Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 9.3x62

szihn,

you are a very skilled craftsman. I for one am very impressed.

An 8x57 was my very first centerfire. I bought it and a bag full of WWII ammo for somewhere less than $25 and had a blast with it. This was before the 68 gun control act.

Well, I hacked off a bit more wood and I installed a butt plate and made a sliver grip cap and nose cap.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by Steve Zihn, on Flickr

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by Steve Zihn, on Flickr

Looking good. I put my FN actioned 9.3x62 in a micky. Would prefer pretty wood but the cost was prohibitive. Maybe at a later date.

Sidepass, why is wood more expensive? That piece you see above was only $125.
I never could warm up to the plastic or laminated stocks, but I have to admit, the good ones are super functional.

Well it's nearly time to start finish work. The last of the metal work will be to make the swivel for the front and a swivel and stud for the back. Next I'll put a scope on the rifle and find an accurate load. Then I'll remove the scope and using that load, I'll make a temp front sight and zero the rear sight at distances from 100 to 500 yards. Then I make a bead style permanent front sight.

That will complete the metal work expect for the polishing.

I'll then sand and finish the wood. When the stock is 100% done I'll polish the metal, do the engraving and then blue. Then re-mount the scope.

Last............go hunting with it.

I often use guns for hunting on open ground for antelope and deer that most think are not good for long range. This will be one of them I am sure.
First, I like to hunt, so I like to get close and I feel satisfied when I kill antelope with "close range guns" far more then i do when I kill them way out there with my 270 or my 25-06. But if I have a hard time and after a few weeks, if I can't get what I want at close range, I have proven to myself MANY times that learning the trajectory of even a 45-70, a 9.3x74R or my old 303 British, I can still make 300 yard shots without much problem and I have made a few with "bullet lobbers" at over 400.

I hope to have some stories to tell about hunting with this gun in the future.
But first I have to finish it. I still have several hours of work to do before I can start thinking about making meat with this one.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by Steve Zihn, on Flickr
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by Steve Zihn, on Flickr

Rifle looks EXCELLENT! That is one fine looking bolt gun.

Thanks Beretzs

Really like your rifle Steve and thanks for showing us the progress. To me, it is a work of art.

Thanks Joe.

I have to get back on other projects so it's likely I won't have time to work on my rifle again for about 2 weeks, but as I do get the finish work done I'll post more pics. I expect to have this rifle done in time for the hunting seasons this year, but I doubt I'll use it until next year. I hope to do my hunting this year with my 6.5 Mannlicher, and maybe my 9.3X74R. I may even bring out my old 30-30 marlin for deer. It's fun to hunt with.

In the coming winter I am going to also build a 9.3X62 on a 98 Mauser in classic British fashion and also 2 Lee "speed'(ish) sporters. One of the Lee's will be for sale.

There is nothing wrong with plastic and laminated stocks and I do them for customers when they want, but for my guns, I derive far more pleasure from wood and old classic styling.

Yep, you described my feelings as well. I have one fiber stocked rifle and very seldom use it, all the rest are wood.

That is really coming along nicely Steve. Nice piece of Bastone and the price for the wood was exceptional.

Got the 1st coat on the stock today. I'll wait about 3 days before I get time to do any more on the wood, but I may get to the polishing on the metal on Monday. I think I'll engrave the floor plate and TG before I blue. It's more striking if you cut through the blue, but they it can catch crime and rust over time more then if it's blued.

I still need to get all the checkering done, but I am sure I can't get around to that until winter. I also need to do a trigger job on it because the pull weight is over 6 pounds now. I will make a strap for it in the next few days.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by Steve Zihn, on Flickr
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by Steve Zihn, on Flickr
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by Steve Zihn, on Flickr

And I lost the locking screw in the front. I hope I can fine it, but if not I need to make a new one.

Steve, elk should just line up to be shot with such a classy rifle. What scope are you going to use?

Joe if I can get them to line up I may be able to kill 2 with one bullet.


I have a Vortex Strike Eagle 1X-6X with a straight 30MM tube so there is no objective bell. I am waiting on my 30MM rings to show up UPS. I should have them in the coming week.
6X is probably more than I'll ever need for this rifle, and I will leave the scope set on 2X or 3X most of the time when hunting. I may crank it up now and then for antelope. These scopes have good brightness and exceptional fields of view which can be very helpful in dark timber, but also appreciated on the open prairie. Thinking back over the last 24 years or so, I don't think I have killed any antelope with any gun with a scope of over 6 power (or set over 6X) and most have been killed with 4X. In fact, about 1/3 of them have been shot with guns with iron sights only, 3 of which were revolvers, one in 357, one in 44 and one in 45.

I believe MOST hunters today handicap themselves by being "over-scoped". If they were to down-size more I think they would be better able to make kills with greater ease.

I did a demo about 9 years ago at a police "sniper shoot" where I took a 19" barreled 30-06 make on a Mauser and scoped with a 2X Burris Scout Scope and shot it over the course of fire from 30 yards to 600 yards. At the end of the course I didn't win, but I was in 3rd place, with 42 men competing.

I didn't expect to win, but I did expect to show how equipment is not the panacea it's thought to be. I did attain my goal, and I got the attention of many other shooters at that event.

My stalks were a lot easier for me than for any other man there because all of them had longer heavier and bulkier rifles which are a LOT harder to stay hidden with.

So it is with hunting in the real world, despite what the magazine articles will try to get us to believe. The #1 goal of the magazine publishers is to get you to buy products from their advertisers. Not all authors are totally sold out, but I think I am safe to say all publishing companies are sold out to that goal. They have to be, or they will loose the advertising dollars which are far more important to them that magazine sales.
Can you imagine an article that said "I tested this XYZ and ABC scope (or widgit, or gizmo, or do-hickey ) and it is pretty much worthless. Well made, but has no real-world application. It's a perfect answer to a non existent problem!
How long would that publisher be in business? How long would that author keep his job?

But it's not often about what new goodie you buy.
It's always 98% the skill of the hunter and 2% what he uses. Hunting skills trump shooting skills in most cases------ by far.

I agree completely. Unless I'm after varmints or working up loads, 99% of the time my scopes are at most 3x or less. My longest shots ever were with a 4x Leupold M7.

Gorgeous!! That is some fine work Steve. And I agree on the scope post.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by Steve Zihn, on Flickr

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by Steve Zihn, on Flickr

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA by Steve Zihn, on Flickr

All done but the checkering.
Shoots quite well. My 1st load is going 1-1/16" at 107 yards
I am going to see what I can get with 220 grain Fox and with 250 grain Nosler Accu-Bonds too.

Oh man, you are extremely talented. What craftsmanship. Beautiful.

Thanks K.