Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles .338-06 vs 35 Whelen vs 9.3x62

Out of these three which is the best non-magnum medium bore if you had to pick one to use on all of the larger North American game, short of the big bears?

The Mauser. Nothing wrong with the Whelen, but if you can't put a critter down with a 286 partition you might deserve to be eaten!

Any of these three would work. I've never hunted the big bears but would think that all three would work well with the right bullets...

The one fed the best bullets.
😬

Most versatile would be the 338-06. Flatter shooting, less WD and better impact velocity at longer ranges due to much higher BC of .338 bullets (similar sweet spot as 7mm but in a medium bore). Plus bullet choices from 160-275 grain. For power up front the 9.3x62 Mauser for sure. However the Whelen is a proven killer of large critters as well.

Talk to cz550 8n the 458 win mag thread. He has done a lot of work with the x62 and has some interesting data on it at long range.

Yep.

Can we throw the 9.3x57mm mauser in with these? It's very popular in Canada and Sweden. Norma still loads ammo for it. Probably runs 200 fps behind the X62. Hard to beat for a shorter range woods gun where 125 yds is a long shot.

That said I got my buck this year with my Whelen and it's a fantastic round. Barnes load data can send a 200gr TTSX at 2900fps for a very flat shooting load. B.C. is middle of the road at .369 but still way better than .2 for a round nose. It's trajectory is similar to a 150gr 30-06 but with a bigger payload. Switch to 250grs and it's power is inspirational. Fed a premium Woodleigh, or Partition and any brown bear is lunch. If going after the biggest bears tomorrow I'd grab my Whelen.

The 9.3x62mm was developed to take heavier boned beasts on another continent at typical hunting range. I often wondered if Otto Bock used the 30-03 case (shortened to the present in 1906) to make this famous hunting cartridge in 1905.

You can buy factory ammo for the 9.3x62, somewhat easily, depending on where you live, but it's almost always 285 or 286gr, all running 2200 to 2300 fps. Though you can sometimes find Nosler factory 250gr loads, which are pretty wimpy and run around 2400 fps, at least in my 24" rifle.

You can buy ammo for the Whelen, in my experience, much more easily, and in more places. There are several very good and commonly available 225gr loads2700 fps (Fed trophy bonded and Nosler accubond), some 250gr loads2450-2500 fps (partitions, here and there, and corelokts), a ton of 200gr loads at 2800-2900 fps (TTSX, corelokt, federal fusion, Hornady) and one common 180gr load (TTSX) at close to 3,000 fps.

There is no factory ammo for the 338-06.

If you're shooting something that needs a 286gr bullet at 2200-2300 fps, it's an easy choice.

If you want the option of shooting factory ammo from 200-250gr, you're probably looking at the Whelen. The 225 accubonds have a very thick copper back end and a very soft front end. You'll probably get expansion out of them out to 500 yards if you're in the mountains. I've run them to about 750 yards and they were still flying straight. The 225 Trophy bonded are a little harder and tougher.

If you're handloading, the 9.3 will show the biggest difference between the factory loads and what you can handload, often 200-250 fps.

Most of the Whelen factory loads are either at or fairly close to full pressure. You often have to use fancier powders or really step on it to get much faster what you can buy pre-made.

Long winded but hope that makes sense.

When looking online, I seem to see way more x62 than Whelen. Brick and mortar I don't see either.

For NA, I would pick the 35 Whelen. More whump than 338-06 and better low weight bullets than 9.3 for smaller big game hunting. 9.3 likely better for Africa where legal minimum for some scenarios

Lou

Why low weight bullets? The 250 does it all in the Whelen as the 286 does in the x62.

200 gr bullets drop animals much faster than the 225's or 250's do, in my experience. But yes, the 250's kill well.

Pick 1 bullshit strikes again fug that I have all 3 they are all different but dead is dead.

For plinkers and tinkerers the Whelen has 1 up on the others for being useful with mousefart loads and pistol bullets. Or pistol bullets at high speeds for varmints, or anything else imaginable. Mine is very accurate with cast bullets and it's a hoot to show up with it at the pistol club. Several threads on here have discussed these capabilities to the finest details by better scribes than me.

Short of the big bears, I doubt there’s much difference between them. Actually , a plain vanilla 30/06 would probably do as well. Not trying to discourage anyone. I’ve owned two of these options and am considering the third.😁

I’ve owned all 3. Without a doubt the 9.3x62. None of them however are good choices for me for an all around rifle. Less would be more.

I grew up with a model 70 30-06 being in the closet since I was 13 years old. Bought the first 35 W model 700 classic I could find. In my experience There's really no comparison. Deer hit with the '06 run the usual distance and pile up. Deer hit with the 35 go straight down or a very short distance. Same thing on steel targets out at 2-300 yds. The Whelen hits much harder.

I went through this few years ago.
Ended up with 9.3 in case I ever make it to Africa or big bears or a moose hunt up north.
I didn’t think I was recoil sensitive, but my 9.3 kicks harder than 300 win mag.
If I was to do it again, I’d probably go with 338-06 due to less recoil.
But if you don’t reload, 35w for sure.

Ditto!

and I probably like the 376 Steyr even more.

ya!

GWB