9.3x62 vs. .375 H&H

I have both a Winchester Super Express in 375 H&H and a Stiga 9.3x62 Mauser, they are totaly differrent rifles my Win weighs around 10 pounds and my stiga a little over 6 pounds. I can carry my Stiga all day after moose and deer and I can take the Win but drag my ass the rest of the day. I bought the 375 for an upcoming trip to South Africa and the Stiga for Canadian hunting. The win is nicer to shoot as the weight of the gun makes recoil almost like a 308 win., on the other hand you don't sit at the bench all day shooting the light Stiga. They both have their uses and are very close in ballistics up to 300 grainers, it is nice to see that both these cartriges are making a come back, so in the end why not just buy both as you can use the one that fits the day and have a very good backup gun. Would be nice to see American gun manufactures bring back these classic cartrige guns, good luck in your choice but you can't go wrong either way, regards Dale in T-Bay:dancingbanana:
 
The cut out of the poorly convert M98 showing the thin bottom lug butress is worthy of concern. However it is over played as it denies the existence of thousands of .375's built on standad length M98's that function without a hiccup. The action can also be opened slightly to the rear, leaving more lub butress. The rear opening just requires more work and more expense.

I am not sure why the 9,3x62 vs. .375 argument exists other than for ballistic masturbation....
The 9.3 is not a .375, has never been and will never be, just like a .308 is not a .30-06. That doesn't mean its not a great and competant cartridge but the FACT is that a .375 can and will push a slightly heavier bullet, slightly faster. Both can and do down big game effectively.
 
Not likely to notice much difference on game,both calibers offer modest recoil and have proven to be very accurate.Hard to beat a 9.3 though housed in a very light trim rifle.I have some 9.3 experience on game mostly the 9.3x64 and it easily kills as well as the H&H,ruger etc...Both calibers have an abundance of class.
 
For me to believe that the 9.3 is the equal of the .375 I'd have to believe that my .35 Whelen also is. I don't, for a few reasons. Since the claim to fame is versatility, and shots past 200 are clearly part of versatility then the higher velocity of the .375 will win. In the matter of heavier available bullets it also wins.
Besides versatility, there's a matter of practicality and legality. Zimbabwe allows the 9.3x62 for dangerous game, it's true. It's also true that Zim is only one country out of a continent, and that there is no factory loading for the 9.3 (that I'm aware of) that reaches the written Zimbabwe legal energy requirements for those species. Debating the chronographed velocities of my handloads and math skills with a medal wearing, unsmiling dude on the other side of the world is a pleasure that I'd just as soon skip.:D
Even if the two cartridges were identical in every way but headstamp, the difference between being universally allowed in all countries and being sorta, kinda, quasi legal in only one country makes the choice simple.
None of this may apply to the Canadian hunter that hunts at bush distances at home, but if you want to take the show on the road it is a very real consideration.
 
I am not sure why the 9,3x62 vs. .375 argument exists other than for ballistic masturbation....
The 9.3 is not a .375, has never been and will never be, just like a .308 is not a .30-06. That doesn't mean its not a great and competant cartridge but the FACT is that a .375 can and will push a slightly heavier bullet, slightly faster. Both can and do down big game effectively.
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I'm glad you brought that up. I had the opportunity to go shooting with a PH this last week and he basically said the same thing. He admitted he wasn't much of a gun geek, and all the talk of guns/caliber/energy didn't do much for him. He was of the opinion that the only thing that mattered was hitting the animal where you needed to, if you couldn't do that having X over Y was conversational, and something a buff in particular wouldn't be in the mood to debate. His carry rifle is a .500 Nitro double, but having held a PH licence for over 20 years I think his point was simply that it didn't matter so much what you were shooting (within reason of course) but that you knew how to shoot it. I guess they get exposed to too many folk with wiz bang rifles they can't shoot (Weatherby rifles comming off a plane are apparently a sign of trouble for them) and having to deal with the aftermath of either a charge or wounded animal. Interesting to get some sober thoughts from someone who hunts for a living and isn't really into guns, made me look at things a little differently. Then again debating ballistics just gives us an excuse to make another purchase, and who doesn't need more guns in their safe? :D
 
What I see the 375 H&H having over the 9.3x62 is range. If a fellow rarely shoots past 200 yards, and never past 300, then the x62 will do everything you need. If you're going to want to put down your moose at 500 yards, you're noticeably better with the 375 H&H.

Personally I went for a 9.3x57 and a .375 RUM. Near.....Far....
 
