Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 235 gr. 9.3 bullets

What are the chances of a domestic bullet company bringing out a reasonably priced 230-240gr 9.3MM bullet for deer sized game? It would be nice to have a more 30-06 like trajectory for western deer and antelope with 9.3X62's and 74's. My CZ 9.3X62 shoots 286's beautifully but European style light bullet loads could be useful under some conditions.

A 250gr AccuBond seems to cover that off. I shot a deer and a moose with them and they seem to work fine for most any thing

Speer makes a 285IIRC, and Barnes makes a 250 grainer.
Cat

The 250 Accubonds have potential, and I have done some load developement with them, but so far accuracy is only so so and I'm not getting that much more velocity. They are also pricey, but I plan to keep working with them if lighter bullets don't come along.

The 9.3 is really not designed as a flat shooter. It was the "rifle behind the door" in the African German colonies for dealing with big nasties that came to eat the crops and cattle.
A bullet as light as you want would have a lousy SD and no real application that a 30-06 wouldn't be better for.
I have shot 190 gr 100% lynotype cast bullets up to 2300 in a 9.3 but they don't expand at all. I shoot the 250 TSX, 250 Accubond and 270 Speer and all three with the same load will group 4" at 100. Each will do 1" or better alone (Merkel SR-1) and have a point blank range on Elk of 300 yards, probably 200 on small deer.
No question that any of the 3 put through both shoulders would end any fight right now.
It's just not a long range cartridge.

Norma makes 232 gr bullets, and Midway has them right now. They're a penny per bullet cheaper than Nosler Accubonds. Woodleigh also makes 250 gr bullets, in two styles, and they're available right now at Midway as well.

I like those three varieties a lot for my 9.3x57 Husqvarna.

Dennis

Husqvarna...what are you getting for velocity? I found hitting 2600 and change doable with R-15. I followed JB's suggestion of working up to 60 grs or so (I needed 62 grs at my COL for 2600ish fps). As for accuracy, I have had to seat AB's significantly deep... .232" off the lands in my case for consistency. I've only shot a 100 or so rounds of this load but it will certainly do what needs doin'...and accurately.

The Norma 232s are stupid good.

With the 250 Accubonds I am getting just shy of 2500 with RL15 and Big Game. With 286's I get 2300 with RL15 and 2400 with Big Game. Bolt handle lift gets sticky when I go much above that. My 9.3 is a CZ550FS with a 20" barrel. I'll try seating the Accubonds a little deeper; my rifle has a fairly short throat.

I plan to try the 232 Normas soon. Thanks for the suggestions guys.

The Norma 232g oryx works great, I have used this load for the last 6 deer. 64g RL-15 in Lapua brass. Its a cup and core type but stays togather well kind of like a partion, the front section comes apart, but stays togather from about half way down. Never needed a second shot.

The 232 Norma Oryx is a bonded bullet, not a cup-and-core, as are all Oryxes. (Norma does make another 232, I believe called the Vulkan, that is a cup-and-core.) It is designed to open up widely, very much like a Woodleigh or the old Bitterroot Bonded Core, so doesn't penetrate as deeply as, say, a 250-grain Nosler AccuBond (which will penetrate lengthwise through 500 pound animals).

I also load 64 grains of RL-15 with the 232 Norma bullets, and in the 23.6" barrel of my CZ 550 this load gets right at 2700 fps. This rifle has a very long throat, though, and I've had to change loads 2-3 grains in the 9.3x62 with different lots of RL-15.

JB,
Thanks for the info. I got the two types confused. I have not used the Vulcans, but do like the Oryx. I also have a CZ-550 and will watch for/load down a bit when this lot of RL-15 runs out. With the 232 Oryx the throat in my CZ is longer than the bullets so I normally set them to caliber down in the neck. They shoot MOA or better with this load.

Merry Christmas all

That Vulkan has a weird looking opened-ended jacket;


http://www.norma.cc/content.asp?Typ...k=Hunting+bullets&Title=Norma+Vulkan


I'm picking up some of them in 232 gr to try out in my "new" (to me) Husky 146 chambered to 9.3x57.

Very promsing.

I like it...don't think it looks "weird" at all. Certainly far superior to the hideous plastic points put on so many bullets these days.

I have a bunch of those bullets; they shoot very well in my Husqvarna 46 9.3x57. Haven't killed anything with them yet, but the time will come.

Dennis

H...

Be sure to adjust your powder charge accordingly as you make seating depth changes (considering your sticky bolt issue). Odds are, you already know that but.... If seating depth changes your accuracy consistency (for the better)but not velocity (per pressure)...no issue...your golden at that velocity anywho.

I meant weird as in "not normal" not necessarily as "not attractive".

If I'm looking for aestetically pleasing I'd go w/ the 286 SP, but only because I haven't been able to find a 9.3mm RN .

I'm SUPER excited to get into load experimentation w/ this Husky... I have had a heckofa time getting a hold of dies so I'm going to start refinishing the stock tomorrow. Will post "before" pictures on the gunsmithing board along with asking for suggestions for what to do with/to her.

Merry Christmas y'all,

efw

OK...good point.

Are you looking for dies? Where have you looked so far? I might have an idea or two, if you haven't already looked there. Buffalo Arms has the Hornady dies, if that will work for you.

I love my 9.3x57...it is truly a cool old rifle.



Dennis

That's a damn fine looking rifle! Every aspect is just "right".

Jeff

Sorry... didn't mean to imply that I can't find 'em, just that every time I do have in mind to buy them I find something else to spend the money on. I think next month I'm going to get the Hornady dies, PP 286s, PP 8x57 brass, and a few HC 270s to get going on it.

My 146 looks exactly like your Husky there. Beautiful! I love the feel of the thing... that nice open grip, the drop of the stock at the comb, etc... it feels more like a well made shotgun than rifle. Screams to be left as-is w/ open sights.