Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa The Poormans Africa Cartridge

I somehow got a wild hair and decided I want to go hunting in Africa.

Purchased a CZ 550 FS/Mannlicher in 9.3X62 off of a gentleman in Arizona via the Rokslide forum.

Went into a local shop and they had the perfect scope on the clearance table, Meopta Optika6 1-6X24 with an illuminated German#4

Ordered a set of Warne QD rings in medium height thinking they should be a perfect height…this Meopta has got a massive magnification adjustment ring diameter and they wouldn’t clear, returned them and got highs.

The highs arrived this morning and they 99% fit but there is minor rubbing but not enough to impede movement.

Picked up 5 boxes of PPU 285Gr Soft Points from PowderValley for $2.15 per round delivered, not cheap but by no means bad.

Czech rifle in a German Caliber with a Czech scope with a German reticle

Took it out last Saturday and shot some milk jugs, the recoil was noticeable but by no means intolerable.

Now comes the expensive part, saving for the trip and figuring out what guide.

Sounds like you already dangerous.

Good round. I had one in a CZ, really accurate and recoil not bad. I traded mine, no plans to go to Africa.

DF

Great post and love your rifle which will do great in Africa.

If you reload, here's a load that worked for me.

I noticed it was shat 11 yrs ago, today. How about that; it should still work.

I got it from an article that our own Mule Deer, (JB) wrote in 2008 for Handloader Mag. Here's a summary.

I didn't try the 285 NPT, but would for sure if I was going to Africa.

BG powder can be hard to find, I'm fortunate to have big jug. It was JB's fav powder with that bullet and as you can see, very accurate.

DF

Got a CZ Model 550 American in 9.3x62 from my wife for Christmas years ago. I like it so much I haven't shot my 375 H&H since I got it. Great round and great rifles. I handload but will admit that the Seller & Bellot soft point in 286 grs grouped really well. I bought 6 or 7 boxes on sale to shoot for the brass and it was accurate enough that I kept 2 boxes as emergency rounds if I ever run out of handloads.

You're very well equipped for your first African safari! Congratulations on a fine rifle. I am a fan of the 9.3x62. I've taken gemsbok, kudu, giraffe, and local game like elk with mine. It's a wonderful cartridge and your rifle is a very solid choice as well. That PPU ammo is accurate, effective on softer big game and economical to shoot. When loaded with a tougher bullet pushed little faster, your 9.3 is a dangerous game capable cartridge in a handy, affordable package. My 9.3x62 is accompanying me to Mozambique in July, my fifth hunting safari. I hope you are as pleased with your purchase as I have been. Happy hunting!

Beautiful rifle!
I recommend that anyone who is using a 9.3x62 on cape buffalo become very proficient at cycling the bolt for a follow up shot or two.
Brian

The 9.3mm rifles are really hard hitters, I have a CZ as well and a Swede Mauser in 9.3x57 that I use as a woods gun. The 57 is light and will take care of any beast. I have a 286 gn mold using Wheel weight and lead, sized and a copper gas check swagged on.

[quote=Brian9]Beautiful rifle!
I recommend that anyone who is using a 9.3x62 on cape buffalo become very proficient at cycling the bolt for a follow up shot or two.

This should be the case with any rifle and caliber or chambering not just 9.3x62's.

My first trip to Africa was in 2002 and I took a Cliff LaBounty rebored FN Mauser in 9.3x62. The original 250 gr X worked well. I am currently looking at a return trip to Namibia for 2025 and will likely take that rifle along.

Kowas Safaris Namibia......can't miss with this outfit.

I am in discussions with them but have never been disappointed with who I have chosen prior whether SA, Zim or Namibia.

Not just for Africa. Works good here too

My plan is to use the PPU for some local Alabama hunting, rifle practice and general fun like blowing up milk jugs.

For Africa I’m thinking TTSX, Aframes or solids(Cape buffalo) though I’m undecided.

