Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 9.3 Wildcat options

9.3WSSM...

Actually, that would be fun to have here in IN with some of the 232gr bullets they have. Heck, I'd bet it would push a 250gr AB fast enough to not bounce off a deer as far as I'd need to be shooting them. Hmmm....

Yep. I was thinking about Indiana when I made that comment. I know the .35WSSM was done specifically for Indiana, and the 9.3WSSM or a .375WSSM would fit that locale perfectly as well.

Just ran some fast QL calculations.

54.5 grains water capacity, 2.360" COAL, 1.660" case length, 9.3WSSM at 61kPSI, 20" barrel -

286 grain Hornady SP @ 2000-2100 fps
250 grain NBT @ 2200-2300 fps
232 grain Norma Vulcan/Oryx @ 2300-2400 fps
193 grain S-B SPFN @ 2600-2700 fps

That, would work.

Don't have access to my ballistic program right now, but would any of those stay above 1800fps at 400yds? IIRC, the 358 WSSM should with either the 225 PT/AB assuming I can get 358 Win speeds out of it. Since I plan on using a 26-28" barrel (thinking Encore at the moment), I could probably get to the top end of the speeds you listed plus maybe a skosh more. Interesting...

But, then again, the lighter options in 358 would be fun to try as well...

If you are running 26-28" barrels, you should be able to get around this:

286 grain Hornady SP @ 2100-2200 fps
270 grain Speer SP @ 2200-2300 fps
250 grain NBT @ 2200-2300 fps
232 grain Norma Vulcan/Oryx @ 2500-2600 fps
193 grain S-B SPFN @ 2800-2900 fps

The Norma 232s started at 2550 would be at about 1450 at 400.

The Nosler 250s at 2300 would be just under 1700 fps at 400.

The 270 grain Speer would be just over 1400 fps (started at 2200) at 400.

The Hornady 286 would be down to about 1500 started from 2200.

The FN 193s would be likely your worst choice for trying to stretch to 400.

Thanks!! May be more trouble than I need right now. If I can score some, the 180gr GS HV have a listed BC of .382 (IIRC). I'm guessing I could get them up towards 2800fps or more. That might be fun...

Personally, I'd neck it up to .375"...

That wouldn't suck either.

Hi,
I have been watching this thread for a while and just wanted to chime in. I come from a european hunting background and was missing something with a little more whumph than my 9.3x62. And as said elsewhere, 9.3x64 brass is hard to get as are controlled feed magnum actions. So a 9.3x375 Ruger makes sense. So with a reamer from PTG and dies from Hornady I went ahead. As guns are traditionally female I decided to call the Wildcat 9.3 Canadienne in homage to the Canadian girl that many of my german and american friend know best....
So a first gun was built with a Browning Abolt 3 and a McGowan Barrell, It took a while to get it to shoot as the stock and bedding in AB3s is [bleep]. Without pushing things to hard I get 2850 fps with 250 gr GMX and Woodleigh PP, and 2700 fps with 286 gr Hornady. And 3650 fps with 155 gr copper monolithitics. So after all that was done they nixed the grizzly hunt in BC......
The light monolithics make a fabulous open range load, with a 0 at 280y and 8in holdover at 400y. And then I shoot my first whitetail with it at 40 y........

Anyway, a second, nicer gun built on a FN-Mauser action is in the works and should be ready this spring. Happy to show pics if I can figure it out on this site.

Seems I heard of a .366 Alaskan some place. .338 Win Mag necked up if I remember right. Bet that would be right in the sweet spot for added horsepower.

Norman Strung IIRC.

AKA the 9.3 USA

sweat spot is in the eye ( or in the shoulder) of the shooter,

The 375 Ruger case has more volume, so for bullets with similar SD (210 gr in 338 vs 250 gr in 366 and 250gr in 338 and 286 gr in 366) the 9.3-375 takes 8-10 gr more powder ( I use H4350 and H100v in the 9.3 CAN.

Not sure how much velocity difference that would generate, I have not pressure tested my loads and stayed on the conservative side. but about 2900 fps for a 250 gr should be within limits, possibly 2950 . And the 338 gets 2700fps with a 250gr, so necked up a 250 gr bullet from that case could be a bit faster . A bit like the 280 REM vs the 30.06 where the difference in a 175 gr bullet makes barely 100-150 fps.
Hunting wise we'd probably be splitting hairs.
Just wanted to leave the note that a 9.3 from a 375 Ruger is an easy and well behaved wildcat, I think, if standardized it would be a tough competition for the favour of few remaining 9.3x64s fanatics out there.

Go find a Howa/Weatherby Vanguard chambered to .300 weatherby mag. Have the barrel rebored to .366 and simply neck down the .375 H&H or neck up the .340 Weatherby.....both will run through that action nicely and you'll have all the power you wanted.....further bullets of 200 grains are easily made by shortening the 250 grain Barnes.....I've done it and it's easy to do.....further, while spendy, at $2.00 each bullets of 200 and 210 grains are available as is. You should be able to launch one at 3,000 FPS or more if that trips your trigger.

When it's all done, you'll have a very special and powerful 9.3.....and yes....you still won't have a .375 H&H.....

No brainer 9.3x64. Next step the 375s, some really good ones but once you get above about 2500 fps with 286 to 300 gr. bullets recoil becomes significant. John Barseness wrote about a guy with a 9.3 x 8mm Sisk and the guy kept chanting what a big bad azz cartridge it was. He botched the shot on a Nilgai and JB pointed out it was a medium bore. Careful what you wish for. Ross Seyfried thrives on recoil but his 585 Nyati was just too much of a good thing. I believe he sold or converted the ones he had.



The H&H is so good in so many ways that it is difficult to improve or even equal it. The 9.3x62 has virtue by being lighter and having less recoil than the H&H but not quite it's equal.

The most practical 9.3 wildcat may be the 338 Win mag necked to 9.3. I have built several, folks who used them seemed to like them. I also built a 378 Wby necked down to 9.3. That thing was a hoss. Way too much for me.

I would agree, and again, splitting minimal ballistic hairs: I have loaded my 9.3 x375s to 2760 fps with 286 gr Nosler partitions, to 2880 fps with 250 gr Accubonds and similar with Woodleighs and to 3650 fps with some super light 155 gr monometals. that is still 50-100 fps below what I think could be achievable with the right powders, but accuracy is great, recoil is tolerable. A 9.3x338 mag would achieve the same numbers. Now if I could get my hands on some better brass than Hornady.......

Tejano,

While I realize your "recent" response on this thread is dated 3/31/18, you got the details of the incident with the 9.3 Sisk wrong. The guy did not botch the shot on a nilgai. Instead he shot a water buffalo in the right place, but the bullet failed, big time, breaking the shoulder but stopping in the ribs behind the shoulder. Most of the other bullets also failed to penetrate, before one finally made it through the ribs into chest.

As much as I love the 9,3x62 I would do a wildcat in 375. But if you must have a fast 9,3 how about the 9,3x70. It’s a Jeffery case.

Life would be easier if the 9,3x62 used a bullet just .009” larger.