9.3x62mm vs. .375 H&H Mag

Theres always the .375 Ruger too! My guide gun is stainless, laminate, sports a 20" barrel and after some adjustments, feeds flawlessly and shoots like a dream. It weighs 8.5 lbs with a scope and I don't mind carrying it all day. Those limbsaver pads Ruger provides really dampen the recoil too. Just another thought for anyone in the "predicament" of figuring out which medium bore to buy.
Wonderful rifle - 375 performance in an -06 weight rifle.
 
with due respect to Doktari, that's not how terminal ballistics work.

an 1800 lb cape buffalo has about 45000 times more mass than a 286 gr bullet; and more than 31000 times the mass of a 400 grain bullet.

In thinking about this, something tickled my brain from an Anatomy and Physiology class when I was in college.

The heart runs on electricity. The start of every heartbeat is an electrical impulse from a spot on the top of the heart called the sino-atrial node. If the SA node is destroyed, heart stops beating immediately. Heavy bleeding not even required. If heart stops beating, it doesn't really matter how much O2 is in the blood, because it isn't getting pumped along. Gas exchange (O2 for CO2) occurs in capillaries, and if the blood isn't moving, no more gas is going to get exchanged.

My suspicion about bang-flops on heart shots is the hunter got lucky and hit the SA node. On a human heart, the SA node is about 10-30mm long and 5-7 mm wide, probably much bigger on a cape buffalo, but still not likely measured in anything bigger than a couple centimeters, I expect.
Does the head rolling away from the guillotine see it's executioner? Does the body flop or twitch? With an SA shot, heart will stop, but there is residual blood in the brain/muscle and myoglobin in the muscles as well. Bang-flops are hard to explain.
 
Hi Tanks, of course-even the .375 is marginal for Elefant. I just wanted to state that the 9,3x62 does not have enough steam and a solution is there for the 9.3 enthusiasts.
I shot my Buffaloes and Elefants either with a .500 NE Double or the . 458 Lott
I think about this and want to agree but then I remember Walter Bell and his .275 .... I guess elephants are shot at closer ranges in heavier cover with less shot choice today than then.
 
Good,day to you,Sir.

In addition to these 24 pages,I consulted Vihtavuori.

With a 300 A-Frame, there is still a safe 900 Joules (663 ftlbs) , 75 m/s (246 fps) difference in favor of 375 H&H and I want that edge. I practise 300 meters regularly with my medium bore / small bore hunting guns. Just to be prepared for that occasional required long shot.

I once cleaned up a gut shot moose @ 380 meters with 338 Lapua. 375 H&H should be good up to 250 m, depending on the bullet and accuracy,of course.







very good. Here in the states I have load data that gets 286grn A-Frames running slightly faster than 2500fps with no pressure signs and excellent accuracy. We have powders that aren't readily availablle in Finland. But you'll never hear me put down a 375 H&H. Bottom line, it's what meets your requirements and works for you. That said, given the chance where legal, I'd not hesitate To pull the trigger on M'bogo with my 9.3. Neither the 9.3 or the 375 are a stopper for a charge. But I'd still take the shot. Been a pleasure discussing this with you.
 
Does the head rolling away from the guillotine see it's executioner? Does the body flop or twitch? With an SA shot, heart will stop, but there is residual blood in the brain/muscle and myoglobin in the muscles as well. Bang-flops are hard to explain.
Good questions, to which we'll probably never have an answer.

Destruction of the SA node, or the segments of purkinje fibers nearest to it, makes the most sense to me for bang flop. Once the blood stops flowing, gas exchange ceases. Cellular death will start within several seconds. Tissues will try to excrete CO2, but if the RBCs are "full" of CO2, and no O2-rich ones are coming along behind it, it's over.
 
Then there is the deceiving spine "bang-flop". I once dropped a big running bull moose, 45-70, I figured I had hit high because of the instant drop. A 70 yds shot.

There were two eager dogs around the moose when I got there and my finishing shot took a bit longer because of the dogs... All of a sudden the huge over 500 kg bull literally jumped up right in front of me. Only six feet or so from me.

Then followed the fastest cowboy movie -like hipshot I've ever taken. I cast bullets and practise a lot, I had practised different positions for fun but never really thought I'd need to shoot from hip. Oh well.

A gentleman in our club once sat on a "dead" moose for a pic, with his rifle hanging on the antlers. You know how that ended. Yes the moose took off with the rifle...

When you just miss the spine a little, hitting a small knife-like spine bone that points up, the animal gets sort of paralyzed for half a minute or so. Drops right there as hit by lightning. Then it runs. It can go for days until a horrible infection starts...
 
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Good questions, to which we'll probably never have an answer.

Destruction of the SA node, or the segments of purkinje fibers nearest to it, makes the most sense to me for bang flop. Once the blood stops flowing, gas exchange ceases. Cellular death will start within several seconds. Tissues will try to excrete CO2, but if the RBCs are "full" of CO2, and no O2-rich ones are coming along behind it, it's over.

Muscle cells have an internal source of oxygen that doesn't require blood flow or delivery. Don't think it lasts long, but it should be good for a twitch or two. I was mostly trying for a joke with the guillotine questopns, but they are interesting. Out of curiosity, have you ever seen a large animal (big bear, moose, buffalo...) bang flop?
 
Muscle cells have an internal source of oxygen that doesn't require blood flow or delivery. Don't think it lasts long, but it should be good for a twitch or two. I was mostly trying for a joke with the guillotine questopns, but they are interesting. Out of curiosity, have you ever seen a large animal (big bear, moose, buffalo...) bang flop?
My bang flops on big stuff like bison are a result of head shots mostly back of head at axis joint. The 9,3x62 286 gr hornady interlocks at 2550 fps don’t mess around. I’ll grab the 9,3 more than any other rifle.
 
Popcorn anyone?
Since I’m left handed I went with a .375 Ruger with a left handed bolt. I also have a 6.5 Creedmoor and a .338 Win Mag. Anything I want to hunt I can hunt with those three.
 
Wow ok. I think the 9.3 can be great with good bullets. The prob is I used one in Africa and the factory bullets were rubbish. Load 270 gr Woodliegh and much better combo. Not as much frontal penetration as 375. It’s much like 338 though. Great Plains game. Used a lot less powder than HH. And only couple hundred feet slower.
 
Re Bang Flops, have seen them and read plenty about them. The bang flops that are dead right there are either brain, neck or heart shots. My thinking for the bang flops with heart shots are the bullet hits the heart as it is releasing blood to the brain and a pressure wave to the brain through the blood vessels does the job. Just my thoughts I could well be wrong.
 

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We 'll visit Livingstone / Vic Falls for 3 days and 2 nights. Back to Mapcha by car, back to WDH with Airlink (grab my rifles and belongings) and the same day back to Frankfurt.
What do you mind from your own experience ? and your wife .? Did she appreciate ?
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I am Philippe from Center of France. I plan to hunt Zambezi with Zana Botes in 2026, Oct after a couple of days for PG in Namibia in his lodge. I will be with my wife. She is not really a huntress and we promised to go visit Vic Falls. I imagine to go to Caprivi by car , hunt there 7 days (for buff) and go by car to Vic falls (PH will bring back my rifle) . sorry I am required to write 2 messages
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