I appreciate the leads on Kowas.

nice rifle and nice pictures ,thanks for posting ,Pete53

A couple of years back I put together a matched pair of "if I ever go back to Africa" rifles in 7x57 and 9.3x62. They are Interarms Mark Xs with Mannlicher-style stocks, Warne QR rings/bases, and Redfield 2-7x scope that Iron Sight Inc. in Tulsa serviced and installed their heavy/thick German-style reticle. Both rifles shoot good enough groups, even with the enormously thick reticles, and the 9.3x62 does particularly well with the 286 grain Partition over 55 grains of H4895.

I'm unlikely to ever shoot anything, or anyone, dangerous with either rifle, but I am confident that the 9.3x62 with 286 grain Partition has what it takes to penetrate deep and break bones on any of the plains game that I'd be interested in hunting.

I'm sorry but I have to ask, about how much does it cost to hunt Africa on one of the "cheaper" hunts now?

JD 45.
No shame in asking. It just means that you are looking after your money. I would start looking on the web. There are lots of African outfitters who have to reduce their herds for one reason or another. They will be glad to hear from you. If they are not that is their problem.
Check for example the link below.
https://www.discountafricanhunts.com/hunts/beginners-african-hunting-safari-package.html

Good hunting,
Brian

JD 45.
No shame in asking. It just means that you are looking after your money. I would start looking on the web. There are lots of African outfitters who have to reduce their herds for one reason or another. They will be glad to hear from you. If they are not that is their problem.
Check for example the link below.
https://www.discountafricanhunts.com/hunts/beginners-african-hunting-safari-package.html

Good hunting,
Brian

AU7MMO,

You handle that nifty little rifle very well in the video that you posted. No flinch and nice positive/fast bolt cycle.

I am crazy about full stocked, rifles.

When I first read your post I had Cape buffalo on my mind ( that's all I hunt in Africa these days ) and so buff is what I reffered to.
The 9.3 will be superb for any Plains Game in Africa, especially the big ones. DRT most of the time!

I will add that I like Cutting Edge Bullets and Swift A-frame bullets.

Happy hunting,
Brian

One of my brother's took his son and daughter in law to Africa on a photo safari. Not counting air fare to Africa it cost him $64,000 for three weeks. Poorman and Arica cartridge should not be in the same sentence! If you can afford to go to Africa hunting, cost of a rifle and ammo means nothing!

If your brother spent $64K on a photo safari then he is a friggin' idiot. You can do a 10 day plains game hunt including trophy fees and airfare for less than $15K and if you shop around you can probably find a hunt for less than $10K. It is cheaper to hunt Africa than it is to do a multiple animal hunt in Canada or Alaska.

and you can get a cow buffalo hunt for about 4000.00 if you check around

What can one expect to pay for a Cape buffalo bull?

Hunted a cz 550 fs 9.3x62 many years ago. It was scoped with a 1-4 30mm euro diamond in medium warne QR rings. The drop in the stock was awful, even with a scope in medium rings. I cant imagine you'd be doing anything but resting your cheekbone atop the comb, just to see through that foolish scope in high rings.

Something like a leupold 2.5x ultralight with the small ocular, you'll clear the bolt handle and get the scope lower.

Is JJHack still doing Africa hunts?

Some years back he offered a pretty good package deal.

Check posts by M3Tacoma he has lots of trips.

L also have had excellent experiences with Kowas in Namibia as well as Byseewah in Namibia and Hotfire in SA

It depends on your goals and the destination country.

In the wilder places Africa, such as the Caprivi of Namibia or the Save´ conservancy of Zimbabwe the trophy fee for a buffalo bull runs $5000 - $7000. Day rates for dangerous game hunts in wilderness areas are about $1000 -$1200, so a week of hunting including the trophy fee would run about $15,000. Airfare and extras like taxidermy not included. $25,000 is a reasonable rough estimate for the total cost.

It's easy to spend much more than $20,000 on a buffalo hunt. Tanzania is wonderful but very expensive. Same with Botswana. I can't afford to hunt there. I've done two buffalo bull hunts, one in the Caprivi and one in the Save´ and both for considerably less than $20,000. By choosing not to take a trophy home, and hunting management class bulls with less impressive headgear. I can look at photos instead of mounts. The hunting experience is the same, and the cost is relatively affordable. I can't hunt guided moose in my own country for the cost of a management bull buffalo hunt.

