Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 9.3 x 62 .... is it more of a good thing vs. a 338/06?

Running #s, it looks like JB's high BC fav, the 250 AB really holds up well vs. a 225 AB in the 338/06.

I am using 2650 for the 338 as my '06 ran 2670 w/23", and used 2600 w/9.3 doing calculations.

Is 2600 mv a good number for a top safe 9.3/250 load in a 22-23" bbl?

The 250 AB maintains energy at a good distance....I may have grossly underestimated it's potential. Is the 250 AB one of the ballistically 'smarter bullet choices' out there for a 9.3?

Are you guys forming '06 brass for the 9.3x62?

Thanks.

I use Grafs brass, IMR4064 and 250 grain TSX. I think that it fits in between the 225 TSX in the 338 WM and the 270 gr TSX in the 375 H&H. I shoot and enjoy all 3. The 9.3 gets the least play right now- I love my pre-64 .338 and usually grab it for deer hunting. I recently got a nice, lightweight Mauser actioned Sako in 375 and really like it for the bigger stuff.

I have a CZ 550 American and I am getting an average of 2583 w/250 ABs over an oehler chrono. Darn near 2600.

No need to form brass, Grafs sells 9.3x62 headstamped brass at a very affordable price.

If my memory is correct, JB here reports that Big Game is THE powder for the 9.3x62. I have only used RL-15 so far and it works pretty well. 2600 with a 250 should be attainable with several powders.

Isn't the 250AB more efficient in the 338-06 than in the 9.3x62? Looking at my notes, the 338 250AB is impressive with .575-BC and 0.313-SD. I looked at the numbers for the 9.3 250AB and what I saw was .494-BC and .264-SD. Hornady, Handloader, and Rifle had 338-06 loads running 2600fps with a 250grainer. I think the 338-06 really comes to life with a 250grain load, whereas the 9.3x62 comes to life with the heavier bullets. Both are very impressive out of a 30-06 type case.

Gary where'd you find those loads listing 2600 fps w/ 250s? I'd love to try 'em out.

I have a 338-06 and am building a second, but intend to pick up a 9.3x62 sometime soon, too. I love 'em both.

I can't imagine where the difference in those two projectiles amounts to a hill of beans in the real world, at least when hunting with these two cartridges.

Personally, I haven't seen a meaningful difference in velocity (125 -150fps) with the 250gr. bullets over the 286gr. Partition.

The 286gr. Partition also has a good BC (.482)

Hornady 7th edition, Handloader, and an issue of Rifle all had max pressure load data at 2600fps. In addition, the new Superformance powder should be perfect for maxing out performance. The initial load data released for the 338 Federal using the new powder is outstanding! I sold my last 338-06 and replaced it with a new rifle chambered for the 338RCM. I'm a big fan of the 338-06, but I intend to play with the new powders with the RCM. If I still had the 338-06, I'd be trying out the new powders on it as well.

I'm no expert on the 9.3x62, but I don't really see that cartridge having the capacity to run away from the 338-06 with both using a 250grain bullet. In my opinion, both the 35Whelen and the 338-06 go together with the 250grainers like peanut butter and jelly. With the 9.3x62, I like how it really shows its stuff with a bit heavier bullet. But being a fan of 250grain bullets, it's pretty darn evident that any of those chamberings pushing one out the muzzle near 2500fps or so is more than enough. When running bullets lighter than the 250s, I'm a bigger fan of using the '06.

Best:)

Great stuff guys, when I had my 338/06, the 200 BT was my deer load, 225PT for everything else, as it gave up 1-2" of trajectory but hit harder than 210s, the 250s then, were said to get around 2500 IIRC, and the PT BC may have been less then the newer AB. Not ran numbers.

I know as you increase bore size MV often goes up all else equal, yet sometimes you lose long range residual speed/energy w/lowered BCs. Perhaps a 338 is getting to an already very high efficiency w/latest ABs and has a great expansion ratio already, reaching a point of diminished returns as you open bore diameter further in the '06 capacity case.

If I were after mean stuff or in Grizzly country, I would not mind the small increase in diameter of a 366 over 338 bore. Alaska is on my mind at some point in the future, and I don't get fired up w/belted mags, less capacity in the mag, and they 'belt ME' more on my end.

Not currently running any mid bores so I was not up to snuff on the latest BCs for the heavier ABs in 33-9.3mm. No doubt, they will all do the job. I can only imagine those 250 ABs being a real hammer on the biggest of game in NA, no matter the bore size.

