9,3x62 286 tough bullet

[John Wasmuth]

Out of my Zastava M70 9,3x62 with a Hornady 286 grain sp with either big game or PP mr 2000 I’m get on average 2540 FPS. I’m going after wild cattle in the not to distant future and am wondering what bullet to use. The Barnes 286 solids hit a 1/4 inch to the right of the Hornady by the by.

 

[BC.Pat]

Try Swift A frames, only two draw backs, a bit pricey and not a great BC if your doing any distance shooting.

Regards
Pat

 

[John Wasmuth]

Try Swift A frames, only two draw backs, a bit pricey and not a great BC if your doing any distance shooting.

Regards
Pat

Should be up close and personal. It’s thick cover.

 

[baxterb]

I use the North Fork. You’ll be able to stay at that 2500 fps range with Big Game. That’s what use also. But the TSX has taken plenty of Cape buffalo at a bit slower speeds.

 

[MS 9x56]

Nosler makes 9.3 286 grain solids but consensus is the best is the A frame.

 

[sgt_zim]

how much 2000MR and how much Big Game?

I'm getting ~2425 on 62.0 gr 2000MR

 

[sgt_zim]

I would suggest cautious load development for A Frame if you're using those powders.

They don't list 2000MR or Big Game, but they do have a load for N140 (nearly the same as both), tops out at a skosh over 2200 fps. If it's going to be up close and personal, that doesn't matter so much.

A Frames have solid copper jackets, and those Hornadys you're shooting have gilded metal jackets. They build pressure differently from each other.

 

[John Wasmuth]

how much 2000MR and how much Big Game?

I'm getting ~2425 on 62.0 gr 2000MR

61.3 gr Big Game
62.8 gr PP 2000 MR
24 inch Green Mountain barrel 1:12 twist.

 

[sgt_zim]

my M70 has a 560 mm/22 in barrel, I believe, would like the 600

I'm seating the Hornadys so that COAL is 3.165, which is quite a bit longer than Hornady says it should be.

My magazine is a skosh over 3.4", but if I made the cartridges that long, pretty sure the bullets would be crammed down into the lands. But that's what a lot of dudes do, apparently.

 

[John Wasmuth]

I’d have to look at my notes but I think I’m getting 3.28 OCL and still well off the lands. No pressure signs at all. The PPU 285’s are really accurate with that load and zip right through deer size animals and the exit hole isn’t much bigger than the entrance wound. But I’d hesitate to use them on bovine size animals. They seem to be really thin in the nose. The PPU brass has more case capacity than the Lapua brass.

 

[baxterb]

I use 63gr Big Game with the North Fork and Lapua brass. No pressure signs. I have a 25.25” barrel. Rifle shoots .85” groups with that. Standard warning on using that load applies.

 

[John Wasmuth]

This is the first time I’ve used big game powder. It resembles PP 2000 MR in both appearances and load data. 62.8 gr of PP is pretty stout and the groups open up to about 1.50 at 100 yards. Average velocity was 2610 and the PPU 285’s just about shredded apart in the dirt. Haven’t tried the hornady’s with that load yet.

 

[sgt_zim]

so you're in Oz...why not Woodleigh PPSN 286 or RN 286?

 

[John Wasmuth]

I’m in Texas.

 

[sgt_zim]

yes, you are, aren't you. right in your bio, which I didnt read. the only dudes on here who talk about wild cattle are the Ozzies, so I just figured...

if you go directly to swiftbullets.com, they have 286 gr and 300 gr AF available for sale right now.

 

[AZDAVE]

RL17 and Big game have been the best powders for accuracy and velocity in the x62 that I have seen in all my testing. I have used the hornaday length guage to determine what the distance to the lands is with every bullet I load. For a tough bullet the Aframe is tough to beat. The northfork soft and solids are also a good premium bullet.. I also like the woodleighs in 286 and 320 gr. I use the Privi as practice rounds and hunt with the aframe softs and solids. Or the 320 woodleigh soft and solids. I also use the 250gr Accubonds in one rifle that is for plains game or north american hunts.

 

[BC.Pat]

62.8 gr of PP is pretty stout and the groups open up to about 1.50 at 100 yards. Average velocity was 2610

This seems a bit "hot" to me, any pressure signs ?
Regards
Pat

 

[mdwest]

Why not stick with TSX? They seem to be grouping close to your Hornady loads.. and the TSX is known for being a tough, performing, deep penetrating bullet... Being a monometal they generally have better BC than typical "lead" bonded bullets.. And as stated by @baxterb earlier.. TSX has been the bullet of choice for A LOT of cape buff hunters.. Its proven on big, mean, nasty bovine.. should prove to be no problem at all on wild cattle in the US.. at the distances youre talking about hunting and the velocities youre getting.. performance shouldnt be a concern with TSX..

 

[John Wasmuth]

This seems a bit "hot" to me, any pressure signs ?
Regards
Pat

No pressure signs at all, no stuck or hard opening bolts in either the Zastava barrel or the Shaw barrel.

 

[Desperatezulu]

As a general statement, RL-17 is the 'best' powder for the x62 in terms of complete powder burn, good case fill and decent velocity while operating within pressure limits. For 286gr and up bullets.

One of the main benefits of the x62 (read 'moderate velocities') is that it is not particularly tough on bullets - so using the absolute toughest baddest bullet on the planet is not really required. I've used conventional cup & core on a variety of PG and will continue to do so because bullet performance has been great. Sure I'd probably use a premium or a solid if I used it for DG but to my mind, that just goes from 99% certainty about bullet performance to 100%, if that makes sense.

A basic bonded bullet like a Norma Oryx should be ample - not sure you need to agonise whether a TSX has the edge over a North Fork versus an A-Frame. I would say that a lead-core bullet would have a slight edge because the lower impact velocities of the 9.3 might not mushroom a mono.