If you want a somewhat tamer experience, there are plenty of buffalo on fenced farms in south Africa, and some of those hunts seem to me reasonably fair chase, even though it's fairly rare to have a self-sustaining buffalo herd on a South African game farm. Prices in South Africa are usually less than wilder areas, so it is quite possible to take home a nice trophy to hang on your wall for less than $20,000.

I am one of those guys who can't afford to hunt cape buffalo at "shelf" prices and I love hunting cape buffalo, so I have had to find buffalo that fits my budget. I have done that and so can you if you work on it.

Here are some of my experience and unconventional opinions that I hope are helpful. I have killed 13 buffalo. 3 bulls and 10 cows.

I hunted my third and last Cape buffalo bull about 9 years ago on a 5,000 hector property in the beautiful Waterberg Mts. of Limpopo Province, South Africa.
I was 69 at the time. I paid $10,000 plus the day rate for a one week hunt.

We walked about 13 KM. that day, stalking and bumping a small herd of bulls and cows. I never saw a fence during that time. The bushveld was varied and beautiful. The two PH's and trackers were first class. when I finally held my 375HH on the sticks at a handsome bull 40 yds away I waited for a big old cow to move out of the way. The bull was facing me and I hit him perfectly, low in the centre of his chest with a quality bullet and he bucked and ran for about 40 yds. before he went down. The bullet went though the top of his heart. It was an exciting and suspenseful DG hunt, and I was learning some useful info about buffalo hunting.

It was the last bull I ever hunted. I knew then that I either had to find more money or cheaper buffalo hunts because I was really hooked on the experience. ( pun intended ) and that I would want to hunt buffalo the rest of my active life.

My eight unconventional, and sometimes unpopular opinions.

1. That old barren buffalo cow, (You know the one, she stands there in the way when you are trying to shoot a bull, chuckle.) makes great hunting. She is fast, tricky and smart. Seasoned dangerous game PH's will tell you they have had more trouble with the cows than the bulls. Old cows are considered a good/ethical animal to take out of a herd. ( When a cull is required for herd management, old cow are usually the first to go.)

2. You can hunt cows for a fraction of the cost of bulls. ( I am booked for 6 buffalo cows in 2025 on a vast and beautiful property. I can't tell how little I'm paying I am sworn to secrecy.)

3. I am not really a card carrying Trophy Hunter. I just look for the oldest cow in the herd. I have two Cape buffalo bull head mounts on the walls and I feel that I should have used the taxidermy money on cow hunting instead.

4. There is always an outfitter/PH somewhere in South Africa that is happy to do business with me on cows at a price that can afford. I am not afraid to tell them that I am good for a one shot DRT kill with my big bore out to 60 yds. ( Less trouble for them.)

5. There are lots of vast and beautiful properties to hunt buffalo on in RSA. You just have to ask the right questions when you are shopping for a buffalo hunt.

6. Farm hunts for buffalo in RSA are not necessarily tamer or for sissies. Savvy PH's will tell you that generally South African farm buffalo are more challenging to sneak up on than a wild, free ranging buffalo that has seldom seen a human.

7. I also realized that the good old 375HH and cape buffalo are a risky mix, and that it works well when everything goes well, but eventually I would have a long and time consuming follow up on a wounded buff and I might get a close range, fast and furious charge out of it as well. Since then I have always used a low dollar single shot break open .577 NE or a .500. with high dollar bullets. All one shot DRT kills. The 375 has a great and glorious history for Africa hunting, partly because it was always affordable and easy to shoot, but my unconventional opinion is that it that Cape buffalo hunting rifles start at .416 calliber.

8. Never use cheap bullets on cape buffalo! Never.


My apologies for the long post. Sometimes I kinda have a runaway when I talk cape buffalo hunting!

Brian

^^^^^^ agree with Brian except the 375 H&H is just fine.

And if the 375 is fine a great many with more experience than anyone here lump in the 9.3x62 with that assessment.

I agree with Brian9 - "Never use cheap bullets on cape buffalo! Never."
And disagree with Brian9 - a 9.3x62 properly loaded with good bullets IS adequate for hunting Cape Buffalo. At least I would feel comfortable using mine. I'd certainly prefer four shots of 9.3mm available rather than hunt with a bigger .50 caliber single shot.
But personal choice and opinions are more interesting to discuss since none of them are absolute.

