy. With the low cost of Econo 7.62X39 ammo you should be able to afford several brands to find the one that works best for You.
Quote from: AmericaStandsStrong on April 25, 2011, 06:31:50 PM
Quote from: George63 on April 25, 2011, 01:32:01 PM
when the ammo was cheap the SKS was a good way to go, but you cannot pick up reload-able brass like you can with .223 and the projectile for 7.62 x 39 will cost as much as the 3 components of .223 + the AR is so easy to work on
No offence, but I don't exactly have $1,000 for an AR.
You don't need $1000 for an AR. There are plenty to be had for about $700. Not that I like ARs...I keep a couple around for the wife and kids... ~~:)
That said, the cost of cheap SKS's has past. I remember the day when you could get 5 chinese SKS's for $100. I bought my Yugo SKS for $100, delivered. With the price SKS's escalating over $250, and field grade CMP Garands remaining at $495, the Garand is a lot more rifle for the money, in my opinion. Just loaded up 200 rounds of 30-06 last night. Including brass wear, they cost me $0.33 per round to load. 145 grain Privi FMJBT bullets, Varget powder, and CCI#34 primers.
More power, flatter shooting, more accurate, more precise sight adjustments, better trigger, and better sight radius than any SKS. The CMP Garand is still the best battle rifle deal out there.
-David
Edgewood, NM
You'll run across folks now and then that want to throw their "time" in there as a cost of reloading. However, anyone who really wants to learn their rifle, learn their shooting and improve shouldn't mind the time it takes to do the things to prepare them for shooting. Whether it's cleaning, reloading, inspecting parts, etc.
You can "make" reloads that will change your rifle from a "yeah, I can hit a deer at 100 yds" into a "yes, which eye would you like me to hit." That may sound extreme and with some rifles/cartridges it might be but I've seen changes to this degree in rifles just from finding the reload your rifle "likes" best. Some are "finicky" and some aren't.
By the way, the SKS should be an excellent deer rifle. You can buy commercial ammo for it (I've seen Remington soft points) for hunting purposes and it should be a dandly little "brush" gun. Sort of like a semi auto 30-30 Winchester.
Old Dog:
Dry F-ing and handloading = what you do when you can't get to the range. I don't count either as a cost. Handloading is a great way to relax...
The sad rear half of TRW 641861 sits in front of me on my desk. Destroying these magnificent rifles was TREASON! I should have been able to buy one from CMP...instead I had to pay LRB to build me one out of the parts due to an ATF determination and a piece of metal on the receiver smaller than a dime...
-David
Edgewood, NM
Quote from: Old Dog on April 27, 2011, 06:36:06 PM
Sort of like a semi auto 30-30 Winchester.
7.62 x 39 and 30-30 are ballistic twins, If you want to hunt deer definitely choose the sks over the AR but do not use the FMJ surplus, I did run across a 223 projectile optimized for deer though a 70 gr round nose, supposed to be decent to 250 yds
Quote from: George63 on April 28, 2011, 06:54:33 PM
Quote from: Old Dog on April 27, 2011, 06:36:06 PM
Sort of like a semi auto 30-30 Winchester.
7.62 x 39 and 30-30 are ballistic twins, If you want to hunt deer definitely choose the sks over the AR but do not use the FMJ surplus, I did run across a 223 projectile optimized for deer though a 70 gr round nose, supposed to be decent to 250 yds
My buddy, Rick, has killed several deer with his SKS using 125 gr softpoints from Barnaul (Brown Bear, Silver Bear, Golden Bear) up to about 150 yards - dropped 'em pretty quick with heart and/or lung shots.
Quote from: lupis42 on April 24, 2011, 10:13:34 AM
I've seen people get pretty consistent hits at 600 yards with SKSes at Jericho, so certainly good enough for Appleseed work.
He was using Bosnian Mil Surp ammo (and it was corrosive). That actually was my SKS that the shooter borrowed. That ammo shoots well under 4 MOA.
Quote from: TOMINCT on April 26, 2011, 09:47:01 AM
I have a Soviet translation by a U.S. Army Major that stated the SKS, when fired by an expert shooter should group 4 shots within a 15 cm circle at 100 meters. If one of the 4 shots is way out it should be disregarded. If it doesn't group within 15 cm the second time it should be returned to the arms depot for repair. FYI.
FYI according to Appleseed IMC math O0 and my handy calculator that's 6 MOA, with probably not the best ammo.
Quote from: George63 on April 28, 2011, 06:54:33 PM
Quote from: Old Dog on April 27, 2011, 06:36:06 PM
Sort of like a semi auto 30-30 Winchester.
7.62 x 39 and 30-30 are ballistic twins, If you want to hunt deer definitely choose the sks over the AR but do not use the FMJ surplus, I did run across a 223 projectile optimized for deer though a 70 gr round nose, supposed to be decent to 250 yds
On paper they may be twins, in the real world of deer hunting, a 123 gr 7.62x39 bullet doesn't hold a candle to a 150 or 170 gr. 30-30 on deer. I've shot many deer with both. No contest.
