9.3x62

[Handsome Rob]

Anyone have any first hand experience with this cartridge? 

Pet loads etc.

I've got an old Rem 721 out to J.E.S. currently getting rebored & chambered to it because, well, I don't have one & I occasionally like to pretend it's 1912 & hogs are elephants or buffalo.

[Moped]

You sure come up with fun little projects!  Hogs and elephants!  

[Handsome Rob]

27 minutes ago, Moped said:

You sure come up with fun little projects!  Hogs and elephants!  

Stalking through Texas, Florida & Georgia scrub & treating a pig hunt like a safari is as near as I'll ever get!

[FrankD]

I have a hard time getting my head around getting a new gun in a NATO cartridge with ammo available everywhere and here comes Rob getting guns I have never heard of rechambered in a caliber I have never heard of.

[MacGyver]

When an angry hog comes out of the palmettos in Florida heading straight for you, it may as well be an elephant.

[Handsome Rob]

44 minutes ago, MacGyver said:

When an angry hog comes out of the palmettos in Florida heading straight for you, it may as well be an elephant.

I know I can't outrun or outfight either! 

[Snaveba]

Rob, you are not up for knife hunting wild hogs?

[Handsome Rob]

3 hours ago, Snaveba said:

Rob, you are not up for knife hunting wild hogs?

I've done it once or twice & honestly, I don't enjoy it. Having the pigs chased gets their adrenaline going & it toughens & taints the meat. 

Much more fun to take the gun for a walk to spot & stalk them in the thick stuff. 

[scatman]

1 hour ago, Handsome Rob said:

I've done it once or twice & honestly, I don't enjoy it. Having the pigs chased gets their adrenaline going & it toughens & taints the meat. 

Much more fun to take the gun for a walk to spot & stalk them in the thick stuff. 

Agreed. Better meat comes out of when they're relaxed. 

[Alleycat72]

I know a place you can spear hunt them.  LOL

[1gewehr]

I almost bought a Mauser in 9.3x62mm.  At the last minute, a guy offered me a .416 Rigby on a custom Enfield action.  I bought the .416 instead.  That was back in the days when I actually thought I might be able to go hunting in Africa.

IIRC, 9.3mm uses .375 bullets, so reloading shouldn't be too difficult.  The cartridge is very popular in Europe and Africa, so brass and dies should be available.  Over there, they think that it is suitable for lions and other thin-skinned dangerous game.  I wouldn't try it out on heffalumps or cape buffalo, though!

 

[Sunfish]

I have had one for some time. They shoot 286 gr mostly. They are slightly ahead of a 35 Whelen. It would kill a cape Buffalo with a solid just make sure you're in a very large tree when you shoot him. 

[Handsome Rob]

11 hours ago, 1gewehr said:

IIRC, 9.3mm uses .375 bullets, so reloading shouldn't be too difficult.  The cartridge is very popular in Europe and Africa, so brass and dies should be available.  Over there, they think that it is suitable for lions and other thin-skinned dangerous game.  I wouldn't try it out on heffalumps or cape buffalo, though!

 

.366 actually. 

It's a shame that some countries deemed .375 the minimum caliber for DG as it would appear that the 9.3 was very well thought of as a Buffalo caliber. 

[Sunfish]

There are quite a few Husqvarna's around and CZ chambered them for a time. I also own a 9.3 x 57. Both of mine are 98 actions but some are the Swede 46 that are cock on close actions. The 9.3 x 57 is a fine woods cartridge where the 62 is more of an open country round. The huskys have the correct drop on the stock for open sight shooting and when I asked why I was told they drive game in groups and most of the shooting is at running moose. You shouldn't have any trouble killing anything in North America with a 9.3 x 62   

[Handsome Rob]

2 hours ago, Sunfish said:

There are quite a few Husqvarna's around and CZ chambered them for a time. I also own a 9.3 x 57. Both of mine are 98 actions but some are the Swede 46 that are cock on close actions. The 9.3 x 57 is a fine woods cartridge where the 62 is more of an open country round. The huskys have the correct drop on the stock for open sight shooting and when I asked why I was told they drive game in groups and most of the shooting is at running moose. You shouldn't have any trouble killing anything in North America with a 9.3 x 62   

Do you load for yours, or shoot factory? 