Yes, Most people disagree with my views on the 375. That's OK. That's why we have horse races, differences of opinions. chuckle.

Remember that cape buffalo often run at least 30 yds after taking a good hit with a good bullet from a 375. That's is not a good thing to start in motion by pulling the trigger on a buffalo at close range.

This just my cautionary note that may save some one from getting charged by a cape buffalo. Thousands of cape buffalo have been killed with 9.3 x62. It was traditionally the farmers "go to" gun in Africa for all game. The 375hh is reportedly the most popular rifle for cape buffalo. (Remember, "The 30-30 has killed thousands of deer...")

However there is a reason these two cartridges are rated as "minimum" for cape buffalo. I have seen, many times, first hand, on the bushveld, how the 375 works on Cape buffalo. When it is a matter of safety, I choose maximum not minimum. chuckle.

I own a 375 hh and a 375 Ruger. and I love to shoot them. I just don't trust them anymore for cape buffalo.

Please consider using something like a 416 Remington, at least. "Mo' power, arr, arr, arr !"

Happy hunting,
Brian

People who have hunted a lot of buffalo often feel differently about the 375 than people who have not.
Here is a video for your viewing pleasure. enjoy.

/Users/user1/Desktop/Think Twice Before Hunting the Cape Buffalo - YouTube.webloc

I think it was Peter Capstick who wrote of taking spinal shots on buffalo when possible by aiming in line with the foreleg about 1/3 of the way down from the back line. In this regard he also wrote of using solids.

Outfitter I was with this past spring stated people easily pay 2-3x the going rate for a phot safari when it would be cheaper to just book a hunt and bring their camera instead.

Spending 60k+ is the old saying "A fool and his money are soon parted".

Keep in mind when Capstick was hunting Africa they didn't have the bullets we have now. The quality of bullets today is a lot better than back then.

Brian
I still have more to learn having only gotten 17 with the 375 H&H.

You mentioned wanting something that drops them so they don’t or can’t run 30 yards. That is pretty difficult to accomplish 100% of the time.

You also mentioned that you use a break open single shot. Personally I prefer a bolt magazine rifle.
Best to you,
R

Thinking that would make a dandy rifle for here. I have a friend who hunts deer with a 375 H&H and it really doesn’t beat them up at all. In fact less meat damage than a 270. That would make a good medium range do it all rifle.

For years, I was convinced that a 416 of some sort was required for buffalo hunting….

AND THEN I started hunting them!

Then the 375 H&H performed without any difficulties.

RinB,
Ah-ha, A voice in the wilderness, a kindred spirit.
17 Bufalo kills. That's a lot as far as I am concerned. It's 4 more than I killed. Would you mind telling me what bullet you used. Thanks. I am a real bullet nut.

I would like to expand on my 7 big bore kills.

I started building the 577 NE single shot on a whim and I was quite sceptical until my first buffalo. A big bore gunsmith and experimenter, Ed Hubel, got me going on the project. He did all the metal work. I did the stock work. It is made from a H&R, SB2, 10 gauge break open shotgun. ( $250 at the time, plus cost and labor. Total of about $2,000.) Ed installed a new .577NE barrel on it using the "barrel stub" method. The rig ended up weighing 12.5 Lbs. Perfect for a .577.

My first buffalo hunt with this .577 NE was in 2014 using my own 700 gr. hard cast bullets. loaded at a lame 1,700 fps as I remember. I hunted 3 buffalo and each kill was one shot but each buffalo ran a ways before it went down. (10- 40 Yds.)

After that hunt I built a switch barrel for the rifle in 50-110 Winchester necked down to a true .500 cal. same as the .500 S&W Magnum diameter. I want to use a specific CEB bullet.

I loader the .577NE a bit hotter with 700 gr. Peregrine BushMaster bullets at near 1,900 fps. For the .500-110 I used Cutting Edge Bullets, 410 gr. Raptors loaded to nearly 2,000fps.

My next buffalo hunt was for 4 buffalo just south of the Pafuri in the LowVeld in 2016.

