Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 370 Sako Magnum: Why?

As a historical note, in 2015 I was among a group of gun writers visiting the Sako/Tikka factory and then hunting a couple of days. You have to "qualify" on a range to get a hunting license, and the day we went to the range I met several interesting people, including Erkki Kauppi, the guy who developed the .366/.370. He's used it not just in Europe but several times in Africa, and said he didn't have any real agenda when developing the round other than giving shooters "another round to play with!" There was no intent to modernize the 9.3x62, or produce a round filling the gap between the 9.3x62 and 9.3x64. Instead it was just fun!

Fun is a plenty good reason for me. The fun reason applies to all of mine and particularly anything other than my 223, 30-06, and 338 Win.
Any guess as to the action or bolt face work for converting a 30-06 type to the 370 ?

Should work fine.

Thanks for the reply, suspected / hoped that it would be a simple re-barrel proposition.
Another project for thought. Finishing up several rifle upgrades soon and the 370 is intriguing.

Why not just neck up a 35 Gibbs?

370 SAKO
I am 100% sure it will be wonderful.
Why?
Because it fires the 9.3MM 286 grain bullets at between 2400 to 2500 FPS.

Here is what the "American Rifleman" article said the chronographed ballistics were:
286 Grain Nosler Partition at 2486 FPS
286 grain Barnes TS at 2409 FPS
286 Grain Barnes BS at 2500 FPS

https://www.americanrifleman.org/Webcontent/pdf/2009-11/2009111213938-federalsako.pdf

Those are the same speeds I get from my 9.3X74R and my 9.3X62 (+ or - about 20 FPS) with the same bullets and bullet weight. Not guessing either. I own a chronograph so I actually know.
My 9.3s have been outstanding hunting tools and even my "slow" 9.3X57 has been excellent. I saw the 9.3X62 used on game for several years before I finally broke down and made one for myself. The results I saw were impressive enough to me that I just have to make one for myself.

It's a "re-invention of the wheel", but a very good wheel.

Personally I'd rather have the 9.3X62 in a bolt action over the 370 SAKO because I can get the brass much easier, and for less money.

But the same bullets and the same speed are going to yield the same excellent results.

It does make me wonder why however.

A re-shape of the shell and the same ballistics as the 9.3X62. It falls a bit short of the 9.3X64, but I doubt it would matter. I have LOTS of experience with the 375H&H, (which the 9.3X64 effectively duplicates) and in the kills I have seen in the last 8-10 years with the 9.3X62s I can't really tell any difference in how well the 375 or the 9.3X62 kill.

Sometimes a factory will re-shape a powder bottle and make something they call "new and improved" but in this case it's only new. I see no improvement at all. Not anything worse mind you, but nothing better then what we have in a 9.3X62.

Steve,

Go back and read my post for the why.

OK, I read it. I missed it the 1st go-around.

I'd have to agree. Fun is the best reason of all for a new round. In fact, other then rounds for war or individual combat, fun is the only good reason for any round. All pleasure shooting target shooting and hunting is supposed to be fun.

There are many threads we read about how "I want a rifle that will do it all" and such a rifle is good.

But that would not be near as much fun as 500 rifles to do it all. The same can be said of cartridges to a large extent.

Hello,

I don't know why it is said "the 9,3x64 duplicates (or even surpases...!) the .375 H&H". I don't want to start a big debate about this differences, but what I said is because the case capacity of the, 9,3x62, 9,3x64 and .375 H&H are, roughly: 74 grs, 84 grs, and 95 grs in that order. And the USABLE case volumes have roughly the same differences. So, the 9,3x64 falls just in the middle between the 9,3x62 and the .375 H&H. Period. Loaded at the same pressure in barrels of the same length, it is impossible to get the same maximum safe velocity of the .375 H&H with the 9,3x64 Brenneke with same bullet weight. Of course it can be duplicated but using 286 vs 300 grs respectively. If the 9,3x64 cartridges or cases availability where not so difficult, to me it would be the best of this trio!

PH