I recently rebarreled a 30-06 Tikka T3 Stainless to 9,3 x 62. Barrel length is 20 3/4 inches. Is it reasonable to expect velocity with this bullet of 2450 fps with pressures within spec? The powder of choice is Ramshot Big Game, because I have a lot.

Thanks.

I’m at 22” with mine and get a pretty easy 2650-2700 from mine with PP2000 and 15, I’d guess you’ll easily get 2450 with the bullet from your barrel. All else being equal.

Whoa that's fast. I think I'd quit at 2550 fps ...

With your 20 3/4 inch bbl and Ramshot Biggame being a little on the slow side for the 9,3 and the 9,3 is only specd to 56565 psi you might get close.

Something in the area of Varget, RL15, or H4895 would be better.

I have a 21 inch 9,3 I shoot the 250 TSX and I can get to 2455 fps with Varget. I believe the 250 TTSX has a minimum impact velocity of 1600 fps (but call Barnes and ask) and even starting at 2350 fps you have enough velocity out to 350+ yards.

I always worry about finding the accurate load as opposed to velocity.

That’s probably smart business right there.

Varget is a real winner with that bullet but I don't remember the velocity.......it did kill a 62" bull moose at 380 yards.

My Ruger African (1st gen) 9.3x62 shoots the 250 grain Nosler Accubonds at 2650 gps with excellent accuracy using Mule Deer’s RL-15 recipe, I’m not sure of the barrel length. I’ve never seen 9.3 250 grain Barnes TTSX’s.

I really can't see the need or usefulness of X bullets in a 9.3. If you're going after dangerous game you want something heavier and if you're going after deer you want something softer.

This is a moose and bear load. If Nosler’s bullets were available, I’d try them.

For deer I have the 270 grain Speer. But it’s not a deer rifle.

Jeff,

Closest thing I had to what you have, was a 338/06.

But I can pass on that 50 grains of 4064, with a 200 to 250 grain bullet will yield an MV of 2500 fps out of a 24 inch model 70 barrel., with close the same point of impact.

For velocity, H 380 was to top of the bell curve. you can't get enough in to exceed SAAMI specs.

it is accurate as hell also....200 to 250 grain bullets. 2900+ for the 200s, 2800 for the 225s and 2650 for the 250 grainers.

Liked the latter with a 250 grain RN....it just looks old school cool.. especially with a necked up nickel 06 case.

The 270gr Speer seems to be a good bullet for big game-others say they are to soft while others will disagree. We have a few Canadians who have had good results with them on moose/grizzly bear.

Thank you all. I think I would rather shoot a Grizzly with a 270 grain 9.3 bullet than my 6.5 with any bullet.

I know barrel lengths vary but what is the preferred length? I like 20" for the balance and handling in my 308win and 338RCM but don't know about 9.3 cal. Guy on YouTube (North 61) has an steyr mannlicher with an 20" and it looks like it's an nice package.

Per Quickload your goal should be a piece of cake with your powder at <54k

Is the barrel from the early 1900’s or from the 2000’s?

If it is a modern barrel I know some guys are loading to 60k vs 54k. I think there are loads for that in a magazine.

Some of us on this forum are running 250g Accubonds at 2700fps for reference. We are using a different power.

I used big game and 250 AB and couldn’t get over 2500fps
I hate how varget meters. The extruded cylinder are a PIA when you’re used to Ramshot.
I’d look at RL 15

Your powder and your velocity goals are a good match
There are good reports with that powder in this cartridge
Projected 49k pressure about 100% case capacity per QL


To get those higher velocities mentioned we are using R17
2000-MR and 223 CFE are alternates

I had my Husqvarna ‘98 Mauser rebarreled with a 22” Walther barrel. I was loading H4895 under a 250 gr Nosler BT......only have a few of those left. Lapua brass and I don’t remember what primer I used. Measured velocity taken at a John Linebaugh shoot at the Cody, WY. range a number of years ago. Velocity was 2575 FPS.

I’ve whacked a number of deer and my son shot a nice cinnamon spring bear with it after he got out of the Air Force. It gets their attention for sure. My favorite rifle cartridge...:)

When I run out of the BT’s, we’ll go to the Accubonds. I’ve got some other powders specifically for that rifle but just haven’t used them yet.

Forgot to say.....no pressure issues at all with that load. Easy shooting and accurate.