Getting back to the thread however, I am intrigued in using an SKS. I have 5 of them (Chinese, Russion, Albanian, Yugo and a short paratrooper type Chinese) all bought back when they were cheap. Seriously considering on working my $69 chinese SKS into a LTR. I already have all kinds of stocks for it. A set of Tech Sights and a proper sling would get me on target I think.
Won't that make you a criminal in the "land of the free"?
Can someone explain those god forsaken law about parts counts in English?
Quote from: tittiger on May 22, 2011, 06:16:16 PM
Won't that make you a criminal in the "land of the free"?
Can someone explain those god forsaken law about parts counts in English?
The parts count really only applies to making an imported firearm into one that is banned from importation. The SKS doesn't have any non-importable features, no detachable magazine, no pistol grip or flash hider, folding or collapsible stocks. So swapping a sight or a conventional stock onto it does not come into play. Putting a pistol grip stock, flash hider, detachable mag etc do come into play but since most of those parts are US made they are compliant.
Short version, if you want to make your SKS into an "assault rifle" just make sure you use US (Tapco) parts. If you simply want to make it into a LTR by swapping sights and slings or perhaps a stock, you are good to go since those don't come into the import thing. Most of those are US made anyway.
SKS loads (if you reload) from the Hogden powder site
http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp
some of the 150 grain loads are over 2100 fps. That's 100 to 300 fps slower than the 30-30 with the 150 grain bullets (remember, the 7.62X39 usually won't get get accuracy out of .308 diameter bullets, but needs the slightly larger .312 diameter bullets - or so I've read).
If anything, I am now tempted to take my SKSs to the range and try some of the many types of ammo I have picked up but rarely shot over the last 25 years.
Quote from: tittiger on May 22, 2011, 06:16:16 PM
Won't that make you a criminal in the "land of the free"?
Can someone explain those god forsaken law about parts counts in English?
Unfortunately, there is no easy explanation of the law in question, which is Title 18 USC, Section 922(R)
This is the best answer that I've found so far:
QuoteWhat modifications can I do to my imported fixed-magazine SKS Carbine without violating Title 18 USC § 922(r)?
As long as your SKS Carbine contains more than ten imported parts, the answer is: "Not very much". Some guidance can be gleaned from a letter to the NRA from ATF Technology Branch, printed in the NRA magazine, American Rifleman May, 1994. It specifically mentions the following the following modifications of an standard SKS Carbine would not be violations of Title 18 USC § 922(r):
1. Replace the existing stock and handguard with a non-folding wooden or synthetic stock having either a Monte Carlo or thumbhole design. [See the discussion of pistol grips and thumbhole stocks.]
2. Attach a muzzle mounted recoil compensator, provided that the device is not also designed as a flash suppressor.
3. Replace the existing 10 round magazine with a fixed 5 round magazine or install a block in the well of the 10 round fixed magazine to limit its capacity to 5 rounds.
4. Replace the existing receiver cover with a cover having a telescopic sight based and/or rings.
5. Replace the front and/or rear sight or install an ambidextrous safety.
Now, if you intend to do other modification than those listed above, (such as detachable magazines) then you will have to ensure that your conforms to 922(r), by playing the '10 or less game'.
By adding a detachable magazine to the SKS, you have converted it from a 'sporting arm', to an 'assault weapon'. EVEN THOUGH THE AWB EXPIRED, you still must comply with 922(r). A good FAQ on this can be found here: http://www.victorinc.com/SKS-FAQ.html#_Toc167103936
You could also use this parts calculator too:
http://jobson.us/922r/
My first Rifleman score with a centerfire was done with a Yugo SKS using brown bear ammo. I went on to use this out to 400 yards during a boot camp. Out of the box, it is better than 4 MOA even with < 20 cent ammo.
But here is a trick suggested by a fellow appleseeder during a campfire chat. Weigh each round (not the components, the entire round) and group them into batches by weight. I usually start with 1000 rounds and end up with 3 batches. This tends to get rid of any "fliers" (usually find about 3 out of 1000 rounds) and my experience is that the smaller batches shoot about 1/2 MOA better. I am not sure what "variance" it is capturing; probably in the bullets? One of these days I'll get ambitious and pull a couple rounds from each batch, break them into components, and see what is varying.
The SKS also makes a nice complement to an mini, AR, Garand, or M1A. Why? Because it gives you practice with using a different sight alignment/picture system. If you only practice with one sight system, it "feels" weird when you shoot a rifle with a different system. So I like to alternate some practice sessions between my SKS (notch) and mini 30 (scoped and peep) both using 7.62X39 ammo.
Net, don't be afraid to experiment with the 'lowly' SKS. It is a great rifle!