9,3x62 213 Grain Bullets

coreydb

AH veteran
Joined
Oct 11, 2023
Messages
101
Reaction score
109
Hunted
South Africa, Canada, US, Spain
My lightest bullet with my 9,3 is 250 grains. I saw North Fork offers 214 grain CPX and Semi Spitzer bullets. I never saw this light a bullet in this caliber. This is an ignorant question, so laugh at me...it's ok, but what game is this effective on? squirrels, chipmunks, opossums?
 
I load/shoot brass monolithics at 155 and 170 gr, MJG and OK+, from Germany and Yugoslavia, respectively. They turn a 9.3 x 62 into a flat shooting deer/ bear/moose gun to 250 to 300 yards easily. lapua used to make a 232 gr lead free bullet. with a very good reputation for deep penetration sometimes bullet structure is more important than weight
 
This is an ignorant question, so laugh at me...it's ok, but what game is this effective on? squirrels, chipmunks, opossums?
I developed my 9.3 B&M in 2009. I was way to busy with real calibers to mess with it much, and certainly had too much field work to do with various 416s, 458s, and 500s to even take 9.3 to the field for testing.......... And by then we had come a long way with the Cutting Edge Raptors and CEB Solids, and North Forks as well. Finally in 2012 I took the 9.3 B&M out for a test run in April for 20-25 plains game, mostly wildebeest--zebra and assorted other critters.......... And using nothing but a 210 gr ESP Raptor at or around 2900 fps. We did a lot of shooting in a few short days. I was rather pleased with the rifle, cartridge and in particular the bullets terminal performance. What we found was that about 50% of the wildebeest and similar size animals would DRT on the spot, the other 50% would run short distance 20-30 yards and drop.......... zebra ran, none DRT, but soon went down......... Zebra are notoriously resistant. What we also learned, we did not recover one bullet or base! All exited. Internal damage was extensive, blood loss was incredible. I did a lot of shooting with 338 and 358 calibers with conventional expanding bullets, and they just don't come up to par with a Raptor.

In the test work, this is how some conventional bullets compared with the Raptor...........

DSC04017-L.jpg
DSC04019-L.jpg
DSC04022-L.jpg
DSC04024-L.jpg
DSC04571-L.jpg
DSC08228-L.jpg


Later 2012 I took the 9.3 B&M to Australia to see what would happen with buffalo....... Even with the best bullets, most destructive bullets available to mankind, buffalo just don't pay much attention to anything less than .458 caliber.......... After about 8-10 buffalo with the 9.3 I put it away, buffalo pay attention to caliber. The various 9.3 bullets I used did extremely well, all the Raptors exited far side, including this 210 gr ESP, lots of damage internally, but short on caliber, the bullets did all they could do.

Now I am not aware of or know anything about the New North Fork....... but if coming from North Fork, it will be a good bullet. Listen to what North Fork tells you about its performance and you will be fine.

And, for my part, I am not much of a small bore sort of chap....... I might agree that when it comes to less than .458 caliber, these things might be best kept for rats and such....... But don't discount todays Modern Bullet Tech, it will out perform the old conventional bullets every day........
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I developed my 9.3 B&M in 2009. I was way to busy with real calibers to mess with it much, and certainly had too much field work to do with various 416s, 458s, and 500s to even take 9.3 to the field for testing.......... And by then we had come a long way with the Cutting Edge Raptors and CEB Solids, and North Forks as well. Finally in 2012 I took the 9.3 B&M out for a test run in April for 20-25 plains game, mostly wildebeest--zebra and assorted other critters.......... And using nothing but a 210 gr ESP Raptor at or around 2900 fps. We did a lot of shooting in a few short days. I was rather pleased with the rifle, cartridge and in particular the bullets terminal performance. What we found was that about 50% of the wildebeest and similar size animals would DRT on the spot, the other 50% would run short distance 20-30 yards and drop.......... zebra ran, none DRT, but soon went down......... Zebra are notoriously resistant. What we also learned, we did not recover one bullet or base! All exited. Internal damage was extensive, blood loss was incredible. I did a lot of shooting with 338 and 358 calibers with conventional expanding bullets, and they just don't come up to par with a Raptor.

In the test work, this is how some conventional bullets compared with the Raptor...........

View attachment 640356View attachment 640357View attachment 640358View attachment 640359View attachment 640360View attachment 640361

Later 2012 I took the 9.3 B&M to Australia to see what would happen with buffalo....... Even with the best bullets, most destructive bullets available to mankind, buffalo just don't pay much attention to anything less than .458 caliber.......... After about 8-10 buffalo with the 9.3 I put it away, buffalo pay attention to caliber. The various 9.3 bullets I used did extremely well, all the Raptors exited far side, including this 210 gr ESP, lots of damage internally, but short on caliber, the bullets did all they could do.

