Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Any Lipsey’s Hawkey African 9.3x62 Range reports?

Interesting...for JB and others who asked, I miked a Ruger African at the LGS today and came up with .560...

.560 is basically the standard Ruger "sporter" barrel contour on guns like a 30-06 at 22"

Thanks, Tom.

I would expect them to shoot well.

I have a few years before I will be able to afford hunting abroad (daughter in middle of college, and son still in HS), but I’d love to hunt buff with this rifle. Plains game, as well. In the meantime, I’ll hunt the usual fair here in CO, and pigs in TX.

Hi John,

Sorry for the late reply. My internet connection went out two days ago, and they came by an hour ago and fixed me up. My neighbor cut the line when he was digging around!

Anyway, my digital caliper says my Lipsey's Ruger African 9.3x62 has a muzzle diameter of .567.

I then was curious and measured my older Ruger African 9.3x62, and it's muzzle diameter was .672.

This older model was the first one they came out with a few years back, before they started putting muzzle brakes on the African models. Mine has no brake, the way I prefer it.

I also did some weighing. My Lipsey's model has a Leupold 2.5-8 VX3 scope on it with the supplied Ruger rings, and it weighs 8lb. 4oz.

My older one with the .672 barrel contour weighs 8lbs. 4oz. also, but that is its bare weight with no scope or rings. I imagine it will be in the 9 lb. + range when I decide to scope it.

Sorry for the delay in my reply John & Matt...

That .567" is definitely their standard sporter contour. My .30-06 M77 22" shows .568" and a M77 .223 is .567" at 22" as well.

Fwiw, a Ruger #1A .250 Savage is .562" at the very tip of its 24" barrel, just ahead of the front sight band.

That .672" figure matches their #1S contour, my .30-06 #1S is .671" at 24".

In still more fwiw news, their Model 77 magnum contour barrel runs .627" at 24". Hmm, wonder if they meant to make that first African on the magnum contour barrel and someone at Ruger transposed the last two digits on the spec sheet...

I am right now reading the current 'Safari' magazine, Nov./Dec. 2019 issue, and there is a great article by Boddington on the 9.3s. By a picture of a buffalo he shot with his Montana 9.3x62, it states that 'he used to question the use of the 9.3 for buffalo but admits he was wrong; in effect it's impossible to tell the difference between the 9.3s and the 375s.'

He an a group tested the new 9.3x66 in Zim when it came out (370 Sako) and they all took a buff with one shot each, and two members of the group did the same on two elephant.

He quoted the advantages of the 9.3 over the 375 in; less felt recoil, standard length action, lighter rifle, more ammo in the magazine (usual 5 compared to 3 for the 375), and in his own words, indistinguishable performance on game between the two.

He concluded the article, "I'm now convinced that, short of the really big stuff, the 9.3mm may actually be a more versatile option."

A turn around for Mr. Boddington on his favorite 'most versatile' 375 all-round safari rifle caliber. And I agree that the 375H&H is a superb all-around safari rifle. My first and last Buffalo have been taken with my 375.

I have taken (7) Buffalo in Africa so far, with a 375H&H, 404Jeffery & 458 Lott. I think I may try either my 9.3x66 or my 9.3x62 on my next safari.

My 9.3x62 is a 1988 first generation Ruger 77. I bought the rifle used as a .30-06 but had it rebarreled to 9.3x62. I like the rifle but so far have only killed deer with it. I think next time I go hog hunting I'm taking it. My only load so far is a Speer Hot Core Semi Spitzer 270 grain bullet over 59 grains of IMR 4895. at about 2500 FPS MV. The Ruger is not a beefy rifle and the barrel contour is sporter so it's not real heavy and it will rock your teeth. I still have that red hockey puck Ruger recoil pad on it which is really only good for keeping it from sliding over on a slick floor. So a good pad might make it less painful to shoot. It's very accurate and I shoot it well. I'd recommend something like this although the old tang safety Rugers were not true control round feeds but it's pretty reliable and I would use it on dangerous anything anytime.

My LH Win 70 9.3 X 62, McMillion stock Pac - Nor 22" barrel is .604" at muzzle very accurate and holds well, rifle weigh 8# 4 ounces. with 2.5 X 8 Leupold that holds zero so far. Had Pac-Nor match the factory contour of the 270 Win.

ColoradoMatt,

Congrats on your new rifle! I think you're going to love it, especially if like me, you appreciate light rifles.

Recoil tolerance is an individual thing, but I think this Lipsey's rifle weight in this caliber is just fine.

I wish you good luck on your future buffalo safari with your new rifle!

Just to put some more examples on the list, the Husqvarna 1640 Standard rifle with an approximately 23.6" (60cm) barrel is .685" at the muzzle. Factory configuration. Those Rugers look like a fine 9.3x62mm to me too.

Yeah, I played around with a Husky 1640 for a while. It shot fine, but I was looking for a lighter rifle. Had discovered years before that the .338 Winchester Magnum does not recoil nearly as viciously as some people believe, and suspected the same was true of the 9.3x62--and was right.

In my limited estimation the Ruger 77 in .30-06 with 22 inch barrel is the most fantastic deer-elk rifle on the market.
Put as 4x or 3-9 on it and you have the perfect deer-hog rifle made. Even a good elk rifle.

Well crap - one of the two at the LGS had much better than average wood so now they're down to one left Does a guy really need three 9.3x62's?

Another data point: Heym SR-30, 60cm barrel measures 0.630" at the muzzle. 7lb, 14oz bare; 9lb, 6oz scoped. Also a very fine shooter.

This Ruger weighs 7 lbs 5 oz on my scale.

Mine weighs 7lbs 10oz, and balances right at rear of the front receiver ring. A thicker recoil pad and an NECG aperture will change that slightly.

I have a 9.3 African and am just getting it sighted in and working up some loads for it.

Because of the faster 1/10 twist and 24" barrel I'm looking forward to spinning some 300's and 320's in it.

Have some VN powder and 'hoping' RL16 may work in it.

While I certainly don’t currently have a use for anything heavier than a 286 Nosler, I was thinking those 325 grain Normas might help me resolve any latent insecurities with my masculinity that may arise. 😉