All shots were at about 30-50 yds off the sticks. For experimental/comparison purposes I put each bullet roughly in the centre of the shoulder, not near the heart or any structural bones, with each buffalo standing side ways.

The first buffalo, was taken with the .577NE and it reacted like it was electrocuted. It lowered its head, took half a step and collapsed. The two PH's with me were almost as surprised as I was. The tracker was pretty happy too!

The next 3 buffalo were with the .500-110, same deal, close range with the 410 CEB Raptor bullets in the centre of the shoulder. Each buffalo took only several staggering steps and went down. I was a believer in big bores and quality bullets!

I consider this story to have nothing to do with my shooting, It's all about the bullets. Four buffalo in a row with well designed big bore bullets at moderate velocity and all four were dead right there. As you say, "100%"

I agree with you that a bolt action repeater rifle is always a good thing on a buffalo hunt. ( As discussed, more that one shot is sometimes required with a "minimum" rifle" )

I wanted to experiment with different big bore cartridges and this was the only way I could afford to do it.

Also, I have a TC Encore with the same .500-110 chamber. I load the 410 grain CEB Raptor to 2,150 fps. It is shorter than a 30-30 win. carbine and weighs about the same. I built a tank style muzzle brake for that! I intend to use it on buffalo in 2026 before I get too old. I will be 81. What could go wrong?

Thanks for your post. I look forward to hearing about you .375 bullets of choice for buffalo.

Cheers,

Brian

A buddy of mine who lives nearby but hunts the world has killed 134 buffalo, including a bunch of Cape buffalo and also many Australian Water buffalo, which are just a bit larger that Cape buff on average. He tells me a .375 is adequate, but he also says bigger is never wrong with buffalo. He prefers Swift Aframe bullets, but there are some other good ones too.

Brian
1 300 Trophy Bonded
2-12 270 TSX and 270 LRX Barnes
13-17 250 TTSX Barnes

I prefer the 250 TTSX loaded to 2800-2850 from my 22” bbl. My rifle weighs 8.5#

Going in May and will try for up to 10 additional

This is a great thread! Thanks gents for real world input.

RinB--Interested to see how your hunt goes if you feel like writing it up. Getting ready to retire. I'm researching the Dark Continent and different hunts at this time. So many choices. So many different outfitters.................Lot's of good reviews and I don't believe 'em all. My career choice leaves me very very suspicious of folks in general. LOL

RinB,

That 250 TTSX is reportedly a very good bullet. I have never tried it.

Nice light rifle too.

Going in May? maybe for 10 more. Awesome! Please keep us posted.

Thanks for the info.

Brian

Brian
I haven’t seen any difference in the performance of the three Barnes bullets. I have a strong preference for their tipped bullets. I don’t care for the 300 TSX because they are more likely to full penetrate buffalo which then results in a rodeo.

I’ve never understood why the 270 TSX has such a following, whereas the 250 TTSX seems to be more of a stepchild.

And, the 250 shoots faster, has better ballistics and good KE. Looks to me like it’ll do about anything the 270 does, some things, even better.

DF

You can contact Dave Freeburn in South Africa for some good deals on Cape Buffalo plus plains game.

He hunts large properties with sustainable herds.

Not long ago he offered me a Cape buffalo bull for 7500 all inclusive except for air fare.

Buffalo cows are around 3000 if I recall correctly.

So for less than 10000 you can hunt Buffalo plus plains game depending on what you want.

I am going in 2025 and taking a 9.3x62 with 250 grain TSX for plains game plus buffalo.

I have a CZ550 and a Steyr SM12 in 9.3x62 so it will be with one of these.

Our own Hatari has killed several buffalo with the 9.3x62 and the 250 Barnes.

One of the suggestions about using mono bullet is to go down in weight from the popularly used weight like RinB does. 270 grain and 300 grain are commonly used in the 375 so he uses 250 grain mono bullet. Perfect.

Also the TTSX bullet has no issues with pressure like the TSX sometimes does, I'm told. Slightly decreased diameter driving bands, or something like that.

JJHack is long gone and off doing other things.

