Shoot it well, hunt with it, keep it clean.Shooting positions, hunting and field stripping the AK.
1The Fundamentals
Aiming. Breath control. Trigger squeeze. Follow through.
Good, safe shooting comes from the same few habits in every position. Line up the rear notch and front post, breathe out and pause, press the trigger straight back without jerking, and hold the sight picture through the shot.
2Five Shooting Positions
Standing
Quick to take and lets you shoot over cover, but the least steady. Feet shoulder width apart, body turned from the target, rifle firm in the shoulder. Rest it on a tree or rock when you can.
Hip Fire
Fast while moving, the least precise. Practice makes it usable at close range.
Kneeling
Easy to drop into from a walk, with the elbow on the knee for support. A good middle ground of speed and steadiness.
Sitting
Steadier than kneeling and comfortable for longer, but slower to get into.
Prone
The steadiest position and the smallest target, the slowest to get into and out of.
3Hunting with an AK
The 7.62×39 hits about like a .30-30, so it suits deer and hogs at short to medium range with soft point or hollow point hunting ammo, never military full metal jacket. Use a 5 or 10 round magazine where state law limits capacity, check your state rules on semi-auto rifles for hunting, and know your backstop. A scope on a side rail mount helps past 100 yards. For longer shots the Dragunov style rifles in 7.62x54R reach farther.
4Field Stripping
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Remove the magazine. |
| 2 | Put the selector on fire, pull the charging handle back and look into the chamber to make sure it is empty. |
| 3 | Let the bolt carrier go forward. |
| 4 | Press the button at the rear of the top cover, lift the cover off the back and slide it out of the rear sight block. |
| 5 | Push the recoil spring guide forward to free it from the receiver, then lift it out. |
| 6 | Pull the bolt carrier back, lift it out with the bolt. |
| 7 | Slide the bolt back in the carrier, rotate it and pull it out the front. |
| 8 | Rotate the gas tube lever on the right of the rear sight block up, then lift the gas tube and upper handguard off. |
| 9 | Clean the bore, chamber, bolt face, gas piston and gas tube. Oil lightly. |
| 10 | Put it back together in reverse order. |