Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only 9.3x62

It was the period at the end. This will get you in:

http://www.bigbores.ca/

Thanks Ron;

It's been fixed (removed the nasty period)!

I am not an experienced big game hunter. I do have a CZ 550 FS with 20.5 inch barrel, 7 lb 12 oz and a CZ 550 American with 23.5 inch barrel, 8 lbs 12 oz. Using 59.0 grains Varget, 286 grain Nosler Partition, I get 2399 fps (59 F) and 2469 fps (94 F). If you adjust one foot-per-second for each degree, the difference is some 35 fps. The original 70 fps isn't much to worry about either.
About this recoil thing, my CZ 550, .375 H&H weighs 10.5 pounds, 25 inch barrel, with scope and pushes a 300 grain Hornady RN at 2625 fps, using 70.0 grains R-15. My .375 Ruger African, 23 inch barrel, under 8 lbs, gives 2615 fps with 83.3 grains H414. My 8 lb .416 Taylor, pushes a 400 grain bullet at 2150 fps, using 68 grains RL-15.
Recoil goes from a low of 35 ft-lb and 16 fps in the heavier 9.3x62 to a high of 60 ft-lb and 22 fps in the .416 Taylor. The general recoil of the .375 H&H and .375 Ruger come to some odd 54 ft-lbs at 21 fps for the 375 Ruger and 37 ft-lb and 15 fps for the similar but much heavier .375 H&H. Those who favor high magazine capacity might note the CZ550 holds five .375 H&H cartridges, at a cost of some 2.5 lbs of weight compared to the scoped CZ 550 American in 9.3x62. The decision to scope or not to scope can make up half the difference between these two classes of cartridges. Changing barrel length and stocks can account for the rest of the difference in weight and recoil. Leave a quarter pound for action differences and most of the story would be told in my mind. I don't like to shoot heavy recoiling rifles in endless strings from the bench. Zero the rifle, check zero at practical shooting ranges and leave the rest to field position practice suits me. I don't shoot my .458 Lott, 68 ft-lb at 22 fps, that much with full loads once I confirmed the setting of the factory sights. Bolt action .45-70 level loads can be fun too! An 8 lb rifle has lots to recommend it for big bores, light enough to carry, heavy enough to shoot. If someone would carry it for me, I'd take the 10.5 lb .375 H&H, even from prone it is relatively painless to shoot.
Speaking out of turn around my elders in hunting and shooting, I see the .375 H&H and .375 Ruger as too much for non-dangerous medium game and not enough for heavy weight dangerous game. The versatility of the one gun for one man situation is the major issue. I am too much of a rifle junkie to not take them all hunting and shooting. I'd go with one carbine with iron sights and one rifle with scope, both in the same caliber, if I could afford the extra airline shipping costs and was going somewhere where ammo was scarce and simplicity was paramount.

For those building a 9.3x62 on a 98 Mauser. On mine I found that substituting a 1903 Springfield magazine cured the problem- five cartridges in the bottom. Not true for the standard 98 magazine.

Phil,
You will have to catch me just right, as I am double guy one minute and a bolt guy the next minute, so we can get it on, and just to keep it simple, I will, out of my great respect for you just take the opposite postion for the sake of good gun conversation, and we won't have to just sit there and agree with each other while the fire burns down, damn that gets boring....:)

As to bullet cross section, here is what I tend to believe, based mostly on observation and I realize circumstance can lead one to bend in either direction...

1. The difference in cross section between any of the big bores is precious little, but the results seems to be a factor in stopping power IMO. I might add that all the big bore doubles shoot at the SAME velocity, but the bigger the hole in the tube the better they kill is pretty much the accepted measure. Now if that is true I have yet to decide, but if it is then I place that difference on the cross section of that big bullet. I won't swear to it but I am of that opine or at least to the extent that it is a viable factor..anyway that's what I "thunk"....:)

2.As I move into my curmurdeon stage, I have more and more respect for the old ways and the knowledge that those old hunters of yesteryear learned based on shooting big bad stuff, wonder why that is? My head is made up! I earned it, paid my dues, and always have been a little hard headed and I don't want to leave this world with a mistake hanging over my head!

Just got back from shooting my 375 Ruger LH 20" Alaskan @ 2580
with a 300 Gr it kicks more than my 8# 9.3 X 62 with 286 gr at
2400 FPS. They both shoot around 1", Now which one to take to Kodiak in 2 weeks. Shot the 9.3 first then the 375 in my mind the 375 kicks noticeably more.

