9.3x62 plains game

[Timbo]

Tomboy great bosses and big heavy horns. Congrats on a great trophy taken with a fine old caliber.
Cheers mate Bob

Thanks Bob!! I appreciate the comments, and those by others too. To date he's the biggest buff I've taken - with the smallest calibre I had available! I think my mate - who bequeathed this rifle to me - was watching over me at the time!

 

[Timbo]

@Timbo that was our experience with my wife’s buffalo this year, although hers may have made it 100 yds before tipping over. It is a surprisingly effective caliber with very little recoil.

Absolutely!! Firstly, congratulations to your wife on her buff!! AND for being another Lady hunter to join our ranks - giving the rest of us guys some class!! Since being bequeathed this rifle I've done a bit of research on the calibre and cannot find fault with it!! It's just a shame that the 375HH came along which almost killed off it's popularity. But over the past few years many hunters in the US, Europe and Australia are resurrecting it with amazing results.

I hope your wife gets to bag more trophies with her 9.3x62!! Great stuff!!

Cheers!
Tim

 

[Rule 303]

question what is the 9.3x62 comparable to in US designation?

That would be a .366" in a case about 30-06 in length but a slightly bigger base.

 

[nomspc]

Another vote here for the 9.3X62. I’ve had a few of them, custom Model 70, Sako 85, CZ 550, now a Blaser R8. I’m taking that rifle (2 barrels) back to SA in May for buffalo (.404 Jeffrey) and kudu (9.3x62). I’m a big fan of Barnes bullets and have had great results; shoot-throughs on most game including a 1300 lb bison with the 286 TSX. This is a caliber that’s easy on the shoulder, tough on game.

 

[Rule 303]

Yep!! A jumped up little Hitler!! But I fear all airlines will follow suit in their policy against supporting any sport/trophy hunting activities. I suppose by tumbling empties, and using "clean" branded ammo boxes, reloads might pass as shiny new factory loads?

I hope you filed a complaint with the airline over this. Let them know they can be held for the cost of your holiday as you have meet all their stated requirements. At the time don't be scared to ask to speak to his boss even if that is a phone call to Sydney. It is because of people like this I always check in at least 3hrs before departure.

That is one great Buff you got.

 

[Timbo]

I hope you filed a complaint with the airline over this. Let them know they can be held for the cost of your holiday as you have meet all their stated requirements. At the time don't be scared to ask to speak to his boss even if that is a phone call to Sydney. It is because of people like this I always check in at least 3hrs before departure.

That is one great Buff you got.

Thanks!! I am so pleased with him and they way he dropped with no fuss from my 9.3x62. I did report it, but as usual it's been put on the back burner as they DONT consider it important - which may be more obfuscation purely on the grounds that I'm a hunter. It seems the bastards get you either way - going or coming!!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Hi all. A friend has invited me on my first plains game hunt in South Africa later this year. I will most likely hunt Eland, kudu, wildebeest and maybe 2-3 smaller species. I have a 9.3x62 sako that I’m quite familiar with and shoot well. It has a 1.5-6x42 Zeiss Diavari with asv turret. I have loads for 250 grain Woodleigh round noses and 250 grain Nosler that group well. I have just ordered a 300 weatherby with a 26 inch barrel for for long range sambar shooting that will arrive before my trip. What rifle would you recommend?

Bert Reynolds
I would take the 9.3X62. I took a 35 Whelen and it did the job more than good enough. Shot game from impala up to zebra and Judas we'll as black wildebeest .

Cheers mate Bob

 

[Timbo]

Bert Reynolds
I would take the 9.3X62. I took a 35 Whelen and it did the job more than good enough. Shot game from impala up to zebra and Judas we'll as black wildebeest .View attachment 337295
Cheers mate Bob

That's a very nice trophy Bob!! I love the subtle changes in coloration in the "white" areas.

 

[postoak]

That would be a .366" in a case about 30-06 in length but a slightly bigger base.

Probably the closest U.S. cartridge is the .35 Whelen, but the 9.3 x 62 beats it just slightly in terms of bullet diameter, and bullet speed for any given bullet weight. Of course the 9.3 x 62 will have also slightly more recoil.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Probably the closest U.S. cartridge is the .35 Whelen, but the 9.3 x 62 beats it just slightly in terms of bullet diameter, and bullet speed for any given bullet weight. Of course the 9.3 x 62 will have also slightly more recoil.

postoak
If loaded to its full potential the Whelen is actually more potent than the 9.3X62.
To give you a couple of examples, you can safely launch a 225grain accubond are close on 2,900 fps and a 250grain Speer hotcore at 2,700 fps. This puts the Whelen in an entirely different ball park with muzzle energies of over 4,000 fpe.
These figures are safely obtainable. Look at the nosler and Speer reloading sites.
Regardless both are excellent cartridges for ALL plains game.
Cheers mate Bob

 

[postoak]

There's no replacement for displacement though and the 9.3 x 62 can be reloaded too:

Case capacity of .35 Whelen 72.6. Case capacity of 9.3 x 62 78.2.

 

[bruce moulds]

bob,
if you have the twist to handle it and the right powder, the whelen might come closer to the 9.3x62 than some would think using the 280 gn swift bullet.
of course this bullet would be for bigger game.
bruce.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

bob,
if you have the twist to handle it and the right powder, the whelen might come closer to the 9.3x62 than some would think using the 280 gn swift bullet.
of course this bullet would be for bigger game.
bruce.

bruce moulds
I run a 25 inch stainless MAB barrel with a 1 in 12 twist. I will get around to testing some 275 and 310 grain Woodleighs when I can. All ranges are shut at the moment.

There's no replacement for displacement though and the 9.3 x 62 can be reloaded too:

Case capacity of .35 Whelen 72.6. Case capacity of 9.3 x 62 78.2.

Postoak.
True there is no replacement for displacement but loading t the Whelen to it's potential certainly makes a difference maybe you could do the same with the 9.3X62
Cheers fellas
Bob

 

[bruce moulds]

one thing about the x62 is that you can rechamber it to the x64.
bruce.

 

[postoak]

Absolutely you can always load the 9.3 x 62 faster than the .35 Whelen. The one caveat is that these loads shouldn't be fired in all the old mausers floating around out there. But these old African rounds aren't all about that. IMO the traditional loads were and are good enough.

 

[samu]

If Norma brings 230gn 9,3mm Eco-strike available as reloading component it would be interesting one to search for max load. Potentially 2900fps or very close at least.

 

[Rick Cox]

question what is the 9.3x62 comparable to in US designation?

.366"

 

[Rick Cox]

Probably the closest U.S. cartridge is the .35 Whelen, but the 9.3 x 62 beats it just slightly in terms of bullet diameter, and bullet speed for any given bullet weight. Of course the 9.3 x 62 will have also slightly more recoil.

It seems to depend on the loading manual. The Nosler manual lists the fastest load for the 35Whelen 250gr. @ 2637fps. It lists the 9.3x62 250gr. load at 2582fps. So the Whelen is faster according to Nosler. But the Swift manual shows the 9.3 trouncing the Whelen. I would appreciate it if you could direct my attention to other comparisons.

 

[postoak]

That all has to do with down-loading the 9.3 for the old weak rifles that are out there. Pressure is kept very low for them but in a modern rifle you can load higher. I've seen someone loading to 2770 fps in the 250 grain. Don't remember the load though.

 

[postoak]

If your point is that you can load the .35 Whelen to exceed 9.3 x 62 factory loads, yes, you can.