Thanks for the posts guys.

Rumor is that Ruger will have a 9.3x62 next year.

From:
http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=101274

The 2011 catalog will also list some interesting new calibers in the Hawkeye African. These include a rifle in .223 (which has already been talked about a little here on RF), .338 Win Mag., .300 Win Mag. and another caliber I've not heard of till now....the 9.3 x 62.

My 22" Win 70 LH 9.3 X 62 with RL 15 reaches 2640FPS very accurate with 250 gr Nosler BT & 250 Gr N Accu. Bond

I could not get above 2400 FPS with 286 Gr NP & RL 15

When I tried RS Big Game with 286 Gr bullets velocity was over
2520 FPS and very accurate.

Using Laupua brass CCI Std brass.

Well I could go for a Ruger African chambered for 9.3 x 62. That would be a very nice rifle to hunt with.

That's interesting, do you know the source cited by that guy on the Ruger forum? I couldn't find any Ruger press announcements reference this, and I couldn't find any of the gun industry 2011 publications or announcements reference this either. Curious as to the source??

Thanks:)

I agree; hope they do it.That would be pretty cool.I have never had either one,but I'd want that over the 338/06.

figures a production round would set up the 9.3x62 in a production rifle.

I should be my custom rebarrel back this month.

Dang it...

But then again mine's a Sako 85 so I don't feel too bad about it.

9.3�s are just cool. I tried to chase velocity a bit with the 250�s, but really what is a few inches at 300 yds with this caliber? An extra 100-200 fps doesn�t make this a flat shooter now matter how you spin it. It�s not a 270 Win or 300 mag nor will it ever be.

The round was developed around the 286 grain bullet. My CZ is very accurate with both the 286 Hornady IL. 270 Speer, and Nosler Partition with RL 15. The Hornady makes great practice option and I bet at such modest velocity would probably never �fail� on game. I may have to do so tests on it when I get bored this winter as the Nosler�s are getting expensive.

I just view the cartridge as a 250 yd and under option for big critters in heavier type terrain, which honestly, is about 100 further than I have every shot anything excluding varmints.

I hope Ruger makes the rifles. I love my CZ, and although I appreciate the recoil absorbing weight, it does get a little heavy at near 10 lbs.

Sensible approach. Only thing I would add is that BC doesn't matter much when you are shooting the "Biggest of game in NA" and if you are shooting at game running towards you, and not away from you, bullet construction matters much more than BC, SD or anything else that can be argued.

Where the 9.3 is at its best, is when hunting in timbered country where larger game can be lost from sight after the shot.

John

Getting back to the original post, 9.3X62 vs 338-06, I have hunted everything we have in the Yukon with the several 9.3 rifles for more than 25 years.

Along the way, I had a 338-06 built and used it for one year. It just didn't cut it as well as the 9.3X62 on really large game, so I had it rechambered to 338 Win and gave it to a buddy of mine for his 40th b'day.

Just my experience, but it clearly was not in the same league as the 9.3

Ted

Something to consider. The shoulder on the 9.3x62 is a bit forward than the '06 case, providing a bit more powder space.



With my 24" Pacnor barrel on my Pre 64 M70 I've been following Mule Deer's load data he published in the Dec 2008/Jan 2009 issue of Rifle entitled "Medium Mediums". It's VERY good data.

MD gets 2651 fps (23.6" CZ550) and 1.12", where mine runs as follows


Since I bought about 500 of the 250 AB seconds I wanted to try a primer test and got the following.

60.5 gr Varget in Lapua 1x fired cases seated .010" off lands for 3.255"

Rem 9-1/2.....2622 fps, 20 ES, 11 SD, 1.72" group
Fed 210M.......2604 fps, 16 ES, 6 SD, 171" group
WLR..............2636 fps, 6 ES, 2 SD, 1.2" group
CCI 200.........2612 fps, 21 ES, 10 SD, 1.42" group

For the 286 Partition MD gets 2495 fps and .79" where I got the following


Just a few days back, I discovered on Graf's web site and verified with my contact there, they have on order with Barnes, a 250 gr TTSX. I sent an email to Barnes to verify but they work a 4-day work week (10-hour days) and I hope to hear back from them tomorrow, Monday. Should prove to be a good match to the 250 Accubond for those who prefer the Barnes.

Alan