.308/30-06 or 9.3x62 mm?

H

Hollow Point

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
11   0   0
Location
New Brunswick
looking for a good hunting rifle for deer, black bears, and occasionally moose (if i ever get lucky enough to get drawn again). the tikka t3x battue looks good just have to decide on caliber. Anyone have any experience with 9.3x62? how does it compare to 308 or 3006?
 
9.3x62 is a great caliber, to me like a larger 30-06 but any of the calibers mentioned will take the game mentioned. .308 has mildest recoil followed by 30-06 and then 9.3x62 so it also depends on your recoil sensitivity. I personally love the recoil of the 9.3x62 as to me it seems more of a push compared to a harsh jab. Bullet selection is also a key.
 
The Battue is a great rifle, I love mine in .308. The short barrel and light weight give it a sharp bark and bite. Plus some nice QD optic mount options with Tikka's integral rail. You can't go wrong with any of the calibers, I would shy away from the 9.3x62 unless Moose was your primary target or you really love heavy recoil in a light firearm. .308 / 30-06 are more than fine with high quality ammo for what you have in mind. Here is mine wearing a 1-4x Trijicon Accupoint in a Masina-Toute Quick Detach Mount with a 5 round magazine. I hunt with Barnes 150gr or 168gr TTSX rounds. Amazing combo.
8fOeMYf.jpg
 
Last edited:
9.3x62 is a great caliber but what do you need for? never try to ask for an advice: you re on gunnutz. the more you have the better it is. buy the 30-06 and the 9.3x62.

there is no way you can compare the 30-06/308 to 9.3x62.

9.3x62 was created for settlers in Africa that were dealing with some nice animals like buffaloes, lions, hippos and elephant... they cannot afford the british doubles and a german gunsmith find a way to feed a different cartridge in the mauser 98: rest is history.
 
Chas59 said:
9.3x62 is a great caliber, to me like a larger 30-06 but any of the calibers mentioned will take the game mentioned. .308 has mildest recoil followed by 30-06 and then 9.3x62 so it also depends on your recoil sensitivity. I personally love the recoil of the 9.3x62 as to me it seems more of a push compared to a harsh jab. Bullet selection is also a key.
Click to expand...

It is a big push shooting 286 grain bullets though. Last week, I shot a few 235 grain Naturalis. It was so tame and fun to shoot. My savage 99c in 308 kicks harder than that.
 
Given that moose is a long shot, I would go with a .308... 180 grain for bears, and 150 grain for deer or split the difference and go with 165 for everything... if you do get drawn for moose, the .308 will get it done.
 
For deer/bear and only maybe on the moose, I would choose 30-06. Although as mentioned, any of the cartridges you listed will work fine. If you need an excuse for a new rifle, then 9.3 all the way!!
 
Hollow Point said:
looking for a good hunting rifle for deer, black bears, and occasionally moose (if i ever get lucky enough to get drawn again). the tikka t3x battue looks good just have to decide on caliber. Anyone have any experience with 9.3x62? how does it compare to 308 or 3006?
Click to expand...

You don't "need" a 9.3x62 for anything here in NB. A 308 or 30-06 will do just fine for everything on our game list here. If you want a 9.3 anyways, by all means get one. I have all the pcs here to have one built including dies and bullets but haven't got around to it yet.

Saying that, I'd want a heavier rifle than a Tikka T3 for a 9.3x62 or any magnum larger than a 7mm Mag. Too light for that much recoil.
 
308, ammo is everywhere. Cheap stuff to play with. Find one cartridge that works well with the twist. If it's 168 gr bthp, it'll take deer, bear, and moose. In the military the KISS rule trumped all.
Keep
It
Simple
Stupid.
 
If it was mostly moose and the occasional deer, a 9.3 might be a better choice. For you, a .308 using a good bullet in the 150-165 range is what you want.
 
I have a 9.3x62 and a 270 win. On moose, the 270 win bullet stop in the skin on the other side. With the 9.3x62 the exit hole is as big as a golf ball. There is no comparison. 9.3 is much stronger.
 
I look at the 9.3 as a great big, fat, .308. Similar ballistics, just up-scaled. Recoil isn't that bad.

.308 and .30/06 will be easier to feed. Any of them will slay moose and bear.
 
If you don't reload, choose either the 308 or 30-06.

If you do reload, the 9.3x62 is an excellent choice for any big game in NA (save perhaps sheep and goats at long ranges).
 
I would go with the 30-06, it's suitable for all game on this continent including mountain game. I don't have any experience with tikka rifle's but believe they are standard length actions, which is the reason I would choose the 30-06 over a 308. Also the 30-06 has an advantage with heavy bullets over a 308 especially if you reload. jmo.
 
douginont said:
308, ammo is everywhere. Cheap stuff to play with. Find one cartridge that works well with the twist. If it's 168 gr bthp, it'll take deer, bear, and moose. In the military the KISS rule trumped all.
Keep
It
Simple
Stupid.
Click to expand...

^This^ This guy is giving you good advice, I reccomend a rifle you can purchase a lot of bullets for and shoot a lot that's (in the case of .308) semi easy on your wallet. Barnaul makes factory fmj and softpoint ammo that's decent enough to get whatever you want done on paper for cheap. There is also some Austrian 7.62x51 floating around that's really well made and accurate for the price (0.70-75cpr it easily punches above it's price in accuracy) it's drying up so make your choice soon. And if you wanna take it to that national match style, there's people who make bullets like that too, all in all .308 is an easy recommend. It'll do everything 30/06 will do. And isn't as overkill as the 9.3.
 
Last edited:
I have a 30-06 battue only because I have other scoped 30-06 rifles. if your scoping the rifle your defeating the purpose of having the short barrel open sight model. I use mine when dogging the thicker bush or when I’m gonna hike far distances to keep the weight down. Since it’s made to be open sight your only gonna kill as far as you can hit with open sight, so you don’t need much power or range. I would’ve got it in .308 if I didn’t have 30-06’s because every ounce counts when packing out animals and it’s such a light rifle felt recoil increases, .308 is the least recoiling out of all of them
 
My primary rifle is a T3x Battue in 30-06. I probably would have gone with a 308 had it not been for the standard action length of the T3x. I figured if I was already getting a long action, it might as well be chambered in a long action cartridge.

My best friend handled my Battue and immediately wanted one for himself. He had a desire for a rifle in the 35-36 caliber range so when a Battue showed up on a dealer's shelf in 9.3x62, he had to have it.

After having shot both, I don't notice much of a difference in recoil. The 9.3 kicks a bit harder but not much at all. The 30-06 is a more versatile cartridge and would be a better choice for a "do-it-all" type of rifle. Also, ammo is everywhere in a wide range of weights and bullet types. It's also very affordable. But the 9.3 is a really cool cartridge as well and if you don't plan on hunting in areas where you might have to stretch things out a bit, then it's hard to go wrong with one of those either. Just be prepared to have to look around for ammo and be willing to pay the price for it when you find it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom