6 Best AK-47 Ammo Choices [7.62x39mm]: Brass & Steel By: Matthew Collins

Here at Pew Pew Tactical, we’ve never made a secret of our love for the AR-15 platform.  

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We’ve talked about how to build one, how to feed one, how to clean one, and…well, basically everything you need to know about one.

That said, it’s not the only shockingly popular rifle platform out there.

Enter the AK-47.

It’s the peanut butter to the AR-15’s chocolate, the red lightsaber to the AR’s blue. It’s the weapon of choice for movie bad guys (and real-world ones in many places) and is the only contender to the AR-15 platform’s title as “Most Popular Gun In The World.”

Today, I’ll go over a bit of history and then all the best AK 7.62×39 ammo out there!

Summary of Our Top Picks

1. 

   Best Hunting Ammo

   Federal Power-Shok 123gr 7.62×39

   Power-Shok is a go-to for hunting applications in just about any caliber, and this one is no exception.

   $45 at OpticsPlanet
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2. 

   Best Self-Defense Ammo

   Hornady SST 123gr 7.62×39

   The SST bullet construction makes this a great option for any two-legged creatures you might be worried about.

   $39 at LuckyGunner
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3. 

   Best Target Ammo

   Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics 124gr 7.62×39

   Fiocchi’s consistent loadings will give you a great shot at trying to squeeze the best group out of your AK.

   $18 at Botach
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4. 

   Best Plinking Ammo

   Wolf 7.62×39 FMJ

   Cheap and available in most places, that is a hard combo to beat.

   $11 at LuckyGunner
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Current Environment

Thanks to mass demand during 2020…the world of ammo has been turned onto its head.

On August 20, 2021, the US Department of State effectively banned Russian ammo imports. It was a huge blow, especially to the 7.62x39mm ammo that runs the AK-47.

AK-47: A Quick Rundown

The AK-47 is, no question, an absolute beast. It is a snarling, defiant beast that has been the driver of revolution and conflict from Cuba to Korea, and its storied history is as legendary as any in the world of firearms.

It’s easy to see why the AK-47 and its smaller-bore cousin, the AK-74, remain so popular — their lineage of rugged dependability and reliability. But beast though it may be, it still has to eat.

And that’s what we’re going to go over today — just what to do you shoot out of that AK, anyway?

There are a number of 7.62x39mm options available worldwide — so many that it can be difficult to choose.

We’ve sorted the best ones out, tested them, and came up with some instructions for picking the best of the best for your needs.

Whether you’re looking to take your AK hunting (and incredibly viable notion, no matter what certain politicians may say) to the range, or your secret survival bunker in the desert, there’s an option for you.

The Many Uses of the AK-47

These days, the AK-47 isn’t just a weapon of war. It is found all over the world in the hands of regular civilians where laws allow it, and though you’re most likely to find the semi-automatic version, it’s still the same ‘ole reliable beast as the original.

The AK-47 and its venerable 7.62x39mm round can be used for hunting, target practice, plinking, competition, and even home and self-defense.

Whatever you’re looking to do with your rifle, you should match your ammo to your purpose if you want the best results.  

How to Choose 7.62x39mm Ammo

AK-47 ammo is available for every purpose, from hunting to target shooting to home defense.  

For the absolute best results, it’s essential to understand a little bit about the ammo made for the rifle as a whole. Particularly the differences between AK-47 ammo and the 5.56/.223 ammo you might be more familiar with.

There is a wide difference between the operation of the AK-47 and the AR-15 — both in how they operate and their overall design goals. If you want the most out of your gun, it’s important to consider this when choosing ammo.

So what was the AK-47 design goal? Be cheap, reliable, easy to use, and rugged as all hell. Sounds simple, right?

Well, there are some things you need to be aware of.

Understanding AK-47 Ammo

One of the key differences between most AK ammo and the 5.56 you’re probably used to is the prevalence of steel-cased ammo.

We have previously covered the differences between steel and brass-cased ammo, so I won’t rehash all that here, but there are some things that bear repeating.

First, steel-cased ammo is cheaper and is generally considered unfit for reloading. It may expand in unpredictable ways, causing carbon buildup, which can lead to extraction issues in some guns.

Now, the AK was designed to be fed cheaply and abused, so steel cases aren’t really an issue…in fact, they may actually run better.

This is because of the aggressive action and extractor on most all AK-pattern weapons. This aggressiveness is perfect for ripping a stuck steel case out of the chamber. However, it can actually be too effective when applied to brass cartridges — ripping up the softer metal and causing a serious malfunction.  

That said, your AK may run brass without issue, and modern versions will likely be just fine. Just be aware that service grade and older guns may be picky about casing types, and you may at the very least get brass cases with ripped sidewalls.

This means that in some cases, cheap surplus ammo is a good option or even the best option for your gun.

Boxer vs. Berdan Primers…and Corrosive Ammo

Now, we can’t recommend surplus ammo without talking about the Boxer vs. Berdan primer issue and corrosive ammo in general.

Boxer and Berdan primers are the two main types of primers used in centerfire cartridges today. The primary difference between the two is that Boxer primers have a single flash hole to ignite the powder, and Berdan primers have two.  

From a practical standpoint, reloading Berdan primers is a pain in the ass, especially here in the West, as the tools and the primers themselves are hard to find. In general, we advise sticking to Boxer primers for this reason.

There is another reason, however. Most, if not all, surplus Berdan-primed rounds are corrosive.

When ignited, these older Berdan-style primers leave behind potassium chloride and sodium chloride, the latter of which is essentially table salt.

These salts are alkalis that react with hydrogen and oxygen in the air to form acids that will absolutely corrode your gun and leave it rusted beyond belief. Just think about what salt water does to metal after a while, and you’ll have a good idea.

Now, when we hear “corrosive,” it might seem like it’s just easier to say, “well, I just won’t use that in my gun,” and that’s perfectly fine. But this type of surplus military ammo, although getting rarer, is typically the cheapest option.

Like, $100-200 for 500-1000 rounds if you catch the right sale. That makes things a bit more appealing — but is it enough to overcome the thought of a rusted gun?

Fortunately, simple cleaning can usually stave off these issues…provided you do so promptly after shooting. And the sooner, the better. These salts break down in water, so a hot, soapy rinse can sort things right out.  

If the thought of purposefully dunking your gun in a tub of water makes your skin crawl (as it does mine), there are several aqueous cleaning products like Hoppes #9 or Shooter’s Choice Aqua that will have you covered without making you feel like you’re doing the dishes.

Check out our guide to Cleaning Corrosive Ammo.

Best AK-47 Ammo

There’s really no one best AK-47 round out there, so we have to look at the best for each category.

• Hunting/Self-Defense
• Target Shooting
• Plinking

Let’s start with…

1. Federal Power-Shok

The 7.62x39mm round fired by the AK-47 is ballistically very similar to the venerable 30-30 that has harvested many a whitetail over the last century. This makes it a great hunting round, especially in soft-point (SP) variants.