If the 9.3x62 became the new legal minimum?

[BeeMaa]

I chose a .375H&H over a 9.3x?? for a few reasons.
First was the obvious DG legal issue.
But right behind that was ammo availability.

Although 9.3 ammo is more common in Africa.
What if I'm in Alaska?
375 ammo is just easier to find.

So I would not trade my 375.
Plus, it kinda belongs to my wife.
No need to kick that hornets nest.

 

[375Fox]

I was just getting ready to type about 375 ammo availability in the USA, but I got beat to it. Something else to consider is a 375 will sell much faster in the USA than a 9.3 if you should need to sell the rifle. I think this is because the 375 has almost become an American cartridge.

 

[bruce moulds]

from the day the win 70 became available in 375 yes, the 375 became an american cartridge.
bruce.

 

[Newboomer]

I have both 9.3x62 and 375HH. Haven't hunted anything with the 9.3 so I can't comment. It is a sweet shooter, though. As for the 375, it's my go to for anything. If I could have only one rifle that would be it. Ammo available for any size game worldwide and it is legal the world over.

 

[WAB]

We have both as well. They are both awesome calibers and both of ours have taken buffalo.

 

[Randy Bo]

I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to respond.
It almost seems to me that if, many moons ago, the 9.3 would have become the minimum legal caliber for all of Africa the popularity of the 9.3 would be much greater today. I would even propose that if you went to Winchester’s website today that the 9.3x62 would be listed in-place of the 375. I would propose that many of the great hunting reports we hear about the 375’s performance would be replaced with reports hailing the 9.3’s performance. In short, I would propose that if the 9.3x62 would have been declared Africa’s legal minimum from the beginning, that instead of the 9.3 being a superstar, it might of very well become a mega-superstar (and, just maybe, the 375 is somewhat less relevant).

 

[Wyatt Smith]

If the Germans had won the Great War the 9.3x62 would have been the minimum, and more popular than the 375.

 

[318AE]

Nine thousandths of an inch. These standards were developed when bullets were far inferior to what they are today.

Red leg has touched on this before - the outcome of the wars may have done more to determine the popular rifles and cartridges, and therefore standards adopted - ie British vs metric/German.

 

[375Fox]

If the Germans had won the Great War the 9.3x62 would have been the minimum, and more popular than the 375.

That is really interesting to think about. I was thinking Americans are too stubborn to accept metric calibers.

 

[sgt_zim]

The only thing making me hesitate using a 9.3x62 as a general purpose rifle would be longer shots on PG found in open areas.
I would not think the 9.3x62 is ideal for long shots on Gemsbok or small game like Springbok at distance. The .375 with a 270gr seems to do better here.
I guess you could bring two loads along and sigh in for DG and PG changes.

9.3x62 has a similar ballistic arc to 308 win shooting 180 gr bullets. the 308 would be slightly flatter at 300 than a 9.3, but not by a whole lot.

with a 250 gr NAB, it's at the lower end of performance envelope of 338 WM also shooting 250 gr bullets.

 

[bruce moulds]

If the Germans had won the Great War the 9.3x62 would have been the minimum, and more popular than the 375.

and where would the 9.3x64 be should the germans have been victorious.?
it would now be where the 375 is without doubt.
bruce.

 

[Tanks]

That is really interesting to think about. I was thinking Americans are too stubborn to accept metric calibers.

Ahem, then why 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 7mm Rem Mag etc. etc. are getting popular?

 

[Odinsraven]

Woodleigh do the 320gr for the 9.3 I have a couple of boxes of it in solid and SP I believe -

Have a 9.3x62 and a combi in 9.3x74r never got around to loading up - now you have sparked my interest

Appreciate the thread and discussion

 

[mark-hunter]

Ahem, then why 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 7mm Rem Mag etc. etc. are getting popular?

Because of the hype created by:
- extremely accurate affordable modern factory rifles (like never before)
- accesablity of good quality hi power scopes (like never before)
- Long range shooting, popular in all media (like never before)
- Those calibers above have high accuracy, mild recoil, (compared to .30 cal), can be shot all day long, without bruise on the shoulder. Anything less is too light for long range, anything bigger is too strong.

My guess is first three are more and more popular by day, while 7mm rm, is a bit in a shade, on its own old glory.

 

[Odinsraven]

Doctari in his book Perfect Shot II discusses his ZB47 rifle in 9.3x62 which has harvested I believe 600 plus Cape Buff !

 

[Odinsraven]

I have said this time and time again - sorry to bore you

Before the Great War DG calibres were sorted

Before the 2nd War all Plains game calibres were sorted

Everything since then is just smoke and mirrors - both ways more powerful for deer and if your rifle does not group at a mile consistently it's crap -

Oh well this old dino shot plains game with a 7x57 , have bagged a lot of Euro deer inc Reds etc with same and 6.5x55 - Whitetails I would like to meet as general thoughts currently are 300win mag min.

My last trip to Africa was with a £200/280usd 230euro rifle off the shelf from the 30's shot well put a £400 scope on it and took 25 animals culling in 7 days.....

Love these Creedmoor guys - seriously 6.5x55 works has been proved to work for over a century!

Ohh rant over Dino needs to sleep!

Ahem, then why 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, 7mm Rem Mag etc. etc. are getting popular?

Because of the hype created by:
- extremely accurate affordable modern factory rifles (like never before)
- accesablity of good quality hi power scopes (like never before)
- Long range shooting, popular in all media (like never before)
- Those calibers above have high accuracy, mild recoil, (compared to .30 cal), can be shot all day long, without bruise on the shoulder. Anything less is too light for long range, anything bigger is too strong.

My guess is first three are more and more popular by day, while 7mm rm, is a bit in a shade, on its own old glory.

 

[bruce moulds]

odinsraven,
clearly you don't have a manbun.
or are not even in the latte set.
bruce.

 

[Odinsraven]

odinsraven,
clearly you don't have a manbun.
or are not even in the latte set.
bruce.

Double Expresso - Whisky Lagavulin 16 on payday rest of month Mr Walker Red - Ohh not adverse to progress love the 17HMR it is amazing development - and as has become strange in these strange times - I am as a male attracted to females ! Shocking I know - Even worse hunt with a 303 and if the post from Auz ever arrives with the dies a 303-25 will add that for the small stuff !

 

[HWL]

Love the discussion about the legal minimum caliber, especially for dangerous game.

It's like to ask a woman, what is the legal minimum to satisfy her....


HWL

 

[Foxi]

It was once a purely political decision of the British colonial power to ban everything German that was feasible.As @Wheels once wrote, they even renamed the German Shepherd.
For almost 20 years, buffalo were legally shot with the 9.3x 62 in DOA/Tanzania.
Magnum systems and double rifles were at that time only for the upper class

That this is not corrected is probably due to the fact that developing countries have more important things to do, than worry about caliber issues, especially since there are alternatives.

In Zambia, the 9.3 is not approved for DG.
(as long as nothing happens nobody cares)

@HWL-not everything that limps is also a comparison