Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa 9.3x62 mauser

Could you tell me how much R17 please sir? Thats kinda the data im seeking for the CEB.

bluefish,

The 250 Accubonds don't offer any on-game performance advantage over the 286 Partitions. But when started at 2650 or so they have about the same trajectory (and retained velocity) beyond 300 yards as various other cartridges using heavier spitzer started at around 2700 fps, whether the 6.5x55 with 140s, 7x57/7mm-08 with 160s, or .30-06 with 180s.

In fact the 250 AccuBond has pretty high G7 BC, for a bullet of its diameter and weight, of .494--which checks out on the range. This is slightly higher than the 286 Partition's .482--AND the 250-grain .338 Partitions .473.

You may not care about such things, but I have used the 9.3x62 as my primary medium-bore cartridge for almost 20 years, during which my .338 Winchester and .375 H&H haven't been used at all. I hunted with both a LOT before getting my 9.3x62, but came to like the 9.3x62 more, because it could do basically the same things with less recoil (due to using less powder). In fact I found that in general it killed somewhat better than the .338, probably due to the larger bullet diameter.

All of which is why I like the 250 Accubond as a general-use bullet in the 9.3x62 (or 9.3 Barsness-Sisk): It has penetrated more than sufficiently on big (not just deer-sized) big game, and makes shots at 400+ yards not just possible but pretty easy.

Most American loading manuals today have 9.3X62 and 9.3X74R data in them.
I have been loading a lot of 9.3X62 in the last few years for the rifles I made (or re-barreled to that caliber) for various customers and I made one for myself a while back. My experience in the field with that cartridge is nearly all from watching it used, in the hands of those I made the gun for. However I have been using a 9.3X74R for several years and I fire the same bullets at the same speeds, so I know from personal experience mostly what to expect as far as performance goes with the bullets I have used and seen used. The following are what I have personally killed game with.
:
225 grain RWS. Very rapid expander. Dramatic kills with a lot of bloodshot, but gives better penetration that I expect for something that opens up as violently as it did.

250 Grain Nosler Accu-Bond. Kills were close, but expansion was good for a bullet with a heavy jacket. Expensive, but excellent.

270 grain Speer. Most accurate bullet I have fired in this bore size in 4 different guns, one 9.3X74R Ruger. One M46 Husky 9.3X57 with open sights. One 9,3X57 in a 98 Mauser with a 5X scope. One M98 in 9.3X62 also with a 5X scope BUT it also is the worst big game bullet I have used in any caliber larger then .308" in my life. One whitetail was shot from above in the spine. and the actual measured penetration (using a leatherman tool) was 5 inches. Yes FIVE. Bullets often come totally apart at impacts of 2100 FPS and faster on deer and antelope both. I have well over a dozen kills with this bullet and so it's not a few isolated incidents. The only shot I have made with the Speer bullet that seemed to be perfectly satisfactory was at about 275 yards from a 9.3X57 with an average Muzzle velocity of 2206FPS so the impact velocity was only about 1650 FPS as near as I can figure. When it's going in the mid teens on impact it may be OK.

286 Grain Hornady. I have had good results with this bullet and seen it used a lot too, but I have read some complaints about it also breaking up badly. But for my own use so far (and all those I have personally seen) it's been good.

286Gr Nosler Partition. The Gold Standard. Opens well on antelope does at 250 to 400 yards and yet doesn't break up and fail to exit on bull elk shoulders at 45 yards, and it shoots as accurately as any other 9.3 bullet I have used except the Speer. (As I said the Speer is the most accurate bullet I have used in any 9.3 rifle.) Costly enough that it makes practice too expensive, but shoots nearly to the same point of aim as the Hornady above(about 1/2" to 3/4" away on paper) so you can buy Horandy's to have fun with and if you want to, shoot the Nosler partition with the same load and in 3 guns I have tried, they shoot to the same point of impact.

285 grain PPU. Round nosed and looks "ho-hum" but works very well. Not a lot of experience with this bullet yet, but I have seen it used on 3 elk and 2 deer from 9.3X62s, and I personally killed 2 deer and 2 antelope with it fired from my two 9.3X57s. It is accurate and does expand at the lower velocity of my 9.3X57s. (2185 FPS to 2210 FPS at the muzzle) All game, from antelope does to a 5X5 bull had exits, so I assume it's holding weight well. I'd expect as good or better results when you run it 200-300 FPS faster from the 9.3X62


Powders I have used have been 4064, 4895 and RL15 in the 6.3X62s.

I have used 4895, 4064 and BallC2 in my two 9.3X57s.

I use 4064 in my Ruger #1 9,3X74R.

All 4 of these powders and all the bullet listed above shot well, some very well, and the Speer SUPER well, even impressing me with the open sighted Husky. All my 9.3MMs seem to shoot well with most anything I try. All seem forgiving to load for. The worse groups from the 3 scoped rifles I have shot so far were still under 2MOA and most go about 1-1/4" at 100. Some under MOA and in the Ruger with the Speer 270 grain bullet, penny size is not uncommon.

In the 98 Mauser Carbine in 9.3X57 Ball C2 is the most accurate. ER Shaw barrel
In my Mauser in 9.3X62 the best so far is RL15. Also an ER Shaw barrel
My Ruger shoot under MOA with 4064 so I just stopped right there and never tried anything else.
My Husky has it's original barrel and the bore is shiny. Because it's just got an original open sight (and I am an old man,) I don't know how accurate it is, but what I can say is that at 100 to 200 yards any target large enough for me to see I can hit, from a solid shooting position. So how good is it? Good enough.

Yessir, you can start at 60 grains of RL-17 under the 280gr BBW #13 solid, same if you ever want to try the big 320gr Woodleighs, both loads have a COL of 3.340 inch, I use Hornady brass and CCI-250 or FED-215 primers.

Good luck, and happy shooting/hunting.

Thank you very much for that data.ive already got some r17 i think.

Bucktail: Thanks for the explanation of the higher pressure loading data.

Not a lotta juice left when gunner squeezes a lemon...

DF