Snow Dog said:
I have a Tikka T-3 Lite in 9.3x62
T-3.jpg

In a 6 1/4 lbs rifle I would not want a .375 That round is better off in a heavier rifle. The thinking behind the 9.3x62 is the heaviest bullet you can get in a standard length action and non-belted brass. Comparing the two is really an apples and oranges thing.
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Necroposts can really bring us a blast from the past. Funny how the times change. Now there's a non-belted 375 cal in a standard length action offered from the factory.

I can also add myself to the 9.3x62 owners club. And no, it wasn't built on the Old Man's action - it's still sitting on his desk. 286 Norma RN at 2400 FPS and into an inch at a hundred yards will more than do anything I ask it to - at home or abroad.

Salty said:
There's new 9.3 offerings recently and probably more to come. :)

Speer: 270gr semi spitz
Nosler: 250gr bal tip, 286gr partition
Barnes: 250gr tsx, 286gr tsx
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Not to mention Woodleigh(250/286/320), Norma(232/285/325), Swift(250/300), Hornady(250/286), Lapua(220, 270, 285), Prvi(285), Rhino (235/250/286) and probably others all available in Canada thanks to guys like Anthony at TradeEx who seems to stock about every .366" bullet you can find!

Andy said:
I can get just short of 2500 fps with a 350gr Barnes in my 375 H&H Browning A-Bolt's 26" barrel. What's the best you guys get with a 350gr bullet in the 9.3x62? ;)
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I believe that atkinson over on the 24HourCampfire gets 2200 out of his 26" 9.3x62 using 320 Woodleighs (heaviest bullet available for the 9.3). Not the same but pretty darned close. And less likely to permanently jar your brain than the 350 chugging along at 2500 out of your A Bolt.
 
Ahhh, now I see. So lighter, smaller and slower bullets are better?

So that makes the 35 Whelen better than the 9.3x62. Another argument solved by that universal truth.
 
Gunslinger said:
I'm glad you brought that up. I had the opportunity to go shooting with a PH this last week and he basically said the same thing. He admitted he wasn't much of a gun geek, and all the talk of guns/caliber/energy didn't do much for him. He was of the opinion that the only thing that mattered was hitting the animal where you needed to, if you couldn't do that having X over Y was conversational, and something a buff in particular wouldn't be in the mood to debate. His carry rifle is a .500 Nitro double, but having held a PH licence for over 20 years I think his point was simply that it didn't matter so much what you were shooting (within reason of course) but that you knew how to shoot it. I guess they get exposed to too many folk with wiz bang rifles they can't shoot (Weatherby rifles comming off a plane are apparently a sign of trouble for them) and having to deal with the aftermath of either a charge or wounded animal. Interesting to get some sober thoughts from someone who hunts for a living and isn't really into guns, made me look at things a little differently. Then again debating ballistics just gives us an excuse to make another purchase, and who doesn't need more guns in their safe? :D
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If he didn't believe that bigger was better or different why did he go through the considerable expense of getting the biggest, heaviest, most expensive design available, with some of the most expensive and hard to get ammo?
 
His point was correct shot placement was much more important than bigger bullet. So far as the double, I would expect that as an experienced PH he can handle the stress of a awkward situation far better than most, that and place a large bullet where it needs to go reliably. For him a .500 double suits his abilities better than it would most folk I suspect, there's a lot more reliability insurance with a double when you're in a tight spot and there's just no excaping the fact that double aren't cheap. Plus it's a lot easier to justify the expense when it's a tool for your job that you use everyday.
 
Dogleg said:
If he didn't believe that bigger was better or different why did he go through the considerable expense of getting the biggest, heaviest, most expensive design available, with some of the most expensive and hard to get ammo?
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Maybe it's because he knows most clients can't shoot for s**t, so it doesn't much matter to him what they carry. Some clients are good marksmen, but those appear to be the exception to the rule. The majority would be better off with a 220 gr bullet in a .30/06 rather than either a 9.3 or a .375, but most African countries have a 9.3 or .375 minimum for dangerous game. I can attest to the fact that a .500 NE is a good killer, but only for the fellow who can shoot it, and the rather course sights found on doubles restrict it to a short range piece. Of course the rifles carried by the client and the PH's fill different roles, and the client's rifle must be versatile enough to take game that might weigh as little as 30 pounds or 3 tons, from a few feet away top 300 yards. The PH's rifle on the other hand is very specialized to solve emergencies. Regardless of the cartridge or the rifle is chosen, I wish that big game hunters as a group would shoot more than to just zero their rifles.
 
That's something else he mentioned. He never shoots from a bench, mostly standing and a some sitting. If he has to check regulation he stands with sticks. Like Boomer eluded, PH's are there to take care of emergencies, usually involving a big pissed off beast at close range with limited time. A big double, in cool hands is the best in that situation. From his point of view, for the rest of us a shot in the right spot is all he asks for, not what we're shooting.
 
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