If you load, and are willing to share, I'd be very interested in your data. I placed an order last night for 50 pieces of brass & Prvi 286gn SP bullets. I know they're maybe not the best, but they'll give me fire formed brass & barrel break in all at the same time. 

I'm never going to get back to Africa, so this is purely a vanity gun. I'll hunt hogs with it & I'm sure it'll see a deer or two & I'd like to find a suitable bullet for that, but they seem oddly hard to locate. 300gn solids, however, are common as muck (and $3 each......)

It's not going to be a pretty gun, that much I know. Far more Phil Shoemaker than Bors Blixen, if you get my drift. 

Edited August 6, 2022 by Handsome Rob

[19_A_CPT]

That the one from off 24HourCampfire? 

 

[Handsome Rob]

4 hours ago, 19_A_CPT said:

That the one from off 24HourCampfire? 

 

Nossir. I picked up the donor 721 from a buddy in exchange for a cheap, BCA upper for his kid's AR. It's with Jesse for the next couple of weeks getting wallered out. 

I'll post pics when it's done, but she ain't gonna be pretty! 

[Sunfish]

Both, The S&B is great and Prvi is good. Speer makes a hot core 270 grain spitzer that is a fine bullet if you can find them. I'll look in my notebook and get back to you on charge weights and propellants  

[Handsome Rob]

3 hours ago, Sunfish said:

Both, The S&B is great and Prvi is good. Speer makes a hot core 270 grain spitzer that is a fine bullet if you can find them. I'll look in my notebook and get back to you on charge weights and propellants  

Thanks, I really appreciate it. I've had great luck with the 220gn Speers in my .358 & 250s swaged down to .355 for my 9x57. I figured the 270 should be a good all-rounder. Hopefully they get them back out soon. 

[Sunfish]

Rob the data in my notes with the 270 gr. Speer was for the 9.3x57 the data I have for the 9.3x62 was with a 286 gr. The Western Powder BIG GAME is the best of all that I tried, and I tried 4350, 2520, 4064, 4895 and RL 15. I started at 45.5 and went to 47 with no signs of over pressure but it works the best where I started. The groups began to open up a little as I increased the charge. My gun has a long throat so be very careful with that new three groove until you see how it's going to act. Quite a few people think that the 9.3x62 is the GOAT medium bore. My rifle is pretty light and about 4 or 5 shots will get your attention. Have you bought any dies yet?   

[Handsome Rob]

14 hours ago, Sunfish said:

Rob the data in my notes with the 270 gr. Speer was for the 9.3x57 the data I have for the 9.3x62 was with a 286 gr. The Western Powder BIG GAME is the best of all that I tried, and I tried 4350, 2520, 4064, 4895 and RL 15. I started at 45.5 and went to 47 with no signs of over pressure but it works the best where I started. The groups began to open up a little as I increased the charge. My gun has a long throat so be very careful with that new three groove until you see how it's going to act. Quite a few people think that the 9.3x62 is the GOAT medium bore. My rifle is pretty light and about 4 or 5 shots will get your attention. Have you bought any dies yet?   

No dies yet. I'm still looking into that. I'm trying to figure exactly who makes them to CIP spec, rather than the '06 base. 

Thanks a lot for the load data, seems like Big Game is going to be the way forward, if I can find any! 

I'm really looking forward to this, it seems like the logical step up after my .358 & 9x57. I'll still need to do some work after Jesse gets it back to me (I think...) I'm undecided about adding a barrel band swivel & front sight. Purely for the aesthetics of the thing. 

Edited August 8, 2022 by Handsome Rob

[Sunfish]

Mine are RCBS FL Dies. There are other brands available, but they get the job done. The 9.3 x57 is the hard one the only thing out there is Hornady and they are really hard to come by. Good luck and don't worry about it being ugly because pretty is what pretty does