Just a debate for a cold day. Assuming hand loads will be used, which one and why for North America.

Obviously, the 9.3 is a match for anything on the continent including the biggest bears. On the other hand, a properly loaded 7.92x57 is pretty much equal to the 30-06 in all respects. I guess I would go with the 7.92 for most things if forced to make a choice, but not by much. In my case, it is mainly because I prefer the little rifle that is my hunting 7.92.

9.3x62 all day long. Much more factory ammo and reloading bullets available in this caliber. You can have bullets from 220 - 325 gr, in 9.3 which is much more versatile then the 8mm. 9.3x62 is so easy to reload and super accurate with almost any bullet. I have shot everything from small deer to moose with my 9.3x62 and its bang flop every time.

8x57 without even beginning to think hard about it. It does everything I want a non-dangerous game cartridge to do fairly well. There's also the small matter of owning a half dozen of them already, with about my weight in ammo to feed them. There isn't a 9.3x62 in the house.

P.s. just to demonstrate the popularity of the 9.3x62 in Scandinavia...I was in a hunting party of 12 guys going to Estonia and in the group nine had 9.3x62, one had a 8x68, one had a 375H&H and finally one had a 30-06

Just throwing this out there for consideration. If loading to CIP standards there are powders that will get you well over 2600 fps with a 200gr load from an 8x57...makes for a very nice hole puncher. I don't have any personal experience with the 9.3x62.

were you the one with the 30-06?

Not really a debate topic, IMO.

A guy ought ta have both of these, use one for 10 seasons, then the other. Or a number of other cartridges might be added or substituted...

While I am personally in the 9.3x62 boat, neither would be a bad choice...

8x57

Depends if you want more of an '06 or a .375.

Wow that was perfect!
My 06 and 9.3 are two different animals

8x57,and I own rifles in both calibers.

The 8x57 doesn't pound me ,like the '62 and it has proven to kill deer and moose with no problems.

Exactly. The only time I'd pick the 9.3, between the two, would be for brown bear, and then maybe. I'd not be skeered to go after one with an 8x57, not in the least.

The 8 X 57 is perhaps more practical, for medium game but, at the moment not as popular. Given the difference in performance between the two it's sort of like "apples and oranges". I do have a Mauser sporter from 1919-1920 but no experience with the 9.3 X 62....yet.

I enjoy my 9.3's a great deal, as I do my .30/06's.

In North America, a 9.3 is my go to pig rifle. Quite decisive.

Have never owned a 8x57.

8x57 vs. 9.3x62 is kinda like the 30-06 vs 35 Whelen. The 8mm Mauser (and 30-06) would be a little more versatile.

Not really, given the range of bullet weights and top end capability of the 9.3. But then I really like the 9.3!

Most guys are just deer hunters. OP did not specify. Both good choices.

When God churns up a North American critter in his chemistry set that will shake off a 200gr Barnes or Partition from an 8x57, I'll move up the ladder.

That's how I see it. I am a big fan of the 9.3 x 62 even though for anything in Idaho I am way overgunned. Ideally, I would love to use that with a 286 Gr Partition for Alaskan brown bear. No personal experience with the 8 x 57, but I can't see why it wouldn't be a great cartridge for most any kind of big game hunting you can do shy of dangerous game in Africa.

I think they are both cool rounds but I would lean towards the 8x57 for an all around gun. Use a 150 gr Sierra or Speer for open country deer and for heavy stuff you could use one of the tough 196-220 gr bullets. I have thought for quite a while that the 160 gr Barnes TTSX would work great for almost anything in N.A.

Planning a build for this summer, kicking back and forth between an 2nd 8x57 or a 9.3x62...thinking I'm just going to build another 8x57. Going to do one in a satin walnut stock with a #2 1/2 barrel. Shouldn't be too much overlap my other 8x57 has a stepped barrel and a McMillan. I guess the only question now is bead blasted 416 Stainless or 4140 parkerized.

I think the question is unreasonable. A 9.3X62 OR an 8X57.
That's horrible. Should be "and" not "or."
Build both! (I am)

And I threw in a 9.3X57 too, along with my 9.3X74R Ruger #1.

Why so many?

Why not!

I have no other hobbies so building guns that I like is fine, and cheaper then race cars, boats, motorcycles or even golf if own was to play all year.

My "experience" with the 9.3X62 is building them, and seeing them used on elk and deer as well as a few antelope in the hands of those I made them for. But so far I have not personally shot any game with one.

I have killed a good many head of game with my 9.3X74R however, and the ballistics are very close.
I also have killed game with my 8X57, antelope, deer and elk.

Well now Tim, you have the ingredients on hand to build the perfect compromise....a 9X57! You know you want to, and it would be so cool!

