Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game The Cult of the 9.3x62

Who's got one? This cartridge is a 338 Win Mag in a 270 package: It hits like Elmer Keith but taps your shoulder like Jack O'Connor waking you up from one of his books All that and a standard action length too!

But seriously, the 9.3 is gaining in popularity and with new bullet offerings coming online each year it should only gain new adherents. Mine is a CZ 550 FS and it shoots like a house afire!

I have a CZ 550 FS as well. Very nice medium bore that's a pussy cat to shoot.

The 9.3X62 is the perfect big brothjer to the 7x57. Every bit as effective as the believers state and better than the detractors admit.

When a cartridge offers mild recoil with an honest 300 yard trajectory, 5 shot magazine capacity in a standard action, topped off with a legal caliber and bullet weight selection for most dangerous game......

AGW

Everyone who's shot mine has remarked on how little it recoils. Of course, these guys own 300 win mags, 300WSMs, 338s, etc.

From a reloading standpoint, I can't stand burning more than 60 grains of powder in anything now throwing at least a 400 grain bullet, another reason I like the 9.3x62.

I'll take that.

All I know, is that I like mine plenty.

Unfortunately, it is NOT universally legal in Africa for dangerous game. In Zimbabwe, for instance, even though the 9.3 bullet diameter (.366") is legal, the minimum legal energy level cannot quite be reached even by safe handloading, so the 9.3x64 is actually the legal minimum. In other countries the .375 is the bottom rung.

As for range, I would personally even stretch the 9.3x62 beyond 300 yards, though that is about as far as I have used it on the animals I have taken in the U.S., Canada and Africa. When loaded to around 60,000 psi, 250-grain bullets can be given about 2650 fps from a 24" barrel. I have found that velocity level, when used with a relatively sleek bullet, to be effective on big game at 400 yards or even a little more. Or at least it has worked fine at those ranges with 160's from the 7x57 and 180's from the .30-06, so I assume animals hit with a 250-grain 9.3 at 400 yards would also not be long for the world.

On my last trip to Africa (early May this year) I took Aussie's perfect combo of the 7x57 and 9.3x62. Oddly enough, another guy on the hunt did exactly the same thing!

JB

My Dad's 550 also shoots lights out. I helped him work up a load with the 250 Accubond and RL 15, that gets an honest 2650 fps. It flys unbelieveably flat to 300 yards. It really got our attention, when comparing it to 270's and 30-06's.

Then we decided to shoot one of the accubonds into a Ballistic Test Tube at 40 yds. The wound channel in the wax was incredible, and the bullet didn't stop. We're going to have to make a longer tube to catch one of those babies!

Steve

Those accubonds are not a premium bullet, just so you know! Just a slightly tougher Ballistic Tip.

Not.

-jeff

I have heard that. Unfortunately, none of the animals I've shot with them have heard the same thing, including kudu and gemsbok shot from "one corner to the other."

JB

what sort of powders and loads are you guys using to get 2650 from a 250?

thanks for any help.

I also succumbed to the 9.3 mafia here and at AR. I now have a 1952 M70 rebored by Jim Dubell that is one of my most accurate hunting rifles, and recently picked up a Husqvarna in 9.3x62 with a commercial FN c-ring 98 action to play with.

If only we could somehow get these darn bullets to read just think of the sizzle power with that....grins

Last fall I watched as 3 elk take Nozler naps via a NBT (all one shot kills), a bullet thats not supposed to work on elk. Hmm

Dober

Short of dangerous game, won't a .338-06 AI with 250 (and more BC) do 2650?

Didn't for me. That's 338 Win Mag territory.

Steve

The 2, count em 2 338/06's that I've been around would both do 2600 with the 250's when running one of the 4350's. ONe had a 22" tube and the other is a 23" tube.

I would have no problem betting on a AI OKH running a 250 out at 2650.

That said I have come to this place where I sort out what a round will run at top end then I back off a bit. My present load sends a 250 downstream at 2500 and with the Burris B Plex I can easily sanction elk to 500 if I choose.

I may just use this 2500 fps load for all comers this fall from lopes to elk.

Dober

I HAD a 338-06 AI that would loosen primer pockets, at 2700 fps with 225 Hornadys and RL15, so bad that I couldn't reuse the brass. With 4350 I couldn't get enough powder in the case to get close to that velocity. I guess that's another example of how individualistic rifles can be.

My question is why push a 338-06 so hard to get within 50 to 100 fps of a 338 WM? Just get the 338 WM and do it easy.

Steve

Yea, there seems to be an American propensity to taking a cartridge, then loading it to the gills to try and make it do what a cartridge of similar caliber but at the next level will do. Make an '06 be a 300 mag, an 9.3x62 be a 338 WM or a 375, a 6.5x55 be a 270, and so on and so on when actually what they do "normally" is quite good.

Gdv

I actually like to run my 9.3x62 at about 95%, 55gr of RL15 behind a 286gr JSP for 2250fps gives me plenty of power and a decent trajectory given that all my shots are under 100 yards here in Northwest Oregon, down in Southwest Oregon, however, I might load up those Accubonds.

Steve-if you reread my post you will note a couple of things.

First off I said the two 338/06's I worked with, I should of added that when both were in the 2600 range at top end and that both were still brass friendly at those speeds.

I am sure not about to try to guess what yours would do.

You will also note how I said that I am now loading them to 2500 (2496 to be exact), and that I get get brass life out of them at this.

I do feel that 2650 with a AI version is totally doable and in some tubes it'll be totally safe and in some it perhaps might just be the north end.

The thing about 338/06's vs the 338 is one topic that generally gets the good on discussions a running.

Lastly I like to use a LRF, I also like to have my scopes with either dots and or the Burris b Plex. I've a BP on my OKH and with this set up it is very ezy to set it to run to 500 yds at 2496 fps.

I no longer feel the need for top end brass burning primer pocket popping speed.

Dober



(BY the way gang, if my OKH posts here seem terse to Steve that was not my intent at all)

I have a CZ 550 American in 9.3X62.
I really like it-I am shooting the 286 gr partition with RL15.
2300fps and very good accuracy make it seem that much nicer.
I have not killed anything with it yet, but I am hoping to change that in a couple of months!
Those accubonds sound good, must try them sometime soon, methinks.

I had two 9.3s in the 62mm case plus a 9.3x74R, sold one and have yet another abuildin'at present on a choice FN sold to me by free_miner. I LIKE this cartridge VERY much and will use mine much of the time for bush work and hunting here in BC.

Free_miner did a lot of work years ago with the .338-06 and finally decided that a .338 WM IS better, has superior ballistics and, as he will verify, my P-64 originals will give a 250 NP an honest 2800 fps-mv with RE-22 AND superb accuracy, even in 80*F temps. So, for BC general purpose hunting, I do like the .338 WM a bit better, but, as MD pointed out here a few months back, the old 9.3 might well be superior in stopping Grizzlies and such situations.

Free_miner and I will be in northern BC soon and I think I will take my Oberndorf Type B in 9.3x62 along in case a Moose is foolish enough to come to our worksite. I LIKE this 70yr. old rifle and it needs to get out.

Overall, this REALLY IS a useful round for BC and easy to shoot.