No dog in the fight, but if the ruger is new and 9.3 an old friend, I would suggest the 9/3

Randy

One has to be carefull when offering advise on the internet, but I think I would be safe in saying that in TAnzania and Zimbabwe if the game scout says you can use a certain caliber or your Ph says so then your good to go..at least I have always been..Africans are a practical lot, most realize that caliber is not an issue but bullet placement and construction is..They also realize that you have backup with large bore rifles.

We have had many clients in both Tanzania and Zimbabwe shoot buffalo with 9.3x62 and 74s..The 9.3x62 can be handloaded to strictly legal in Zimbabwe btw as they have an energy figure and the 9.3x62 and 64 can reach that figure with handloads.

It is not uncommon for a youngster or lady to shoot their buffalo with a 7x57 or 30-06, and they always have a couple of backup huters..I have never seen or heard of this being questioned except by internet bloggers who might go upside down on it.

I even witnessed a nice lady punch and elephant through the heart with a 7x57 175 gr. solid, and the elephant ran about 100 yards and hit the ground dead, and the blood trail almost required rubber boots to walk in, blood spewed for 10 or more feet on EACH side of that elephant like a water hose!! I was pretty impressed btw..

I wouldn't recommend that practice but it does show that bullet placement and a proper bullet is more important than caliber. Still I prefer to stay with my beloved 40 caliber magnums like the 416 Rem or Ruger and the great 404 Jefferys.

Oh yeah, since this thread is about the 9.3 and 375, if I have a 9.3x62 or a 375 Ruger or H&H , I am perfectly content when I am amongst them...

Why does it seem odd, that the guy behind the trigger is as much a part of the equation as any other to make a good, clean kill?

Ray is right! First thing a new to the game hunter should be asking, is "Where do I put it"? He should have already prepared the right bullet for the intended game and conditions. Never ask opinions of guys that haven't put this species of game on the ground, about what bullets work best. Ask the man that has done it, and hopefully more than once.

I found 2 9.3x62s
One is a Zastava Mauser factory stocked and the second is a CZ Lux Medium.
These are both internet purchases so I cannot physically compare the 2 rifles
Does anyone have any input on these 2 rifles?

I was waiting for that, Mel!

Ted

Kurt, you know you want to take the 9.3, so just do it!

I have killed some awfully big stuff, including bears with mine. Getting ready to do it again tomorrow. Just loaded up some 286 gr Hornadys with 57 gr of Re15.

Ted

John,

Isn't that a given with all Ruger rifles with any amount of recoil? Both my #1H and RSM (458 WM and 416 Rigby respectively) got new pads and, mush to my surprise - at least the first time I saw it - I found the "Goodyear" tire logo printed on the inside!

On the topic of the 9.3s, if this is a custom project, you might want to consider the 9.3x64 Brenneke. Though you would have to open up the bolt face and do some work on the action rails to feed the slightly larger cartridge, it would yield quite an increase in performance. Close to 2700 fps w/ 285 gr bullet is nothing to sneeze at.

All that said, the 9.3x62 is a nice cartridge and easy to shoot.

Curious to know what you decided on and how it worked. I've only shot one brown bear. I used a 375 Ruger Alaskan with a 300 gr TSX and don't think anything can kill a big bear deader. Gave me religion for sure.

Probably a 9.3x62 can do it too, but dead is dead, can't argue too much with that.

This thread certainly makes the 9.3x62 appealing. Dobt that there's any need to get rid of a 375 but, still, this is a nice cartridge.

About to start shooting the 9.3x62. To me it seems to fit in the same class as the 35 Whelen. Is this the wrong way to look at this great metric cartridge?

Carson: Please don't take this the wrong way because I understand what you are saying,but excessive number crunching can lead to these types of....uh...."conclusions"...

On the one hand the theory states that the smaller stuff is somehow "too dead",and that the larger,dangerous game is not quite "dead enough".

The fact that the 375 and the 9.3x62 are so highly regarded in Africa for "killing" all manner of things flies in the face of the Theory.

I've frequently given the 9.3x62 matter a good deal of thought;but with an 8 1/4 pound 375H&H,and the ability to throttle back handloads with a 300 gr bullet,to 2300 fps,I am left wondering what I'd use 9.3 for; unless, of course, I had a very nice 30/06 -length Mauser hanging around.

First I wish to thank all here who expressed their considerable expertise. This forum is blessed with many excellent members and I thank you.

This quote from Ray raises a question in my mind. If one needs the approval of a game scout for his caliber I just don't see how one can plan ahead? Long ago the .375 H&H was approved in many places. Correct me please if I am wrong.

In the field, it will do everything a .375 H&H will do. The end result shows the 9.3 X 62 to exceed the on paper ballistics.