Now I am not aware of or know anything about the New North Fork....... but if coming from North Fork, it will be a good bullet. Listen to what North Fork tells you about its performance and you will be fine.

And, for my part, I am not much of a small bore sort of chap....... I might agree that when it comes to less than .458 caliber, these things might be best kept for rats and such....... But don't discount todays Modern Bullet Tech, it will out perform the old conventional bullets every day........
Do you have any further explanation or conditions you shot the non-cutting edge bullets? 13-15 inches of penetration seems extremely shallow?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Do you have any further explanation or conditions you shot the non-cutting edge bullets? 13-15 inches of penetration seems extremely shallow?
Wet Print mix that I have been using for over 25 years, same mix with all tests................

DSC04012-L.jpg
DSC04352-XL.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi michael458,

I appreciate your write-up on 9.3 bullet performance. You mentioned that the buffalo you shot did not react as they do to a large bore. However, 8-10 buffalo is more than a lifetime of experience for most of us and I would love to hear the actual details regarding the bullets and their performance on buffalo.

Thanks,
Bush Buck
 
Hi michael458,

I appreciate your write-up on 9.3 bullet performance. You mentioned that the buffalo you shot did not react as they do to a large bore. However, 8-10 buffalo is more than a lifetime of experience for most of us and I would love to hear the actual details regarding the bullets and their performance on buffalo.

Thanks,
Bush Buck
Buffalo are the supreme bullet test medium........and can soak up punishment like no other animal I have ever encountered. It takes Caliber to get their attention.

I had very good results in Africa with the 9.3 and the CEB 210 ESP Raptors. Internal damage was extreme for a medium caliber. I view anything under 416 as medium and 416 as medium large. The 9.3 210 ESP destroyed internal organs of wildebeest, zebra and others. All exited as well.

Upon return later I had CEB do a Flat Base Raptor, reduce the weight to 200 gr. I believe my rifles had a 1:12 twist, which is a little slow for caliber, ESP, Enhanced System Projectiles are strange bullets, and they do not adhere to normal stability rules. I suspected just the slightest instability with the 210 ESP. The 200 Flat Base eliminated any issues with that.......

I also took the CEB 255 Safari Raptor, both 3 blade and 6 blade versions to test. And a few 280 Solids as well.

DSC07888-L.jpg
DSC07891-L.jpg


Buffalo reactions when taking the hit was almost nothing...... I am used to shooting buffalo with .458 to .500 and the buffalo I shot all died, they all had mortal wounds, the bullets performed as good as you could expect, all exited broadside shots, even the 210 ESPs.......... the bullets did all they could possibly do, you just can't turn a medium caliber into a big bore, regardless of using the most deadly bullet possible, not when it comes to Buffalo. Buffalo start to pay attention when you hit them with 458+.......... Its just that simple..........

Lesser animals like Wildebeest+ and such are more susceptible to good mediums with extreme trauma inflicting bullets. Buffalo are just simply Bullet Sponges with small calibers........... Oh yes, they eventually succumb.............
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thank you for the extra information.

It sounds like you shot 3 or 4 different 9.3 bullets at Buffalo. Did you see any significant differences?

I think the standard twist on 9.3x62 is 14. I'm surprised you saw stability issues with the 210. Did you think the 200 FB was an improvement on game?

Thanks again,
Bush Buck
 
It sounds like you shot 3 or 4 different 9.3 bullets at Buffalo. Did you see any significant differences?
None....... All were Raptors, all did extensive damage, as much as a medium can do..... all died, but not much difference...... Not impressive on buffalo.

A ESP does not play by any stability rules..... You see, it is a #13 Solid on one end, Raptor on the other end, and the addition of a Talon Tip can literally, "Tip the Scales" on stability.

The 200 Flat Base is "The Bullet" for what you would do with a medium 9.3 caliber....... it will hammer all plains game, up to zebra and such..... and would exit all broadside shots..... If eland or giraffe, I might go with a 255 Raptor........ Huge improvement in stability, accuracy, and can increase velocity as well..... I am running over 3000 fps in a 20 inch barrel...........
 

Forum statistics

Threads
58,209
Messages
1,251,426
Members
103,425
Latest member
BerndVacca
 

 

 

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

Big areas means BIG ELAND BULLS!!
d5fd1546-d747-4625-b730-e8f35d4a4fed.jpeg
autofire wrote on LIMPOPO NORTH SAFARIS's profile.
Do you have any cull hunts available? 7 days, daily rate plus per animal price?
 
Top