Razorhog, Yes, this is a great thread. Interesting and informative. Brian

What kind of scope/sights do you guys like for cape buffalo ! Thanks, Brian

I used the Trijicon 1-6 with the green triangle reticle.

I think it’s one of the best dangerous game scopes made.

Field of view is incredible at 1x and the reticle draws your attention to the target.

Had no trouble aiming at a charging buffalo at close range.

At 6x I used it to take kudu at 165 yards.

My friend and PH Dave Freeburn uses the same scope on a 375 h&h.

NF 2.5-10 with old dot and circle reticle.

Previously 1.5-5 Leupold with wide duplex.

I like have the big red dot near dusk. Easy to see on black hide.

I use a Holosun HE507C GR green dot reflex sight.

I use a Leupold “Big Bore” 3X with a heavy duplex reticle on my 375 H&H. With it I’ve taken Buffalo at 100, Nyala at 135, Black Wildebeest at 150, Eland at 220, and Kudu at 240 yards. Oh, and a Caribou in ANWR at 250. Carried that rifle because there were always Grizzlies around on a previous hunt.

All excellent choices as far as I am concerned.
While the Trijicon 1-6 green triangle might be one of the most "advanced" DG scope, the simple 3x Leopold really appeals to me.

WoodsyAI, can you still get them? If not I think that I will try the Leopold FX 2.5 power scope. I am in the "KISS" phase of my life. chuckle. Brian

Excellent choice of rifle and cartridge IMHO.

This seems to have turned into a thread about hunting Cape Buffalo but plains game can be a lot of fun. Personally, I like hunting the "piggies"!



Little ol' me. South Africa way back in 2005.
CZ 550 American in 9.3x62.
Handload: 286 gr Woodleigh Weldcore RN at 2390 fps (chronographed average).


I hope you get to make your trip to Africa. I think you'll love it!

Cheers! Bob F.

I don’t believe they are still made. I bought mine about 2012. Leupold made these new ones for a little while because there was so much demand for their older ones that had been discontinued. With patience you might find a good used one. Many folks don’t think 3X is enough. All I can say is that there was a lot going on in my mind for some of those shots. But I never once thought, oh if only I had a little more magnification.

Woodsy, I agree and thanks for the info. Brian

Bfaucet, Yes it was a plains game thread and then I think that I can be blamed for jumping to buffalo. Oops, My bad, Brian

Brian
I have only been hunting buffalo for the last 5-6 years. Previously I hunted plains game exclusively. After the first 3 trips I realized that I didn’t want to bring anything back. Foregoing taxidermy saved considerable expense which allowed me to go for longer trips. I have been around 25 times and would happily limit myself to plains game. Specifically I prefer hunting wildebeest, zebra, oryx, and really big warthogs.

I have used the 270, 280, 7RM for my light rifle cartridges. I can’t see any differences in performance . I prefer a light and short rifle so sold the 7RM. Ammunition for the 270 is readily available so I have used it on 80% of the trips. Turned my 280 into a 270.

I have tested every type of hunting bullet and prefer the “premium” types. My favorites are 129 LRX, 130 TTSX, 130 Swift AF, 130 Woodleigh, 160 NPtn, and 130 Trophy Tipped. Want to try 130 CX and 136 Federal Terminal Ascent.

Have seen many hunters use 300 W and 338W. Never observed any difference compared to the 270W.

Have been fiddling with a 6.5 RPM but prefer a 270W for African travel.

RinB,
You have good taste in bullets

Also, I have always appreciated your statement, "Perfection is..." For me it is about letting go of things, beliefs and concepts that seem important but are not, instead of adding more stuff hoping to make life better. I have sent that quote to some friends.

Cheers Brian

Brian,
I am definitely a minimalist when it comes to having lots of rifles. At one time I had actions, barrels, and stock blanks for 20+ high end custom rifles. I sold all of it and redirected my energy and resources to going hunting.

I had the need to try everything and concluded there wasn’t anything new to discover.

R

RinB, That is interesting. I get it. Brian

Fair point. I’ve got a lot of rifles any one of which would have been comfortably adequate for all of the hunting I have done except for buffalo.

Lots of folks seem intent on reinventing the wheel- or they just like to collect rifles that rarely get shot….

