Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Plains Game Calibres.

Hi all,

I'd love to do a plains game hunt one day, and was wondering on the suitability of calibres in a firearm I currently own.

At the moment, I would have a choice of either 270win or else 9.3 x 62.

Would anyone out there with experience feel comfortable using either of these calibres?
Obviously, this is a pretty open ended question all depending on what size game you are going to hunt.

I would love to lean towards the 9.3 x 62, but was wondering if members would feel that it is a flat (fast) enough cartridge for shots up to around 300 yards?
I wonder what some of the woodleigh 200gn PP projectiles would be like for anything up to Wildebeest size?
If gunning for anything larger (Eland), my thought would be to go for the woodleigh 285gn PP bullets.

Basically, if you had a choice of a 270win, or a 9.3 x 62 for plains game, which would you take, and what loads would you use for up to Eland size game?

As an aside, would members feel comfortable using the 9.3 x 62 for Cape Buffalo with a 300gn projectile?

Please remember, this is all speculation at the moment. Worst case scenario, I save up for a new barrel in 30-06 to put on the rifle.



Cheers for any help/info.
Aussielad.

300 yards is a long shot in most of Africa.
Our PH wasn't a fan of sub .30 calibres, claimed they don't leave enough of a blood trial, from my limited experience (12PG) I'd have to agree.
The 9.3x62 with a quality 250 grain projectile is plently for plains game, if I hunted Eland agian I'd probably load the 250 grain TTSX, Northfork or Woodleigh PP
I've only hunted Asiatic buff with a 9.3x62, used the 286 grain Woodleigh, angling shot into the off shoulder, buff went down in 30 yards. The 9.3 will do the job, but its marginal, if it turns pear shapped I'd be a lot happier with a 416 in my hands

Unless you are sure about 300-yards -- you're ready!
If longer shots are probable, get a .30 magnum of some sort.

The 9.3x62 and a 200 gr. Woodliegh would be as close to an IDEAL combination as you could get for plains game...
And yes, it'll work out to 300 yds...
Perfect.

Ingwe

Pretty hard to beat it. My longest shot was 270 yds and that was because I am old, fat, and refuse to belly crawl. My average shot was 125 yds with a couple well inside that. The 270 is usuable, but blood trails are hard to follow with herd animals, so the 9.3 is a far better choice.
Randy

Randy...all my shooting has been in the bush, 150 is a long shot, and I can only remember a couple over or at 200 yds...I didn't get into any of the open Karoo type stuff to hunt in....I know if a guy is going to hunt in say, the Karoo, or in the "streets" of the Kalahari..you may get into the 300 yd. stuff pretty easily...
For the majority of PG hunting though..most encounter what you did...
Ingwe

The .270 will do the job with the right bullet, but really shines in more open country. I have seen the .270 do good work on lots of plains game, including the supposedly really tough ones like gemsbok and wildebeest, but it is generally considered a little light for eland.

I have use the 9.3x62 considerably on a wide variety of plains game. It is at its most versatile with a 250 loaded to 2600+ fps, easy to do with modern powders. My favorite all-around bullet is the 250 Nosler AccuBond, which both expands easily on small stuff yet penetrates deeply on big stuff. Have shot lengthwise through a big kudu with it, for instance, but it also flies flat and makes hitting at 300+ pretty easy.

While the 200 Woodleigh is a fine bullet, I would personally use something heavier. One of the virtues of the 9.3x62 is that there are plenty of good, heavy bullets for animals lke eland and Cape buffalo.

9.3x62 all the way. Perfect for the stated purpose.

Here's another vote for the 9.3 X 62. I use 250 TSX over H414. Great all around load. This is a very good combo for Cape buffalo as this guy will attest.

AussieLad,

What rifle is that? Not the calibre, the make?

A Sauer 202?

My "featured" species were shot between 175 and 230 yards, with a reasonable amount of wind involved. We only half-heartedly hunted Zebra, but we also failed to get nearer than 600 yards or so to them. Given the cost of a PG hunt, don't make do. Get what you feel is best.