Got pretty much everything but the barrel for either an 8 or 9x57, both reamers are in the same box on top of the safe. Keep thinking that if I build a 9x57, it will be a small ring(or Kar.98) carbine with a 20" barrel.

I have been shooting a lot of 9.3x57 lately.

232 Norma's at 2,450, I'm taking them out to 300 yds and they smack steel real good.

Easy cartridge to load for.

A 20" carbine would be a winner.

I really love the 8x57.

I've never even heard of a 9x57 till now. Sounds interesting. What make of rifle do you have in that, SU?

Picked up a Husqvarna m46 in great condition for $325.00. It's a blast loading a shooting it!

I should say though I have a 9.3x57. 36 caliber, hardly a difference between the 9x57 which I believe is a 35 caliber.

Both based on the x57 case.

I got a 8 x 57 and a 9.3 x 62.

If one had to go it would be the 9.3. I think the correlation of 3006 to 35 Whelen is spot on.

8 x57 a little more variable , and versatile.

I’m the proud owner of a very nice customized M98 in 8x57 so obviously that is my choice. The double set trigger and my handloads with the now extinct Remington Cor-Lokt 185 grain PSP are accurate and deadly.

That's the bullet I'm now loading and Remington still does limited runs so they aren't totally extinct, just on the endangered species list

If I ever buy a 9X57 reamer I am going to do it in "American style"
By that I mean I will have it made with a live pilot and set up for American .358 barrels. The original German and Austrian guns used .356" bullets. Easy enough to size down a .358 to .356", but why bother?
Making the rifle with an "American spec barrel" just means you load any .358" bullet and you have ammo. You need only swap out the expander ball from a .355" to a .357"

So far no one has asked me to make them a 9X57. I have done a few 9.3X57s however. In fact I made the last one for myself.

But I have friends who use 9X57s with re-sized bullets or European factory rounds, and no one has told me anything bad about the guns or the rounds.

It would be a cool little powerful gun to build on a Small Ring Mauser with a 7X57 length magazine. I could make it very light and quick. The only thing to remember is that in physics, there is no "free lunch" and a 7 pound rifle of that power will kick some. I am assuming it would be a rifle loved by the same lot of hunters that think the 350 Magnum M600 Remingtons were cool.

I've got that reamer, let me know if you need it.

Oh very cool Tim!

Who made if for you?
I have kicked around the idea a few times. PTG says they can do it.

I got it from Hook here on the 'fire. Guess it has one chamber on it from when he built his 9x57.

I've only shot factory Federal(round nose) and PMC(spitzer) 170's from a 8mm 98 carbine. It was more like a 30-30 than a 30-06 with those rounds.😁
I don't know it'd be so much fun out of that little rifle to shoot some hot loaded 200's.

Dang............this is going to tempt me.
I have a Belgian FN Small Ring I was about to make a 257 Roberts on, as a spec gun. 257s are easy to sell. But the idea of a 9X57 is just too cool. Much harder to sell because there are a heck of a lot more deer hunters around then moose hunters (or deer hunters who just like moose rifles)
I do have a good .358 blank with a 1-12" twist.

Maybe I'll make a take down with 2 barrels, a 257 AND a 9X57.
Or a 6.5X55 and 9X57.
Or even a 7X57 and 9X57.


This could be a sweet combo gun.

I am so far behind right now I think I''m first, but this gun has enough merit that I may just have to make it.

I (we the boys) have killed plains game in Africa (2012) with the 8x57 loaded rather leisurely given the small ring/large thread Mauser used using the 180 gr Ballistic Tip up to wildebeest. I have done the same with similar critters and larger with the 9.3x62 using the 250 gr X in 2002 up to eland. At eland level I would opt for the latter, otherwise I would have no issue with the 8x57.

I have a 9.3x62 barrel for a Blaser that I have never used. I bought it based on my experience of about five years using a .338/06, which I foolishly parted with. The larger caliber just did a really good job of anchoring stuff right there. The 9.3 should do it even better. I am stocked with components and intend to use it this year, starting with feral hogs.
Jack

I have a couple of 9x57's and both have .356" bores. I use unresized .358 projectiles, either the Hornady 200 RN or 250 RN in them and they shoot great. I purchased a 9,3x57 with several boxes of fired and unfired Norma ammo once and, after slugging and chamber casting, determined it was in reality a 9x57. Never determined whether an enterprising individual reamed the neck larger or if it was a factory 9x57 chamber that was simply generous enough to load a 9,3x57 into. In any event, the notion of the neck being so large didn't appeal to me so I rechambered it to 35 Whelen and still fire .358's down that tube. Just make sure that the neck in your chamber is large enough that it does not bind on the case neck with a seated .358" projectile. I found it interesting that the previous owner(s) had fired a fair amount of 9,3x57 loads through it with no issues.

