I have used Graf brass for reloading for practice for a bear hunt. I think it is Privi-Partisan but don't know for sure. Should I be using any other brand? I may need to shoot 200 yards. I haven't decided on a 250 grain or a 286 grain Nosler Partition. I will be hunting Moose in Canada. I can use some help here because I don't have a lot of experience with the 9.3x62, however I really like the CZ 550 FS with a 20.5 inch barrel. Thanks Buckfever1

I have used the Lapua brass in 9.3X62 exclusively. Great stuff, though expensive. Lasts a long time, though.

Assuming black or inland/mountain grizzly bear I would load the 250 gr Accubond or TSX, which ever shoots best, in your Privi brass and go kill a bear or a moose or an elk or .... If you are talking the big brown bear I would load the 286 gr Partition in your Privi brass and go kill one. Or use the latter load and kill 'em all. Just one man's view of course.

Graf's brass is all I use

I use RWS exclusively in 9.3x62 and Lapua is just about as good. Norma isn't too far behind. But I'm a dyed in the wool rifle loony. These are the top brands with the greatest quality and uniformity. In reality you are shooting very large targets (at least an 8" to 9" diameter vital area) at relatively short range (mostly less than 275 yds?). So any of the named brass is probably good to go and any can be improved by culling for neck thickness uniformity and weight.

buckfever1,

Have you had failures with the brass from Graf's? Why are you questioning it? Load up the 286gr partitions and go moose hunting.

Don't worry about brass. This is no bench rest or F-class comp. Better train to shoot in all position, from very short distance to 200 meters and learn how to double or triple your shot fast than worrying about cases.
Hitting a paper plate each time, standing or prone, with rest or without, from 0 to 200 will be ok for the kind of hunt you're after.
Enjoy this old german standard. It will never let you down from deer to buffalo.

Dom

I've Grafs and it works well and have had no "failures"....used this brass to load and kill both moose and grizz...ur good to go!

I have had no failures just new to the caliber with one bear and 50 reloaded cartridges. Just sticking my head up and benefiting from the experience of the 24 hour campfire group. Buckfever1

I've had experience w/ PPU brass in the .243 Win and a 9.3x57.

The former are from 1 lot that my buddy bought as factory ammo with a new rifle and I'm now neck-sizing.

The latter were 8x57 cases that I necked up w/out annealing and after 5 loadings never had an issue of any kind, though I wasn't pushing things heat-wise.

I'd use that stuff again in a heartbeat, particularly given the cost. The reloads I've built for my friend have been of sufficient quality to kill stuff!

As others have said/implied, I'd not worry about that brass. I'm sure that for the purpose its as good as anything else.

+1

Cheers!
-Bob F.

I've been using Lapua and Norma 9.3x62 brass since I bought my CZ 550 Lux in 1999. I'm still working through the 400 cases I bought with the gun, I may have a life time supply.

Just as a note, the 20 RWS cases I had lasted for 14 reloads with only squaring them up twice.

With these three brands you can't go wrong.

Steve

+2

I had some Lapua, but I sold it and bought a lot of Graf brass with the money. The Lapua is great brass, but the Graf is also good in my experience.

Graf & PRVI brass is all I have used in my CZ 9.3X62. Accuracy is good, very little trimming required; I've loaded one batch fourteen time with no failures.

If you're hard-up, 30-06 brass works just fine in the 9.3x62.

Has anyone had issues with Hornday 9.3x62 brass?

I have a NULA/CLR hybrid in 9.3 and has done my initial loading using Norma brass without any issue.

Picked up 50 rds of Hornady brass for load developments and went about loading some ammo last night. I set the RCBS dies up for FL sizing and had at it. When I checked them for funtionality in the rifle, they would not come remotely close to chambering.

Upon visual comparison against the Norma brass, the shoulder on the Hornady brass is clearly further forward with a shorter neck.

Perhaps John can opine on disparity between brands.

-Mike

Interesting - I just experienced a similar problem with Hornady 9.3x62 brass in a new Ruger African. The loaded Hornady rounds wouldn't come close to chambering - the bolt would stop hard about the length of the neck from chambering fully. Since the rifle was new and I hadn't fired it yet, I assumed I had a bad chamber. I was able to force the bolt closed but something was obviously wrong - I was thinking maybe a burr in the chamber neck area. I then tried an empty Hornady case and it chambered fine. After that, I tried some Norma brass that had previously been fired in my CZ 550 and it chambered fine with and without a bullet seated. Then I tried the Hornady brass in the CZ and had the same problem - wouldn't chamber with a bullet seated. That ruled out a chamber problem in the Ruger so out come the calipers. The outside neck diameter of the Hornady rounds were .003" larger than the Norma rounds loaded with identical bullets. I came to the conclusion that the problem was with the neck wall thickness of the Hornady brass - from everything I tried, I don't see how it could be anything else. I didn't notice any difference in shoulder location between the Hornady and Norma brass but my problems were the same with both unsized and full length sized brass. I'm thinking you may be having the same problem I did...

Sounds like somebody owes a couple shooters a refund. Either the brass is too thick and Hornady owes the refund, or the chambers are too amall and the rifle makers owe. Sounds more like the problem is with the brass since the problem follows the brass from Ruger to CZ rifles, and no prob with the Norma brass. I would check brass thickness and loaded round neck diameter against SAAMI standards first to see who is at fault. In any case I would be the company at fault will make it right, whether Hornady, Ruger, or CZ.

Gray,

I was annoyed enough that I didn't break out the calipers and do some real analysis last night. I will take a look this evening and check the neck thickness.

Either way, it is a major inconvenience and a waste of $40 odd dollars. Guess I should have just sucked it up and bought more Norma brass which has always been top rate.

I've had no issues with Hornady brass. You should not FL size new brass. Trim, load and fire, then partial resize body.

I was pretty frustrated as well, but then relieved to find it wasn't the rifle's chamber. I was fortunate in that I bought the rifle and brass together from a local shop - they took the brass back so I'm not out anything. The only other Hornady brass I've used is 450/400 NE and that has been fine. I think this is the first and only issue I've had with new brass of any make.

If your at all worried about brass just buy some Lapua, load and go. Stick with a 286 projectile, conventional or premium. They made the 9.3's reputation and work the best.

I never FL size new brass - I just run the expander ball over the neck to true them up, check the length, and give them a light chamfer. I don't trim (unless necessary) until after I fire them once. I only FL sized a couple of these after I realized there was a fit problem and was trying to determine if the problem was the brass or the chamber.

I stick to Lapua. Had some problems with a batch from Graf's. They took it all back and were great to work with but I'll stick with Lapua for that cartridge at least.

I've been using Hornady brass in my 9.3x62, very uniform, good tight primer pockets, and stands up to the higher loading pressures very well.

Gunner

Yep, had the same problem mentioned. Thought at first it was the chamber of my T3. Hornady brass is S&B, by the way.

Anyway, I discovered the cause and solution: The neck IS a tight fit for the chamber, but there is a burr around the mouth of the neck on the outside (and perhaps on the inside) where the brass has been cut. When I trimmed that off, they chambered OK. And on the second and third firing, there wasn't a hitch. They are tough and a decent price.

Bob

www.bigbores.ca

I have used Lapua in my CZ550, no issues and the brass has lasted quite a while with JB's loads which are towards the warm side. I trim the brass and get rid of any burr. No issues and works fine and so far is lasting. No experiance with other brass.