Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa 9.3x62, 30-06, or 7x57 for plains game/ N. America

what would you pick and why?

All will do the job. Of the three, I would pick the 30-06. It has more velocity than the 9.3-62. It is readily available and easy to build great handloads for. It is a great choice. I have used the 270 and can't tell any difference between the two.

Of your other alternatives, I would go with the 7/57. The 9.3 has more recoil than I would choose for the quantity of shooting done on a plains game hunt. Shot placement is paramount.

You speaking of pronghorn and bison? Not trying to be silly, but how does hunting plains game of North America apply to Africa?? If I need to pick one of your choices to post on this thread, I'd be happy with my 30-06 for no other reason than I like my 30-06. I know guys who hunt and have killed bison with stickbows, so I would not say that any one of those choices would not work.

Best

Just has to be the '06, even though it is so boring that I can scarcely stand to carry one.

I'd take my 9.3 and hammer the hell out of them....... . Like RinB pointed out, "shot placement is paramount".....I think my 9.3 would have that covered as well

"The 30-06 is the most boring caliber ever created. Shoot an animal with it and only one thing happens: the animal dies."

TerryR
AH Veteran

'06 if I'm feeling practical, or 7mm Mauser if I want to do it with style and less recoil.

I picked 2 out of the three for both NA and plains game, and I have no doubt the third would work as well.

7x57




.30-06

should have been clearer plains game in Africa and all game (except the bears) in N America

The '06 is the first or second big game chambering I ever had and now some thirty years later I've come back to it. I'd make a distinction between NA game and PG in Africa though just because it's....Africa.
I used the "big '06" in Africa--the .375 H&H just because; here, the real '06 one day and the 7x57 the next. It wouldn't matter.

9.3..

For my 2013 eastern Cape hunt, I intend to take my .30-06, and
165 gr. TSX bullets. Why?

Super accurate rifle
Moderate recoil weight is less than 8 lbs, all up
Will work on everything from reedbuck up to wildebeest
Ammo readily available worldwide
I really don't need my 300 Wby for this range of game
Plenty of energy out to 300 yds for the abovementioned game
JJ and Craig B say it's the NUTZ for African plains game.

You were clear enough...


Works on Plains game in America. too...7x57

Brian,

I have used all three for a wide variety of North American game and African plains game. Have used the .30-06 on a bunch of elk, including my biggest bull, as well as kudu, wildebeest, gemsbok, etc. Have used the 7x57 on moose and kudu and wildebeest, and the 9.3x62 on moose, zebra, gemsbok and wildebeest.

If you can shoot, they all work fine. If you have any recoil sensitivity the 9.3 maybe be too much. A friend took a 7x57 and a 9.3x62 on a big cull hunt we were both on in South Africa
in 2007. I happened, by pure coincidence, to take the same combination. He quit using his 9.3 after the first couple-three days because he wasn't shooting well with it. He ended up taking gemsbok and blue wildebeest neatly with the 7x57 after that, because he could shoot it more accurately.

But if you can handle the 9.3x62 (which to me recoils noticeably less than either the .338 Winchester Magnum or .375 H&H) then it really knocks the snot out of bigger North American and African plains game.

Thanks Brian, but second thought, you were correct and clear the first time and I was just rusty with the proper use and meaning of a forward slash. My wife just pointed out my mistake

I'd have to agree with the above in that I'd make a distinction between the two for the same reason already stated, "just because it's....Africa".

Best

Brian,

I should also add that the .30-06 is more gun than the 7x57, but not by much--and that a 250-grain spitzer handloaded to 60,000 psi from the 9.3x62 shoots just about as flat as a 160 from the 7x57 or a 180 from the .30-06.

for me it was a .300 H&H and 180gr. TSX's.

But of the cartridges you've picked I'd go for the 7x57 and some heavy 175's. I was able to get a solid 2,600fps out of my Ruger #1 7x57 with 175's. I wouldn't hesitate to use it on anything this side of Eland. (*which isn't to say it wouldn't work. Having seen them up close all I can say is that I'd want a bigger round.)

I have used the 7x57 (160 gr AB's) and 9.3x62 (250 gr X) in Africa and short of eland (only taken with the 9.3) I really saw no noticeable difference in effectivness on the same animals and similar ranges. A well placed bullet from either dropped the animal in short order.

My loaner rifle since the late 80's early 90's when this became a logical business decision to offer has been a 30/06.

Back then it was a great functional rifle with the performance that met our comfort and was very effective for all the PG that could considered normal on those hunts.

However, by todays standards with the newest bullet technology and powders available it's as effective now as a 300 mag was 20 years ago with a cup and core bullet. This specific rifle has accounted for way over 1000 client animals, not including my personal hunting and culling.

It has killed several giraffe, a hippo, at least a dozen eland, and in NA 4 bison, many bears to 8 foot, a whole bunch of elk and a couple moose. I really don't see where a guy goes wrong with this option using 165grain TSX bullets.

I don't currently have a 7x57 but I really should get one. I have much love for all three and wouldn't hesitate to use any of them on plains game or any North American game. I shot a bison last year with my 9.3 an dmy '06 has killed deer, caribou and moose. In fact, I stored all of my other rifles in favour of the 9.3 and 30-06 when I was posted to the far north this summer. Faced with moose, caribou, muskox, grizzly and polar bear I decided that these two covered my bases nicely, though a case could have been made for several of the others. I tend to be a "bigger is better" kinda guy so I would tend towards the 9.3 for heavier game and the 30-06 for everythign else, btu the 7x57 isn't too far behind at all. My lack of experience is the only thing that prejudices me against the 7x57 for use on heavier game. I'll steal the Old Man's rifle and shoot a few things to clear myself up.