Agreed, my two current 9.3x62 rifles and my gorgeous old Waffen-Oschatz sporter so chambered plus my Merkel drilling in 9.3x74R all do a comfortable 2400 fps-mv with the 286 NP and superb accuracy. I have not yet been able to obtain any Western Big Game powder to get the extra 100 fps. as shown in JB's loads, but, hope to as this makes the old gem of a cartridge a hell of a round, for any B.C. use, anyway.
My usual loads for my custom P-64-.375H&H "shorty" built specifically as a Grizzly protection rifle for working in northern B.C., with it's 20"bbl. give the 300NP about the same velocity and, although I can and have gone a tad "hotter" with this, the reliablity and "shootability" of this load, which clocks 2540 in my original P-64-,375 are so good that I consider it my best choice.
So, the REAL difference between the 9.3x62 and the .375H&H HERE is quite small and, after owning/using 7 CRF .375s, I can say that while you CAN do 2600 and even a tad more with the 300 NP, it becomes an exercise in diminishing returns due to the obvious increase in felt recoil. Since you have to HIT the bear or whatever to protect/defend yourself, the conclusion is obvious.
So, whether one uses/carries or simply is dreaming about a Grizzly hunt/defence situation, my opinion is that any of these rounds will work well and the best choice is the one chambered in the rifle YOU feel most competent with. One doesn't have to shoot an animal to determine this and since VERY few of us here have even SEEN a wild Grizzly OR shot one, this is the most commonsense approach.
Funny how Grizzlies seem to arouse as much antagonism as sleeping bag fills, wool versus synthetic longjohns and CRF versus PF....must be late winter cabin fever as it has snowed like hell here in Vancouver this weekend and kept me away from the range, others may be in similar straits and are getting ornery due to frustration, not being able to cheerfully blast those charging paper targets!
