Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 9.3X62 or 338 Win. Mag: Which would you rather have in your hands.....

I lived in Alaska 12 years and started hunting with 338 win mag .I had a bunch of grizzlies come try to get into my tent and that night I decided to bring a 416 rem mag from then on as my tent gun or truck gun .I had rem model 700 guide guns which were not stainless but had hs stocks on them and they were pretty light 7.5 pounds but kicked less than my 9.5 pound win model 70 in 416 .It's just a good life insurance policy close up .A friend who guided for alaaka coatal bears got charged full on by a ten footer The client shot it 3 times with a 358 Norma mag then he shot it 4 times with Barnes x bullets from a 416 Taylor. THOSE bullets failed bad but the bear finally died .He switched to 410 gr woodleigh bullets .

What are you guys that have bear experience thoughts on 45/70 guide guns and 444p outfitters for big bears. I spend quite a bit of time picking huckleberry with my kids in an area that my friends have caught a huge grizzly on trail camera. It was actually IDmilton here on the fire that got the pics of the big bear in the area we camp and puck berries.

I used to bow hunt in island Park a lot up until 5 or 6 years ago and there are lots of big bears there and they aren't afraid of anything because they've never been hunted.

I used to carry a little 20" stainless m77 338 rcm with 225g interbonds at nearly 2700 when camping and berry picking in island park and other bear areas. I've since switched to taking my 45/70 guide gun or lately my 444p marlin outfitter. The 45/70 load I used to carry just kicks too much and my guide gun isn't ported to barrel rise is huge too. A 350g Hornady flat nose at 2100 fps is just too much for me these days. My ported 444 with 270g Speers at 2200 is much more shootable for me lately. I've been working on some 420g cast loads for the 45/70 at about 1600fps.

Might not have time for more than 1 shot but if I did the 444 would be quicker. Often I find myself laying the rifle down while we pick anyways but I always have a 329 pd a mtn gun 44 or 45 or a xdm10mm on my hip. I get much more nervous camping in bear areas with my kids than I every did bow hunting by myself. I just don't even enjoy camping with my kids near island park with all the bear sign in there. My wife always wants to go anyways but she hasn't seen what I have. I try to camp in other non grizzly areas whenever I can these days. As far as but guns go I often wish I would have picked up a cz550fs in 9.3x62 when they were cheap and available. Something like that with a 20" barrel and open sights with 5 in the mag seems like an ok option.plus they feed better than my 338 rcm did or my 300 wsm does.

Bb

I've killed three black bears (two were 6-footers) using my 9.3 x 62. As handloaded it's easily the equal of a .338 Win Mag in KE with higher momentum and wider bullets. The last 2 were killed from single shots from 68 to 85 yards - one with a 286 Partition at +2600 fps and the last from a 250gr AB at 2700 fps. They both went about 20 - 25 yds. They were not CNS hits. So, the 9.3 x 62 (nor .338 Win, nor .375 H&H) are stoppers unless it's a CNS hit. In sharp contrast, the .45-70 IS if the right bullet is used (400gr at 2000 - 2100 fps) even without a CNS hit. That's why for my bear hunt this spring, I'll be toting my Ruger No.1 in .458 Win Mag firing the Federal 400gr TBBC at 2250 fps - a first for me in ever using factory ammo in any .458 Win Mag or .45-70.

As it's been pointed out by a few on this thread, according to the OP's criteria, this topic has/had reference to an "in your face" encounter - not a chance for multiple shots! One shot and whatever happens, happens. I've written much about this in my blogs. A stopping RIFLE, not one that is loaded with +3 - 5 is going to save the day and a life!

Full penetration from a .338 cal may be the same as a .458 but there's a HUGE difference in the size of the wound channel! How do I know - just ask me!

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

I can't say.
I owned and used a 338 Mag for several years and with good bullets I never had a thing to complain about. (some of the 225 grain bullets I used were poor and broke up too much to give me the penetration I wanted)

I now own a 9.3X62 and for about 6 years before I made one for myself, I'd made about a dozen for customers and went hunting with several of them, so I got to see the effects of the 9.3X62 several times before I made my own. I have seen about the same number of kills with the 338 Win as I now have with the 9.3X62. (Probably about 1/2 of those 338 kills were mine and the other half done by hunting partners) The 338 shoots flatter but kicks a bit more (faster kick so it seems) but the 9.3 has been wonderfully effective.

The 9.3X62 holds 5 rounds in it's mag where my 338 held 3.
The 9.3 works very well in a shorter barrel. The 338 Mag does better than many would think it would with a 20" barrel, but it does give up a larger percentage of it's speed with a shorter barrel then the 9.3 (I doubt it really matters in the field)
The largest animals I have seen both cartridges used on were Bison. (neither were my kills) Again, no real difference so far.

I like the 9.3 and no longer own any 338s. But if I am honest with myself I have to admit that killing about 20 head of game with the 338 and about 10 with my 9.3X62 as well as about 30 with my 9.3X74R, (same bullets at the same speed) some of my love for the 9.3s may simply be a love grown from success, and having more kills with my 9.3s (two 9.3X57s one 9.3X62 and one 9.3X74R then I did with my 338s. It may just be a matter of 'emotion'.


Neither will be a bad gun or cartridge. Just use a bullet that is not prone to break up much at close range in either gun and you'll be fine. As with all big game rifles the real secret is not the shell case but the quality of the bullet you use. Given a good tough bullet I doubt there would be enough difference between them to really tell.