Any use of the 7.62 AK for such work?

Power level is of course somewhat less {so is recoil} and sight radius and sights leave something to be desired, but if all you are doing is poking holes and leaving the critters to run off and give it up, the thing would work pretty well, especially, I believe, from above at close range and especially on the medium-sized critters. 40-shot RPK magazines make for a long shot string, too.

I suspect the SLR's in use are merely broomed out Army guns with issue FMJ ammo to-boot?