I used a .30/06 on my hunt and it killed the bullet-proof African game very nicely.

The 9.3 X 62 is quintessential Africa. It was designed for Africa, and if you have one, it would be silly not to use it for African game. Wasn't Africa what you dreamed about when you bought it? Grab it and go. Have a great time!

And do go. It is worth the sacrifice of non essential dalliance required to do it. I used a 338 win mag loaded down so that a 250 gr was at 2500 ft/sec. When told 200yds plus was expected( it was the Karoo ingwe) I dropped to 185 gr at 2900, but was told by both the outfitter and Kevin Robertson the 9.3 x 62 was ideal, and they thought I would have been better served by my first choice of 250 gr 338. I had no problems with bullet failure, only one major mess up with shot placement. I am looking at 375 H&H for the next trip, but am also looking at 9.3x62 as an other option.

I was told take the rifle you are most familiar with, and that is pretty good advice.

Randy

Having seen 100's of hunters with every cartridge you can think of, I'm no fan of sub 30 caliber choices.

Take it from me, you don't wanna shoot an animal in a large herd with a diameter and weight that will not let the blood flow. The dry dusty conditions will make blood tracking and follow up difficult when the herd explodes into a mushroom cloud of dust when they run off. You want /need a blood trail. Every hour you spend searching for game you're not hunting. This is especially critical with a 2X1 hunt, now two hunters are looking and neither is hunting.

Use the largest diameter you have available and feel comfortable shooting.

270 or 30-06

Hi Idahoguy, Syncerus is correct, it'd be a Sauer S202.
Currently have a 9.3 x 62 and a 270win barrels (hence the question!)

It seems there is an overwhelming majority of people plugging the 9.3 (or atleast .30 plus) for a trip as stated.

Sorry for misleading bullet weights stated, it would seem that 231gn is the minimum (to my knowledge) weight available.
I must get glasses and clean my ears out.

Lightest listed by Woodleigh are 250gn.

It is amazing how close the 9.3 x 62 looks like a necked up 30-06 case.

Cheers,
Aussielad.

My experience pales in comparison to previous posters, but I'll give another vote for the 9.3. I used a 9.3x74R/286gr NP, on plains game in RSA, and it worked perfectly. Of ten head of game, only the zebra required follow up, and it was due to me flubbing the shot. All the others, save for the gemsbok, were either DRT, or went down in sight. The lowveld hunting had shots from bow range to 150yds or so. In the highveld, a little more; longest shot was a bit over 200. I practiced out to 300, and felt no handicap whatsoever, even with the heavy bullet. A 250gr speeded up, would be a hammer, I suspect. Whatever rifle you take, practice with it, every chance you get. Get proficient at getting on the sticks and breaking a good first shot quickly.....you'll have a blast. I can't wait to go back!

Good luck!

Jeff

Mule Deer and INgwe,
Woodleigh does not make a 200 gr. bullet for the 9.3...gotcha!

How about a 250 gr. Woodleigh, they work real good and a 230 gr. GS customs at about 2800 FPS shoots flat as hell and kills like a heavy bullet...

I just got back from South Africa 6 months ago from my second hunt there, and I used a 9.3x62 on large plains game (Eland) and also Kudu and Warthog.

I beleive the 9.3x62 is limited to 200 - 250 yards unless you are an exceptional shot. As a close range thumper in Africa it is without equal but long shots are sometimes taken in the Bushveldt and that will stretch the terminal ballistics of a 9.3.

The Woodleigh 286 PPSN would be fine for Buff and the 320 RNSP more of a good thing. I should have used the 286 RNSP on large soft skinned plains game as the 286 PPSN is quite 'hard'.

I have PM'd you links to posts on other forums you may find useful.

The .270W is very commonly used by South Africa locals and is more than capable of cleanly takeing animals like Kudu. For a two gun plains game safari the .270W and 9.3x62 would cover them all and you have a great combo there.

Now go.

Damn, Ray, you're a hard man....

I was just repeating what the original poster said, and I asummed that since he's from the birthplace of Woodleighs he knew what he was talking about!