Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Mule Deer's 9.3x62 data

pabucktail, do you use 286's at all and if so, how fast are you pushing them?

I need to bookmark this thread.

There's no doubt that the Varget and RL-15 loads that JB and others have used shoot well. They certainly do in my rifle. That said, with the current 'shortage' of powder, I'd like to find a some loads for the 250gr pills using H4350 or one of the other 'Extremes'. I know JB said that his experience with H4350 was not good, but I do like the temperature stability of the 'Extremes', and I have a large quantity of H4350.

Ordinarily the heavier 286gr bullets would print significantly higher than the lighter 250gr ones.

Trevor, I just got some loaded up and will try and shoot them tomarrow. I'll let you know.

I love H4350...well in my 260rem anyway. I do wonder if it might be too slow, but I guess until you try it, who knows. Somewhere on here I think I read someone has had good results with RL17, or am I confusing this'd with another thread?

JB has stated that he got less than great results with H4350

I shot the 286 gr noslers today and got an avg. of 2401 fps from my 20.5" barrel using 66 grains of Big Game.

i believe that varget, which you mentioned, is in the extreme family. only problem is getting hold of some.

I've had pretty good results using IMR 4350. I've not tried the H4350 yet.

I use 63gr of IMR 4350 for 250 older ballistic tips and the new AccuBonds and for the 270gr Speers. I actually gained very little by loading 63 grains over 60 grains, and I found almost no difference between 63 and 64 grains with either bullet.

Pressures seem reasonable, and brass lasts a long time. I do use a magnum primer. All four rifles tried had 24" barrels, except the CZ with a 23.6". My average velocity for the 63gr load with 250s was 2,560 with my present HusqvarnaStyer 98 Mauser hybrid running around 2,600. The 270 Speers were at 2,440. It surprised me that the Speers weren't a little bit faster.

I just got some R-17 and am anxious to try it with 250, 270, and 286 gr bullets. My best accuracy powder has been R-15.

May have been me, I'm getting 2400 fps with the 320 gr Woodleighs in my Heym Mauser with RL-17, originally wanted to try and get 4000+ ft lbs of energy on the '06 sized case to gauge efficiency of the cartridge for a given amount of powder.

It proved that in spades and is hell for accurate to boot.

Gunner

Thanks for the info. I have some Big Game in the cabinet and I think I'll try working up a 286 load with that. 2400 fps from a 20.5" barrel seems pretty respectable to me.

Trevor

Yes, I believe it will kill big things just fine. Running the numbers, it appears that I'll have a useful trajectory and bullet expansion out to 300 yards with no problems, which is as about as far as I care to shoot at animals 95% of the time anyway.

Couldn't agree more.

Does anyone have any on-game performance reports with the Barnes 250 gr. TTSX at 2,500-2,600fps? How does it compare with the Nosler Accubond?

Thanks, RS

I continue to be impressed with the 250 TSX over 60gr of Varget - MOA groups and 2590fps out of my rebored Interarms. The Swift 250gr A-Frame on the other hand does well with Ramshot Big Game, but not Varget in this rifle.

Ran into a fellow looking for some H4350, so I passed some along to him. Local shop has plenty of Varget, so I used the cash from the H4350 sale towards an 8# jug of Varget. I use it in the 22-250 also.

Hard to have too much Varget on hand.

It was some of MD's writings plus Ganyana's African experience that encouraged me to give the 9.3 X 62 a try, though at the time I was looking for another 35 Whelen.

It has lived up to expectations, and more, over the two plus years of extensive testing and hunting experience. In fact, it has replaced all "mediums", such as the .35 Whelen, .350 Rem Mag, .338 Win Mag. .340 Wby and .375 H&H, which have all been favorites, in my cabinet and affections. It comes exceeding close to the .340 Wby and H&H in ballistics, weighs 2 lbs less, is handier, very accurate and burns less fuel.

While I've had a a ton of experience with RL-15 in .35 Whelen, .350 Rem Mag, .375 H&H and .458 Win Mag, and assumed it to be THE powder for the 9.3 X 62, last year's experience with RL-17, and this year's further testing proves to me, at least, that RL-17 is vastly superior, at least with the 286 Nos. Part. I'll not give numbers, as my testing is not fully complete, but I'll say that it EASILY surpasses RL-15 by 100 fps and with less pressure signs. Perhaps not quite as accurate, but plenty accurate for hunting at 1.25" inch average... we're not shooting target rifles or trying to win competitive matches.

Just my experience... so far.

Bob

www.bigbores.ca

Look forward to your Re17 report when finished, Bob.

Ted

Also looking foward to any new 9.3x62 load data. I've done the same thing, have whittled down my pile of rifles to a select few that are often used. I still keep a 30-06 which I cannot let go, but otherwise, I keep a .243 for varmint chores, the 9.3x62 for big game, and though I keep a favorite 416 for the largest of large game, I'm starting to think I'd still end up using the 9.3x62 over the 416, even in Africa where legal. It's a homely chambering that reliably works well.

Here is the results of Hornady new brass, CCI LR primer, 59.5 gr of Varget and 286 gr TSX.



Now here is proof. This bull is 39 7/8 and is a cull taken near Hoedspruit, RSA on 14 June.