SKS is a great rifle out to about 300 yards or so(.30-30 equivalent My Romanian 1958 will hold 2-3 inch groups with Wolf 123 grain soft points..All Stock, no mods...after 300 Yards accuracy drops of as velocity is lost..

 

My current favorite is a factory /26\ (8 million range) in a plastic red stock and it will do 3" groups with Russian ammo. I' ve owned many different flavor and type of SKS---they shoot about the same 3" groups @ 100yds with factory/mil spec ammo---Get rid of the after market crap and just leave them be.---

 

+1 about leaving the aftermarket crap alone.

For many reasons, I keep all my rifles as close to dead stock as possible. I figure that you can always rely upon superior technique, if you have it, no matter what 'junk' is hung on the rifle. Superior technique only costs you the time to learn it, and very little in the way of money.

Even without all the 'technology' and the SKS rifles having somewhat less inherent accuracy than their competition, I can usually use my stock iron sights with my 63 year old eyes to outshoot all the guys that show up with their M4geries, no matter what sights/alterations they have/use on their rifles.

As far as accuracy is concerned, my Yugo 59/66 slightly outshoots my Chinese and Russian SKS's, and my two Rasheeds outshoot them all, primarily due to the Rasheeds having a better, more predictable, trigger.

Off a bench, with my elbows supported and with no other rest, I find my SKS rifles will shoot right around 2.5-3" at 100 yds when I do my part. I can usually hold the Rasheeds a little tighter, to within about 2-2.5".

As far as ammo is concerned, I am currently working my way through (about) a case of the Yugoslavian brass-cased stuff.

 

You are speaking of what I have read and experienced myself, Yugo ammo in the Yugo, Russian ammo in the Russians (or others).
Just for kicks try some Russian production ammo in your Chinese, Russian and Yugo, you may find the Yugo suddenly shoots like crap and the Russian shines. I have no explanation for this (no bullet data), and it could just be mass coincidence that people have reported.

 

My 1959 Chicom C&R SKS shot this five shot group with russian ammo at 25 yards...

 

My hunting SKS, a chicom circa 1980 vintage with a Kivaari trigger, Tech Sights rear peep sight, Williams Firesight front and shooting S&B 124 gr soft points did this three shot group at 25 yards. A dime is .7 inches in diameter.

 

sks accuracy

I fired this group with my Russian, '51, standard sights, prone, at 100 yards...one magazine. It had a nice trigger :^) and I used a GI web sling for support. I attached a Mosin dog collar for the sling swivel. it's a 10 shot group and the butt started slipping down my shoulder and the sling is a little biased in support towards the left based on how it was attached. I've since attached one of the rubber but extensions to prevent slipping..

 

The SKS is a good 50 yard brush rifle .



FIVESHOT

 

I have a norinco Chinese SKS that I bought back at the beginning of college for $69.00 at The Meriden Trading Post/Sile Distributors. I used this rifle for two seasons in the Connecticut High Power Rifle League (200 yard). I routinely shot in the 350's to 370's in 4 position slow fire (40 rounds with 5 sighters). I used Norinco steel case ammo.

I don't have any targets (they get pasted over). But I have several of my score stubs. It was shooting this rifle that the director of the league Mike Stimler sent someone over and asked if I was the guy shooting the SKS that shot a 372. I thought I was in trouble or something. When I went to talk to him, he asked me if I wanted to shoot on the State Team. I wasn't 21 so he sent me to get my Dad to sign the paperwork for a State issued National Match M1A.

I owe that little SKS a lot.