Says the lying covtard/libtard.....spreading lies and disinformation. You go girl!

I wondered how long it would take for my favorite troll to pollute another thread. You are SO predictable….

You poor, dumb bastid.........

Living rent free in your head is great but it’s unfortunately a garbage dump…. At least once make an on topic comment if you can- which apparently is impossible for you.

Speaking of a garbage dump, spreading lies and disinformation, while masquerading as a doctor may be your MO, but it don't fly around here. You're a fraud who cannot be taken seriously. I bet your family is real proud of you. Tell us how great that jab and all those boosters are for worldwide travelers/hunters is again, will you?

I’m a doctor, and I got Covid then I got the vaccine and then I got Covid again.

All I can tell you is that all the draconian lockdowns accomplished nothing in terms of disease prevention and I hope we never tolerate that kind of government control in our lives again.

And I would rather hunt with a 9.3x62 in Africa than be vaccinated with another Covid booster if I were given the choice.

I have more faith in the 9.3x62 because I know it works. Never ending Covid boosters and mandates.
Not so much.

Just thought someone ought to bring it all together.

In my experience there are two "poor man's" African cartridges, the .30-06 and .375 H&H. This is not just my personal experience, but the primary suggestions of the widely varied PH's I have hunted with.

Though even they sometimes disagree. Went on a month-long cull in 2007 that involved 25 hunters, and at least seven PHs. One evening the PHs started drinking beer and disagreed just as much as 24hour.argument.com....

Good stuff ruraldoc. jdollar doesn't have the balls to address it.

To get this tread back on track.....

I've been using one of the Lipsey special run Ruger 77 Africans in 9.3x62 for the past three annual trips to Botswana. It has been phenomenal. I've been using 270gr Speer Hot Cors at a little over 2400fps. I've taken a LOT of PG with 308, 30-06, 45-70, 450 Marlin, 375 Ruger and I've never seen the same visible hard impacts as I've seen with the 9.3. It just staggers animals. Normally, when you hit an impala or blue w/b they make a jump at impact. With the 9.3, they don't jump at all, they just stumble and run a few meters and are down. I've had it knock zebra to their knees on frontal chest shots. If they can struggle to their feet, they only go a few meters before tipping over too.

The 9.3x62 garnered a VERY strong reputations there with the locals over the last 100 yrs or so, where in they didn't have the luxury to muck about with anything that didn't work or wasn't effective. I've it ever came to the point of only being able to have just one rifle, it would be a 9.3x62......with a good stock pile of reloading supplies. The lack of factory ammo on the shelfs of most US stores is the big drawback here but, not so Europe or Africa.

Interesting that a .338 is no different than a .270, (agreed for smaller game as both are enough) and one of the reasons why I still use a 7x57 and .30/06 as they are the same and then we jump to 9.3 which has similar same ballistics as recommended using 250gn bullets to a .338/06 which also thrives on 250gn and more bullet weights all the way up to top end 9.3 weights and it seldom if ever gets mentioned?

Now if a .338 Winchester performs similarly to a .270 even though it brings velocity to the table and bullet weight, again, up to the equal of the 9.3 what is the missing link?

I believe there is an understated value in caliber, which means bullet upset, wound channel, an initial thump value that can be seen/observed with larger calibers over smaller, even though similar/same bullet weights and velocity and even case size and powder volume is compared.

What keeps this as an unsaid, is that you need to cross that .35 caliber barrier to see it and it is better demonstrated on slightly larger animals even though they may still be classified as medium game.

African has a lot of 4-700pound and more game that is sufficiently heavier than the deer sized animals most of us hunt, the reason why hunters are seeing a difference visually. A threshhold has been crossed ballistically that is not seen again until you get into the .416-458 cartridges which is a much larger jump but made more practical in recent years with lighter and pointier bullets in recent decades.

Just as RinB has reduced his plains game cartridges down to .270 and seen no compromise, I have buds that have gone down to .257, 2 in particular, that dropped to .25/06 and the other a .257 Weatherby using 100gn and 90gn X bullets respectively for game up to Kudu and Zebra in Namibia. One had multiple trips dropping caliber for each and the other a 6 week safari for plains game.