Perhaps my favorite 9x57 is built on a small ring large thread 98 and tips the scales at around 6.5 lbs. I've a 9,3x57 built on a small ring Mexican 98 that is equally light. I have a take off Octagon 9x57 barrel that is a mere 20" which I will fit to a VZ24 with spoon handle and Mannlicher stock someday.


In the meantime I'll continue to shoot my various 8x57 and 9,3x62's whenever possible. If I had to pick one or the other, I'd probably go with the 9,3x62. Which cartridge one chooses depends I think on the type of hunting and game one hunts.

SU,
thanks for the clarification. Sounds like a nice rifle.

OK, Cowboy Tim talked me into it.

I am going to build the Small Ring FN Mauser into a swap-barrel combo gun, the big barrel is going to be a 9X57 (made to "American spec for the bore so it will use .358" bullets) and a 257 Roberts with a 1-10 twist.

The gun will be made with the take down system to swap the barrels in the field as needed, and each barrel will mated with it's own scope so when you swap over from caliber to caliber you should not have to re-zero. Just swap and go hunting. The idea is one gun that can be used for coyotes, fox, deer, antelope, black bear, caribou, elk, moose and big bears.

The old Redfield scope base I will modify to include a fixed peep sight and both barrels will have front sights adjusted to a fixed zeros.
Both barrels will come set for a certain load, but if the owner wants he can play with that a little as he sees fit. The 257 will be set for a 115 grain Nosler partition, zeroed both with the scope and the irons at 200 yards.
The 9X57 will come set up for a 250 grain Partition with the irons set at a 100 yard zero, and the scope set at 150 yards.

A set of loading died for each barrel will come with the rifle too.
The 257 barrel will be 22" long and the 9X57 will be 20" long.

If I can get time to do it, I also want to make a case for the whole set, and a separate box for housing the dies, brass, load data and so on..........for making of ammo for this rifle.

I don't expect to have it done until late spring at the very earliest, and maybe even late summer, but these are the kind of guns that make me smile when they are done. Classy to the core, ultra reliable and ultra versatile. And not something that you can go to the local Walmart" and buy. I make such guns with the intent that they last and work for many generations.

I'd take the 8x57. I've had three but currently have none.

You will enjoy the 9X57. I built a poor man's version (compared to what you're planning) and then sold the PT&G reamer to CowboyTim . I saw no need for a second 9X57 but now y'all are making me think a new 9mm bbl on my Mexican 98 action would be cool. My current 9 is on an FN action with a Shaw .358" bbl. I load 250 gr Hornady RN bullets and 246 gr gas checked cast.




Since the above pictures were taken, I've added a barrel band for sling attachment. The 9X57 works very well on whitetails, this buck dropped in his tracks. If you look closely, you can see both jacketed RN bullets in the buttstock shell holder as well as cast bullets. With the rifle zeroed at 2" high at 100 yds, the cast load shoots at dead zero. I hope the next deer taken with the 9X57 will be with the cast load.

Doggone it! szihn, if you rent "my" reamer from Tim to do your rifle, maybe I should talk with you about doing a bbl for me as well to go on that Mexican action of mine. You people get me into so much trouble.....

Hook, do you have the barrel? If so is it contoured and threaded?

Give me a call. 307 856 6431.
I could do the chamber a bit deep for you if you have a lathe to set the barrel back to correct head-space. Or I can do the chamber shallow, and you finish the headspaceing by hand with an extension .

I'd be happy to do it for you. If I don't have to turn the contours and do all the polishing it would not be a big job for me to simply cut a chamber for you. I'll do it for free.

I am going to order some barrels this week. If you don't have one let me know and I can get one for you at the same time.
PM me and let's talk over the details.

I have always had a respect for the 358 Winchester, and the 9X57 Mauser is all the 358 is, and can be more, depending on what action it's made on.

Same with the 9.3X57. A 9.3X57 on a strong action is a very powerful round and has some excellent bullets available for it too. I was surprised when I checked Midway USA and Graf and Sons both and found there are more .366" bullet available today than there are .358" bullets. It's easy for me to fire a 250 grain bullet from my 9.3X57 at 2350. In fact I am pretty sure I can shove it 2500, but so far I have seen no need to do it. My rifle is made on a 98 action and heat treated by myself and it's very strong so I can load it to 58,000 PSI with no problems at all. (well ----- except that at that pressure it wants to kick your shoulder off your body. It has a steel butt plate)

I made my 9.3X57 last year and wanted to kill an elk with it, but my truck broke down and I was unable to get out to hunt for myself. I was VERY disappointed last season. I only killed one buck deer in the whole season. (used my 8X57 on him)

I never got an antelope tag this year, and my elk tags went unused.
Maybe next year.