The 250-grain load I've used for years now is 60.5 grains of Varget, which gets right around 2650 fps from the 23.6 inch barrel of my CZ 550. It has been tested with a Pressure Trace and it's also right around the SAAMI Maximum Average Pressure for the .30-06, 60,000 PSI--which isn't all that high, since many modern cartridges have MAPs of 65,000 PSI.

Used to use 62.0 grains of RL-15, which got just about the same pressure and velocity, but eventually grew weary of its temperature sensitivity--though like most modern rifle powders it works fine at temperatures from around 25 to 80.

Have used the Varget load in places from Alaska to Africa with no problems, including a safari in Tanzania where my thermometer read 105 one afternoon. Put the thermometer away after that, as I didn't really want to know how hot it got.

Had a CZ 550 "Stutzen" carbine for a while, which Americans would call a Mannlicher, with a 21" barrel. Chronographed a bunch of the same ammo, both handloads and factory, in both rifles on the same day. The 21" barrel lost around 75 fps with the Varget, but with others it actually chronographed about the same--which happens more often than many would guess.

I generally use the 250-grain AccuBond, as it penetrates plenty. Like Partitions, the larger-caliber, heavier ABs are designed to retain more weight. Have shot plenty of African game up to 750 pounds or so with it, and never recovered one. In fact, the only 250 AB I have recovered was from an interior Alaskan grizzly with a hide that squared 7-1/2 feet. It was angling away and the bullet entered the middle of the ribs on the right side, and was found under the hide on the left side of the neck, retaining a little over 80% of its weight. (Luckily I have a lifetime supply of them.)

The 250 TTSX doesn't tend to kill similar-sized game as quickly as the 250 AB, but that's generally true of monolithics at moderate muzzle velocities. It would penetrate deeper on game over 1000 pounds.

I just recently got into the 9.3 myself
Have not shot anything with it yet but it don’t seem to me it a thing at all about speed it’s more about bullet weight.
As for Barnes I don’t plan on using them myself
I see no practical need for higher bc bullets in 9.3
Although at Tulsa gun show I ran across
An old guy selling out his gear he had hunted a lot in Africa and completely switched all his rifles to Barnes and was willing to make me a great deal on all the non Barnes bullets
Had a good conversation with him
Funny he never had any bullet failures with any other bullets

Why not? Because it's only a "short range" round?

With a high-BC 250 like the 250-grain AccuBond the trajectory is about the same as the .30-06 with 180-grain spitzer boattails in factory loads at 2700 fps, and they work very well beyond "short range."

Here's a caribou I took with a .30-06 180-grain factory load at 450 yards--the ammo the short-lived Federal Deep-Shok, which got just about the same muzzle velocity in my Ultra Light Arms 30-06 as my 9.3x62 250 AccuBond handloads do in my CZ 550. Plus, AccuBonds expand easily at longer ranges. Haven't used one quite that far, but have to around 350--and am very certain the results at 400+ would be similar

I have a 21" bbl 9,3. With the TTSX, even at modest 2430 and any kind of BDC reticle, you have a 400 yard rifle and the bullet is doing 1750 fps. 150 fps above is specified min impact velocity.

Haven't used my Tikka T3 Lite in 9.3 x 62 for awhile on game as I'm giving some other mediums a try. But it is one of the most accurate rifles I've ever owned, including some small bores. The 250gr AB shoots into sub- 1/2 MOA at ~2700 fps when I'm up to it. Regularly. That's over a compressed charge of RL-17, WLRM primers and Hornady brass. Recently, I purchased some Lapua brass (costly) and it takes around 2 grs less for the approximate same results as the Hornady when firing the 286 Partition at ~2600 fps using a full dose of RL-17. The 286 shoots into sub MOA (not sub 1/2 MOA like the 250 AB). I've shot bl. bear with each. The first bear with the 286 Part. captured the bullet under the hide in the right flank - retained 73% weight from a frontal shot at 68 yds. The second bear (also a six footer) shot with the 250 AB went 20 yds, from a 85 yd shot, with a massive blood trail. That 250gr AB penetrated from a high mid-rib shot on right side to lower front ribs on left (I was shooting from a tree stand) after taking out heart and lungs and just kept going off into the bush... I was impressed! So far, it's my best medium-bore rifle cartridge, and I've owned a bunch from .338 to .375. The barrel length is 22.44".

Bob
www.bigbores.ca