The cartridge debate largely, has always been hot air in support for what one has, rather than what has objectively recorded efficient performance, or we'd recognise that locals use .243's which a visitor would never consider.

The value of this thread is that contributors have taken game and are reporting on their results/findings. The value to the reader, is that they don't have to spend the money and time on research, as it is laid out plainly for those who would learn.

Great thread, well done and compliments to all.

My current two bits===

Since I had a well used .308 and .338, I skipped on up to a .405 and .458. Both have performed well in the USA and Africa.
I loaned my Winchester 1886 .45-90 (.458) to a friend for his African outing and he took ele, multiple Cape Buff, and leopard with it -- All one shot kills.
My ,405 did well on its only trip to Africa also, with a one shot kill on a Cape buff.

My conclusion is that with an appropriate weapon and ammo, the competent hunter can take any critter. It then becomes a matter of personal choice.

i always wondered a poor man`s cartridge ? 35 Whelen ? and as has been posted just the standard old 30-06 ?

I’ve been to Africa (RSA) once in 2016. Affordable hunts can be found. Me and a buddy hunted 6 days 1x1 and killed 5 animals each, kudu, gemsbok, impala, block and warthog. I left my heads over there, my buddy bought his home and it was well north of $10K for everything (dip, pack, ship and mount)! The hunt cost $4350 and we could have taken additional animals but didn’t. The PH/Outfit was Cruisers Safaris. They were OK, food was good, PH’s were fine, the owner was a drunken ass!

If you search around you can find affordable hunts. One of the TV shows, Elk Camp I believe advertises reasonably priced hunting packages with Crusader Safaris in RSA, I believe they have close to a million low fence acres. I think they advertise hunts as low as $2700 and you can add additional animals for a fee.

I used a Kimber Montana in 7-08 and 120 TTSX’s on the warthog, impala and blesbok and a 270 Winchester and 156 Hammerheads on the kudu and gemsbok. I had an elbow injury and couldn’t take the recoil of the two rifles I wanted to bring which were a Ruger Alaskan in 375 Ruger and a SS Ruger Hawkeye in 35 Whelen.

This was a budget hunt and we didn’t do any sightseeing which I will do on my next trip over there. I flew from JFK and departed at 11:00AM and landed in Joberg the next morning at 8:30AM, 15 hour flight. The PH wanted to pick up that morning and head to camp giving us a free evening of hunting. We declined and opted to book a room and rest up. I don’t recommend this because even though I didn’t sleep on the flight over I also didn’t sleep the night I landed due to jet lag, just head to camp!

The next time I go to Africa I will be better off financially and shoot more game, I have on my list zebra, hartebeest, waterbuck and wildebeest! The rifles I will bring will be a first gen Ruger 9.3x62 that my father got through Ruger’s armorer school and a Winchester Featherweight in 7x57! Good luck in your search and have fun on your journey!

The 9.3x62 has enjoyed a lot more popularity here in the U.S. in the last several years. Although it's not the .338WM or the .375 H&H, with loads such as a 250gr TTSX @ 2650 FPS giving 3900 FPE at the muzzle or a 250gr Accubond @ 2550 FPS giving 3600 FPE, it will do most anything the 338 will do at close to medium ranges.

Look at member CZ550 and his blog comparing the x62 and 338 wm. The x62 bests it in many ways out to a long ways.

Yep

Just an off topic question kind of. I’ve read that the water buffalo in Australia has a bit tougher and thicker hide vs the Cape buffalo in Africa. Is this correct and does it have any significance in terms of “tougher to kill” when hunting. Is there any noticeable differences when hunting with a 9.3 or 375?

Supposedly the 9.3 is basically a German equivalent to a 375 H&H. Pros and Cons to each, but similar in tests.

I have a few points of contact in RSA. All in Limpopo province . Look up GP Footprint Safaris and/or Stirling Safaris.
We hunted with Gerhard Pretorious (GP Footprint) in 2022 and have nothing bad to say about him other than i disliked his teasing of me with 3 cape buffalo at 18 yards with a crossbow lol. Great hunt, exceptional food, and the staff was fantastic.

7.62x39?